I knew from the moment I finished Delilah's book that I was going to love Astrid's book. I so related to her uptight, trying to please everyone ways and I immediately felt a connection to her when I picked up this book. I loved watching Jordan break down her walls. I loved the relationship the two of them formed together. I loved the backdrop of the inn and the renovation. And of course, I loved Astrid's friend group once again. I'm very much hoping Iris and Simon get a book of their own because I don't want this series to end!

This review is in exchange for a Netgalley eARC.

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I adored Delilah Green Doesn't Care, and when I saw the author's sequel starring Astrid on Netgalley, I applied for an ARC immediately. Prickly characters are some of my favorite to read, because there's always some event (or several) which makes them move a little different through the world of romance than your typical hero/heroine. It takes the love interest more time to peel back those layers, and it takes trust from the MC to allow that to happen. Astrid Parker had all the makings of a great prickly MC, and I may have pined over the love interest's description and image on the cover. All systems are ago.

Where I struggled with this book was the pacing. The storytelling didn't have a hold on me like the first book. I kept putting the book down. This may have been a me problem, not a book problem, but when I really love a book, I will use every spare moment I have to keep reading. Unfortunately, that was not the case for me with this book.

Now for the things I loved. I -loved- the initial setup of Astrid knee-jerk reacting to her favorite ivory dress getting ruined on a big important day. I also really liked the callouts to other books without naming them. Written in the Stars, The Intimacy Project... yes. Also, I want Iris's bookshelves. And the attention to detail on the Inn's renovation with all those beautiful descriptions? Yes, please!

Overall, I gave this book a 4/5. All the framework is there for a great book, and it certainly checks all the romance must haves. There was just something about the pacing that didn't do it for me.

This had so many good parts. Such great representation and female empowerment- I am legit looking for a clit necklace to buy now. Multiple underlying messages that are just beautiful. I found a little bit of myself in Astrid and I really loved watching her come into herself. I actually found a little bit of myself in most of these characters. A really beautiful, impactful read.

And Spicy! 18+ multiple scenes
Pretty good build up. Intense passion but slow to actual action.

Easy read to follow and understand.

Second in an interconnected standalone series. One of the better books like this where there is enough recap that I don’t think you’d have to read book 1 to follow.

Lesbian
Non-binary
Bisexual
Mentions of trans persons (no character) and pan sexuality

Special thanks to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group for this digital ARC.

3.50 Stars. A nice story but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed. This is book 2 in Blake’s Bright Falls series and I went into this read with big expectations. While that is not really fair to Blake, I could not help it when book one, Delilah Green Doesn't Care, is (so far) my favorite romance I have read this year. In fact, I even got to vote for it for Best Romance in the Goodreads Choice Awards. In the 7 years, I have been reading/reviewing on Goodreads, I have never gotten to vote for my actual favorite. Normally I am just voting for the book in each category I’ve actually read or just skipping categories altogether because if you’ve stopped reading Maas like I have, you are normally out of luck. So, finally after all these years, to get to vote for a real favorite made my heart happy. With the first round of voting happening right before I read this new book in the series, Astrid Parker Doesn’t Fail, it was just another thing that reminded me of my love for this series and I think helped to hype up my expectation too high to be met.

One of the things I enjoyed so much about Delilah-GDC, was the amazing cast of characters. I really loved everyone in the book, including the close group of friends and relatives, and found that Astrid especially was interesting to me. I don’t know if I was remembering her wrong, but I really thought she was an ice queen or at least an ice princess, so while she started this book off that way, for 5 pages, she soon turned into this pile of goo and she lost all her bite and that icy shell that I instead wanted to see her love interest slowly melt throughout the book. Again, it could be me, but this was not the Astrid I was expecting and in the end her character was pretty flat and I hate to say disappointing compared to the Astrid of Delilah Green Doesn't Care.

The new main and potential love interest is the carpenter Jordan, to Astrid’s interior designer. I had such issues with Jordan that while I finished this book last night, I just had to look up Jordan’s name as I erased it from my memory already. It’s not that Jordan is badly written, although she is also not as developed as she could be, but she had more of a personal story then Astrid, I just could not stand her for the first 70% of the book. I can’t go into much because I would have to put up a bunch of spoilers, but I do want to complain about one thing so I will put one spoiler. Please only read it if you have read the book already. [SPOILER I was really unhappy about how the credit was actually given for the design. While yes, the main idea had totally changed and that wasn’t Astrid, but the idea was raw, and they said Astrid used her designer eye to make things work and to do things Jordan didn’t know how to do. They worked non-stop night after night, and Astrid thought they should have shared credit, but Jordan said no because they are supposed to be “enemies” …. And then when shit hits the fan all that work Astrid did for months means nothing? It was all Jordan? Raw ideas yes, but Astrid getting no credit for all her work just didn’t sit with me. (hide spoiler)]

When I don’t care for one or both characters of the couple in a romance, most of the time the romance itself doesn’t work for me, and I’m sorry to say that was the case here. It wasn’t bad by any means; it just wasn’t great or magical and I know Blake can write some romance magic. While I felt like there was some attraction between the two, there just wasn’t the chemistry that I want in my sapphic romance. There were some really cute moments like at the movie theater and I thought okay here we go, but then we lost the momentum and went kind of flat again. Again, overall, this was a perfectly nice read, it just wasn’t that special, or wow read that I was hoping for. It’s almost impossible, these expectations, when this author writes one of my favorite books and must follow that up in the same year, in the same series, as that’s a huge ask for anyone. This wasn’t the book that I hoped for, but it was still a pleasant read, and I can’t wait to read book 3 in the series.

An ARC was given to me for an honest review.

Okay Ashley Herring Blake! How are both of this author’s books SO good?! I loved their first one and I loved this one. I know Astrid is suppose to come off as cold, snobby, etc but I loved her! She reminds me a lot of myself and I completely empathized with her need to please her mother. Her and Jordan were just so swoon worthy together. I loved their somewhat enemies to lovers story. I can’t wait to see read Lila’s story next!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was a teeny bit of a disappointment for me after having loved Delilah Green Doesn't Care so much, but it was still good! Just not a favorite.

We're following Delilah's Type A sister, Astrid, and another character named Jordan as they fall in lurve. Astrid has been hired as the designer for the renovation of the Everwood Inn, a locally famous inn that is supposedly haunted. They are televising the renovation on Innside America and Astrid feels like this is the last chance she has to save her dying business. Jordan has just been fired from her carpenter job in Savannah and has come home to lick her wounds, and get a sort of second chance herself by being the lead carpenter on the reno. They clash immediately.

Something about this just didn't gel perfectly for me. It felt a little bit labored. I'm not sure how else to explain it. Plus, there was so much going on in each character's head, I feel like their time together getting to know each other got short shrift. I wanted more from it. I also thought Jordan's arc worked much better than Astrid's did, unfortunately, since she's the title character. It did all work and I liked it, but it also didn't have the magic for me that the first book did. Maybe because Delilah wasn't the main character (her scenes in this one were highlights of the book).

[3.5 stars]

Astrid Parker Doesn’t Fail is book two in Ashley Herring Blakes, Bright Falls series. Thanks so much to Berkley for this advanced copy to review (out now)! Book one in this series, Delilah Green Doesn’t Care, is one of my all time favorites so I’ve been very eagerly awaiting this one.

APDF is an enemies to lovers workplace romance about an interior designer and a carpenter who learn they have to work together on a renovation project after a disastrous first meeting. It’s funny and sexy and a little bit magical and has:

- a charming old inn that may or may not be haunted by a meddlesome, matchmaking ghost
- lesbian/bisexual pairing with a queer awakening
- opposites attract, workplace rivals in a small town setting
- a very cathartic demo day scene
- a tarot inspired grand gesture
- tons and tons of behind the scenes details for HGTV lovers
- lots of cameos from Claire, Delilah, and the rest of the gang
- some very steamy steam that left me wondering if I’ll ever look at a walk in pantry the same way again

I did not love this one quite as much as its predecessor but still enjoyed it immensely and cannot wait for book 3!

*Received as a free ARC*
I absolutely adored this book! It was sweet and fluffy, with just a hint of angst. I loved the focus on how it's never too late to learn about yourself and your identity. I also deeply related to both Astrid and Jordan's anxiety and fear about not having their lives perfectly together. I'd absolutely recommend this to fans of adult queer romance.

This was another incredible installment from Bright Falls. Astrid is perfection personified just like in Delilah, but this time we get to see her falling apart and questioning everything including who she is and what she wants. Then there Jordan who is recovering from a life-changing loss but knowing exactly who she is and what she wants....right? When they meet they are immediately oil and water which makes this story that much better for the reader. We get so much more of the friendship between Astrid, Claire, Iris, and now Delilah that makes my heart melt. The budding romance between Astrid and Jordan is sweet, and confusing, and for both of them life altering. They both discover things about themselves they never even knew and I absolutely loved every second of this book and hope we get more books from my favorite little north western town.

This book was a delightful read. Both Astrid and Jordan were well fleshed-out characters. Astrid especially, with her fear of failure and her need for perfection, and her baby queerness, was so relatable. Both Astrid and Jordan are at a crossroads and this renovation is a chance for both to truly figure out what they want in life. For Astrid, it is an attempt to save her company but as we learn through the book, to break out from under her mother’s thumb and discover what truly makes her happy. For Jordan, it is healing from a painful breakup that shook her foundation and to rediscover her passions. There is a bit of enemies to lovers like conflict but more of the differences in opinions between Astrid and Jordan that just enflame their attraction.

This is a story of growth, for both Jordan and Astrid. While they have really supportive people in their lives, they are really forced to take time and examine what they want and what makes them happy. This story, while about women in their 30’s, has a bit of a coming to age feel to it. It shows that the reader that they’re never to old to make changes and that it is important to find the things in life that make you happy. There is a lot about this book that really resonates with me as a reader and as someone considering the next steps in her own life. I really appreciated this story and thought it was absolutely beautiful!

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for allowing me to read this ARC!

Content Warning: cancer, cheating, emotional abuse (parental), verbal abuse (parental).


Astrid Parker has her life together. Although she's established herself as an ultra-successful interior designer, business hasn't exactly been booming lately, which is exactly why she needs all the exposure from Innside America that she can get. Filming an episode of the renovation of the local Everwood Inn, where Astrid is the lead designer, is just what she needs -- but what she doesn't expect is that she'll butt heads with the carpenter granddaughter of the inn's owner, Jordan Everwood. Jordan is dealing with her own personal issues and failure, and she's not in the best state of mind to deal with what she thinks of as Astrid's "uninspired" design for the inn. But against all odds, Jordan and Astrid find themselves growing closer, even as the showrunners encourage them to have on-camera conflict... and Astrid begins to realize that everything she thought she knew about herself might not be true after all.

I reviewed Delilah Green Doesn't Care on this blog previously, and if you've read that post, you'll know that I absolutely adore it. I'm not huge on contemporary romances, let alone romcoms, but it really struck a chord with me that no other romance has managed to before. Her characters were relatable, the romance was just the right amount of fluffy and serious, and the entire book was just plain fantastic. However, with all of that being said... I'm afraid to say that Astrid Parker Doesn't Fail simply didn't satisfy me in the way the first book did.

Since this book is, first and foremost, a romance, I think the main issue is that Jordan and Astrid never feel quite as convincing, or as interesting, as Claire and Delilah were. Even when you don't compare the two books, many of the scenes between them are not that engaging. While I like both of them individually, the sparks between them feel sometimes lukewarm. Most of Blake's books have a lot of infodumping, and this one was no exception, but while typically I don't mind it, it felt as if it was doing most of the emotional footwork for the characters in this, never leaving any subtlety to their emotions or motivations. Instead of letting us (and Astrid and Jordan) figure it out for ourselves, we're told how they feel, why they feel it, and then they're immediately sent on the way to fix it.

The scene that sticks out most to me is when Astrid and Jordan go to the theater, and it's probably the best scene in the book, but I also wondered why they were divulging all of these secrets to one another, alcohol notwithstanding. It just felt... a little strange, and they hadn't quite had the development to make it seem believable. The narrative is punctuated by issues like these.

It's not that this book is awful (it's not), but none of it is really convincing. I also have to address how corny this book often is, and not in a cute way. Of course, it's kind of a given that when you read a cute romance (particularly one with comedic elements), there will be some corny moments, but it's usually the kind of corny that makes you smile. In this case, it made me cringe.

One more thing: Blake's takes on race and gender in this one made me pause. She uses the term "women and nonbinary people" pretty much nonstop, and I hate this. I hate this so much. Why does she conflate women with nonbinary people? What about people who associate themselves with masculinity? What about transmac people, who still identify as nonbinary or genderfluid? I could just go on about this, and it just struck me as so odd. She also describes everyone race first in this book, which felt really weird.

So, would I recommend it? To Blake's fans, probably. If you're a big fan of the romance genre, I think you'll probably enjoy this one, even if it's not the best you've ever read. For me, it was a bit of a drag: not the best, not the worst. I'll leave it up to you wise people whether you decide to pick it up or not!

Astrid Parker Doesn’t Fail comes after Delilah Green Doesn’t Care, but I read them out of order (as I often do) and it was fine!

I loved it. Interior designer working on historic inn reno for a TV show meets the inn’s granddaughter (who is also the carpenter for the reno).

The meet cute is dramatic so there’s a bit of the enemies to lovers trope, there’s a lot of self discovery, there’s some excellent steam, and there’s great characters (both main and secondary) with good representation.

Oh, and there might be a ghost!

Sound interesting? Go grab it! I’m already looking forward to the next one.

Ever since the end of Delilah Green doesn't care, I have been excited to see Astrid Parker's story unfold. This definitely did not disappoint. My attention was immediately captured. I loved the balance between the characters and their personal stories and the actual plot of renovating this apartment. I related so heavily to Astrid so it was refreshing. In the end, I was super happy and felt like I had a good ending.

Renovation romances seem to be having a moment, and I'm fine with that, especially when they are as good as this queer romance from Ashley Herring Blake. Who knew, after reading Delilah Green Doesn't Care, that Astrid Parker would turn out to be a character readers would genuinely root for, and who is just as rounded and interesting a character as you could hope for. Jordan Everwood is the perfect pairing for her with her own backstory and her patience with Astrid. Plus, getting to see the friend group of Claire, Astrid, and Iris again is really lovely.

I LOVED this book. I adored Delilah and book 1 and this book absolutely lived up to that and more. First of all - any home reno story and I am immediately hooked. Enemies to lovers? Check! steamy romance?! Double check

I am slightly obsessed with a Astrid (shocker) and Jordan .

But what I most loved was both characters facing their fears of failure and busting through their own barriers and figuring out their dreams. Also seeing them navigate their feelings and relationships was

After meeting Astrid in Delilah Green Doesn’t Care, her book quickly became one of my most anticipated reads of the year. I saw so much of myself in her, her struggles, her insecurities, her need to be perfect. I really loved getting to be inside her head in this book. She has such a personal journey in this book with her career, her recent break up, her sexuality, her relationship with her mother. I love that Jordan was there for it all, patiently & selflessly supporting her. Jordan had a lot of anger to overcome, and I really enjoyed seeing her let it go and let herself find love again. The setting of the inn renovation and film set was so fun and unlike anything I’ve read before, I really enjoyed that aspect of it. I felt like the 3rd act break up was a little forced given that they had been communication so well and had been so emotionally mature at every stage, but that was my only small issue. Ultimately loved the book and Im so glad we got to see more of Claire & Delilah too!

When it comes to queer romances, one of my absolute favorite things is messy characters who navigate their sexuality in adulthood, since queerness isn’t always something that was “known all along” for a lot of people. That is definitely the case when it comes to Astrid Parker, an over achieving interior designer whose life is upended when she is assigned to remodeling a local BnB with Jordan Everwood.

From the beginning, it is obvious that Astrid and Jordan are polar opposites, and things heat up as they constantly clash over the remodeling project that they are both working on. While they were at each other’s throats, the chemistry between them was palpable even if Astrid was in total denial about her attraction to women (cue bisexual disaster moments).

I also think the author does a really phenomenal job of examining and unpacking toxic familial relationships and the fact that it not only okay, but necessary to establish firm boundaries when it comes to family. Astrid’s relationship with her mother is all too familiar to me, and I really appreciated watching Astrid unpack everything and break out of her shell especially with the help of Jordan.

I can’t say enough good things about this book, and this author is definitely an auto read for me now!

This is one of the best romances of the year. Astrid and Jordan have so much to work through for themselves and are tentatively falling in love as they reno Jordan's grandmother's inn. The central external conflict could have been better handled (if reputation is everything, why risk being caught? Why not just make it a joint effort?) and that was the weakest point of the plot. But they really do grow as people and their sweet (and hot!!) love story works so well. I love the found family group of friends Astrid has to support her and for her to be supportive of. All of you looking for a great contemporary romance to warm up the cold winter nights - Ashley Herring Blake's got you covered with this one.

“Astrid Parker Doesn’t Fail” is a fun, sweet and heartfelt slow burn F/F romance that is a great addition to the Bright Falls series. I was hooked on Astrid and Jordan’s banter and their enemies to lovers story.

After canceling her wedding, Astrid is trying to find her footing again and she has been working on her career. Astrid accepts a job as the lead designer for the renovation of the Everwood Inn which will also air on TV. But one of the lead carpenters is Jordan Everwood and the two have already had a tense meeting. Jordan has been divorced from her wife and is also trying to find her way again. The two have a tension between each other that first is over the job but as they get to know each other, they both realize an underlying attraction.

I loved the first book and was excited to start Astrid’s story. Astrid is smart, intense and knows what she wants. She comes off as difficult but with how she was raised, she doesn’t know any other way. I love how this book focused on Astrid having her bi-awakening. Some find their way later in life and having a book like this out in the world is important. I loved Jordan from the beginning and she became an instant favorite for me. Jordan’s divorce was heartbreaking for her and all the circumstances that led to it. But her confidence is so attractive and I loved that she works with her hands and is a carpenter. The story is a slow burn since the two start out as enemies and Astrid is trying to figure out herself. But when we finally get to them, they’re well written and accurate. I loved having Delilah, Claire and Iris throughout the story and I can’t wait to read.Iris’s story next.

Earlier this year, I read Delilah Green Doesn’t Care and I fell in love with that cast of characters, so I was super excited to get to know Astrid more, and boy, does this new book deliver! So much of the two books is the same: you root for the main characters and groan when they can’t seem to get their heads out of their own asses. There’s real talk and communication between the characters. The friend group is solid. Everything is great. I gobbled this book in a mere two days and I’m so grateful that I had the chance to read it earlier. Im basically going to throw this book at customers from here on out haha