Ashley Herring Blake is the queen of the Sapphic romance for me. She writes deeply interesting, flawed characters that are able to grow and change without losing themselves. The Bright Falls books are so deeply important to me and this one punched me right in the heart. Herring Blake wrote so much tenderness and bravery into Iris and Stevie and I'm forever grateful to her for this book.

This book was such a great conclusion to this series. I loved Iris so much! I'm so sad to say goodbye t0 these girls but it was a lovely farewell!

What a different take on the fake-girlfriends trope. Honestly, it’s one of my least favorite types of stories in the lezfic world. There’s just so many of them, and most just read as the same blueprint over and over. Then recently I read this and The Fiance Farce, and dang, yep, totally worked for me.

Though I did enjoy the other books in this series (I think Iris is #1, then Delilah, and then Astrid – for me the first two (especially Astrid), had way too much unnecessary angst and unnecessary plot ploys --- reading Iris Kelly Doesn’t date left me with smiles throughout the whole story. Yes, it was the worse meet-cute ever, but the way anxiety is discussed, and how sweet Iris is to Stef regardless of her anxiety… I was rooting for them from their first awkward (and believable) conversation.

Sure, there was some drama that could have been avoided towards the end with a simple conversation – but – the ending in itself is beautiful and I forgive the few moments where I was not diggin’ the situation. I also thought it was beautiful how Iris’s friends all showed up in their own ways for Iris. Their text group is awesome [and I was happy to see Jordan wasn’t included…though, I was happy that Delilah was…yep, book 2 not my fav even though I do love Astrid]. I digress.

I have loved being a witness to all the characters in this group of friends – seeing the good and not so good, but how they just always showed up, no matter what, and called each other out on their sh*t. Even Delilah Green’s heart melted just a bit. I do think this one pulled at my heartstrings more, and although I thought Iris was a character/unfiltered best-friend in the first two books, I had a feeling that was all part of a show. I am happy that we finally got a chance to see all that was going un from the other side of her very thick shields.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC! 4.5/5

I love this series, it's so fun and sexy and gaaaay. I'm sad to see the trilogy end, but I think it was a strong enough finish. This one felt extra emotional to me, but they all have an emotional intensity that I think heightens the eventual happily ever after. I liked the mental health rep here, and while I don't know Shakespeare very well I'm sure the play they do will be an extra fun element for some readers. Honestly, my favorite part was seeing a preview for AHB's next rom-com at the end of the digital ARC I read from NetGalley. We can rest easy knowing that there's more Bright Falls-esque romance to come.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC of this book!!

I'd die for Stevie. End of discussion.

I absolutely loved this book. While I think Delilah Green Doesn't Care is still my favorite, this is a close second. This touched on so many deep things while still remaining to be fluffy and fun - the balance was just immaculate.

I love Iris's friendship with Delilah as well. I think her friendship with Astrid and Claire could have been built up a bit more - there was almost no interaction with Astrid and everything with Claire made her seem like overbearing, but that could just be me. Jordan was almost irrelevant in here. So much of the other two books rely on friendship that this one seems lacking in that field almost.

I also wish there were more of a wrap up with Adri - that plot line kind of just died after her admitting her feelings. I think it could have wrapped up a bit better, but otherwise it was still a good storyline.

Now Stevie and Iris? Perfect. I loved their interactions and I love them as a couple. Two gay artsy nerds 💕 Ashley Herring Blake is quickly becoming one of my top authors!!

- Maeve & Liam are adorable
- Addison sounds like a real treat
- Yeahh Jillian sucked big time
- I don’t know why people treat being single like it’s some sort of disease or condition
- So long as the person is happy, who cares?????
- I love Iris so much
- Zach sounds like an asshole so you know what, good for her. Take that Maeve
- We love a very queer group of friends
- Stevie has good buddies
- Ughh gay Shakespeare is the best
- Stevie is a wreck
- We would get along swimmingly
- I strongly dislike parents who are obsessed with their kids having children
- Will the parents be raising their grandchildren full time? No? Then shut the fuck up
- It’s not your call
- Iris & Simon’s friendship is really cute
- Oh Stevie, girl, you really are a mess
- Well that was painful to read
- Talk about a meet disaster
- I am HERE for it
- Wow this book does not pull any punches with the feelings
- I would like to wrap Iris in blankets & tell her it’s going to be okay
- The cameos from the previous books are lovely
- Simon is a good friend
- Stevie is a chronic people pleaser & I sincerely hope Iris changes that
- This is going to be interesting
- We’ve made it to the fake dating!!!!!
- Iris there are literally 9000 books involving fake dating
- Now is not the time for your trope superiority complex
- For someone who is so dramatic & outgoing, Iris is sometimes shockingly bad at communication
- There’s a 99% chance that Vanessa is fine, but the vibes are off
- Stevie meets the crew
- 10/10
- Well fuck you Lucy & fuck you too Jillian
- The sauna scene was 🥹🥹
- Wow okay Adri literally all of that was unnecessary
- Also
- You don’t talk about someone’s meds in front of someone new that’s just being a raging asshole
- Wow I relate so hard to Stevie & the being very uncomfortable with some words 😂
- This is going to be fun
- The candles!!
- I really appreciate the emphasis on separating romance from sex
- Iris you are in so much trouble
- Ahh yes, there are obviously no feelings happening here
- Nary a single feel to be found
- The running vomiting joke is the best
- Have I mentioned that I do not like Adri
- She sucks so much
- Oh Stevie
- I don’t know that I’m loving the whole lessons thing
- “Her eyes like shovels” is not my favourite analogy
- Wow Iris has a lot to work through
- I think Stevie is the right person to help tbh
- Dr Calloway sounds like a party
- Stevie is too precious
- Iris my friend just give it up
- I’d just like to say that I’m a very big fan of Astrid’s character development over the series
- *gasp* have we made… progress?????
- Iris I’m going to punch you in the fucking face
- STEVIE BOOKED YOU A HOT AIR BALLOON DATE. COME. ON.
- Foiled by the teenager
- Well at least we relieves some sexual tension
- Look I know Ren means well but that doesn’t mean that they have the right to get all up in Stevie’s business
- God fucking dammit Ren this is not your place
- Stevie you have been a bit of a dink
- Well that was heart wrenching & awful & terrible
- Iris!!!!!! W H Y
- “Stevie clicked her phone dark” is an incredibly awkward & unwieldy sentence
- Iris you stubborn little shit come on
- We did the thing!! It just took way too fucking long
- Okay the book thing was really adorable
- Love love love the foursome walking down the aisle
- Man I’m sad to leave Bright Falls. It was so incredibly gay & I loved every minute of it

Rounding out Blake's Bright Falls sapphic romance trilogy, this book delivers another heartfelt and intimate romance while not quite getting me as invested as its predecessors. The inclusion of characters from previous books felt more like necessary callbacks here than in Astrid Parker, and sometimes took away from chances for the main couple to grow on their own. This is still, however, a solid romance, with brutally realistic anxiety representation from the LI.

Another great sapphic book by Ashley Herring Blake in the Bright Falls series! After reading the first 2 books I wasn’t a huge fan of Iris so I wasn’t sure about her as the lead character. I loved the chemistry between Stevie and Iris and their romance!

Thank you to Berkeley Publishing for this eARC! Ashley Herring Blake always knows how to get me so invested, serve up hot SPICY romance and manage to stab me right where I’m most sensitive and Iris Kelly is no different. Iris and Stevie are so relatable I needed to put the book down and walk around the room for a while. And then rinse and repeat that when things heated up because MY MY has Ashley got a talent for sex scenes. It felt so right for this to be the closing chapter for Bright Falls and this beautiful sapphic queer friend group that I have so deeply fallen in love with. The beauty of romance is in the mess and how the characters choose to make sense of it. No one is doing it like Ashley. Iris Kelly Doesn’t Date is going to remain very special to me for an exceptionally long time

so so good! Loved the anxiety rep and bisexual rep. The fake dating was really well done which is very impressive. The spicy was excellent. Great character development.

I'm obsessed with this series and so sad it's coming to an end!!! The Bright Falls cast was so lovely to immerse myself in and I adore Blake's writing style and the way she builds out her characters. THE SPICE TOO!!!! Just so good, can't wait to reread over and over again

I'll fully admit, this wasn't entirely my cup of tea. I ADORED the first book in this trilogy, and the longer I sat with the 2nd book, the more I realized I had several issues with it. And reading the 3rd book confirmed that those issues hadn't gone away.

First of all, I felt like the main characters were on the shallower side; yes they talk about their problems, but there doesn't seem to be as much self-reflection & development going on as in Delilah Green. Because of that, even though I could buy the MC's being attracted to each other, I didn't care as much about them. Also, even if you know there's going to be a HEA, I have to properly feel that tension to believe the conflict in the 3rd act; for me, that was missing.

Also, there's one aspect of this book & its predecessor that drives me BONKERS: the way Blake introduces characters & discusses side characters. Characters are introduced with really awkward descriptions, including their race -- and while I get that the author wants to make their cast inclusive (I want that in the books I read too!!) it happens in a way that feels performative and brings the reader out of the moment. The side characters are not only introduced weirdly, but they are incredibly insubstantial, often on page for a paragraph and then never mentioned again.

I definitely want to try more books by the author in the future (since Delilah Green was SO good and I love Blake's middle grade work), but I did not super love this installment. I'd recommend it if you're looking for a wlw romance but don't care too much about the afore-mentioned issues.

There is just something so relatable about Iris Kelly. She doesn't fit anyones mold, and she does whatever she wants. After being left by her longterm boyfriend for not wanting the same future as him and then being slighted by her last lover, Iris has sworn off love. Been there, sis.

Enter Stevie, Stefania if you're fancy. Stevie just got dumped by her girlfriend and is...struggling. She doesn't know how to be alone, and she doesn't want to be alone, but her generalized anxiety disorder makes it hard for her to meet people.

(we want to say that we appreciate Ashley 𝘚𝘖 𝘔𝘜𝘊𝘏 for her very accurate descriptions of anxiety and panic attacks)

Iris and Stevie try to have a one night hook-up, and it goes hilariously wrong! Then they find themselves face to face again as the leads in a very gay rendition of 𝘔𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘈𝘥𝘰 𝘈𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘕𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨.
They concoct a scheme to fake date and watching these two women fall in love was absolutely fantastic. Seeing Iris realize that she 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 want the romance, and that she wants it with Stevie was so satisfying.
We loved meeting Stevie's friend group (hellooooo can we get a spin off about Ren 𝗣𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗘) and we always love visiting Bright Falls with our favorite gals.

Please pickup this book, you will not regret it!

It's so sad to say goodbye to this wonderful group of friends and the special small town of Bright Falls but the author gave us the very best finale to the series and the final scene was utter perfection!!

Iris Kelly oh I adored her. Pegged as the good-time bisexual queer girl who never seems to be anyone's idea of a long-time girlfriend, she's given up on finding love but has promised her publisher another romance.

Enter Stevie, recently dumped by her long-time girlfriend, she's trying to move on and stop having all her friends pity her. Cue up the perfect scenario for an epic one-night stand disaster! Oh dear, Stevie's generalized anxiety disorder gets the best of her and it's equally hilarious and mortifying.

I loved Iris and Stevie together and watching them fake date and slowly fall in love was beyond satisfying. Stevie tries to show Irish the romance she doesn't think she needs but also gets offered a chance to act in New York - her dream. While there is a third act break up that left me a touch frustrated, the resolution was soul-meltingly swoony!!

I could go on and on about how much I loved this book but just go read it for yourself. All the gang is back PLUS we got to know Stevie's friend group too. This was a funny, heartfelt summer romance that you don't want to miss. Definitely read the first books too for the best effect though. Highly recommended for fans of authors like Anita Kelly, Meryl Wisner and Alexandra Bellefleur.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Romance for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review. I voluntarily read this and all opinions are my own.

Steam level: slow burn, open door and SIZZLING hot! (sex toys and strap-ons are involved).

I have loved this entire series and am so sad to see it end. Iris Kelly was the perfect addition to the Brighton Falls girls.

My favorite of the Bright Falls books so far! A woman who's given up on finding love and an actress with an anxiety disorder pretend to date after a disastrous one night stand. But despite their fears and protestations, the feelings between them are all too real. So cute and sweet and a bit steamy. Iris and Stevie are just the cutest.

It was great! It really picked up towards the end. One of the better fake-dating adaptations that I've read. I will say though, the scene where Iris is cleaning up Stevie's vomit gave me so much second hand embarrassment. It just made me cringe really strongly. That was the only part that gave me the ick though.

I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review .

Another five star book from Ashley Herring Blake. I think this one is my favorite one yet because I personally relate to Iris. I also enjoy the fact that this book does not just skip over the mental health issues that are brought up but brings a wonderful sense of how a healthy relationship can work. Partners can help one another through days when one or the others mental health is not great without being fully dependent on your partner for your happiness and fulfillment. As heartbreaking as the ending was, I believe that it was the right move for both characters. I would’ve honestly been annoyed if had been handled any other way. One of my biggest pet peeves with romance these days seems to be when an author makes a character dependent on their relationship with their partner for their happiness. I don’t want characters who give up their dreams to be with someone. I want characters who know that they need to have and to attain their dreams with a partner who will support them and stay by their side, even if that doesn’t mean physically being by their side. This is oddly the second book that I have read this year with characters who have the potential for a long distance relationship, but they figure it out in a way that everyone gets to be happy and fulfilled and ultimately in the same geographical location. So if a book can figure it out, I don’t see why real people can’t figure it out.

as an anxious girly myself, Stevie was so relatable and i know so many of my friends that give major Iris energy… this is such a perfect installment to the series!!

"Iris Kelly Doesn't Date" is a triumphant conclusion to the "Bright Falls" series. Ashley Herring Blake's heroines are fully developed, relatable characters that you can't help but root for.