This was a brilliant end to the series. I loved both Iris and Steve’s characters and the development of their relationship. It was great seeing the characters from the previous books and also love Stevies’s friendship group.
This is a really fun sapphic romance with lots of humour and loving characters.
Fans of the previous books will love this one too!

I really enjoyed this book from the first chapter to the epilogue. On the surface we have two MC’s - one confident, out going and lives life to the full, the other has serious anxiety issues which can disappear when she brings her ‘professional’ persona into play!
The dialogue is fast paced, with very funny scenes. It also has serious notes regarding the ‘issues’ the MC’s have which come between them. There is a great supporting cast of characters from two previous books - which are now on my tbr list!
All on all a cracker of a book.
Thanks to Little, Brown Book Group UK and NetGalley for the ARC. This review is my honest opinion.

Another sweet, wholesome yet angsty sapphic romance from an author I highly recommend. I enjoyed this new story and new characters as well as lots of characters and places we already know from the previous books which ties it all together nicely. Well written with natural and emotion filled dialogue.

Quite slow despite how far ahead it was predictable at first but once they meet it’s immediately endearing and adorable, and massively picks up from there. I just wish it had sped up a little on the introduction before that moment. It was also a little heavy on the information and description told at the reader rather than left to infer, with each character introduced with a long list of features. Still it showcases a whole host of diversity with all sorts of different characters, and one of the main love interests having severe anxiety.

“Fear. Happiness. Hope. Despair. Anger. I get what those things are, what they mean. But the physical stuff, using my body to talk when my body feels constantly at war with my brain. . . I might as well try to communicate with people on another planet."

Perhaps more real and emotional than the other books with Stevies anxiety and inexperience and then Iris’s anger at being considered less than whole without being in a relationship. Being misunderstood, judged, pitied and pressured by all of her friends and family to settle down into a relationship.
The underlying feeling that she isn’t worth being loved, or isn’t good enough for a relationship.
I loved seeing them both overcome their issues on their own, without the magical sexy new stranger coming and fixing all of their problems, they saved themselves and chose themselves first, then choosing each other. I loved that.

This did start out rocky for me and the format I am reading it in as an ARC is very rough and unfinished which doesn’t help, yet it is still a good read and once I was invested I was fully immersed and gripped.
I look forward to rereading the finished published version.

It felt quite long and drawn out for a lesfic romance, with quite a complicated, messy plot, yet then the ending was so abrupt and almost rushed. You get 2 seconds of a happy reunion and then it immediately skips to 6 mnths later. A really sweet epilogue, don’t get me wrong, but I’d have liked a little more of the HEA after all of that!

~~~Extra review notes just for the Author~

A confusing start with a little too much detail and over explanation, with a definite feel that it’s unfinished and in need of tweaking, but this is very clearly an ARC copy with a lot of formatting issues so that makes sense, it’s just hard to tell what is or isn’t meant to be left as is.

Apart from being large chested I knew nothing about what Iris looked like yet every single name and detail for the other characters introduced, which was impossible to absorb at once anyway. Why does she refer to her parents by their name instead of mom/dad? That felt so strange to me.
There’s just a lot of information thrown at you right off the bat and more gave me a headache rather than any helpful amount of description. Too heavy on the introductions and information without actually telling me what I wanted to know.

Personally I also didn’t like Stevies Anxiety being referred to as an Illness a few times, for me that makes it seem like it’s bad and a sickness that can be cured. If I had to I would say Disorder, but I generally just say Anxiety, I would never say ‘I have generalised anxiety disorder’ either, again it would just be ‘I have anxiety’. But one person’s sensitivities isn’t everyone’s experience, just something that I didn’t like! Overall I liked how that aspect was represented (and the fact that it was represented at all) and found both of them very honest, raw, realistic and relatable.

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this arc!
i was SO excited when i got granted the advanced reader copy because i loved the past two books!

the perfect ending to the bright falls trilogy!

i loved this trilogy - three best friends all falling in love with their soulmates, and all ending up in sapphic relationships <3

iris and stevie were probably my favourite of the three! i have a soft spot for astrid and jordan but irisstevie hit it out of the park for me!

i will read anything and everything herring blake releases in the future because i loved this a lot!!! perfect mix of romance and steam.

What a perfect ending to the series. I loved Stevie so much, just an adorable ball of anxiety who could absolutely kill it on stage. I loved getting more into iris's personality and seeing everything that was going on beneath that “life of the party, no shits given” exterior and it's just someone who wants to be loved fully for who she is - to feel desired and supported and be able to be her authentic self and not have to change for someone else's happiness. Together they were incredible - again the spice was phenomenal but they're also so soft and sweet with each other, And you can see such a great friendship beneath all that chemistry making them such a great pairing. And that epilogue? PERFECT. I sobbed. A series I will surely be revisiting again and again.
4.5*

'Iris Kelly Doesn't Date' was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and it completely exceeded my expectations, which were very high to begin with. THIS WAS AMAZING. Brilliant. Exquisite. I've always said that 'Delilah Green Doesn't Care' is my favorite, but, oh my, Iris and Stevie truly did steal the scene and had, in my opinion, the best relationship development in the Bright Falls series. And not only that but out of the three books, their story was the most engaging and emotional one. I was so invested that I could feel every single thing these characters were experiencing and I cried, laughed and suffered alongside them.

I related a lot to Stevie's struggles with social anxiety and also to Iris' experiences with love. I love my chaotic sapphics so much, they mean the world to me and I don't think I'll ever stop thinking about them.

I can only keep on recommending these books, all of them, because they are beautifully and emotionally crafted. They are also filled with queer joy, which is always very appreciated <3

*Thank you NetGalley for this digital arc in exchange of an honest review

I don't want the stories of Bright Falls to end!

This book was an ample ending to the Bright falls trilogy. Iris has been an influence within the previous 2 books with her charming, flirty confidence that just oozes charisma. Everybody has a friend like Iris in their friendship group! But to really get the opportunity to delve into her thoughts from a 1st person perspective was like a breath of fresh air. It took me by surprise. It really goes to show the structure and time that Ashley has given to all her characters throughout the novels to flesh them out and give life to each of them.

The raw emotional turmoil between characters made me really relate to certain aspects of the story. For me this novel was the best for emotional writing and relation, the sapphic energy, and just Iris. I don't want to say anymore for fear of spoilers. I just need people to read it to understand!!

I also hereby declare that we have a flashforward story of Ruby please??

This is the first Ashley Blake book I have read and I am now a fan. This is the third book in the Bright Falls series so I will be going back to read the first two but this can be read as a standalone. Her writing is funny and so easy to read in one sitting. The queer representation is perfect and one of the main FMC in this book struggles with anxiety which is approached in a realistic and heartfelt way. Great cozy rom-com for the girls , the gays and the they's.

I’ve already read and loved Delilah Green doesn’t care and Astrid Parker doesn’t fail so I was really excited to read the next in the series, especially as it’s a sapphic fake dating story! That said, I don’t think you need to necessarily have read the first two to enjoy this one.

Definitely a book I’d recommend if you want something more lightheaded with a good amount of humour and likeable characters in a fun, fake dating plot.

A wonderful return to a much loved world where sapphic romance is fun and sizzlingly hot, now following the story of Iris. She has always felt larger than life in books 1 and 2, and it was interesting to see the inside of her head, so from that point the book didn't disappoint. I also found it curious how Stevie foiled her: almost her complete opposite in temperament, but coming from an interestingly similar walk of life. I think overall the trilogy is excellent, and I would happily recommend it to anyone looking for f/f romance recs, but it's Delilah's book that will be dearest to my heart.

My thanks to #NetGalley for letting me read and review an early copy of #IrisKellyDoesntDate.

Sapphic fake dating perfection.
I had incredibly high expectations for this book and it exceeded all of them.

Iris has been burned badly by relationships and lost faith in anything that's not a one-night stand she can sneak out of. Which makes being a romance author slightly difficult. Stevie, on the other hand, misses being in a relationship and is getting pressure from her friends to get back in the game. Unfortunately, her anxiety makes that very difficult. After a disastrous attempted hook-up, the fates align for the two to meet again, and a fake relationship is just what Stevie needs to stop her friends nagging her.

Fake dating is a favourite trope of mine, which means I've read so many books with it that I need them to be written well. This was portrayed beautifully. Both women had realistic reasons for the fake relationship, and their different backgrounds showed in the transition from fake to not-so-fake.

Iris and Stevie are such beautiful characters - so raw and real. I loved seeing them develop and become more comfortable in who they were.

I have to mention the steam factor. This book was HOT. The sex scenes were so well written and definitely part of the story - each encounter had meaning as well as high heat, which is rare to see.

And I have to give mention to Iris's amazing friend group. Delilah, Claire and Astrid all have their roles to play in this story, and it was great being back with them. Amazing end to an amazing series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Little Brown Book Group for the advance reader copy.

I went into this book having not read the previous books in this loose series, and found I didn’t need to.
I found quite a lot of the characters were flawed but in a way that didn’t make sense for there to be no repercussions.

The main characters were written in my opinion so much better than the other characters. The authors way of describing side characters felt like they were throwing in a description to cover a tick sheet they hadn’t checked in their previous books.
I thought Stevie’s anxiety was written well and wasn’t something any character was trying to ‘fix’ but was a part of general life.

It was a bit of a push to read, I found the first 100 ish pages nearly made me DNF, but had some free time and was able to finish. I don’t think I’ll be going back to read the other stories.

The best day of my week was receiving the approved request for this gorgeous book from NetGalley. Blake has already written two glorious sapphic romance books, and my god, she did not disappoint with the third and final instalment.

We meet Stevie who wants to learn how to be able to carry out casual relationships and Iris who is willing to be her fake girlfriend to help. Stevie is here for romance and wants to help Iris with her writers block.

This leads us on a gorgeous journey of two people learning what it takes to be in a healthy relationship despite their previous heartache and perceptions of themselves.

There were time where I wanted to shake them and just tell them to get their acts together, but honestly, there isn’t one thing I would change about this book. I got through it quickly because I didn’t want to be in the dark. I need to know they were okay.

I cannot wait to read Blake’s next romance book, regardless of whether it is set in bright falls or not.

I really enjoyed Iris Kelly Doesn't Date. There's a lot of fun to be had within these pages, and some great spicy scenes, but also some very real reflection and thought. Lots of the characters had aspects that truly resonated with me - and the description of Stevie's GAD was very accurate (in my opinion). I hadn't read the other installments of the Bright Falls series before going into this - and it works well as a standalone - however, I'm immediately going to go back and read the others too!

This was one of my favourite reads of the year!! Definitely 5 stars, more if I could!

I loved:
- The fake dating
- One night stand disaster
- Gentle love
- Anxiety rep
- Found family and meddling friends
- Slow burn
- The communication between the two MCs
- The character arcs and the growth displayed by both Iris and Stevie by the end of the story

I loved that these two opposites attracted in such an explosive way! The fake dating trope was used so well, in a way that allowed the characters to grow into their best selves. For Iris, the opportunity to fake date made her slow down and re-evaluate her behaviour in relationships and truly reflect on her own negative thoughts and what kind of person she wants to be, both independently and in a relationship.

For Stevie, the 'fake' relationship took the pressure of her anxiety and really gave her the time and space to get to know Iris and show her her real self, as well as develop some confidence and stand up for herself, especially against Adri.

I really loved how gentle these women were with each other, both giving each other what they needed and learning together how to be in a loving partnership. I cannot wait to read this again! It was perfect. It was romantic, but it also delved into themes of friendship, mental health, family relationships, creativity and bravery. I also loved that Iris was a romance author and used her experiences with Stevie to write a beautiful love story!

Thank you Netgalley for gifting me a copy of this book.

This book had everything I needed and wanted: love, a fake dating trope, some great spicy scenes, but also relatable characters. Iris and Stevie are the cutest.

It felt like a big hug. I also enjoyed reading about the previous characters, it is always nice to see them again

A fantastic end to a great series. I just loved all these ladies with all my heart. Highly recommend this entire series, it is like a warm hug. Great writing style and story with humor and heart.

I am feeling very raw after saying goodbye to Bright Falls and the characters I have fallen in love with throughout the series.

I must start by saying that this is a very biased review because for me Ashely Herring Blake can do no wrong and this was proven by the final book in the series, Iris Kelly doesn’t Date. It’s been such a pleasure to observe Ashley’s writing go from strength to strength. One of my favourite features is the vulnerability of her characters and the depth in which she writes. Her character development for both love interests always leaves the reader with a thorough understanding of each character.

Iris Kelly and Stevie Scott, I adore you both. After a disastrous first hook up, Iris and Stevie reach a fake dating agreement. Iris will give Stevie intimacy lessons and Stevie will give-starved romance author- Iris the romance she needs for her next book and my god does she deliver; the hot air balloon date was just perfect.

I loved the split setting between Bright Falls and Portland, as well as the introduction of Stevie’s friends: Ren, Vanessa and Adri (although I liked her the least), and that Simon-although still a supporting character- had a bigger role in Iris’s story. The Empress Theatre and the queer adaption of Shakespeare’s classic, Much Ado about Nothing was just superb.

The slow burn built up was something else and my goodness this was Ashely’s steamiest book yet. I adored the sentimental value of the epilogue- ending with how the series started with Claire and Delilah’s HEA.
Ashley Herring Blake, I can’t thank you enough for creating this wonderful series.

Read if you enjoy:
•Sapphic Romance
•Small Town Setting
•Fake Dating
•Opposites Attract

"So she let herself feel it, all of it, the falling and catching and comfort, pushing away the panic she knew would catch up to her sooner or later. For now, she simply closed her eyes and danced, floating through a golden sky."

Iris Kelly has found herself writing romance novels despite swearing off any hint of finding a romance of her own. She is getting fed up with her mum's attempts at matchmaking and feeling her friends and family are judging her for not settling down. And then appears Stevie Scott, part-time barista with a passion for theatre. Stevie is trying to get over her ex but Stevie is awkward and shy; the exact opposite of Iris. What starts off as a failed one-night stand between the two ends up becoming something much more.

Wowwwwww I really loved Iris Kelly Doesn't Date. Having never read any of the Bright Falls books but seeing them all over instagram, its safe to say I was a little bit apprehensive about reading this one but there was simply no need. I found it really easy to get into the story and quickly became attached to the characters and invested in their lives. I'm definitely going to be picking up the others now! Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the advanced readers copy of this one.

Thankyou so much Net galley for the arc of this!! I have been anticipating and dreading the release of this book, I only say dread because I’ve become so attached to the characters in the Bright falls universe and I just wasn’t ready to see them go. Iris’ story was nothing short of amazing and it just continued the theory that every book in this series was better than the last. Seeing her not only fall in love with Stevie but also realise she’s worth being loved by her had me on the verge of tears more than once.

Stevies journey with her anxiety and taking control of her own life was so beautiful and I think she was the perfect addition to this group of characters.

Also seeing Delilah and Claire get married in the end was the most beautiful full circle moment and I’m so glad all of these characters got their happy endings.

Thankyou Ashley for creating a world and characters I will forever cherish.