Iris Kelly Doesn't Date

O fim perfeito pra uma trilogia deliciosa. 🥹💗🌈

Welcome to the Final book in the Bright Falls series and what a final instalment this is, and it felt very much like the Author left the best book to the end and what a perfect ending to the series. Once again It was amazing to get lost into the story, the setting and the characters.  

Iris Kelly and Stevie Scott are both looking for a one-night stand but after hooking up gone wrong, they do not expect to see each other again. However, fate brings them back together when they both end up auditioning for the local Much About Ado production. Each having their own reason, the two make a pact to fake date and help each other get through some personal barriers. Of course, with time, the line between fake and real starts to blur…

This had a fake dating as the trope in this one and I have to say that it was well executed. As I have come to expect in this series, I have loved the cameos of the friends and their partners who have this wonderful friendship group that help each other with everything.

The one drawback in this one was the third act break up made me a bit frustrated. I understand Stevie comes from a long way and it’s good she puts herself first at some point, but she hurts Iris and Iris’s wounds are as valid as Stevie’s. But I know that Blake is an expert at grand gesture scenes and this one might be my favourite.  

Bright falls was a fun, entertaining, sometimes moving series, portraying colourful and very different kind of women and it’s sad to say goodbye to them.

This series has come to an end and it was so good!!!

From this book you can expect;

- sapphic romance

- fake dating

- community theatre

- found family

- friend group series

I loved this series and would recommend to anyone!!!

( I listened to the audiobook of this so I will also be talking about the narrator's performance) Iris Kelly Doesn't Date is the perfect conclusion to the Bright Falls series like every other book in the series it was the perfect mix of sweet, spicy, and messy. I've never been a huge fan of the fake dating trope but it worked for me in this book. seeing where the characters the previous books focused on is always nice. this book made my theater kid and writer heart sing. I was so happy to see that Kristen DiMercurio was narrating the audiobook for Iris Kelly as it just wouldn't feel like a Bright Falls book if she wasn't the one narrating it just like with the previous books in the series she did a wonderful job bringing the book and characters to life in a way you wouldn't get by just reading the physical book.

Once again, the Bright Falls series is my fave. It’s so nice to finally see yourself in characters for the first time in your life 💕

I can’t believe this series is over!! What a great wrap-up. It’s a standalone but I loved in particular seeing the original crew from a stranger’s set of eyes in MC Stevie. This book is everything I wanted Business or Pleasure by RLS to be (that one was so disappointing to me), this brought all the tension and didn’t overdo it in the fake dating or “lessons” aspect. I honestly loved the meet disaster and having two characters who are actually compatible have to make their way back from a failed one night stand and fun moments of forced proximity. There’s just so much I loved about this.

ADORE THIS BOOK. wishing i had read the bright falls series in order (even though i know it's not needed) but i'm still glad i read this one. i haven't felt this excited/happy to read a book series since middle school tbh

Love love love Iris and Stevie are magical together.

i wish there was more theater :(

(also my issues w/ the previous books still stand so... there's that yk.)

Delilah Green doesn't care...

Iris Parker doesn't fail and now:

Iris Kelly doesn't date.

Well,

Ashley Herring Blake doesn't miss!

When I first started reading this little series I didn't think it was gonna get any better than Delilah Green doesn't care BUT I was quickly proven wrong with Iris Parkers' story which was even better.

Now, with the newest book of the three published and read, I think it's fair to say that i fell in love with the series and Ashley Herring Blakes' writing.

I love how every character is so unique, lovable and imperfect. As a reader you can not only relate to the characters but also learn from them.

In this most recent book i especially appreciated the introduction of loads of new characters with different identities of all shape and color. Great representation of people of color and non binary folks such as Ren, Stevies best friend.

But not only the new characters were amazing to read about! We also got to see what all the people (we already know and love) from the previous books are up to AND seeing the friendgroup around Iris from her perspective really added another dimension to the group dynamic we thought we already knew.

girl who thinks she’s impossible to love, girl who loves her like it’s NOTHING. REALLY SWEET AND JUST WHAT IM LOOKING FOR, I will be reading the other books by this author. I loved the dual perspective and am so endeared to these girls. sidenote: the bar in the book is called lush so the characters will be like “omg let’s go to lush tonight” and i’m immediately picturing like the retail bath bomb store but maybe that’s just me

Man, I just love Ashley Herring Blake’s writing so much. She is SO good at writing characters. How is that across 3 books and 6 romantic leads, I have found something personal about myself reflected in every character even though they all feel like distinct individuals from one another? I wasn’t sure if I was going to like this book as much as the last two, as I found Iris to be a little cartoonish as a side character, but then this book came out of nowhere and said, “Yeah Iris is like that on purpose because she thinks everyone expects her to play that role and she’s afraid that no one will love her true self” and just sucker punched me right in the gut. I could write a whole essay about the dynamic she has with Stevie and how they both help each other grow, but I don’t want to get into spoilers. I just want to say I love this book and I love this series and I’m so sad it’s over but I’m also excited to see what the author does next! 

I could probably find something to critique about this book if I searched for it. But I’m giving it 5 stars because it was just such a joy to read, and this series means a lot to me because it makes me feel so damn SEEN.