The details…
- Title : Iris Kelly Doesn’t Date
- Author : Ashley Herring Blake
- Publisher : Berkley
- Publication date : October 24, 2023
- Formats : ebook, paperback
- Paperback : 416 pages
- Genre : romance
- Themes : self-worth, self-confidence, anxiety, trust, finding real love, overcoming obstacles to success, friendship, women loving women, sapphic relationships, bisexuality
- Tropes : fake-dating
The blurb from the publisher…
A fake relationship after a horrible one-night stand is anything but an act in this witty and heartfelt new romantic comedy by Ashley Herring Blake.
Everyone around Iris Kelly is in love. Her best friends are all coupled up, her siblings have partners that are perfect for them, and her parents are still blissfully married. And she’s happy for all of them, truly. Iris doesn’t want any of that—dating, love, romance. She’ll stick to her commitment-free hookups, thanks very much, except no one in her life will just let her be. Everyone wants to see her settled down, but she holds firmly to her no dating rule. There’s only one problem—Iris is a romance author facing an imminent deadline for her second book, and she’s completely out of ideas.
Perfectly happy to ignore her problems as per usual, Iris goes to a bar in Portland and meets a sexy stranger, Stefania, and a night of dancing and making out turns into the worst one-night stand Iris has had in her life. To get her mind off everything, Iris tries out for the lead role in a local play, a queer retelling of Much Ado About Nothing, but comes face-to-face with Stefania, whose real name turns out to be Stevie. Desperate to save face in front of her friends, Stevie asks Iris to play along as her girlfriend. Iris is shocked, but when she realizes the arrangement might provide her with some much-needed romantic content for her book, she agrees. As the two women play the part of a happy couple, lines start to blur, and they’re left wondering who will make the real first move….
My thoughts…
Fake dating relationships are often used as a plot device to create tension, conflict, and emotional growth for the main characters within a romance. These relationships, especially ones where the leading ladies are trying to deceive their family and friends, can provide an effective framework for the story arc to expand. When done creatively, the result is something that’s not only compelling but entertaining for readers. This is definitely the case with Iris Kelly Doesn’t Date. Ashley Herring Blake does a fine job arranging all the critical components in this romance, making it unfold gracefully on the page.
Iris Kelly Doesn’t Date is the third book Blake has created in the Bright Falls universe. Even though this book nicely compliments the other two set in this realm, it can easily be read as a standalone. Anyway you slice it though, the Bright Falls story world offers a great escape. Blake has taken care to give it an appealing depth, supplying it with richly developed character histories and subtle power dynamics that enhance the storytelling, resulting in something that easily resonates with readers.
Even though the fake-dating trope is a favorite trope among sapphic readers, it sometimes can feel forced and contrived. Blake, however, manages to sell this one to her readers without pause. Quite simply it works because Blake allows Stevie and Iris the proper time and space to explore their feelings for each other in a safe and controlled manner. The characters properly test the waters and gradually develop a deeper emotional connection without the usual kinds of pressure. When they do openly admit their true feelings, they are ready. This is important. It helps build the relationship naturally, giving the women room to breathe. In the end, readers don’t feel like the relationship is rushed or forced; they buy into it and it feels credible, just as any romance should.
One of the major reasons Stevie and Iris work in this story is because they play off from each other so well. Together they create the necessary dramatic tension that’s essential in credible, engaging romances. As the characters navigate the complexities of their fake relationship, they may find themselves developing genuine feelings for each other. This leads to internal conflicts as they struggle with their own emotions and external conflicts as they try to maintain the facade of their relationship. It all lends itself to some compelling scenes, ones in which readers are pulled into the narrative and stirred to want more.
Even though this is a lighthearted story, Blake does tackle some tough subject matter: self-worth and anxiety. Kudos needs to be given to Blake for the way she pens these weighty issues into the scenes and dialogue. She employs generous compassion as the inner workings of these characters are revealed. Stevie and Iris’s vulnerabilities aren’t just splashed across the page. They are carefully scripted with impact, enhancing the storytelling with sensible sensitivity. Though Iris Kelly Doesn’t Date is meant for light reading, these women still leave an impression.
Finally, literature lovers can appreciate Iris Kelly Doesn’t Date’s antagonist. Adri (Stevie’s ex) is well written and well designed. She’s complex but readers see her for what she is—passive aggressive, manipulative and controlling. However, Blake understands that she can’t alienate Adri from the readers. She doesn’t want Adri to be so off putting that she’s distracting, so she softens her a bit and puts her through her paces. The bottom line though is this: Adri is the correlative part of Stevie’s story, and by extension, she becomes Iris’s too. Adri facilitates cohesive and believable conflict for the pair, conflict that slows the forward motion of the story ever so nicely. Ultimately, her presence makes Blake’s storytelling better in subtle but measured ways.
Final remarks…
Overall, this fake-dating sapphic romance allows Blake to explore themes of self-discovery, self-confidence and true love in unique and compelling ways. It’s a fun, fresh perspective on an old trope, and readers will most certainly find Stevie and Iris’s story entertaining. I would not hesitate to recommend it.
Strengths…
- Well-written
- Heartwarming
- Entertaining
- Investable, likable characters
- Tackles tough subjects (anxiety) with grace and compassion
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A bit about the author…
Ashley Herring Blake is an award-winning author and teacher. She loves coffee, cats, melancholy songs, and happy books. She is the author of the young adult novels Suffer Love, How to Make a Wish, and Girl Made of Stars (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt), and the middle grade novels Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World and The Mighty Heart of Sunny St. James. Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World was a Stonewall Honor Book, as well as a Kirkus, School Library Journal, NYPL, and NPR Best Book of 2018. Her YA novel Girl Made of Stars was a Lambda Literary Award finalist. She’s also the author of the adult romance novel Delilah Green Doesn’t Care, and a co-editor on the young adult romance anthology Fools in Love. You can learn more by following the links below.
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