Reviews with content warning for Toxic relationship - Iris Kelly Doesn't Date

Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

Iris Kelly Doesn't Date by Ashley Herring Blake

55 reviews

a_libra_library's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

If you haven't read the Brightfalls series and you're thinking about it- Do it! They are the perfect balance of sugar and spice, full queer cast of ALL age ranges and I loved every book/audiobook.

Iris Kelly Doesn't date is book three and the last book in the series.
Everyone around Iris is in love. Coupled up, happily married with kids. She's happy for them however that's never the life she's envisioned for herself. She's perfectly find to stay single, only problem is she's a romance author with no romance in her life to inspire her. With a second deadline approaching she's stressed more than ever and goes looking what she knows will life her spirts, a one night stand.

Stevie is hopeless romantic who is heartbroken after breaking up with her long-term partner who is now dating a mutual best-friend. Tried of sulking she decides to go out and try something she's never done before , a one night stand.

One horrible meet-disaster and a few lies later Stevie and Iris agree to help each other but swapping what they know best.

If you're looking for:
🩶Fake dating
🩶Steamy / Romance lessons
🩶Save the queer theater
🩶Proud to be unmarried and in love
🩶childless by choice
🩶swoon worthy romance
then you're in there right spot!

Content Warnings

elliott_the_clementine's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful lighthearted reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Genuine and self-aware, Iris Kelly Doesn’t Date (starring the relatable, perpetually single Iris and the relatable, sweet Stevie) conveys its central method strongly: we all deserve to love and to be loved. It is the best installment of Bright Falls, cementing the trilogy in my romance series hall of fame and Ashley Herring Blake as an instant read.

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haileyhardcover's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

TBH, I didn’t think I was going to be very into Iris’ story after reading Delilah and Astrid. I WAS WRONG.

This was by far my favorite of the Bright Falls trilogy. As a queer-romance-loving theatre geek (who also once swore off dating) it was 100% up my alley. Also, even though I knew Iris was VERY sex-positive and had been throughout the whole series… DAMN. 🥵 AHB took this one to a whole new (absolutely delicious) level. 10/10 🌶️ No notes, only applause. 👏🏻

Also, I LOVE Stevie Scott. The Generalized Anxiety Disorder rep was fantastic and felt very similar to my own experience - sans the panic-induced 🤮. Panic pukes aside, Stevie is an angel and this is now a Stevie Scott fan account.

My final Enneagram typing for our Bright Falls girlies:

Delilah: 8w9

Claire: 9w1

Astrid: 1w9

Jordan: 4w5

Iris: 8w7

Stevie: 6w5

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redefiningrachel's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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blewballoon's review against another edition

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emotional funny medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I was so excited to read Iris's book in the Bright Falls series! I loved the first book about Claire and Delilah, I loved the second book about Astrid and Jordan even more, and I loved this book as well. Iris plays a bit of a comic relief role in the previous two books, and it was great to see her character expanded in her own perspective and to get more of her history. Stevie really helped highlight the softer and more serious aspects of Iris while also being relatable and compelling in her own right. I found the portrayal of Stevie's anxiety to be well done, I particularly related to her experience of anxiety over the expectations of her loved ones. There were a couple of lines in her chapters that I've said to myself almost exactly. I do have one nitpick, and that's the overuse of "simply" and "just." As in: "she simply smiled" or "she just laughed." It may have been more noticeable on the audiobook, but I do think some of these should have been edited out. Very small nitpick, though! This is a beautiful finale to this series about friendship and love in all forms, I totally teared up at the end.

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kylieqrada's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This series has my whole heart. I loved Iris as a side character, and was glad to get her love story. I need to reread Delilah and Astrid now.

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drtx_bwt's review

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emotional funny lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? N/A
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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avidreaderandgeekgirl's review against another edition

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emotional slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

Narrator Rating: 3 stars

A fake dating relationship between a woman with severe anxiety and another woman with minimal self-worth and commitment avoidance, somehow becomes something more?
I loved the first two books in this series, but boy this one.
Wow, this book was annoying! I don't know why Stevie didn't try to get on better medication! If you're freaking out that much, change your meds. I'm saying this as someone WITH GAD, and SAD.
I could relate to Stevie and Iris, but they just kept doing the absolute worst things they could do in many situations and I wanted to scream at them!
I don't think the narrator helped as she did the most annoying voice for Stevie and some of the other characters. Which just made the book more infuriating.
Overall, a huge letdown from the previous books.

Extra ratings: Fluff - 3/5 Heartfelt- 4/5 Helpful-NA Horror- 0/5 Inspiration- NA Love aka Romance-4/5 Mystery-0/5 Predictability- 5/5 Spice- 3/5 Suspense- 0/5 Tear 1.5/5 Thrill- 0/5 Humor-2/5

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mlovesbooks's review

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emotional hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Content Warnings

stacy837's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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