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cassielaj's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
After reading Delilah Green Doesn’t Care, I did not expect to love Astrid’s story even more, but here we are. I love Astrid and Jordan as characters, their individual development and confidence building as well as their relationship development. I also love AHB’s books for the depiction of female friendship/found family — this series’ friend group is one of my favorites in fiction. Also, the inn renovation aspects of this are so much fun!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Sexual content
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Infidelity
caseythereader's review against another edition
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? No
4.0
Thanks to PRH Audio for the free advance copy of this book.
- I adore Ashley Herring Blake's women. They are messy and complicated and full of love. I love that there are real reasons for why they act the way they do, and not simply just to introduce obstacles into the plot.
- In particular in ASTRID PARKER DOESN'T FAIL, I loved that Jordan didn't fit neatly into a butch or femme stereotype. She wore overalls and had short hair and also wore bold lipstick. I'm here for expanding the kinds of queer women who appear in books.
- This series is so much about family, both blood relatives and found family, and how important those supports are. I already can't wait to see them all return for Iris' book.
- I adore Ashley Herring Blake's women. They are messy and complicated and full of love. I love that there are real reasons for why they act the way they do, and not simply just to introduce obstacles into the plot.
- In particular in ASTRID PARKER DOESN'T FAIL, I loved that Jordan didn't fit neatly into a butch or femme stereotype. She wore overalls and had short hair and also wore bold lipstick. I'm here for expanding the kinds of queer women who appear in books.
- This series is so much about family, both blood relatives and found family, and how important those supports are. I already can't wait to see them all return for Iris' book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Grief, Cursing, Vomit, and Sexual content
Minor: Cancer and Homophobia
purplepenning's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.25
After breaking up with her fiance in "Delilah Green Doesn't Care," ice queen Astrid Parker is struggling to regain her footing. Her interior design business is faltering, her uber-judgmental mother is looming larger than ever, and her nerves are frayed. Which almost explains her struggles to remain polite, aloof, and professional around Jordan Sherwood, the lead carpenter on the historic inn renovation project that is the key to securing Astrid's success and her mother's approval.
The Sherwood Inn has been in Jordan's family for generations and in her own heart for decades. She's recovering from heartbreak and grief and can't seem to do anything right anymore, but she can keep the inn from getting modernized into blandness by the predictably uptight Astrid.
A little light sabotage and a few power struggles raise more than the resident ghost at the inn in this enemies-to-lovers romance that features a later-in-life queer awakening and the excellent ride-or-die friends from the first book. Even though it has allllll the right vibes and backstories to appeal to me (historic inn! hot carpenter chick! perfectionist unraveling! implementing healthy boundaries!) the story and development just didn't flow for me. I'll definitely still check out Iris's story coming in book 3, though!
The Sherwood Inn has been in Jordan's family for generations and in her own heart for decades. She's recovering from heartbreak and grief and can't seem to do anything right anymore, but she can keep the inn from getting modernized into blandness by the predictably uptight Astrid.
A little light sabotage and a few power struggles raise more than the resident ghost at the inn in this enemies-to-lovers romance that features a later-in-life queer awakening and the excellent ride-or-die friends from the first book. Even though it has allllll the right vibes and backstories to appeal to me (historic inn! hot carpenter chick! perfectionist unraveling! implementing healthy boundaries!) the story and development just didn't flow for me. I'll definitely still check out Iris's story coming in book 3, though!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Cancer, Fatphobia, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, and Alcohol
Minor: Homophobia, Infidelity, Death, and Death of parent
booksdogsandcoffee's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
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
5.0
Astrid Parkers Doesn't Fail to meet and exceed every expectation I had for Blake's sophomore Adult Romcom.
Astrid has always been perfect, from the men she has dated to her career. She has never deviated from the path her mother has always sought out for her. That is how she ended up Designing for Bight Designs, and how she becomes lead designer for a renovation at Bright Fall's coveted Everwood Inn, which is to be featured on a popular HGTV show Inside America.
Jordan's life has been in shambles. The only good thing about her life is being head carpenter for her Grandmothers renovations at their family inn. Well, it was good until she runs into the cold hearted designer who is leading the project. Jordan grew up in the Everwood inn, and see its history. While Astrid just wants everything clean and modern.
The two butt heads at every turn, from the wood of the cabinets to the color of the walls. The tension is hight, but at some point that heated tension turns into heated lust.
I loved everything about this book. Being able to see all the old characters from Delilah Green was perfect. I enjoyed seeing Astrid and Delilah work on their relationship through out the book as well. The best part of the book for me was that is a later in life coming out story, Throughout the novel we watch Astrid deconstruct the image of herself that she, more like her mother, has made for herself, and find out who she is and what she wants out of life.
Without giving much away, I thought Jordan's storyline was heart wrenching and relatable as well. Ashely wrote these characters so well and really made you feel for them every time something happened to them. I also enjoy reading Ashley's work because these characters are queer and in their 30's, which isn't very common in romcoms. It is usually younger people, and I love seeing everyone at any age getting a happy ending.
Overall this was well written, witty, medium spice and a relatable af. I would highly recommend this to anyone and everyone looking for a great romcom.
rep:
Lesbian MC, Bi or possibly pan MC, bi, lesbian, queer side characters, side biopic rep
cw
grief
emotional abuse
sexual content
homophobia
cancer
alcohol use
Astrid has always been perfect, from the men she has dated to her career. She has never deviated from the path her mother has always sought out for her. That is how she ended up Designing for Bight Designs, and how she becomes lead designer for a renovation at Bright Fall's coveted Everwood Inn, which is to be featured on a popular HGTV show Inside America.
Jordan's life has been in shambles. The only good thing about her life is being head carpenter for her Grandmothers renovations at their family inn. Well, it was good until she runs into the cold hearted designer who is leading the project. Jordan grew up in the Everwood inn, and see its history. While Astrid just wants everything clean and modern.
The two butt heads at every turn, from the wood of the cabinets to the color of the walls. The tension is hight, but at some point that heated tension turns into heated lust.
I loved everything about this book. Being able to see all the old characters from Delilah Green was perfect. I enjoyed seeing Astrid and Delilah work on their relationship through out the book as well. The best part of the book for me was that is a later in life coming out story, Throughout the novel we watch Astrid deconstruct the image of herself that she, more like her mother, has made for herself, and find out who she is and what she wants out of life.
Without giving much away, I thought Jordan's storyline was heart wrenching and relatable as well. Ashely wrote these characters so well and really made you feel for them every time something happened to them. I also enjoy reading Ashley's work because these characters are queer and in their 30's, which isn't very common in romcoms. It is usually younger people, and I love seeing everyone at any age getting a happy ending.
Overall this was well written, witty, medium spice and a relatable af. I would highly recommend this to anyone and everyone looking for a great romcom.
rep:
Lesbian MC, Bi or possibly pan MC, bi, lesbian, queer side characters, side biopic rep
cw
grief
emotional abuse
sexual content
homophobia
cancer
alcohol use
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Emotional abuse, Cancer, and Sexual content
Moderate: Alcohol
Minor: Homophobia
decklededgess's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
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
5.0
trigger warnings: emotionally abusive parents, death of parents, divorce, cancer mention, panic attacks and anxiety, alcohol, sexual content
I might have to say I love this one more than Delilah Green? And Delilah felt like an AU for my own life so this is a whole other level of OUCH.
I love a good, mean girl gets her backstory and it's actually a valid one trope. Astrid's bitchy demeanor is dismantled so systematically that by the end of the book you're left wondering if they really were one and the same person. Jordan's adorable ass self really was the glue that held Astrid's fracturing sense of self together and I really loved how they built their bond through physical and emotional intimacy. Also the fact that its a grumpy x grumpy-but-so-much-grumpier-that-grumpy-number-1-seems-like-sunshine trope is just chefs kiss.
I literally could not love this book more, it's perfect.
I might have to say I love this one more than Delilah Green? And Delilah felt like an AU for my own life so this is a whole other level of OUCH.
I love a good, mean girl gets her backstory and it's actually a valid one trope. Astrid's bitchy demeanor is dismantled so systematically that by the end of the book you're left wondering if they really were one and the same person. Jordan's adorable ass self really was the glue that held Astrid's fracturing sense of self together and I really loved how they built their bond through physical and emotional intimacy. Also the fact that its a grumpy x grumpy-but-so-much-grumpier-that-grumpy-number-1-seems-like-sunshine trope is just chefs kiss.
I literally could not love this book more, it's perfect.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Grief, Alcohol, Cancer, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexual content
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