Reviews with content warning for Homophobia - Astrid Parker Não Falha

I didn't think it was likely that this could match the quality of the first book, but it really did. I really enjoyed the way the characters grew throughout this book and I liked having the renovation as the backdrop.

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amystks's review against another edition

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fast-paced

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

4.0

I thought this book was a good LGBTQ+ romance! I enjoyed the character development of Astrid, discovering not only her sexuality but also what she wanted to do in life.

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kylieqrada's review against another edition

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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

*face palm* Another five star romance in the last week of 2022. I really loved Delilah Green, but Astrid Parker was EVERYTHING. Not only was it such an HGTV moment, but the themes of finding yourself and trauma just hit me right in the feels. Also, if Iris Kelly isn't poly, I will riot.

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grets_reads's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

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

4.75

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erinoco's review against another edition

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emotional inspiring lighthearted reflective tense 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

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bisexualwentworth's review against another edition

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

4.75

I did NOT like Astrid in Delilah Green Doesn't Care, so I was definitely a bit wary of this book, which is focused on her finding love and figuring herself out. Fortunately, Astrid comes to life as a very complex and sympathetic character in this book, and I loved it.

Some more things I loved:

Jordan! Such a good love interest. Just the right balance of trauma and passion. Sensitive and understanding without compromising her own boundaries or needs.
The reality TV show plot was actually very fun. I liked Natasha Rojas and her team. And at least this book has actual named people of color in it, unlike book one.
Yay for queer siblings and all-queer friend groups!
This is very much a romance book, but it's much more internal than most romances, and Astrid's personal growth and journey of self-discovery is very much the main thing going on here, and I love that a lot.
Baking bi
Sapphics going into business together!
Jordan's character arc/career trajectory was also really satisfying to read
Love that Ruby and Josh are still characters in this book and that Josh's character development from book one carried over
Very happy that we spent more time with Iris in this one. I feel like I'll actually care about her when we get to her book.
Clit necklace
The first two sex scenes are SO GOOD
The clear references to other popular sapphic romance books in Iris's library were really cute
I liked whatever was going on with Iris and Simon's dynamic as well. They were fun.
And I'm glad that Simon got a bit of development and his own romance, even though it happened off-page
I just generally thought that the character dynamics and general story structure were even better in this book than in Delilah Green Doesn't Care

Things that I did not like:

The opening was really rough
I know it was thematically significant, but the love confession stuff got a bit too woo woo for me (and I say this as someone who does own a tarot deck)
I NEVER want to hear about two characters "rubbing their pussies together" and then spontaneously orgasming together ever again. That's not how anything works, and it was especially weird when the earlier sex scenes felt so realistic in the very best way.
Letting the audience think that Meredith had DIED OF CANCER for over a third of the book was a very odd choice and I was not a fan
I am once again BEGGING Ashley Herring Blake to just say "lesbian" and "sapphic" instead of constantly saying "women and nonbinary people." This book was better about that than the first one (like Jordan is actually described as a lesbian at least once and some of the books were actually described as sapphic), but it was still weird and I wish authors would just use the very useful labels that already exist to describe their characters' queer identities. It's smoother and better and doesn't make it seem like you have something against the word "lesbian."

Misc thoughts:

FUCK YOU MEREDITH
FUCK YOU JILLIAN

Anyway, if you like antagonists to lovers sapphics with a small-town renovation show setting and a large dose of self-exploration, you should definitely pick up Astrid Parker Doesn't Fail.

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