A review by bzliz
Astrid Parker Doesn't Fail by Ashley Herring Blake

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

3.5

Edit: almost a year later, I’ve changed my rating from 2.75 to 3.5. While it had some flaws, I’ve decided I was a little harsh previously. I liked the first book more but this is by no means a bad book, nor is it an incredible, life changing masterpiece. It’s just good old fashioned queer fun. 

Original review:
I liked the last book enough to give this one a read and it was kind of a let down. Our main characters are Astrid- a closed-off, Type A designer still being micromanaged by her mother- and Jordan- a carpenter who only knows her self worth in very specific situations. 

They’re filming a TV show about renovating Jordan’s family’s inn, for which Astrid is the designer. She follows the plan set forth by Simon and Pru (Jordan’s twin brother and grandmother, respectively) but Jordan hates it for being so White Lady Chic and goes rogue by painting a room blue. 

I found it hard to suspend my disbelief on how this show was being filmed. I’m not an expert by any means but there’s no universe in which this very important designer host lady is spending all day every day on the set, nor would (spoilers for the end)
the production company lose out on the money spent filming just to scrap the whole thing so close to completion. They absolutely would have just tossed in a scene where Jordan and Astrid admit it was Jordan’s design but she was afraid to speak up about it because she thought her family would only like it if it was someone else’s work. While I’m spoiling things, I hate Astrid’s ending. She should have opened a bakery, without question. Becoming the inn’s manager who does the baking sometimes feels pretty similar to the nonsense of PTSD-ridden Harry Potter becoming a wizard cop instead of a teacher.


I’m probably going to be skipping the next one since I don’t much care for Iris. 
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