A review by bisexualwentworth
Iris Kelly Doesn't Date by Ashley Herring Blake

emotional funny hopeful reflective
  • 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

4.75

I loved this book. I loved the whole series, but this one in particular hit really close to home and was definitely my favorite overall. I related to Iris in a lot of ways and to Stevie in a few ways too (especially the anxiety). I loved seeing Iris's friendship with Simon, which was set up wonderfully in the background of Astrid's book. Stevie reminded me a lot of my own partner, and aspects of the relationship felt really familiar to me in some very sweet and fun ways.

The sexy parts of this book are VERY sexy. Wow.

I had so much fun with all of the queer Shakespeare, though I do wonder why people always choose to genderbend Much Ado About Nothing when so much of that play is about gendered power dynamics. Like I would love to see this queer production and I'm sure it would bring me a lot of joy, but it also confuses the text and the themes A LOT to make Hero a man and Benedick a woman.

I wish, along with many other readers, that we'd gotten an additional Iris-and-Stevie-focused epilogue. The ending felt lacking in that way. The actual ending was VERY satisfying, though. I did cry.
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