Error loading page.
Try refreshing the page. If that doesn't work, there may be a network issue, and you can use our self test page to see what's preventing the page from loading.
Learn more about possible network issues or contact support for more help.

Iris Kelly Doesn't Date

Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available
A fake relationship after a horrible one-night stand is anything but an act in this witty and heartfelt new romantic comedy by Ashley Herring Blake.
 
Everyone around Iris Kelly is in love. Her best friends are all coupled up, her siblings have partners that are perfect for them, and her parents are still blissfully married. And she’s happy for all of them, truly. Iris doesn’t want any of that—dating, love, romance. She’ll stick to her commitment-free hookups, thanks very much, except no one in her life will just let her be. Everyone wants to see her settled down, but she holds firmly to her no dating rule. There’s only one problem—Iris is a romance author facing an imminent deadline for her second book, and she’s completely out of ideas.
 
Perfectly happy to ignore her problems as per usual, Iris goes to a bar in Portland and meets a sexy stranger, Stefania, and a night of dancing and making out turns into the worst one-night stand Iris has had in her life. To get her mind off everything, Iris tries out for the lead role in a local play, a queer retelling of Much Ado About Nothing, but comes face-to-face with Stefania, whose real name turns out to be Stevie. Desperate to save face in front of her friends, Stevie asks Iris to play along as her girlfriend. Iris is shocked, but when she realizes the arrangement might provide her with some much-needed romantic content for her book, she agrees. As the two women play the part of a happy couple, lines start to blur, and they’re left wondering who will make the real first move....
  • Creators

  • Series

  • Publisher

  • Release date

  • Formats

  • Languages

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      August 21, 2023
      Blake’s third and final Bright Falls romance (after Astrid Parker Doesn’t Fail) sends the series out on a high note with more spicy sex and genuine emotion. Iris Kelly is a romance novelist who doesn’t do relationships—but she does agree to an (awkward) one-night stand with eventual love interest Stevie Scott. With Iris struggling with writer’s block and Stevie hoping to become less anxious around sex, the pair decide on a mutually beneficial fake-dating scheme made less typical by the extents to which they take the ruse, including rehearsed pet names and steamy practice dates. Though there’s something a little after-school-special about the presentation of Stevie’s anxiety—“Stevie’s struggles with Generalized Anxiety Disorder were very real” comes four pages after the character is introduced—the anxiety itself is portrayed realistically, and the comfort Iris gives Stevie, as well as the balance Stevie gives to Iris, is appealingly sweet. Blake also does an admirable job of wrapping up the series, bringing all the past couples together one last time in a touching finale. This is a treat. Agent: Rebecca Podos, Rees Literary.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Kristen DiMercurio returns triumphantly as narrator of the third Bright Falls novel. Romance writer Iris Kelly is the only one who is single in her Sapphic circle, and that's how she likes it. Or so she thinks until she meets a cute aspiring thespian. Unfortunately, Stevie Scott's generalized anxiety disorder leads to a disastrous first date. Life gets more complex when Iris and Stevie end up not only as the leads in a play directed by Stevie's ex but also playing fake girlfriends in real life. DiMercurio's familiarity with all the supporting characters pays off with well-established personalities and voices. When the writing expresses Stevie's anxiety or states how fantastic the characters' acting skills are, DiMercurio rises to the challenge. And the love scenes sound downright sultry. S.S. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine
    • Library Journal

      June 10, 2024

      With all her friends coupled, Iris Kelly feels as if she's the only one not in love. She's happy with hookups, but actual relationships--that's a different matter altogether. Trying to ignore her problems, Iris goes to the bar and engages in a disastrous one-night stand with a woman named Stefania. Then, when Iris tries out for a play, she is reunited with Stefania, who also goes by the name Stevie and is directing the play. Attempting to save face, they agree to pretend to date, giving each other the chance to experience a relationship without stress and pressure. However, the two soon develop real feelings, and each is left wondering who will drop the act first. Narrator Kristen DiMercurio expertly captures Stevie's anxious yet curious voice and Iris's sweetness, hidden under a tough exterior. While there's plenty of steaminess, listeners will likely appreciate the focus on building a relationship of respect, consent, care, and emotional intimacy. Series fans will enjoy seeing characters from previous books and revisiting the vibrant queer community that Blake (Delilah Green Doesn't Care) has built. VERDICT With emotional depth and engaging characters, this sweetly sexy third installment in Blake's "Bright Falls" series satisfies.--Elyssa Everling

      Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

Languages

  • English

Loading