When I finally took this book off my shelf to read it, I looked at the title and thought “oh, I bet she does care, actually.” (I was right.)

In Delilah Green Doesn’t Care by Ashley Herring Blake, Delilah has spent the last few years living in New York City, trying to make it as a photographer. But when her estranged stepsister gets in touch and asks Delilah to come photograph her wedding (with a five-figure sum to sweeten the deal, too), she grudgingly returns to her tiny hometown in Oregon. She vows to not make it easy on her stepsister or her stepmother… and then she meets Claire, an old friend of her stepsister’s, who is gorgeous and sweet. So Delilah wonders, what could it hurt to have a little fun while she’s here? Meanwhile, Claire is dealing with a lot, between raising her tween daughter and running her store, plus her ex is back in town, asking to see their daughter. So the drama that Delilah Green brings is, frankly, the last thing she needs. And yet, there’s something about Delilah that makes Claire sit up and take notice. Maybe she isn’t as bad as her family has made her out to be. Maybe she’s even a part of Claire’s future.

This is a really impressive novel! The characters are so well-written, their development proceeds at an excellent pace, and the emotions are palpable without being overwhelming. I really enjoyed getting to know both Delilah and Claire, who—while being very different people—fit together so well. It’s a nuanced love story, with both chemistry and conflict, and it progresses naturally.

Delilah’s relationship with her stepsister Astrid is also amazing. It’s a complicated mess between them, their closeness damaged by the loss of Delilah’s father and the mistakes that young people can make when trying to get to know each other. Their misunderstanding and distance, while painful to see, makes so much sense. I really liked how it impacted the plot, and how it changed over time. Astrid is a wonderful character; I’m looking forward to reading the next book by Blake, which focuses on her.

I also found Claire to be a delight. Her plight of constantly trying to put others first is a sympathetic one; you really want her to choose to take care of herself too, and to find ways to connect with her moody eleven-year-old (who is such a great character as well). And the other characters, especially Astrid and Claire’s friend Iris, flesh out the cast in a delightful way. I’d hang out with this friend group!

There are some rather silly romcom antics, especially in terms of Claire, Delilah, and Iris’ plan to get Astrid to break up with her awful fiance, but these elements are well balanced by real emotional stakes. Yes, we shove the stupid fiance in a lake, but there is so much evidence that he doesn’t value Astrid as a person, so it feels totally justified. And overall, the moments of heightened drama lend themselves to the escapist nature of this book: I mean, it’s a romcom, after all. There’s always a bit of escapism in these, and that’s fine. Especially in this one, which is a great example of how to navigate difficult interpersonal situations, how to forgive people, and how to have a healthy romantic relationship.

In the end, Delilah Green Doesn’t Care was splendid. I loved the cast, the setting, the plot, the themes. It’s as much about familial bonds as it is about romantic ones, and the balance of those two things is perfect. There are plenty of serious moments, but also many funny and joyous ones. Blake has thoroughly impressed me, and I’ll probably read the Astrid-centric book soon!