This isn’t relevant to this review, but I’m this close to abandoning my TBR in favor of rereading Project Hail Mary after seeing the movie trailer. I am INSANELY excited for it.

Anyway, in Iris Kelly Doesn’t Date by Ashley Herring Blake, Iris is struggling against her family’s and friends’ expectations of her. They don’t seem to understand why she won’t settle down, even after her last couple of relationships ended in heartbreak. Frustrated with everyone, as well as facing a deadline for her next romance manuscript, Iris heads to a bar to pick someone up—which results in the worst one-night stand of her life. Meanwhile, Stevie (the woman Iris went home with) is grappling with anxiety as well as a desire for real connection with someone. So when she and Iris run into each other again at a local community theater’s auditions, they agree to pretend to date each other: for Iris, she can get inspired for her book, and for Stevie, she can practice being in a relationship. But as the two of them start to act in love, they just might start to actually fall into it.

Before we get into the actual review, I just have to say that I think I would commit crimes to see a gender bent queer version of Much Ado About Nothing like the one in this book. It sounds amazing. Someone make it happen!

As the third of this series, it’s fun to be back in the world of Bright Falls, a cozy small town with a collection of entertaining characters. I’ve liked Iris throughout this series, and I enjoyed getting to read from her perspective in this installment. Getting a glimpse of the vulnerability behind her snarky exterior helped round her out as a character, and I greatly liked her character development and personality throughout. And Stevie is a wonderful protagonist in her own right, garnering sympathy and affection from the reader as she struggles to achieve what she wants in love and in life.

The other characters, new and familiar, are all excellent. I especially liked seeing how Delilah’s and Claire’s relationship has grown and changed, since that book was probably my favorite of the series overall. And it’s sweet to see this cast of eclectic people support each other the way they do.

As I mentioned earlier, I also enjoyed the theater aspect of this plot, and I sort of wish there had been a bit more explored about the performances in Much Ado. Obviously, Iris and Stevie are fake-dating each other, but it would have been fun to explore more deeply how their performances as Beatrice and Benedick affected their feelings for each other. Or maybe I’m just a Much Ado fangirl who wants more and more Beatrice/Benedick content always. (On a related note, I’m shocked that Blake never referred to the Tennant and Tate version of that play, because in my opinion, it’s the best one!)

As for the fake dating, it’s not my favorite trope. It’s so predictable how it progresses, so some of the dramatic tension is automatically taken away. At least in this story, Iris and Steveie don’t try to deceive their friends but instead get them in the loop early on. But still, it just isn’t my preferred method to drive the romance forward, so I felt a little less invested in this plot than, say, Delilah’s book. Or even Astrid’s. That said, I like Iris and Stevie together.

In the end, Iris Kelly Doesn’t Date is a sweet book. The characters are funny and endearing, and the emotional core of the story is strong. I really enjoy the supporting cast, and the theater aspect of the book. If you’re looking for a fun beach read, try this one, or anything in the Bright Falls series!