Review: Iris Kelly Doesn't Date by Ashley Herring Blake

Two broken hearted women find themselves in a Shakespearean entanglement.

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@shereadsbooks.sometimes

Dates read: 03/11/2025 to 20/11/2025

Star rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Word to describe: love-trauma

Genre: Romantic Fiction

After devouring book one and two of this series I knew Iris' story was going to be a whirlwind. The flirty and feisty one of the group was always destined to have the most heart-wrenching romance in the world.

Iris Kelly Doesn't Date, the title says so itself, but the reality is Iris has had relationships before she had a man who broke her with his perfect new girlfriend, and a woman who lied about having a wife, and she is done with other people. No matter how much her family nag about her needing to be in a relationship she to be happy she's absolutely fine with one night stands and writing her novel. If only she could figure out how to write about romance.

Stevie wants to date, she loves romance, she loves to love and be loved. And she had it all with her beautiful, and amazing ex girlfriend that she is not still in love with. She just finds it icky that her ex and one of their best friends started dating each other. What she needs is a fresh start, a new personality who isn't afraid to be sensual she needs Stefania.

When Iris and Stefania meet and have the world's most awkward one night stand everything was meant to stay in the past. Yes it was weird, and Stevie threw up, and Iris went to bed alone, but it was just one night and they won't meet each other again. Right?

Wrong!

God I love an evil plot that brings the characters back together. Iris and Stevie are both set to work on a local LGBT production of Shakespeare and it would've been totally normal, if Stevie hadn't told everyone they were dating...

Totally not awkward at all.

So enter the fake dating trope, the lies, the heartache, that slow burn romance where they fall for each other only to have the explosive climax that leaves everyone crying.

There is one thing that Ashley Herring Blake excels at and it's writing queer romances with multi-leveled characters. Iris has her fear of love that stems from past trauma, difficult family relations, strong female friendships, hobbies, personality, and many more. Stevie has her crippling anxiety, lovely friendships, a hopeful heart, and the most relatable inner monologue I've ever read. Yet, both characters intertwine so beautifully. They aren't just their romance there's personality folks (!!).

As with all WLW based romances I read I am always left a tiny bit envious I want to be inside this series so bad! I wish I could travel to this world! Of course the only way a read can do this is start again - so catch me reading Delilah Green's story again soon!