Astrid Parker Doesn't Fail

GREAT BOOK!!! came perfect

I am a bit conflicted about this book. I swear I really enjoyed it, but there were a few issues that made it less enjoyable than the first book in the series (Delilah Green Doesn't Care). First, Astrid and Jordan both hit soft spots in my heart, and I love them both dearly. My main issue with this book is that both main characters had big, serious personal issues they were dealing with throughout the story. This led to great character development, but it also means a large portion of the story was spent dealing with issues that can only be internally solved, instead of the couple being able to grow together. I just wish there was more story of the couple helping each other through their issues, instead of doing it separately. Secondly, I wish so much time hadn't been spent dedicated to the show aspect of the story. Again, I just felt like it took away from more time to see the couple together. Thirdly, because Astrid is a closed-off, suffer-in-solitude type of person, there was alot less of the found family element that was so great in the first book. It was still there, just less. It makes sense. I just missed the humor and comfort that element brought throughout the story because it was significantly less present compared to the first book. Because of these issues, Astrid's and Jordan's relationship development felt a little rushed to me. The same goes for Astrid's discovery of her sexuality. I just wanted more time and thought-process/explanation behind these things.…

Loved all 3 books in the series. I was smitten. Read them in order.

Returning to BrightFalls in a interesting proposition. When the first book leaves a lasting impression, following up on that isn't always easy. But I have to say, Astrid Parker certainly did that, and well. I enjoyed the book. I really, really did. Having Astrid as a main character was an inetesring choice. Stuck up and hard, she wasn't one that you cared about much in the first book, except that, yes, Spencer was not the one for her. But here, in this book, you get to see the real her, everything that she is going through, her struggles, and the cracks that start to show as she begins to realise who she is, and who and what she wants. And perhaps that she's not as straight as she thought she was. Jordan, too, has not had an easy life, and as you start to learn more about what she's been through, your heart starts to ache and bleed for her. But they both grow and develop, and reading their story is both funny at times, and heart wrenching at others. It's a book that will move you, draw you in, and make you want the best for the characters. I loved the first book, and I really did love this one too. And seeing that there will be a third book, I am excited for that one too.

“- but she was starting to believe you were never too old to feel lonely, to wonder where you belonged in the world.” Not-so-meet cute? ✅ Tension between the main characters? ✅ HEA…or, in this case, Happily Ever For Now? ✅ This cute, sapphic novel, checks all the romance trope boxes. I discovered Ashley Herring Blake earlier this year when I was taking an online romance writing class and I realized I needed to read something more modern than the (very) dated romances in my personal library. I picked up her novel, “Delilah Green Doesn’t Care” and loved it so much that I preordered this as soon as I finished. Astrid Parker is not having a great year. She’s broken up with her fiancé and her career isn’t in the greatest place. When she’s given the opportunity to participate in a home renovation program featuring a local inn, she jumps at the chance. She doesn’t get the best start, however, because she and the carpenter are immediately at odds….something the show’s producer immediately asks them to play up. But somewhere along the way, that tension becomes attraction and it becomes harder to maintain the ruse. In the Bright Falls series, Blake has created a fun world with characters I’ve enjoyed getting to know. If you’re looking for a light, fun read give it a shot! That’s not to say there’s no “non-romantic” conflict in these books. In this one, Blake beautifully illustrates the dysfunctional dynamics between Astrid and her mother. It gets resolved…mostly, but I don’t…