e-Audio, 11:52:12
Narrated by: Kristen DiMercurio
Release Date: October 24, 2023
Published by: Books on Tape
Read from: October 25-27, 2023
Bright Falls, #3
Source: PRH Audio App (I received a copy of this audiobook from the Publisher in exchange for a just and honest review. This did nothing to influence my review.)
TW: Slut shaming, Panic attacks/disorder, toxic relationship, vomit, Alcohol, infidelity, Ace/Aro phobia, Gaslighting, Toxic Friendship
For Readers Interested In: Contemporary Romance, 2SLGBTQ+, Mental Health (Anxiety), AdultA 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….
*MY THOUGHTS*
The very first thing I wanted to point out in this one was the anxiety rep. As someone with anxiety, who often times gets migraines and pukes because of them from my anxiety, I felt SO SEEN. The day I met my husband’s aunt (who raised him) I got a migraine that made me throw up. The day I turned in my EOP test to get my Masters degree I had a migraine so bad I threw up. I know the effects of anxiety, and vomit is a nasty one, but to have it portrayed in a romance novel and for the person it happened in front of be grossed out but also so gentle with them made my eyes water. And I get it, there’s going to be someone somewhere that says this representation wasn’t great, but to that just a simple reminder that we are not all a monolith and I say for me and my anxiety, I felt seen and I would like for no one to try to erase that.
Well, that was a hell of an opening paragraph lol I almost never do that! But I was really touched by that and I thought it needed to be said. Moving on from that, I just thought it was ok. What I liked about the first two books was their friends and the small town and how they all hung out and were doing things with those same friends. In this one we get a whole new set of people, and let me tell you, I didn’t like any of them. They were all terrible and I didn’t feel like any of them were her real friends. Which was proved in the middle of the story because that dinner? WTAF. And the fact that she didn’t see it? Lordt I was like girl, are you not seeing on purpose? Had to be. Only way I’d accept that lol
Plot wise I liked it. With everything that was happening I was talking to the book out-loud, and that was saying something because my ass listened to the audio. I had to pause it, talk to Iris, and then unpause it again lol Her stubborn was unmatched and at times I was rolling my eyes because it got to be too much at some points. I get what the author was doing, and of course it needed the build up, but I did think it made the book long and drawn out. And I wish we could have seen some of the things that Iris had written while she was “learning from Stefania.” Like just small snippets of what she wrote as the time went on. It could have been really cute.
I expected more from the romance tho. Like they kept arguing about getting together and arguing about why they just knew they didn’t need to be together and it was annoying. I always find myself wishing there was more romance than they got. Like why couldn’t we get more scenes of them together? I like the build-up ok, but I stay for the love and the romance. And the things they do for each other. This was actually kinda meh. I wanted more. I mean like, if you’re giving romance lessons, GIVE SOME DAMN ROMANCE LESSONS. They seemed like an afterthought during the whole thing.
The ending was cute tho. I liked the turn the friend group took. They’ve always been my favorite, so when it was time I was crying my face off. I thought it was the perfect celebration for them and I think it went full circle. AND, as a reader I would be remiss if I were to get on here and not talk about the grand gesture. Was that not the cutest thing? Not gonna lie I think about the fact that I won’t get anything like that in real life smh lol
The narrator was someone I’ve listened to before from the rest of the series. And they were still perfection. I really don’t know how Kristen DiMercurio was able to do all of those different voices for all those different people. I still don’t know how she was able to get those characters to be completely different like that.
Was this my favorite of the series? No. Was it still a good read and worth your time? Yes. I hope all of you have followed this story till the end and I really hope this isn’t the last story in this series. Maybe we can get Ruby’s dad? Idk I just don’t want to be done with these friends/people yet!
Overall, I give this
Rated as 4 on Goodreads since there’s no half stars!