Delilah Green Doesn't Care
A swoon-worthy, laugh-out-loud queer romcom
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4.4 • 94 Ratings
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
A clever and steamy queer romantic comedy about taking chances and accepting love - with all its complications. Perfect for fans of Alexandria Bellefleur, Casey McQuiston and Rosie Danan.
Delilah Green swore she would never go back to Bright Falls - nothing is there for her except memories of a lonely childhood. Her life now is in New York, with her photography career finally gaining steam and her bed never empty. Sure, it's a different woman every night, but that's just fine with her.
When Delilah's estranged stepsister pressures her into photographing her wedding with a guilt trip and a large check, Delilah finds herself back in Bright Falls once more. She plans to breeze in and out, but then she sees Claire Sutherland, one of Astrid's stuck-up besties, and decides that maybe there's some fun (and a little retribution) to be had, after all.
Having raised her daughter mostly on her own while dealing with her unreliable ex and running a bookstore, Claire depends upon a life without surprises. And Delilah Green is an unwelcome surprise . . . at first. Though they've known each other for years, they don't really know each other - so Claire is unsettled when Delilah figures out exactly what buttons to push. And when they're forced together during the many wedding preparations, Claire isn't sure she has the strength to resist Delilah's charms. Even worse, she's starting to think she doesn't want to . . .
Why readers love Delilah Green...
'A hot, frothy romcom with a relatable heart beating at its centre. I loved every hilarious character, every outrageous shenanigan - and most of all, I loved Delilah Green. I can't wait for the rest of the series!' Talia Hibbert, New York Times bestselling author of Act Your Age, Eve Brown
'A truly exquisite romance about second chances, new beginnings, and the fragile joy of letting people in. I'm wildly in love with this book' Rachel Lynn Solomon, author of The Ex Talk
'A classic in the making, Ashely's adult debut is a warm welcome home from the first page. A swoon-worthy, laugh-out-loud romp of a romance' Kosoko Jackson, author of I'm So Not Over You
'A spectacular debut brimming with yearning, swooning, and healing. Delilah Green Doesn't Care reads the way realizing your crush likes you back feels. Ashley Herring Blake is a romance star on the rise' Rosie Danan, bestselling author of The Roommate
'Delilah Green Doesn't Care is the dreamy, steamy, utterly satisfying answer to your craving for an outcast-and-former-mean-girl romance. And let's not forget the snappy banter and seriously scorching chemistry; you'll need a very cold shower after this read!' Lana Harper, author of Payback's a Witch
'Charming and entertaining, Delilah Green Doesn't Care entrances the reader with the redemptive power of love. Blake's masterful blend of sexual tension and growing affection will have readers swooning' Karelia Stetz-Waters, author of Satisfaction Guaranteed
'What an absolute joy to read! Snarky, steamy, and swoony in equal measure, I never wanted this book to end, but there's an easy momentum to Blake's writing that made it impossible to put down' Meryl Wilsner, author of Something to Talk About
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Yanked away from her chaotic yet thriving life in New York City, photographer Delilah Green has agreed to shoot her stepsister’s wedding in her hometown of Bright Falls, Oregon. Nothing about it appeals to her—until she runs into Claire Sutherland, a formative crush from her awkward teen years. A single mother who’s now running a quaint bookstore, Claire hasn’t been in bed—or in love—with anyone in a long time. Could Delilah be the one to change that? Author Ashley Herring Blake brings these appealing lead characters crashing together with both comic aplomb and steamy chemistry, injecting spontaneous banter at every turn. Blake revisits the lively little world of Bright Falls in further books too, turning her focus to members of this novel’s fun supporting cast.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Blake (Girl Made of Stars) makes her adult debut with a broad queer rom-com. Stepsisters Astrid Parker and Delilah Green shared a household for a decade and resented every minute of it. Now Delilah's an artist hustling in New York, but she comes home to Oregon when her stepmother promises to pay her $15,000 to be Astrid's wedding photographer. Astrid still runs with her high school crew, Claire and Iris, whom Delilah thinks of as mean girls. That's accurate, but Claire and Iris both loathe Astrid's fiancé and they're willing to make an unholy alliance with devil-may-care Delilah if it will rescue Astrid from the match. Meanwhile, Delilah has a not-quite-bet with Astrid that Delilah will wrangle shy Claire, her former high school crush, into bed. The resulting escapades are mostly alcohol-fueled pratfalls laced with bitterness. It's Sex in the City with a Breakfast Club edge as four women with old grudges manipulate one another through the two-week run-up to Astrid's wedding. The result is heavier on slapstick humor than feelings and will appeal more to chick lit fans than romance aficionados.
Customer Reviews
MILF SUPREMACY!!
4 out of 5 stars
‘Delilah Green Doesn’t Care’ is full of so much heart. I went into this thinking it would be on the fluffier side of sapphic romance and while it definitely delivered on the fluff, it didn’t skimp on digging into complicated familial relationships and friendships. This book succeeds as a romance because it is more than a romance.
Blake presents a cast of deeply complex characters whose lives and arcs centre on more than just the romance between the two love interests. There’s a surprising cathartic nature to this book that I didn’t anticipate as well. Delilah returning to Bright Falls—the site of her childhood trauma and grief—as a stronger, more confident person and taking a stand for herself enriched her story greatly. The development of her relationship with her step-sister, Astrid, and the unraveling of decades of unsaid trauma provided one of my favourite dynamics within the book. These themes of second-chance-friendship and sisterhood made me invested in more than just whether or not Claire and Delilah banged—but the characters as whole people. Personally I would’ve liked there to have been more of a reckoning and reconciliation when it came to the relationship between Astrid and Delilah, given how avoidant Astrid is when it comes to conflict. There’s a scene where Delilah mentions having an in-depth and honest conversation with Astrid about their relationship but I would’ve loved seeing that on page. While this is a little disappointing, it does get me excited for the next book because I love Astrid so much already.
Claire and Delilah having their own seperate story beats and emotional baggage they needed to unpack made their romance more believable and nuanced. Claire needing to work through her trust issues when it comes to her ex and the conflict with her chronically pre-teen daughter makes her journey to realising she deserves to be loved and put first more impactful. The romance itself was delightful, the banter to between Delilah and Claire was quite cute.
The way the author crafted the dynamics and arcs of these characters makes it clear that Ashley Herring Blake adores each of her characters. The way they are written, with such respect and care shows such affection for these characters that it bleeds through on every page. This book is such a clear labour of love—for the characters and for the queer community—and it was so gorgeous to read.
I highly recommend this!