Everyone around Iris Kelly is in love. Her best friends are all coupled up, her siblings have partners that are perfect for them, her parents are still in marital bliss. And she’s happy for all of them, truly. So what if she usually cries in her Lyft on the way home. So what if she misses her friends, who are so busy with their own wonderful love lives, they don’t really notice Iris is spiraling. At least she has a brand-new career writing romance novels (yes, she realizes the irony of it). She is now working on her second book but has one problem: she is completely out of ideas after having spent all of her romantic energy on her debut.
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 (vomit and crying are regretfully involved). To get her mind off everything and overcome her writer's block, Iris tries out for a local play, but comes face-to-face with Stefania—or, Stevie, her real name. When Stevie desperately asks Iris to play along as her girlfriend, Iris is shocked, but goes along with it because maybe this fake relationship will actually get her creative juices flowing and she can get her book written. As the two women play the part of a couple, they turn into a constant state of hot-and-bothered and soon it just comes down to who will make the real first move…
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5 books in catalog
Contemporary queer fiction across middle grade, young adult, and adult romance categories has been significantly shaped by stories centering identity, family dynamics, and romantic self-discovery, exemplified by the Bright Falls series beginning with Delilah Green Doesn't Care. Ashley Herring Blake established her presence in contemporary literature through award-winning young adult and middle grade novels before expanding into popular adult romance.
Ashley Herring Blake held a Master's degree in teaching after attending Berry College, initially enrolling as a voice major before turning to education and creative writing. In addition to her career as an author, she has worked in publishing as an editor and literary agent. Blake made her debut in young adult fiction with Suffer Love and How to Make a Wish, followed by Girl Made of Stars, which was selected as a Lambda Literary Award finalist. Moving into middle grade literature, her debut category novel, Ivy Aberdeen's Letter to the World, was named a Stonewall Honor Book as well as a Kirkus, School Library Journal, NYPL, and NPR Best Book of 2018. She expanded her middle grade catalog with The Mighty Heart of Sunny St. James and Hazel Bly and the Deep Blue Sea.
Blake transitioned into adult contemporary romance with her Bright Falls series published by Berkley, launching with Delilah Green Doesn't Care, Astrid Parker Doesn't Fail, and Iris Kelly Doesn't Date. Her adult romantic fiction also includes novels such as Make the Season Bright and Dream On, Ramona Riley. Outside of writing, Blake enjoys coffee, cold weather, cats, melancholy music, and organizing her personal library by color. A mother of two sons, she resides on an island off the coast of Georgia and maintains an active online presence at ashleyherringblake.com and via social media at @ashleyhblake.
Across age groups, Blake's fiction focuses on queer identity, emotional healing, grief, and complex interpersonal dynamics. Her middle grade and young adult books explore young protagonists navigating first crushes, coming out, and processing emotional trauma or loss with nuanced vulnerability. In her adult romances, she blends humor and emotional realism, creating imperfect characters who confront personal insecurities while finding love within supportive queer communities.
Bright Falls
