Delilah Green Doesn't Care by Ashley Herring Blake

Description from Goodreads:

A clever and steamy queer romantic comedy about taking chances and accepting love—with all its complications—by debut author Ashley Herring Blake.

Delilah Green swore she would never go back to Bright Falls—nothing is there for her but memories of a lonely childhood where she was little more than a burden to her cold and distant stepfamily. Her life 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, Astrid, pressures her into photographing her wedding with a guilt trip and a five-figure check, Delilah finds herself back in the godforsaken town that she used to call home. 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 in Bright Falls, after all.

Having raised her eleven-year-old daughter mostly on her own while dealing with her unreliable ex and running a bookstore, Claire Sutherland 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. When they’re forced together during a gauntlet of wedding preparations—including a plot to save Astrid from her horrible fiancé—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…

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My Review:

I had my eye on this book for a while, but I was in a huge fantasy mood for a while so it sat on my tbr cart. After reading The Priory of the Orange Tree, I definitely needed a break from fantasy. Not gonna lie, I was nervous to read this book because I felt it was hyped up so much. My fears were groundless, however, as this book is absolutely amazing.

I related so much to Delilah. Not with losing family, but I felt very much alone when I was younger. I was never called a ghost, but I had my own teenage girl bullies and I was frequently compared to a robot. Not quite fun. I loved seeing her interact with the other characters. It was great getting to see her change and get more comfortable with her past. Maybe one day I can let go of mine as she did.

I also hardcore related to Astrid, about never being able to say no. Feeling like the only choice is yes. I still struggle with it a lot. It's really hard when it's ingrained and reinforced by the people around you. I think the author did a really great job of portraying that. While I get that this book is a romance, I do wish it was secondary. I would have loved seeing the alternate point of views between Astrid and Delilah with flashbacks mixed in. And yes, I know that Astrid is getting her own book which I am very excited about and definitely going to read, but I would have liked to have seen them work through their issues together.

I really liked Claire. I liked how she navigated between being Astrid's friend and her attraction to Delilah. I thought they were very cute together. I really liked how they balanced each other out and were rocks for each other in different ways. I do wish that her part in Delilah's past was discussed a bit more. It was brought up but was brushed aside very quickly. I just felt like it wasn't acknowledged enough but that's just one tiny complaint.

Overall, this was an amazing read. I literally finished it in a single day including working an entire shift at my full-time job. This is definitely something you should read if you're a sapphic lover.