GOD I DEVOURED THIS BOOK IN A SINGLE SITTING!!!! ANOTHER ABSOLUTE BANGER FROM ASHLEY HERRING BLAKE!!!!!!! WERK BITCHHH

((astrid parker u relatable sonofabitch u))

This was a re-read for me, and the book was just as good the second time around. I love Astrid's journey of trying to figure out her identity and how that fits into her views of herself and how others have viewed her. I also love Jordan's journey of learning what love can look like again and learning to trust herself and her feelings. Also you can't go wrong with a renovation as the backdrop of the story. 

 

I really was into the first book in the Bright Falls series last year, Delilah Green Doesn't Care, and my "lean into the romance" vacation vibe meant the time was right to pick up the second in this series. 

 

So the first book ends with Astrid making the major decision to call off her perfect (as per her mother and societal standards) wedding. This feels like it should be a fresh start for Astrid, finally casting off all the expectations and finding who/what she wants. But, as we open this book, we see it hasn't really. She's even more stuck than she was before, trying to claw her way back into her mother's good(?) graces. So when the opportunity comes for her to revitalize her life and business as the lead interior designer for the local Everwood Inn renovation (a renovation that's going to be televised on a very popular HGTV-style show), she grabs it as her chance to turn everything around. But a disastrous meet-cute the morning of the first taping, that ends up (of course!) being with Jordan Everwood, the lead carpenter on the project *and* granddaughter of the Inn's owner Pru. Despite being opposites in so many ways, and knocking heads repeatedly on the plans and vision for the inn's remodel, the tension between Astrid and Jordan turns into something different. And they'll both have to decide if their respective second chances/new directions in life will include each other or not. 

 

I was hesitant to pick this one up after the first because honestly, I was iffy on Astrid. Her super uptight and rigid kind of character is just not my favorite to read. (Full disclosure here, as I read, I realized her internal dialogue was very familiar, perhaps too familiar? And maybe that's why I was feeling tentative about reading it - there are some parts of oneself that are not super fun to be introspective about and that just is what it is.) On the other hand, Jordan is my jam..the kind of person that I wanted to be and realized later (similar to Astrid, see?) that I maybe just wanted. But anyways, in the end, I really liked them together. Their chemistry felt real within its context. The enemies to lovers started in a place and for reasons that I feel good about them overcoming (as opposed to some really bad histories I’ve read and just can’t wrap my mind around putting in the past) and it’s making their pull towards each other feel all the more legitimate, because neither really wants but there's nothing truly bad  holding them back. I was excited for them to finally give in. And when it happened...the sparks were stellar. There was also a bit of guilelessness to this relationship that you don’t always get with romance novels, and there was something so soft and sweet about it that grew on me more than I’d have expected. I was just really bought into this pairing. 

 

A few other notes on the book. Plotwise, the setup was a good one. Reasonable and believable, which is not always a given in contemporary romance. The Inn remodel was giving Gilmore Girls vibes that were perfect for the switchover from summer to autumn. And it provided a great emotional backdrop for the rest of the story to unfold within. I could not love this friend group more, honestly, and I was thrilled to be back with them. There was a fun tarot theme woven throughout and I'm a sucker for tarot, so I did love that. I actually *gasped* out loud when this contemporary queer romance series referenced others (Written in the Stars, among others) on-page. That is the kind of book-inception I can get behind. What a deeply fulfilling nerd moment. Finally, with the (slightly) older characters and "figuring it out" late that were central to the plot and themes of this novel, I really appreciated the deeper level of the problems (both internally and externally) that Astrid and Jordan were dealing with. How flawed they were, in how they dealt with their own problems and with each other, alongside how willing to recognize and address it they were (after realizing first responses were less ideal) all rang very authentically messy-mature. I was here for it. 

 

Overall, I enjoyed this second book more than I'd been expecting to (perhaps even against my will, a bit?). Bright Falls is a fun setting and these characters are just wonderful. Definitely ready for the next one sooner rather than later!   

 

"For everyone who figured it out a little later in life." 

 

 

“Never before doesn’t mean never ever. You know that, right?” 

 

“There were other memories, countless moments she’d long ago chalked up to admiration or envy. Just good old-fashioned jealousy. She wanted to be those girls, or maybe even compete with them, as horrible as that sounded, not make out with them. And maybe that really was all it was sometimes. Simple observation. But maybe those tiny clues actually added up to a whole lot more, and she’d simply never let herself face it. She liked guys, so she focused on guys. It was easy to ignore anything else.” 

 

“…and for once she was going to do what she wanted. She was going to act instead of all this constant, exhausting thinking.” 

Romance books make everything a bit better, and queer romance makes everything a lot better.
Astrid and Jordan have such great chemistry, the tension whenever they argue had me fanning myself, really it gets heated. (In more ways than one!)
Astrid goes through a journey of self-discovery, not just in coming to terms with her queerness, but also in deciding what she wants out of life. The process that she goes through is so incredibly relatable, the decision to do what makes you happy instead of what is expected of you is impossible for so many people.
Jordan also goes through a similar journey, her finally believing in herself and standing up to her ex gave me so much serotonin. (Though I wish they had popped off on Meredith a bit more!)
I've never dabbled in tarot cards myself, but it was really interesting to see how they tie in with the storyline and are used for symbolism. It reminds me of my favorite illustrator, Yoshi Yoshitani, and Yoshi's' beautiful and diverse tarot card set.
I would hire Jordan immediately to design a space, the Everwood Inn became such a beautiful and warm place after the design, it makes me wish it existed in real life to visit.
I can't pinpoint the reason I didn't quite love this as much as the first book. I think there were a few plot points that happened off page that I would like to have seen depicted. Iris and her relationship wasn't really a surprise, but I wish it was shown on page instead of so much happening off. (Grant just disappeared and I'm like..okay not really surprised but I wanted to see it happen!)
 Why are we forgiving an abuser? Make it make sense. When it came to Astrid's Mom, I really despised how it was handled.
If someone abuses you to the point of effecting your entire sense of self, and you need years of therapy to recover, why are they even in your life? Let's not sugar coat it. Astrid's Mom was abusive. (and still is in this book!) It puts a bad taste in my mouth that nothing was ever resolved in regards to the abuse Delilah suffered either. If someone claims to care about you, but still has a relationship with your abuser that is a MILLION RED FLAGS. Weird excuses were given for the behavior "oh she was grieving". There is no excuse ever for abuse. It says a lot more about Astrid's character that she would allow someone who has shown no remorse for what has been done to Delilah back in her life. But they're family and blood-I DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT! If you wouldn't tolerate that behavior from a friend, why would you allow it from your family? Blood relations doesn't equal a free pass to treat you however they want! I know this is probably my hot take, but I say cut them off cut them out. People treat family like it's something to be clung onto, even as the knife it is makes you bleed. Just...why. end rant 
Dare I say I now want to own a clit necklace? Quick someone send me a link!
Another must read book from Ashley Herring Blake!

Astrid's mom was really hard for me to read, although I knew it would all work out by the end. Lots of tenseness for a romance; glad I made it to the end because some unexpected twists happened along the way!

I think this is a great follow up to Delilah Green. I love Astrid’s development throughout the book and I love the perspective of someone having a queer awakening later in life. I also love the complicated dynamic she has with her mom. 

A little slow to capture my full-attention, this book made up for that with a sweet second half. It’s an enemies to lovers with some forced proximity which was an okay plot line but not my favorite. There’s a little spice but not as much as other romance novels. Overall it was cute, fun, and enjoyable.