I love most romance books, but the sapphic ones have a special place in my heart because those are the ones I relate to the most. I’ve read and enjoyed many of Blake’s MG and YA books, and was excited to try her adult debut.

Right away, the characters in Delilah Green Doesn’t Care felt so real, as if they could step off the page and into the world at any moment. I instantly took a liking to Delilah, and not just because she’s snarky and has dark hair and tattoos and that’s absolutely my type. Beneath the snark, she’s coping with a lot of unresolved pain and grief from both her childhood and adult life thus far, which she’s forced to confront due to the circumstances of the story. Even though our experiences haven’t been the same, I could relate to her, and found her character development admirable.

I really liked Claire too. She loves books, has a small friend group and finds most socializing of either platonic or romantic nature intimidating, which… same. All of it. Same. Her crush on Delilah is also all too relatable. Anyway, jokes aside, her character development was also admirable. She’s dealing with insecurity and self-doubt in more ways than one, regarding her strenuous relationships with her pre-teen daughter and said daughter’s flighty father, as well as whether or not, with all of her issues, she’s “too much” to love. I loved seeing her gain more confidence as she sorted everything out.

Delilah and Claire had such a great dynamic, and seeing them turn into friends and then more was delightful. I also loved the scenes with Delilah and Ruby, Claire’s daughter, who’s spunky the way a lot of kids her age are but also such a sweetheart. She instantly took a liking to Delilah (see, it’s not just me!) and that, combined with the fact that the feeling was mutual, warmed my heart. 10/10 little family. <3

I think my only issue with this book was that the biggest conflict actually involved a side character’s relationship instead of either of the protagonists, and their own conflict seemed shallow in comparison. Not to mention, if that side character had just kept her mouth shut instead of letting her emotions get the best of her and exaggerating a situation that didn’t really involve her, there wouldn’t have been a problem in the first place. Classic miscommunication, except someone else was meddling. I don’t know; maybe I’m misreading the scene entirely, but these are my thoughts nonetheless.

Despite that, and that it’s not ~quite~ a new favorite, I still thoroughly enjoyed Delilah Green Doesn’t Care. It was a brilliant blend of sweetness, sass and spice, while also dealing with heavier topics in a respectful but not overpowering manner. I’ll definitely be reading Blake’s next romcom. <3

Representation