If you’re looking for a wlw/sapphic romance with lots of sexual tension and steamy hook-ups, emotional character growth and rom-com shenanigans, you’ll enjoy Delilah Green Doesn’t Care by Ashley Herring Blake!

Delilah Green is a rough-around-the-edges freelance photographer living in New York City. Nearly thirty years old, Delilah spends her days working odd jobs and her nights going home with attractive women. But when her step-sister Astrid calls Delilah to photograph her wedding, Delilah begrudgingly travels home to Bright Falls, Oregon to cash in on the opportunity in exchange for putting up with her insufferable step-mother and Astrid’s wedding affairs.

In Bright Falls, Delilah recalls the painstaking memories of youth—-her father dying, being ignored by her step-mother and step-sister, and her step-sister’s mocking gaggle of friends. However, now adults, one of Astrid’s friend’s catches Delilah’s eye—-and Delilah catches her eye, too. As the weeks leading up to Astrid’s wedding unfolds, Delilah gains new insight into the past, causing her to question what she thought she knew.

This somewhat insta-lovey romance features an imperfect yet lovable duo of women navigating their own emotions, issues, and relationships while incidentally falling in love with one another. Their demeanors complement each other, and they balance well—-one being direct and snarky, the other being nurturing and kind. Together, their chemistry is steamy and irresistible.

Going into this book, I admittedly did necessarily not have high expectations; I was in the mood to read a romance, and I picked it up on a whim. At first, Delilah rubbed me the wrong way—-she seemed childish in how much she deliberately endeavored to annoy Astrid and her friends, taking so many jabs and going out of her way to ruffle other peoples’ feathers. However, as the novel unraveled, I came to appreciate Delilah more; as her guard lowered and she began examining her own experiences, her character became more fully flushed as we realized why exactly Delilah uses this sardonic defense mechanism to shield herself from vulnerability and intimacy.

To be true, this romance follows the typical tropes: a bit of cheesiness, the third-act relationship conflict, the inevitable resolution. The characters’ problems are mostly their own emotions, as Delilah was raised in a mansion and step-mother has money to spare, and most of the characters are white, frequently taking to calling each other by their first and last name, but if romance is your bread-and-butter or if you are looking for a fun and heart-swelling novel, then I imagine you will find much enjoyment from this.

By the time I finished this book, I was sad that it was over. I was surprised how much I enjoyed mentally spending time with these characters. But for those who feel similarly, never fear: Astrid Parker will return in a follow-up Bright Falls novel!

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