Ashley Herring Blake’s Delilah Green Doesn’t Care is a smart, funny, and emotionally attuned sapphic rom-com that understands romance is as much about belonging as it is about heat. Set in the small town of Bright Falls, this first entry in the Bright Falls series pairs a prickly New York photographer with a bookish single mom and delivers banter, found family, and genuine character growth.
The setup
Delilah Green fled Bright Falls years ago and built a life in New York with a camera, a hustle, and a strict no-strings policy. She returns only because her estranged stepsister Astrid waves a five-figure check to shoot the wedding. The job reunites her with Astrid’s best friends, including Claire Sutherland, a bi bookstore owner and devoted mom who prefers predictable days to messy feelings. A forced proximity gauntlet of wedding events puts Delilah and Claire on a collision course, all while the friend group quietly schemes to save Astrid from a terrible fiancé.
What works
Unabashedly queer sensibility. Blake writes a rom-com that feels lived-in and joyfully queer, from Claire’s bisexuality shaping her choices to the social micro-moments of coming out, misreading, and being misread. The tone is sexy, tender, and unapologetic.
A lovable ensemble. Bright Falls is populated with characters who could carry their own novels. Astrid’s cool perfection, Iris’s chaotic humor, Claire’s whip-smart resilience, and Delilah’s guarded bravado add layers to every scene. Even the ex and the tween daughter feel textured and real rather than stock obstacles.
Chemistry with a capital C. Delilah and Claire sizzle from their meet-cute, and the intimacy builds with earned vulnerability. The steam supports the love story rather than replacing it, thanks to private jokes, co-parenting realities, and quiet gestures that soften Delilah’s armor.
Themes with heart. Beyond attraction, the novel is about repairing the stories we tell ourselves. Delilah learns that survival strategies can become cages. Claire relearns risk and desire after years of steadiness. The friend group embodies found family at its best.
What might not
If you prefer low-spice romances or you want the relationship to stay strictly slow-burn, the explicit scenes may feel front and center. And for readers who crave razor-edged enemies-to-lovers, this tilts more toward snarky skepticism that melts into care.
Vibe and comparables
Expect the warmth of Red, White & Royal Blue with the small-town ensemble charm of The Kiss Quotient, plus the queer community texture of Something to Talk About. It is adult romance, not YA, with humor, heat, and a steady emotional throughline.
Verdict
Delilah Green Doesn’t Care is an irresistible start to a series: sharp dialogue, real stakes, found family, and a romance that feels both swoony and grounded. If you want a contemporary sapphic rom-com that balances spice with substance, put this at the top of your list.
