Astrid Parker Doesn't Fail: A swoon-worthy, laugh-out-loud queer romcom

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AHB: I don’t feel like I set out to be like, “Well, Astrid goes this way, so what is the perfect kind of character she has to come into contact with? Sometimes, I do make certain decisions because I’m like, well, obviously, Astrid needs this problem because Jordan is going to complement it. The first book of the series, Delilah Green Doesn’t Care, was released at the beginning of 2022 and met with major acclaim for its depiction of queer romance.

That is until she meets Jordan Everwood, the carpenter who will also be assisting in this production. Is this a case of two characters needing to meet each other when their own lives are somewhat derailed, whether they realize it or not?We read about kids that have come out and realize [their] sexuality, but what does it really look like as an adult? All this culminates in a budding queer romance, and suddenly Astrid is not so sure about anything, in the scariest yet most exciting way possible. I knew I wanted her to really hold up to the title that she doesn’t fail — which means she must fail.

And my favorite romances to read are not only [with people] figuring themselves out so they can be with another person, but they’re also figuring themselves out for themselves. KT: Conversely, you have another character, similar in age, who enjoys what she does but is at a point in her life where she thinks everything she touches turns to destruction. There’s not much like, “Oh, this is my duty to do this and that therefore I must do it, even if I hate it. And while there are certain experiences where adults are going through this, and they’re not seen, and they’re not supported by family or people around them, I wanted Astrid’s experience to be a little gentler. This is my first experience writing a series, so it was very interesting, like coming to book two thinking, “I can’t change any of these people.

So, there’s a lot of things that you can just kind of shove under the rug when you’re growing up or when you first start coming into [your] sexuality. Ashley Herring Blake, the award-winning author behind multiple books, is back again with her Bright Falls series.