Astrid Parker Doesn’t Fail

Author: Ashley Herring Blake

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was a cute contemporary romance that I picked up at Gay’s The Word, an LGBTQ+ bookshop near King’s Cross. This book follows Astrid, a designer and chronic people-pleaser who is terrified of failure and the possibility of diverging from the rigid mould her traditional, Stepford-like mother has set for her. After breaking off an engagement with her fiancé before the start of the book, her design career is flagging, and she’s hoping that being featured in an episode of a fictional television show Innside America will revive it and give her the exposure she needs to book more clients. Our other main character is Jordan, a carpenter recovering from heartbreak and lacking direction, whose beloved family inn is in desperate need of revival, which she, her brother and grandmother are hoping will be helped by its appearance on the show.

This a romance featuring two women, and overall has very good representation from an LGBTQ+ perspective. However, I was sad to say I found myself having trouble connecting to the characters and their struggles or feeling invested in their romantic relationship. The non-romantic portion of the plot focussing around the show and Astrid and Jordan’s confrontation of their demons was fine though, to me, uninteresting. There was character development and a story arch and everything, but I’m wondering if this is more of a me problem as I’ve recently found myself caring less for most contemporary romances. I read a lot of fantasy, and I find that I’m usually more engaged with a plot if there’s some wider external struggle happening as part of the plot, and saving the family’s inn isn’t enough for me.

If you generally like contemporary romance and you’re looking for a queer romance, I’d recommend this one. It’s the second in a series that can be read as standalones (though perhaps if I’d read the first one, I’d feel more of a connection to some of the characters). But ultimately, I just don’t think the plot and setting were my cup of tea.