Many thanks to NetGalley for this ARC of come as you are, which I rated a solid 4 stars.

This book was just so fun! But it was also so emotional at parts, it really tugged at my heart strings re backstorys of addiction, grief of a parent and financial struggles.

Madigan is just the most sensitive guy, as a character him and Ashley were actually so believable and genuine. Let me tell you at around 55% in things get STTEEEAMY, I was literally blushing. The steamy scenes were written really well but at times they were laugh at loud for example '"Hi" she said in this breathy way that stiffened his cock in his jeans' like jeez did it just get hotter in here or.... I really enjoyed this funny romance novel and I was really rooting for Ashley and Madigan <3

I love getting new experience, and reading an Older Couple Romance in their late forties, I have a new one now. It's so nice to see older people being represented in books.
📖📖
I also loved the presence of excons and Addicts, being given a second chance, it's also a first with me.
📖📖
Ashley and Madigan were wonderful characters, both of them trying to make themselves better and let go of past hurts. I really loved their relationship, there was also a little bit of spice.
📖📖
I also loved the mother-daughter dynamic between Ashley and her mother, and how they resolved everything by the end of the book.
📖📖
I'd definitely recommend this book, but it was lacking something for me. This book was about older people, but I felt it was not that realistic enough. I loved the book, but I'd have loved it more if it was more realistic

🎿 arc review 🎿

𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐛𝐲 𝐉𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐲
𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝟒.𝟓/𝟓★
𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥: 𝟏/𝟓🌶️
𝐀𝐯𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐊𝐔!
𝐏𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬: 𝟑𝟐𝟎


“𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘬𝘦𝘱𝘵 𝘮𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘧𝘦.” 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥. “𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯” 𝘏𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥, 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺 𝘳𝘩𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘮 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵. “𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘰𝘬𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘮𝘦. 𝘐’𝘭𝘭 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘢𝘧𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘰”

This one was surprisingly good; this is the first book I've read from the author, and it did not disappoint. I absolutely loved it! ALSO, LOOK AT THAT CUTE COVER!! IT’S SO BEAUTIFUL, I can't stop looking at it.

💭 They are literally the best couple. This guy reminds me so much of Loren Hale, I guess this is my sign to continue the series. I’ve been putting it off because everyone is telling me the third book is angsty. Anyways, if you want something light, cute couples, funny, a bit angsty, and spicy, then this book is for you. We love characters who are transparent and vulnerable. Showing emotions like that feels realistic and you just want to hug these characters.

📚 Ashley is divorced, still emotional, and thinks she’s unworthy. She has a problem with her business and an ex-husband who bothers her to let him buy the family-owned resort. She will do everything to save her father's business. Madrigan is a former superstar in his younger years and now a living home operator. At first, Ashley does not want his men to work in her resort, but she really needs them. They strike a deal to do a monthly drug test to stay but what happens when someone schemes them into thinking they have done it.

Tropes:
- Boss / employee
- Found family
- Emotional scars
- Not good enough for him/her
- Small town romance

💭 This book is not only about romance but family who are still moving on in their own pain with the loss of a family member. Also, not stereotype those people who are trying their best to be better not only for themselves but for their families. Overall, I recommend this book! Madrigan gives me butterflies all over my stomach especially when he went to his friends to ask for advice about an incident between him and Ashley. ALSO, HIS CHRISTMAS GIFT FOR ASHLEY HUHUHU.

A big thanks to the author and publisher for giving me an advance copy! 💫

I was unsure of this book when I first requested the egalley, but overall I am glad that I did. This book is about a woman, Ashley, trying to save her floundering ski hill and ex-rocker, Madigan, running a sober living home. With the interference of Ashley's mother the two of them are thrown together, along with a cast of very likeable characters, to work towards running and hopefully revitalizing their hill while also working towards the rehabilitation of the men at the sober living home. The romance between the two main characters was very sweet (if a little too insta-lovey in my opinion) and definitely had me rooting for them. I also really enjoyed the 'background' relationships with the men at the sober living home along with their stories/growth. Altogether, I would recommend this book if you want a heart-warming romance that has a little more at stake and involves endearing platonic relationships as well.

Jess did it again! There is not a book that I have read by Jess K Hardy that I didn't love. I LOVED this story so much. Madigan is my dream and Ashley is so relatable. The side characters add so much to this story. The spice in this book was everything. I'll read anything Jess writes!

Thank you NetGalley and Jess K Hardy for this ARC.

This was such a wonderful wintery romance, with loveable characters and a ski resort setting.

Ashley Cooke's family run resort is in trouble, their finances are a mess and she can't afford to pay staff, never mind develop the slopes the way she has always dreamed of. With her ex-husband Chuck constantly on at her to sell to a massive company, she has no choice but to think outside the box for this season of skiing. Her mum, Maude Alice suggests that they hire the men from Little Timber, a sober living home run by ex-rockstar and addict, Matthew Madigan. Ashley is resistant, especially when she meets Madigan and feels an undeniable attraction to him. But needs must, and soon he and his men are working hard at Bluebird ski resort. Madigan is terrified of heights and whilst he'll laugh at his mean learning to ski, he won't give it a try himself. Ashley convinces him to give it a chance and begins teaching him, whilst he agrees to train up Murphy, the most wonderful (but disobedient) rescue dog. Come as you are tells the story of two people who are nervous and afraid of their feelings, slowly opening up to one another.

I loved this book, it's a great romance at its heart but as you read you can't help but want to give the men from Little Timber a hug. The characters are depicted so well in addition to the snowy setting (think wood cabins and open fires) that plays a key part in the magic of this steamy winter romance.

I'm definitely going to add some of Jess K Hardy's other books to my tbr!

I received this book in exchange for an honest review which has not altered my opinion of this book. I would like to thank Pinkity Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC copy.

This book surprised me. I expected a cute love story about two people who have already been through a lot, and while that's what I got, I didn't expect as many feels. I didn't expect to feel quite so many different emotions or relate to characters who are nearly 20 years older than me. But somehow, I found Ashley and Madigan to be relatable characters and ones that I rooted for throughout the story. Ashley is a stubborn, kind, and overwhelmed person who has gone through quite a bit thanks to her asshat of an ex-husband. Madrigan is an ex-rockstar who is still attempting to figure out what to do for himself and has basically been neglecting himself in favor of helping the men at his sober home before himself. Them getting together was adorable and it was cute that they tried to not.

I adored all the men that we were introduced to and Ashley's daughter, Davis, as well as the other workers on the mountain. This is a story that is brimming with second chances and fresh starts and I absolutely love those themes, especially in a romance novel. While the characters did find instant attraction, I appreciated it wasn't insta-love, and the fact that they also had fights and disagreements and that the story wasn't all smooth sailing made it much easier for me to dive into the story and appreciate the story for what it was.

Unfortunately, I personally cannot give it a 5 out of 5 because I didn't appreciate everything about the story (this was partially because of a generational thing), there were bits and pieces that just didn't quite work for me and others that were a bit too cliche for my liking. I wasn't a fan of how some conflicts were wrapped up (or not really wrapped up), and I really struggle with appreciating romance books in completion because I'm just like that. However, overall, this book really surprised me in the best way possible and gets a 4 out of 5 from me and I highly recommend if you're interested in second change love in GenX.

Spice: There is spice and it is glorious and wonderful and I give it 4 out of 5 spice level! So enjoy that as well :)

4.75⭐️ I read this in one evening, I couldn’t put it down! I requested the arc on a whim, mainly for the adorable cover, but did not expect to absolutely fall in love!!! The whole premise is so great, the setting was beautiful, the characters were perfect, the romance was adorable and the spice was top notch. When I requested it I didn’t catch on that it was literally subtitled a gen x romance, meaning our heroine is in her forties and our hero is in his fifties. Whilst this didn’t effect my enjoyment of the story itself, I keep feeling icky cause they’re similar ages to my parents BUT i know this is MY problem not the book or the authors, I should’ve realised what gen x meant, i just completely blanked out and didn’t even realise lmao. To be honest though, like i said it doesn’t effect what is truly a WONDERFUL book!! Will def be checking out more from this author if they have other published work!

Ashley meets Madigan when her grandmother arranges for him and his group of ex-addicts to work at their ski resort. But her ex is out to cause trouble, so will everything run smoothly?
A great read

I really enjoyed this book! I was hooked right from the start and finished it in one day! I loved everything out it! I love the Gen X rep, I feel like it was so different and unique. I’ve never been skiing but this book made me want to go to the mountains and try it ASAP. The romance and spice were perfect. I fell in love with the characters and we’re rooting for them! I loved the rehabilitation aspect. And I of course loved the dog. If you’re looking for a sweet swoony love story, this book is for you!

This book was like a Hallmark Christmas movie, if Hallmark Christmas Movies involved 50% less actual Christmas, and 100% more grown adults who fuck. Which is to say, I really enjoyed it, though it does feel very much like the kind of thing to pick up only when you're in a specific mood.

The basic story is that Ashley is trying to save her family's ski slope from financial ruin, so that she won't be forced to sell it to her evil ex-husband who owns the mega-resort across town. (This plot is the source of most of the snowy, Hallmark-y vibes). Enter Madigan, a former musician who runs a sober home for fellow recovering addicts, and who thinks Ashley's Bluebird ski resort would be the perfect place for his men to find work and stick to their sobriety. After some initial reluctance, Ashley agrees to hire them, and over the course of their winter working at Bluebird she and Madigan fall in love. It's a fairly basic story, but one that gets a lot of depth from its treatment of its secondary characters, its discussion of addiction recovery and societal response to former addicts and convicts, and most of all its non-gimmicky approach to a romance with older protagonists.

I'll tackle that last thing first: don't let the "Gen-X Romance" tagline put you off (despite it being, in my mind, extraordinarily off-putting). Having "Gen-X" right there in the title of the book made me wary that this book was going to be either gawking at Ashley and Madigan's age with a lot of "knees too bad for sex" jokes, or overly congratulating itself for imagining that people over 45 actually do have sex. Thankfully, this book did neither. Rather than making their age some kind of direct, surface-level showy "point," Madigan and Ashely felt like they had a super-realistic mix of maturity, coping skills, previous life baggage, and deeply-ingrained insecurities that are hard to free themselves from. And, I should add, really good sex.

I especially appreciated how Ashley, a woman in her late 40s, was allowed to still be nervous and insecure a lot of the time, without feeling like the book infantilized her for it. Because as it turns out, being a "grown up" doesn't actually mean leaving behind any and all anxiety and self-esteem issues. And I also was relieved to see that the book never fell into the trap of using the fact that Ashley is a mother (to Davis, a college-age daughter) as a token sign of her maturity. I could stand on a soapbox forever about how society refuses to accept the grown-adultness of adult women until they have children, but instead I will put my soapbox away and simply applaud this book for not falling into that trap. Ashley's dynamic with both her own mother and her daughter felt like fully-fledged relationships between adults with distinct personalities, rather than just placeholders for cultural stereotypes about mothering as part of how grown women relate to each other and the world.

Madigan was a really great character in his own right, as well. There were moments where I worried he was falling into a jumble of romance wish-fulfillment (he's muscly and beardy! but he cries a lot! and loves going down on women!) but I think the treatment of his past struggles with addiction, and his relationship to the men he supervises, really grounded him and gave him depth as a character. And the way all of that informed his approach to his relationship with Ashley felt subtle and perfectly understated: he has very understandable reservations about how a romantic relationship might fit into his hard-earned sobriety, but that struggle isn't the defining characteristic of him as a person, or of his romance with Ashley.

There was clearly also a lot of future romance potential among the secondary characters, who were all really enjoyable and well-individuated. The men who live in the sober home and work at Bluebird especially : there was a real risk of oversimplification here, of ending up in a place where it felt like they were being exploited for feel-good, life-lessons vibes. But I, at least, never felt that way. There was, though, one major misstep for me. I'm going to put it under a spoiler tag, but people may want to check if they have strong feelings about estrangement or boundary-setting in relationships. [ Sam, the newest arrival at the sober home, is working to re-establish a relationship with his wife Izzy and daughter Sarah. We aren't told in detail what happened while he was using drugs, but it's made very clear that Izzy doesn't want to see him, and doesn't want him to see their daughter. There's a (minor) subplot around whether Sam, who misses them desperately, will be able to re-establish their relationship now that he's sober and getting his life back in order.

What I take issue with is not that Izzy and Sam do, in fact, get back together at the end of the book. On the whole, I appreciated the book's commitment to the idea that former addicts and former convicts deserve the opportunity to earn a second chance in the eyes of society. And the book (mostly) manages to do that without ever demonizing Izzy for setting boundaries for herself and her daughter. I say "mostly" because what bothers me is a scene where Izzy shows up to a Christmas party at Bluebird where the men's families are invited to visit them. She pulls up in her car, Sam is super excited she's come, but then instead of getting out she turns around and drives away. At which point Ashley, the heroine who knows her not at all, drives off after her and tries to convince her to give Sam another chance. Which is just 100 kinds of NOT HER BUSINESS. I believe in the right of people to be given a second chance if they've earned it. And I believe in the right of people to set boundaries around family and partners who have been toxic to them in the past. But I REALLY believe that nobody besides the people directly involved has any business having an opinion about estrangement or boundary setting. This felt completely out of character for Ashley, and just generally a misstep in an otherwise sensitive handling of a hard topic. (hide spoiler)]

There's definitely a bit of High Drama towards the end of the book, but oddly enough it didn't really feel tonally inappropriate, despite the rest of the story being comparatively low-key? I guess maybe that's because it felt like a big Hallmark ending, with a villain and a desperate attempt to save the failing business and some other spoilery shenanigans. Happily it didn't really detract from the romance, which developed slowly and realistically, with obstacles that felt mostly earned and only occasionally parachuted in for plot reasons. On the whole, while there was a false note for me here and there, I enjoyed reading this a lot, and would definitely try more from this author.

3.5✩
this book was was a quick wholesome read. I loved Ashley and Madigan they were so soft and the way they cared for each other was everything. I wish we got more of them because I couldn’t get enough. I loved all of the relationships between the characters and I enjoyed so many of the side characters that appeared in this story. The emotional aspects were written well because I felt them on a personal level. Overall I enjoyed it and I’m glad I got a chance to read.

Another favorite Holiday read has been discovered.

The only struggle you’ll have with this book is deciding which character is your favorite, because all of them (except Chuck) are amazing and sweet and fun and cute. Definitely something you should read during the Holiday season (or just in the winter). Found family is definitely a favorite trope of mine and this one just made me feel all the feels

Don't let the cute cover fool you or no, this story is so cute and so fluffy but still touch some "serious issues" like divorce, grief, addictions, but honestly it never felt like a burden but like something that could help the story to improve.

I really like the main characters. I rooted for them all the book.

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a cute read. I didn't realize what age the main characters were from the blurb but I enjoyed the read nonetheless.

4.5 stars!
Emotional, heart-wrenching, steamy and beautiful!
Ashley and Madigan are both sweet and endearing - I love how the author dealt with grief, addiction, divorce, insecurity and intimacy. All of these heavy issues have led Ashley and Madigan to believe their love lives are things of the past and the journey to them rediscovering their self confidence and falling in love was so sweet despite those heavy topics!
I felt like I was smiling and kicking my feet in the air the whole time I was reading this, which is RARE because of how many romance novels I read in a year.
This was one of those stories that makes you hope you get spin-offs or novellas about some of the supporting characters, so I hope there's more in the works.
Read this book, you won't regret it!

Woohoo!!! A romance where the characters are in my age group! Plus, the talk of boom boxes, mixed tapes, and'80's music put a HUGE smile on my face! Plus, I loved the romance between two people who are essentially starting over, finding their footing, falling in love, and having hot sex!

Ashley Cooke (46 years old) is doing her best to save Bluebird Basin Ski Lodge, the ski hill that her father once owned. Her ex-husband is determined to buy the ski hill from her, but Ashley is determined to save no matter what. When her mother suggest that she hire men from a local sober living home, she begrudgingly decides to meet with the owner as a means of cutting cost. The snow is about to fall, and she needs the ski hill ready.

Matthew Madigan (53 years old) is a silver fox and a former rock star and recovering addict. He is the owner of Little Timber, the sober living home, and is determined to assist the men in getting back on track. He jumps at the chance to get them some work, keep them busy and hopefully see their sense of self-worth and confidence grow.

Ashley and Madigan both thought romance was behind them. That was until they met. Madigan finds the beautiful and flustered Ashley to be attractive. Ashley tries to keep her eyes off the muscle bound, tattooed, bearded man who has charmed her.

We all know where this is going to go. It's all about the journey and what a nostalgic and steamy journey this was. I loved both characters and rooted for them. Both had confidence issues. Ashley's ex-husband cheated on her throughout their 16-year marriage, and it has affected her self-esteem. Madigan's years of addiction and prison time have also left him feeling less than confident. He hasn't had a real relationship with a woman since he has been sober.

Both characters are dealing with real life issues, and I enjoyed how the characters tackled them head on. There are discussions about addiction, grief, divorce, insecurity, intimacy, aging bodies/changing bodies and how it affects sexual performance, relationships, and love.

I smiled throughout this entire book. It was charming, uplifting, and sweet. I love books about starting over, under dogs, falling in love, and finding confidence. I also appreciated how the author showed how addiction affects not just the addict but those in their lives.

Jess K. Hardy came on my radar when I read Missing Charlie. When I was offered the chance to read this book, I jumped at it. I'm so happy I did. As I stated earlier, it was nice to see a book with the main characters being in my age group. Plus, I enjoy the author's writing and characters. I look forward to reading more of her books in the future.

The only thing missing in this book is John Cusak holding a boom box! Seriously, I loved this book and the '80s references.

Highly recommend!

'Come As You Are' is quick, sweet read. Despite the heavy topics being addressed it the plot, the story still feels a bit breezy. It's a feel good romance novel where the major conflict of the story is resolved in a few tense pages.
I did enjoy that the main characters were not conventional. With a heroine in her late 40's and a former rockstar in his mid-50's; there was so much potential to explore how relationships alter once the hormones and youthful insecurities of life have passed.

Although the story didn't read like the main protagonists were middle aged. Scattered throughout the story were references to arthritic knees and gray hair, but there was very little description for Ashley altogether. Most of the physical references were around how not middle aged Madigan actually looked. While the plot line and character development held a lot of potential, the story felt a bit shallow. There was opportunity to learn more about how Ashley rebuilt her self esteem after a debilitating marriage to Chuck. While her insecurities were around her as a heterosexual woman, those insecurities never leaked into her relationship with Davis, nor her capabilities as a small business owner. Ashley's love for her father and the town are only ever referenced and we don't get to see an example of how the community loves Ashley too. We never really get to learn about Max outside of the occasional reference to how much Ashley loved him.

Overall, it's a feel good, pick me up novel with a few stellar references to the early 90's.
Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for the ARC!
P.S. There were several grammatical errors and typos throughout the ARC copy and the ISBN listed in NetGalley does not exist on Goodreads. I will manually upload my review to Goodreads.

I read this book as an ARC but after it was already out. I did really like it, I got extremely attached to all of the men in Little Timber. I wanted to know so much about their backstories and their futures outside of the sober living home. I loved Madigan so much, I loved hearing about his past and why he acted the way he did. I honestly would have read it without any romance if I could’ve learned more about the men. I did still LOVE AShley, Maude Alice & Davis. The romance was still amazing but I really connected with Madigan & the men with Little Timber. I hope we see more of these characters in future books because I am so attached to them. I think the ending was a little rushed for me but that’s also because I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to these characters at all. I love love love this book. It’s on KU and it will be a reread for me probably next winter.

4/5 stars!

Come As You Are is an emotional, inspiring romance novel about love, forgiving yourself, and second chances.

Ashley is stressed and heartbroken and above all, trying her best. After inheriting a ski hill from her father, Ashley finds herself at odds with her ex-husband as she tries to make sure her small, local ski hill can compete with the commercial hill he manages. She finds the answers to her problems in the most unexpected of places.

Mad Madigan, or Matthew, is a former rock star turned sober living manager. As part of their reintroduction to society, his men need to find work and what could be better than spending their days outside on a ski hill?

I absolutely loved the way this book portrayed the painful reality of addiction and the road to recovery. There is still an incredible stigma around addiction, and Hardy did a great job humanizing the disease.

Read Come As You Are for:
- an "older" FMC + MMC (upper 40s - lower 50s)
- excellent communication
- 2/5 peppers of spicy content
- a lovable rescue dog


Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.