Steamy, emotional, heart wrenching, and beautiful. This book had me completely invested in Madigan and Ashley's romance as well as the entirety of the secondary characters stories. I laughed, cried, and the angst and tension between the main characters was so delicious my heart ached. I highly recommend this book for anyone looking for a heartfelt read about grief, overcoming struggles, and finding a second chance at love. 5 stars (but I'd give it a million stars if I could)

I really enjoyed this story! I'm always down to read books that include snow and that give Alaska vibes like this one and I am so glad I read it.

I was obsessed with Madigan honestly (even if he is like 25 years older than me)! Ashley and him are so perfect together. The way they understand and care deeply for each other was so sweet. They both believe they don't deserve happiness but they both make one another see that they deserve the world and more.

Also, I loved Sam! My heart hurt for him so much and I am so happy the story ended for him the way it did.

The ending was so perfect and I feel like the story went at a great pace, like nothing felt rushed.
I would highly recommend this book to other romance lovers!
Also, I would totally be interested in a spin off book from this, maybe Davis and Kev's story!

Tropes: age-gap, slow burn, grumpy/sunshine

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

More books like this please! This book is like a warm hug that turns into...other things. Sexy pirate Madigan is a charmer, he cries too much but it makes sense. Ashley is just trying her best to save her family legacy and finding room for her own happiness in the process. If you want a cozy, sexy read with lots of cussing (which I love) and deep emotion, this is the book for you. Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC

Yes Yes Yes Yes and every bit of YES! Its hard to find a book where you love every character and this book made you fall in love with everyone! I loved the lack of drama in a genre that is full of it. I loved that the characters were close to my age as this is something you don't often see in the genre so I was able to actually relate to someone for once (hello we are not all 21 years old with money!). Can't wait to read more from this author!!!

I absolutely loved this book! It was a beautifully written love story that had the perfect amount of spice and angst. I found it so easy to fall in love with and root for Ashley and Madigan, as well as many of the other secondary characters. I also loved how relatable the characters and their struggles were.

I laughed, swooned, and cried reading this book! 10/10 would recommend!

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a steamy adorable romance. It was witty and the main characters were strong and likable. They were independent, humble and vulnerable. This was a fast easy read which was perfect for the start of winter season! Definitely would recommend!

you know the type of books that make you giggle and smile like a maniac? this is the type of book and it definitely left me smiling until the end of the book!!! I have never read a book especially in the romance realm where the MC are in their 40s and 50s and this was definitely cute and would recommend if you like gooey romance

"𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒'𝑠 𝑎𝑙𝑤𝑎𝑦𝑠 ℎ𝑜𝑝𝑒."

"𝐻𝑖𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑙𝑖𝑓𝑒 𝑖𝑠 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦. 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝑒𝑑𝑜𝑚 𝑖𝑠 𝑖𝑛 𝑒𝑚𝑏𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑙𝑖𝑓𝑒 𝑓𝑢𝑙𝑙𝑦, 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑔𝑜𝑜𝑑, 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑏𝑎𝑑, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑢𝑔𝑙𝑦."

What is this positivity of a book?

The cover alone had me rushing to request the book. I mean, look how cute it is! And the book was just as cute.

I absolutely loved that the author touched on drug addicts and their recovery journey. How hard it is for them and the people surrounding them. Not giving up on them and giving them their chance to get through it. The hope. The fear of relapsing. The resolve to not relapse.
The book didn't get into the deep ugly details though, so don't expect those.

The book was an absolute delight to read. I loved reading about Madigan and Ashley, his men and the snowy mountain. The mixed tape and Murphy. It was all so beautifully written.

Thank you @netgalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for an honest review💕

"𝐺𝑟𝑜𝑤𝑡ℎ 𝑖𝑠 𝑢𝑛𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑡𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒. 𝐶𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑜 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑡 𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑣𝑒𝑠 𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑡𝑙𝑒 𝑟𝑜𝑜𝑚 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑔𝑟𝑜𝑤𝑡ℎ. 𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑠𝑒 𝑎𝑓𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑡, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑦𝑜𝑢'𝑙𝑙 𝑏𝑒 𝑟𝑢𝑛𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑖𝑛 𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑐𝑒 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑙𝑖𝑓𝑒."

"𝐴𝑙𝑙 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑟𝑠 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑘𝑦 𝑠ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑒 𝑑𝑖𝑚, 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑦𝑜𝑢."

4.5* After reading two gruesome murder mysteries I felt in need of something lighterI. I took a chance on Come As You Are, it was an excellent choice, amusing, frequently moving, with an aah ending.

The main characters are Ashley Cooke and Matthew Madigan, both experienced a tough life and now facing further difficulties. Ashley has inherited a ski hill in Montana called Bluebird Basin, the business was created by her late father but she's rapidly losing money. It's only a matter of time before she’ll be forced to sell the business to her greedy ex-husband.

Madigan, himself an ex-addict, operates a local halfway house, the Sober Living Home, and needs jobs for the men in his care.

Ashley requires staff for the winter season and Madigan is able to provide a work force. But Ashley worries that the men will be unreliable and their history will make them unsuitable for her ski resort catering for local families with their children.

Having a fear of heights myself, the description of Madigan's panic attack on the ski lift was very real.

In places very emotional, my recommended read.

Thank you Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op, Pinkity Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC, this review is my personal, unbiased opinion.

Oh my word was this book cute. I had a smile on my face the entire time reading it. It’s also an excellent winter - but not overtly holiday - read!

Ashley Cooke and her family run Bluebird Basin, a family-friendly ski mountain that’s seen better days financially. To save money, she agrees to hire the men from Little Timber Sober Living Home for the season. Matthew Madigan, the founder of Little Timber, knows he probably shouldn’t start something with the beautiful ski hill owner, but the chemistry between them is instant and explosive.

Millennials and older will love all the throw backs in this book. The mix tapes, the grunge rock, the cultural references - all excellent. Ashley’s 46 and Matthew is 53 so this is a grown folks romance and I am here for it. I loved seeing them get their happy ending. The steamy parts were excellent and realistic for their ages too. I appreciated the references to the challenges of being that age - the caregiving sandwich generation and the ways our bodies change as we get older.

I also really loved the focus on the men at Little Timber. Their stories were compelling and they were so lovable. Someone is almost always crying in this book but the representation of men feeling the full range of emotions was a breath of fresh air. The conflict with Ashley’s ex-husband felt a little forced and unrealistic but did serve its purpose. Overall I’d highly recommend this and would absolutely read more from this author.

Content warnings: references to infidelity by Ashley’s ex-husband; descriptions of addiction and it’s impact on character’s lives in the past

I voluntarily reviewed and early copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

DNF 3%

I thought this sounded like a fun, cute premise and I love gruff tattooed characters, especially when they’ve got gooey centers, but I’m only on the second chapter and I’m uncomfortable with Ashley’s attitude. I’m sure it’ll change over the course of the story as she grows closer to Madigan, but I’m not up for these stigmatized ideas of addiction and negativity towards those formerly incarcerated.

I would love to see this genre of romance (GenX romance) take off, in large part because this book was such a good read. As an elder millennial it is starting to catch up to me that all our romance protagonists are sitting in their 20s (and maybe 30s if the panic about aging is a plot device). This book however features a romantic pairing of late forties and early fifties, both people who have been through the big life milestones and come out the other side. What really makes this book is how the characters are very self-aware of their pasts, the mistakes they made, and what they think they need out of life. While the plot features some standard romance tropes, the characters and plot feel very realistic and well-developed. The conflict is something that might actually happen and the players behave in ways that humans might actually act. Don't get me wrong, the story is romantic, steamy, and features all the grand gestures required for an HEA, but seeing two everyday people live that romance life was amazing. I will be telling everyone to put this on their reading list for the long winter that awaits here in New England.

“Before you leave me, I have to kiss you. A real kiss. I’ll die if I don’t.”

💙

Quick summary:
🏔️ Ski mountain setting
💭 Dual POV
☯️ Opposites attract
👩🏻‍❤️‍👨🏻 Main characters in their 40s and 50s
🥵 Amazing tension and chemistry
🌶️ Spicy
👩🏻‍❤️‍👨🏻 An amazing first kiss
👫 Forced proximity
⛷️ She teaches him to ski
❤️‍🩹 Characters dealing with abusive relationships, addiction and challenges with intimacy
🔥 Slow burn

While it took me a bit to get into, Madigan and Ashley’s romance was so beautiful to read. They’re both at a stage in their lives where they don’t believe they’ll ever find love, but they have an instant connection. They help each other heal and find their own worth. And it was refreshing to read a romance about a woman in her 40s, who experiences lots of growth and finally gets the amazing orgasms she deserves! It was also really lovely to read Madigan’s perspective and how he deals with his emotions and his sobriety. He also runs a program for men who have been released from prison and need support with their own sobriety. These characters were a joy to read! This book does deal with more serious topics, but it only strengthens the connection that Madigan and Ashley have. I love them. Definitely read this one!

Thanks to #NetGalley for the ARC!
This was released on Nov 1 and is available on KU.

While not the best reason to read a book, I requested an eARC of this title on NetGalley because I saw it was being published in a few days and thought it would be funny to put in a request. I was sure my request would be rejected since it was so close to the deadline…and then I was approved. With a speed I did not know I still possessed to read a book, I fit reading this book into my schedule so I could get a review out.

Going into this book I did not know much about the plot besides the guy was working on her family’s ski resort that was facing financial troubles. I have to say that I ended up being pleasantly surprised by this book that was filled with a lot of heart. Both main characters were in their 40s and 50s so I got to experience a story rich with the lessons of their life and be comforted by the fact that there is no magic age where everything is suddenly figured out. The two main characters were tender towards one another, each conversation filled with care and talking about their emotions which did a good job of establishing intimacy outside of the spice scenes. As a reader, by the time the main couple got together I believed the two characters genuinely liked one another which is my biggest requirement for enjoying a romance. Too often in romance sexual attraction gets painted as intimacy and a romantic attraction, but that didn’t happen here. Sure both characters were attracted to one another from the beginning, but they used that attraction as a motivation to get to know one another as people. I enjoyed watching Madigan and Ashley learn about one another and work through their emotional and external problems together to create a happy and healthy relationship by the end.

This book focuses heavily on emotional growth and emphasizing that a rough past does not necessarily make a person bad. With Madigan, and then in his time with Ashley, there is a lot of discussion on the harsh realities of healing and the never ending process of getting to be okay. Truly I think all of that focus and how the conversation surrounding addiction, trauma, and bad choices was handled well. My one issue is that while all of this amazing discussion and reflection was happening about healing from the past and how everyone has a story, there was still an antagonist who was just bad. With all this nuance and depth happening around mental health, healing, and growth it felt weird to have a character still be a one dimensional villain.

Overall this was a fun and heartfelt story about two people figuring out it’s never too late for love- towards yourself and other people. If you’re looking for a cute and touching small town romance about a couple who have lived their lives and now have to learn how to deal with it all while reading about a supporting cast working to save a family business then definitely pick this book up. It’s not a perfect book, but it will give you some tender moments to think about.

A Generation X romance? Yes please! This is the sub-genre I didn't know I needed. Now I want more.

Ashley is 46 and Madigan is 53. They both have full lives and aren't sure they have the space for a romantic venture after years without any. But their chemistry is too strong for them to deny for long and eventually they give in. However that doesn't mean things are easy for them.

I appreciated the setting of Montana since that's where I live. I could picture this ski hill perfectly. Ashly and Madigan are "older" but it's never a big deal, neither is the fact that she's divorced. They both have rich backstories and are easy to root for. The side characters are wonderful too.

There is fantastic humor throughout the book while dealing with heavy subjects such as addiction and grief.

I loved everything about this book and I'll seek out more by this author.

This was a sweet and heartwarming story about family and second chances - not to mention all the steam, and the love. ❤ It was really refreshing to read about two adults on both sides of fifty who brought a lot of baggage with them, sure, but were both mature adults and real people with their own insecurities while at the same knowing how to support each other. I've never read anything by Jess K Hardy before but really liked the way she tells a story and all the characters felt multidimensional and real. Thank you so much NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

I loved nearly everything about this.
I love that Madigan is emotional, sensitive and not afraid to cry. I love that he’s older and still sexy AF with a seriously dirty/naughty side and does what he has to do even if he doesn’t want to.
I love Ashley, her reticence to trust and her relationship with her daughter.
I really enjoyed how every character had a flaw. None of them were perfect yet they mesh together perfectly.
I couldn’t put this down, and hello now book boyfriend!

I received a copy via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Loved this book! The cover is perfect, and it was refreshing to read older characters in such a fun, steamy story! The angle of the sober-living home was interesting and novel, and managed to stay decently realistic without getting too heavy. I’d love to see what else this author can do!

This is such a cute read! It is "save a small town/local store" vibe but with a ski hill. I like that the MCs are older, (40s? 50s?) It's not too common, I feel like I see a lot of 20s and 30s. Madigan has gone through a lot and Ashley is trying to save her hill. This was such a fun and refreshing romance read that gives me love yourself and love you as you are vibes. Really glad I got to give this one a read!

Such a sweet mature read.
The story of a divorced woman trying to keep her business afloat and the story of a man who is trying to reconcile his past whilst also helping others in his situation. A sweet romance without texting or social media! There is drama but it is handled in a mature way (so refreshing!). The main characters are great but I found the support characters a little stereotypical but sometimes that can be comforting in a book. I really enjoyed this read and read it quickly.