Trigger Warnings: alcohol, cursing, laid off, homophobia, classism, marijuana, drugs/coke, expulsion, sex, parental abandonment, break-up, toxic relationship

Representation: Lesbian, vegan, they/them pronouns, Dominican, Black, Transgender

Just as You Are is a queer, contemporary retelling of Pride and Prejudice. Liz Baker and her three roommates work at the Nether Fields, a queer magazine in New York that’s on the verge of shutting down—until it’s bought at the last minute by two wealthy lesbians. Liz knows she’s lucky to still have a paycheck but it’s hard to feel grateful with minority investor Daria Fitzgerald slashing budgets, cancelling bagel Fridays, and password protecting the color printer to prevent “frivolous use.” When Liz overhears Daria scoffing at her listicles, she knows that it’s only a matter of time before her impulsive mouth gets herself fired.

When Liz and Daria wind up having to spend more and more time together, Liz starts to see a softer side to Daria—she’s funny, thoughtful, and likes the way Liz’s gender presentation varies between butch and femme. Despite the evidence that Liz can’t trust her, it’s hard to keep hating Daria—and even harder to resist the chemistry between them.

My heart swoons! This book is everything I needed from an adult romance and I absolutely adored it! The story is funny and sexy, and it has an awesome cast of queer characters! The chosen family aspect is amazing and leaves you longing for that in your life! The author’s writing style is both smart and steamy with all of the queerness you ever needed! I loved everything about this book and can’t recommend it enough! It’s also a quick and easy read that perfectly balances the complications of figuring out one’s gender expression with the lighthearted quirks of a romcom! Definitely going to be a top ten read of the year!!

Absolutely wonderful and a great way to break myself out of a mini-reading slump.

My number one go-to genre is adult sapphic romance and this delivered.

It did take me a full 60 pages to realize this is based on Pride and Prejudice, which is just my own failure to read anything about this book. But yes, this is a sapphic Pride and Prejudice retelling set in an NYC queer magazine, ala Autostraddle (which is directly mentioned in the story). Liz lives with her many roommates (Jane, Lydia, Katie) and they all work at The Nether Fields magazine, which is about to go under until it bought by Bailey and Daria.

And Daria = Darcy, so you can kind of extropolate the rest of the plot from there.

I loved this story and couldn't put it down once it got rolling. It gave me appropriate amounts of spice and women in well-tailored suits. I also loved how Liz was a curvy woman struggling with how to best dress herself androgenously when it's hard to find a queer wardrobe for curvy folks. I could very much relate to that. We also see Liz struggle with who she is as a writer and if she even wants to stay at Neither Fields writing "fluff" peices.

Daria's character was a little less developed, mostly because we only see bits and peices through Liz's eyes and they don't know each other terribly well beyond their verbal sparring and prejudices against each other. But I could see the softie underneath the tough exterior and was invested in the sexual tension between her and Liz.

Overall, this was a super fun read that I couldn't put down. I love a good fluffy romance, and this delivered! I'll be adding it to my shelf next to my Ashley Herring Blake, Meryl Wilsner, and Alexandria Bellefleur books -- I'm thrilled to keep my eyes out for Camille Kellogg's future books!

DNFed at 55%

This book feels like it was written not for queer people, which absolutely breaks my heart to say. The thing that broke me was every room in the main character's office is named after a different queer people, and I think the photo copier was named after Elliot Page. Why?! I don't know if this was supposed to be a homage to queer people, but it felt like weird.

Also, I love a Pride and Prejudice retelling but these characters were not Elizabeth and Darcy. The Liz in this book was honestly just mean and disorganized and flighty, which is not Austen's Elizabeth. And she was just so mean to Daria (Darcy), but not in a fun way.

This just ended up being not fun to read after awhile, and while I did try to get through it, the characters just felt a little half baked and didn't live up to what I hoped they would be.

4 stars!

I could not put "Just as You Are" by Camille Kellogg down. My god, what a terrific queer "Pride and Prejudice"-inspired romance! From the first few pages, I knew I was going to like this one. All of the characters are pretty messy, so that might turn some people off, but I loved that their flaws shape who they are. I love that they learn from their flaws and mistakes as the book goes on. Because they have emotions, get angry, get upset, laugh, cry, have fights, talk trash, and discuss drama, these characters feel much more authentic and lived-in, and I connected with them more because of it. I loved the grand gestures, I loved the pining, I loved the friendship and the heartache, and I even loved the miscommunication (which I am shocked to say!). I wouldn't necessarily call this a rom-com, more like a rom-dram, but it didn't detract from my enjoyment of the book. One of my major critiques is that it ends so quickly! While I like HOW it ends, I don't like that it wrapped up so soon because I was left wanting a little bit more from the conclusion. I cannot wait to see what Camille Kellogg writes next. It's clear she has a fantastic vision, a fresh perspective, a quippy writing style, and a flair for the dramatic.

Thank you to NetGalley, Camille Kellogg, Random House Publishing Group, and Dial Press Trade Paperback for providing me with an ARC copy of this book! All opinions are my own, and I was not compensated for my review

Thank you to NetGalley, Dial Press and PRH Audio for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

CW: internet bullying, family tensions (side character)

I would recommend if you're looking for (SPOILERS)

-f/f Pride and Prejudice modern retelling
-found family
-workplace romance
-frenemies to lovers

This very much felt like a celebration of being queer and just the different presentations. Of self acceptance, accepting love and self love. I love a good pride and prejudice retelling and this one was so lovely. So many unique touches. Making the different characters roommates instead of sisters. Setting it in a queer magazine and setting up Daria to be Liz's boss.

This was Liz's story in so many ways as she struggled with her gender expression, what she wanted to do with her life, her writing. Se had a safety in her apartment, with her job at the magazine, and going outside of that was difficult. A coming of age in a lot of ways I really enjoyed how Daria came off grumpy but was really shy yet still pushed and encouraged Liz in so many ways. I really enjoyed their dynamic, the misunderstandings and their chemistry. I was rooting so hard for these two and was on the edge of my seat in the third act.

I truly enjoyed the narrator and really recommend this one on audio. A fresh retelling of a classic.

Steam: 3.25

Loved this one so much.

I’m a sucker for any kind of Pride and Prejudice adaptation and this one was truly clever and insightful.

Daria was the perfect Darcy and Liz a beautiful note of Lizzie Bennet.

Having the “Bennet’s” be a found family worked so well. And loved seeing Jane as a Black Trans woman.

I truly cannot wait to see more from this author in the future.

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for this digital arc in exchange for a honest review.

I ADOREDDDD this book. It was queer as hell and so freaking fun. I want all sapphic books to be this joyful.

While I knew from the description when I first requested this book that it was a retelling of Pride and Prejudice I definitely forgot that fact when I started reading the book, until it got to a specific moment and all of the pieces fell into place.

This was a very fun story and while it was hard to like Daria at first (not surprisingly) I quickly fell in love with so many of the characters. I liked how it was a queer retelling of the story, and I always enjoy books taking place in the publishing world.

The story was close enough to the original that it was comfortably familiar, but different enough that I was engaged throughout the whole story.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. Pub date: April 25, 2023

A queer Pride & Prejudice retelling? Sign me up. This unfortunately fell flat, and was definitely not the romcom it was billed to be.

Sigh. Chapter one is spent lazily info-dumping every character’s gender identity, sexuality, race, look, dietary restrictions, etc. instead of actually doing the work of writing it into the actual story organically. That along with constantly explaining who each of the conference rooms were named after was borderline offensive. Give your readers more credit. I almost DNF @ 13%.

Alas, I read on. This centers around a toxic, drama-fueled friend group and quite frankly, I’m too old for this nonsense. Yes, people are messy, but surround yourself with better people so you don’t have to go through so much hell. Have real conversations so you don’t find yourself in these messes. In the end, I wasn’t invested in any of the characters or relationships.

I loved this book! Charming and funny, with my favorite enemies-to-lovers story and plenty of chosen family elements, Just as You Are was a delicious read. I enjoyed the character dynamics in both the friend groups and the romantic relationships, and appreciated the insights into the strange world of media and publishing. Would love to read more from this author!

- Raise your hand if you're looking for a sweet, funny, and smart lesbian Pride and Prejudice retelling! Oh, everyone is looking for that, and here it is in JUST AS YOU ARE!
- This book is a loving homage to P&P, to queer culture, to trying to find yourself when you're somewhere between labels. I adored Liz and Daria, modern incarnations of Elizabeth and Darcy down to every last detail.
- One of the things I loved most about this book was how steeped in queer culture it is. So often books feature one or two queer characters surrounded by straight people, but this book is queer down to the bones. Every character is queer, they move entirely through queer spaces, and references to our pop culture touchstones abound. Heaven.

I found this hate-to-love romance to be well paced and full of emotional pulls, to the point where I didn't want to put it down to sleep. It can be so easy to make snap judgements but so fulfilling to get the whole picture.

In this queer Pride and Prejudice reimagining, Liz and her roomies work at a queer magazine that's going under. At their goodbye party, they get word that the magazine has been saved by two wealthy lesbian investors. One of them, Daria, is so budget-focused, she's taking all the fun out of work! Daria is brash and domineering, and she and Liz butt heads immediately. But after spending more time together, Liz realizes there's much more to Daria than meets the eye.

Sparks fly in this delightful, swoony, charming, workplace romcom! I thoroughly enjoyed the friendships, the representation, and the writing! I look forward to reading more by this author.

What a perfect read for lesbian visibility week!

Thank you NetGalley, Dial Press / Random House for the gifted eARC.

This book was so funny and adorable! I loved the witty banter between the roommates. I do wish we got to see more of the romance between Liz & Daria, but it was a sweeet romance novel overall!

Thank you to NetGalley and Dial Press for a copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review!~

"Isn't it sad that I write advice articles for queer people, and I can't figure myself out? I leave the house in femme clothes and feel small. I go out in men's clothes and feel like I'm trying too hard. I'm pretty sure I identify as a woman, but I'm not really sure what it looks like, to not be either of those things."

Characters - 10/10
We focus on Liz and her roommates, the people that work alongside them on the Nether Fields magazine, and their new bosses. While it felt like there was good representation across the board, in both race and identity, I'm not really qualified to speak on the race portion so definitely check out some reviews by BIPOC reviewers. Liz and Jane have my entire soul. It's really wonderful to see strong platonic relationships between queer women, especially to see how they can handle true turmoil and betrayal. I honestly cannot stand Lydia, they... they are really something else. For fear of spoilers, I will say nothing else, but wow. Katie was a bit forgettable at the end of the day. I enjoyed her when we saw her, but I felt like she was cast in Lydia's shadow for most of the book.

I enjoyed the Nether Field's staff, especially Finn and Caroline. For side characters, they felt very fleshed out and I really enjoyed whenever we got to hear from them. Daria and Bailey are a bit tough for me... Obviously I love them both, but it really is hard to feel bad for a bunch of rich people.. I'm not saying they both haven't had their struggles, but I do think it may be hard in this current climate to put aside that information. I really do like their character development and they. very much embodied the characters they were inspired by!

Atmosphere - 8/10
How does one create a Pride and Prejudice atmosphere in modern day New York? A struggling queer magazine will honestly do a great job! Watching a magazine crumple into dust was definitely not something I knew a lot about, but it worked perfectly for this type of book. You get to watch these characters panic as they try to figure out what they're going to do to fix everything and bring it back to life.

Writing - 10/10
I'll be honest, I loved Camille's writing. It has been a long time since I've read something that felt like it leapt off the page, begging me to continue. In short, I felt like this book was written for me, as if she knew that I had come off a painful break-up, wasn't sure about my career path, and really didn't know who I was. So, I may be biased at the end of the day, but the pacing and writing all felt so right to me.

Plot - 8/10
This is a Pride and Prejudice retelling and I'm not sure how, but I couldn't see it while I was reading. Ash... they're literally called Liz and Daria? This retelling was fantastic, sticking to the important plot points from the original, but adding a queer journalism twist. Liz works at a queer magazine that's going under. As Liz and her coworkers finish setting up a party for their last hurrah, their boss arrives early and shares that some rich people bought the magazine and all hope is not lost! Everyone is excited except for Liz, who was hoping to use the severance money to pursue her long-time dream of writing a novel. Everyone's excitement soon diminishes as they meet Bailey and Daria, their new bosses. Ah, it's so well done! I never expected picking up running would be such a large part of this too!! While i don't really see this as a romantic comedy, I think it stands on it's own two feet regardless. This is more about someone finding hope when all hope is lost, when they don't know who they are or what they want to do with their life.

Intrigue - 10/10
I read 30% of this two day ago and decided to try and get to the 50% mark yesterday.... by 2am I had finished the entire thing. I literally could not put this book down, even though I definitely should have been sleeping. This book resurrected me from a BAD reading slump. I am a huge fan of Pride and Prejudice, but a queer retelling? How could I not love this book?

Logic - 9/10

Enjoyment - 10/10
If you couldn't already tell, I loved it! I cannot wait to read more of Camille's work in the future and I will be screaming about this book for AT LEAST the rest of 2023.

Overall a 9.29/10, or 5/5 stars!

While i don't really see this as a romantic comedy, I think it stands on it's own two feet regardless. This is more about someone finding hope when all hope is lost, when they don't know who they are or what they want to do with their life. When their happy ending seems so impossibly out of reach, life finds a way to make you believe again. PLEASE read this book if you feel lost as a queer person or if you're confused about your gender identity.

Liz works for a queer magazine that's about to shut down when a pair of wealthy friends buy it. Investor Daria cuts budgets and criticizes Liz's work, making Liz worry for his job. But after spending more time with Daria, Liz sees her softer side. Will the attraction between them turn to love?

Pride and Prejudice fans are in for a treat with this contemporary rom com. A funny and fast-paced read, it reflects the wit and charm of the original. The characters are well-drawn and the emotion high, so you can't help feeling invested in the story. Don't miss this rom-com debut!

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

I LOVE a good retelling of a Jane Austen novel. And boy, this one did not disappoint!

This is a queer, Pride and Prejudice-inspired rom-com whose pages you will easily get drawn into. You’ll be able to tell which characters are based on which P&P characters, but there are still enough differences between Kellogg’s and Austen’s characters that this book feels refreshing and new. Jane has always been my favorite character in Pride and Prejudice, but dare I say I liked the Just as You Are version of her….even better?! I didn’t think that was possible.

In this book, Liz is a listicle writer (á la Buzzfeed) for the queer magazine Nether Fields. A wrench gets thrown in the mix when the magazine almost shuts down, but is saved at the last minute by a wealthy investor and her seemingly snooty, tightly wound best friend, Daria Fitzgerald. I really loved the development of the relationship between Daria and Liz. Their dynamic and their banter totally drew me in!

Character development is a HUGE part of this book and it is done so, so well. The characters are all real, flawed, and imperfect, leaving room for growth for even smaller side characters.

This is a fun, engaging, sweet (and slightly spicy) read. “Just as You Are” is Camille Kellogg’s debut novel, and I really look forward to reading more books by her in the future!

“Just as You Are” is out today! Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A SONG THAT PAIRS WELL WITH THIS BOOK:
“Dress” by Taylor Swift

READ IF YOU LOVE:
— Sapphic love stories
— Jane Austen
— NYC/Brooklyn setting
— Enemies to lovers
— Found family
— Journeys of self-discovery and gender identity exploration

Just As You Are is a modern day, sapphic Pride & Prejudice retelling that’s both hilarious and heartfelt! I loved it so much 🥹 highly recommend picking this one up—especially if you’re a fan of P&P (like I am)!!!

Thought this was a good read. The story is entertaining and the characters engaging. There is plenty of humor and heart woven throughout but it also offers a strong ribbon of realism that allows this fun read a make an impact. Add in the romance, angst, tension, and emotion and you have yourself a very satisfying book.

Just As You Are is a Queer, Pride and Prejudice retelling, set in NYC. Liz and her roommates work for a failing digital Queer magazine that has recently been purchased by new owners. After a bad first impression and significant changes to the work environment, Liz finds herself hating one of her new bosses, Daria Fitzgerald. Told in single POV, Kellogg expertly builds the tension between the main characters, leaving readers desperate for answers and a look into Daria’s feelings.

I really enjoyed this debut. I think it does a really nice job depicting the messiness of your twenties; between finding your rhythm in your career, exploring dating, and just wanting to feel at peace with yourself and more settled. At the same time, you may feel restricted in your choices based on economic constraints. Liz and her roommates all face unique challenges in the workplace and relationships which I think most readers will relate to.

Daria was my favorite; I loved her quiet thoughtfulness. Her secret kindness and desire to be around Liz made me SWOON. She does some really sweet things 🥹

Liz is a work in progress and the honesty in her journey was refreshing. She isn’t perfect, she is still trying to figure out where she fits and her candid inner dialogue was relatable.

Kellogg has a great writing voice and I look forward to their next book!

Read if you like:
🏙️NYC setting
📈Workplace romance
❤️‍🔥Enemies to lovers
📖Pride and Prejudice
📰Queer pop culture references

Thank you so much to Random House Publishing Group and Dial Press Trade Paperback for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.