This book has a lot of unique elements: Ex cons, love interests in their 40’s and 50’s, former rockstars, and living and working on a family owned ski resort. These are lots of things you don’t find everyday when picking up a romance from Barnes and Noble so I was really excited to see how this was going to all work out.

The Good: I enjoyed the cast of Ex cons characters the very most. They were unique, had distinct personalities, and I felt love toward each and every one of the them.

The Bad: I just never clicked with Ashley. I was all in on Madigan but I never felt like the author sold us on what Ashley has that makes her so desirable. I could have used a lot more character work to fully appreciate everything this couple has to offer. Of course though, there’s a myriad of other reviews that say this is wrong so take it with a grain of salt.

The Ugly: The one dimensional antagonists. Chuck was written in a way that reminded me of a mustache twirling villain. Maude Alice (while not the “villain”) definitely didn’t work for me at all. Her behavior is just pushed under the rug and everyone excuses her really traumatizing behavior. I didn’t care for her resolution at all.

This book for me was a solid three star read and I definitely would recommend it for people looking for something a little more out of the box that’s a fun winter read for the holiday season. It might not be everything I was looking for but it was still well written and enjoyable.

"Come As You Are" by Jess K. Hardy is a story of redemption, love, and resilience set against the backdrop of a struggling ski hill. Ashley Cooke, a determined 46-year-old woman, finds herself facing a financial crisis as she fights to save her ski resort from bankruptcy. With her credit cards maxed out and her ex-husband trying to buy the mountain out from under her, Ashley is willing to try anything to keep her business afloat.

Ashley's decision to hire the men from a local sober living home to work at the ski hill for the season, in an effort to cut costs. This unconventional choice sets the stage for a series of events that will change her life forever. Among these men is Matthew Madigan, a 53-year-old recovering addict and ex-grunge rocker who owns the sober living home. When Ashley and Matthew cross paths, their connection is immediate and undeniable.

The characters in "Come As You Are" are beautifully developed, and their complexities add depth to the story. Ashley, with her tightly wound personality and adorable flustered moments, is a relatable and endearing protagonist. Matthew, on the other hand, is a compelling character with a troubled past and a heart of gold. I enjoyed the chemistry between them, but I feel like characters should have been written older.

Overall, I did struggle with the day-to-day aspect of the book. I did not feel transformed into the skill hill area, and I wanted to learn more about the operations of the ski hill. I also felt the ex-husband was a little cartoonish.

Ashley is desperate to save her family's ski mountain. She is willing to put in the hard work, but she just can't think of anything that will attract more people to the mountain. Madigan loves his career helping men who have recently gotten out of prison and are trying to reintegrate into society while staying clean and sober. When their worlds collide it will either be a disaster, or it might be just what they both need. Will they find their happily ever after?

Both Ashley and Madigan are middle-aged with lots of life experience. I like that the author chose to make them both real middle-aged people. Ashley had a hysterectomy and has certain side effects from it that actually get discussed. Madigan is a recovering addict who is terrified of making one wrong step and ending up spiraling out of control. His self-awareness could be too much, but the author does a good job of developing why he is the way he is and showing how he copes with his insecurities. Both Ashley and Madigan feel very real and human. I like the fact that they both have good relationships with their families (even if Ashley's relationship with her mother needs a little work). I liked the men from Madigan's sober living house. Each one of them brought something unique and important to the story. I even liked the "bad guy". He was bad but he helped to push the story forward. In the end, the author could have taken this story in an over-the-top direction and chose to go more realistic and subtle and I appreciated that a lot.

I did have one issue with the story. The big concert seems to have happened without a bit of rehearsal. Um....Madigan hasn't played in over a decade and hasn't been with his bad in two decades so.... Anyway, that bugged me.

This is a contemporary romance that takes place on a ski mountain during ski season. There's a big, goofy dog and an annoying, over the top mother. If you are looking for a love story between two people that are very reluctant to take a chance on love, give this a try. I thought it was a refreshing take on middle aged love. I will read more from this author in the future.

Thank you NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op, Pinkity Publishing for granting me access to this book in exchange for an honest review. It was truly enjoyable!

I loved this so much! I couldn’t put it down. It was such a fantastic Romcom that left me swooning. The chemistry and the story were perfect. Just like the characters were perfect together!

This book is amazing and I adored it!
To me, what makes Come As You Are a great book is its set of protagonists.
The group of guys of The Little Somber Living Home is probably the main reason why I loved this story so much. They can be fun and hilarious but, at the same time, they can be deep and inspiring. Their stories are so beautiful, moving, and heart melting that it’s impossible not to root for them!
And what about Madigan and Ashley? Their awkward meet cute, the cocky but also pretty sweet way in which he constantly teases her, their physical attraction... everything is so well described in the book that it’s impossibile not to feel their undeniable connection. I am telling you, their chemistry could easily melt all the snow of the mountains where their story takes place!
I definitely recommend this book! As a matter of fact, I liked Come As You Are so much that I cannot wait to find out what the author has in store for us with her next book!

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was a cute book that went beyond the normal romance and tackled many other issues. I really enjoyed it and would love to see a sequel.

This book follows Ashley and Madigan. Ashley is running her late fathers struggling ski resort, her mother thinks everything is fine and is of no help and her ex won't leave her alone. Madigan is an ex-convict who runs a rehab center and has dedicated his life to helping other get a second chance like he did. I enjoyed that both characters were over the age of 40 which you don't see a lot in romance books, but it was nice to see mature characters who were able to communicate well with each other.

I enjoyed the story and will definitely read more books by this author.

I want to be honest and say that this was just perfectly fine and I actually just do not have much to say.

I loved this book! I was originally drawn to the cover and the storyline, but the characters were amazing and I loved them. The storyline was greatly paced, which caused me to devour it.

Ashley and Madigan. This is charming and so very fresh. These two are a bit older, they have baggage, big lives, big jobs and responsibilities but they find each other. Madigan is a golden retriever in the best way. Ashley? Well, she's a hot mess. It's a little bit steamy and swoony and there's lots going on - coping with the mountain, the business, the kids, the employees, the dog, the angst.... but it does all work out in a satisfactory way for both of them, so good!

If you like romance with snow and grownups, this is the pick! Absolutely recommended * * * *

Thank you Jess Hardy, NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This was very sweet and hit all the right feels.
Ashley is just trying to keep her family skihill afloat in the face of her douchebag ex's offers to buy the hill and save her. Her mother ends up finding a solution that none of them expect to turn out well, and despite Madigan's charm, Ashley is still nervous.

Although they tried to deny it, their attraction is a burning fire that will consume them both if they don't do something about it. But like doesn't make things that simple, and there are people who don't want to see them together.

Through learning new things, accepting others as they are, and finding happiness in unexpected places, Madigan and Ashley find solace in one another, and learn how important it is to have people in your life to love.

Thank you to Netgalley, Victory Publishing, and Pinkity Publishing for allowing me to read this ARC.🎿🎿

"...hiding from life is not recovery. The freedom is in embracing life fully, the good, the bad," Clay pointed at Kev, "and the ugly."


I can't believe this book has not gotten more attention. From the characters, to the setting and scenery, the dialogue all around, the tough topics, seriously I can't stop thinking about this book. I genuinely tried to find reasons to not give this 5 stars and yet I couldn't think of anything and kept going round and round about how cozy this book was and how much I genuinely enjoyed Ashley and Madigan. It was so refreshing to have a mature FMC and MMC having more realistic issues, and both experienced in life and in love, but still shaky little babies as they grew in their relationship together.

Life is hard and sometimes people just need the opportunities to stand on their own again. Sometimes we stumble, and ultimately fall, but it's the trying to get back up again that counts and I absolutely adored that premise with Little Timber and the patience and understanding that Madigan's character brings as he's a recovering addict as well. Community matters, and I love that we see one build together and support each other, rooting for the success of everyone involved.

Seriously. I loved this book. I want more time at the Bluebird mountain. I want a season pass. Summer, or winter, with Davis and Kev, or Sam and Izzy, anything. This author is for sure one I will be watching out for future works, and I'll be and her other works to my TBR. ❄️

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️.5(?)
Tropes
• HEA
• Workplace/Forced Proximity
• Seasoned Lovers/Silver Foxes
• Scars

Really enjoyed this book. It was a great love story with many different dimensions and backstory is to the characters. It was also very interesting and topical with the business element of the ski slope, and more modern businesses around the area. The characters were great, and I really wanted everything to work out for them not just the two main love interests. It would be good to have a part two I think.

This book is written very well with extremely developed characters without honing in on their age and making it a thing despite the tagline. I loved the premise of still finding yourself no matter at what age, and still having insecurities and flaws and the everyday battle of trying to win past them. The level of maturity these characters had had me enthralled.

The end felt like a culmination of too many tiny push and pull moments that resolved itself very quickly, like the mother showing up at the cabin and that trail altercation, overhearing the fling moment, and one more I can’t remember that the final external dark moment could also have been easily resolved bc of the pattern established.

3.5 ⭐️
Second chances is always a favorite theme of mine. This time it combined a couple of my favorite populations in one. Single mothers. Grieving widows. Car real population. I would love to see more services that better integrate previous inmates. It was a gentle read considering a lot of the harsh truths in our in-justice system.

Cheers Jess Hardy for writing something not traditional romance, but gave all the warm fuzzies that romance gives us. ❤️

Confession: I’ve fallen for the boys of Bluebird Basin! And if you’re like me and heard hype about this book and wondered if it was actually that good, I’m here to tell you: IT IS!

First of all, the chemistry both emotionally and physically between Madigan and Ashley was off the charts! If it had just been that and nothing else I would have been happy but then we got this incredible cast of characters that you immediately fall for—and definitely want to see get their own HEAs in later books!

The gist: When Ashley’s struggling ski hill is paired up with a program that helps return recovering addicts to the workforce at a reduced cost she can’t refuse the offer. But falling for the leader of the program, retired rockstar Madigan, wasn’t part of the plan.

Can’t wait for the next in the series!

Super cute little read.
If you're wanting a loved up easy read that'll make you happy and chilled. This is the one for you
I whizzed through it in a day and enjoyed every minute

not my absolute favourite, it was very cutesy and millennial and just not what im interested in when i go for a book but its something that my mum would absolutely love. probably wouldn't read again but cute read overall

I felt like this book was the definition of “decent”. There weren’t any particular highs for me in the story or something I would deem perfect, but it wasn’t horrible either.

The characters were likeable enough, the plot enjoyable and the conclusion satisfying. There were some moments that had me giggling which I was able to thoroughly enjoy and the spicy scenes were really good as well.

The first half of the book felt rather slow for me and I didn’t get the quick build up of feelings between our two main characters. The second half of the book, if generally better paced, did border on a bit of a third act breakup for me too much. Beside that, I really enjoyed Madigan and Ashley’s personal growth.

The setting was sadly not as atmospheric as I had hoped, but this book has its strengths and weakness which, for me, add up to a decent three star rating.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This is such a wholesome read with lovable characters and a great storyline, as well as some fantastic spicy scenes.

If you are into skiing or boarding, cute lodges with fireplaces, hunks, spice, and jealous exes, this is totally your read!

I would have given this 5 stars if not for the fact that i thought the ex might have been made into more of an ass than he could have been for the story to still be effective. Otherwise, i absolutely loved this!

Thank you to netgalley and the author for providing me with this amazing arc in exchange for an honest review!