Finally a romance with people over the age of 20 something ! This was so refreshing as she’d 31 it’s all well and good reading romance about younger characters but it does lose its appeal slightly as I’m not reading about people like me or who are at the same stage in life as I am. Cute romance , fabulous loveable characters . So glad I found this !

It was a great book and even greater characters. I LOVED their personalities and was invested in everything that was going on with them. I loved a slight reverse in characters where you get a cinnamon roll man and a strong woman. Getting to read about a pair of people that are older than 20+ was a huuuuge bonus.

This book felt like a spicy Hallmark Christmas movie. Set at a failing ski resort
I appreciated main characters that aren't in their 20's. I also enjoyed the dynamics between Madigan and the men from his sober living home.
Some of the dialogue was a little cheesy. Some of the interactions between Ashley and Madigan didn't feel authentic.
In the end, this was a good book with an overall enjoyable story.

The book was really good. I enjoyed the romantic aspects, however the characters and the plot weren’t interesting enough to give this anymore than 3 stars. I loved that the characters were older as well.

middle aged main characters with their own struggles find each other and try to learn to love themselves again. Cinnamon roll main male character and strong mom main female character with the right amount of spice makes this book a must read. I loved the struggles, side characters, and honesty between these main characters. I highly recommend picking up this book!

Appreciated reading older main characters than are typically in romance novels (40s and 50s). Ashley had been through so much, it was sweet to see how Madigan was so good for her. These two were spicy! Honestly, the most satisfying part of the book was watching trash bag human, Chuck, find out after he’d fucked around the whole book💁🏻‍♀️

Thank you Netgalley and Victoria Editing for providing an ARC!

Well firstly, as an elder millennial, it was so nice to read a book where the female lead is in her forties. She was so relatable! Ashley and Madigan's story is emotional and beautiful. It's about healing and learning to love yourself, so that you can love and be loved in return. It's about not allowing the mistakes and traumas from the past to overcome the possibility for growth and happiness in the present. And let me just say, the fact that Madigan is a hot, tattooed, former grunge rock star did not hurt. In addition, the cast of supporting characters all have their own stories and growth. This was a cosy, spicy read and I really hope to read more about them all in the future.

This story focused on an older couple and I loved how they still didn’t know how to act around each other or deal with their feelings. Both of them we having to sort through their past traumas and issues to move forward in their relationship with each other. I also loved the heart they each had for what they loved in life. Ashley loved the mountain with everything and was willing to sacrifice to make it the best. And Madigan loved his men and wanted the best for them. Also the sexy time went from 0-100 very quickly which was not what I was expecting at all. It was a good read and I’m curious what else may happen in Bluebird basin

This was such a beautiful heartwarming story that managed to broach the important topic of addiction and social reinsertion of recovering addicts back into society and still feel lighthearted.

This book shows that people are not just their past or the (bad) choices they made in the past, it shows how much people can change and grow and overcome their issues. The author shows us this through the characters dealing/ who dealt with addiction and through Ashley who, herself, was in the process of overcoming her own issues and traumas.

I feel like the pacing was a bit rushed, I would’ve liked it if it wasn’t as fast but alas i still enjoyed it.

I loved the setting so much, it was all so cozy with the mountain and snowy setting. It’s the perfect cozy winter feel good romance and i’d totally recommend it.

I prefer a slow burn over an insta-love, and this was just that. Madigan had quite a few challenges in trying to prove to Ashley that he and his men weren’t the liability she thought they were.

One of the things I really liked about this book, other than the main romance, was the strained relationship between Ashley and her mother. A lot of the books I’ve read recently have had a sort of rose-tinted perfect mother-daughter relationship, but the mother-daughter relationship here was more real. There were times when they didn’t get on, and there were times when they were a bit snappy with each other, and I actually liked that. It gave a relatively minor character more dimension.

I loved seeing the Ashley Madigan sparks develop into something more, but I also really liked the way they helped each other grow without being overbearing. It just read as touching and genuine for me.

Overall, I’d really recommend this!

This book was sexy and sweet and I really enjoyed this one! It's a cute romcom with sprinkles of 80's pop culture references that were super fun. I wasn't born in the 80's, but definitely could appreciate the mention of boom boxes, mixed tapes, and classic rock!

I also enjoyed the characters creating their found family and falling in love. It was super cute and gave me all cozy vibes. Will definitely grab more reads from this author!

Thank you Netgalley for this arc!

I loved this. It was such a different romance read than what I am used to.

He's 53, she's 46. She's a divorced single mom who recently lost her dad and is running a snow lodge with her mom. He's an excon, ex addict, ex rock band member who now runs a sober living home. Him and his men have come to work at the lodge to help try and keep them a float so her terrible ex husband doesn't buy the lodge out from under her.
It's quirky, it's funny and it's spicy!

Addiction is talked about throughout the story but in a gentle way.

Come As You Are definitely gave off strong Hallmark movie vibes, but I absolutely loved the middle-aged protagonists with their struggles and past baggage. The pop culture references were spot on for me - bringing back lots of memories of the 80s and 90s.
I enjoyed that the book had a well-developed cast of secondary characters and would definitely pick up any stories for other men from Little Timber Sober Living Home.

I love reading books with characters that are in the 40s and 50s! the Perspective and life lessons add to the characters as well as the story.

TW for addiction

This is a funny cute rom com with some steam! We follow Ashley as she is trying to save her ski hill from being bought out from her from her cheating ex-husband. She goes out on a limb to hire someone who is a little on the cheaper side to potentially save some money. From their a romance ensues, grab your tissues and have a bathroom nearby, this will make you cry and having you giggling all the way to the bathroom so you don't pee your pants!!

WHERE IS THE NEXT BOOK, I need more in this series.

Ashley is having so many things on her plate, her late's father ski resort is struggling, her mother thinks everything will work on it's own, her ex won't stop calling and she needs new employees.

When she is presented with a solution to the last problem she isn't sure how hiring ex convicts who can't ski will help her turn it all around but she is willing to try.

Madigan is the owner of a rehabilitation house for ex convicts and addicts, he has dedicated his life to help those who need a second chance, just like he did.

When the initial meeting with Ashley doesn't go as planned, he has little hope of finding jobs for them but he life has a way of suprising him.

Ashley is willing to give them a change but no matter how attracted she is to their leader she won't act to it. Her romance track speaks for it's self and she can't risk losing the help she got. Though the more ski lessons they have together the harder it is to keep their distance.

I loved how they opened up to each other, spending time together and giving it their all, once they couldn't ignore their feelings any longer.

Both main characters are over 40 years old and their maturity was evident in everything they did.

The secondary characters were just as important, it was so interesting following their individual stories along the way.

I definitely recommend reading this debut romance either on winter as a seasonal one or for the summer to help you mentally travel to cooler places.


* I received an ARC and this is my honest opinion.

<i>I would like to thank Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op, Pinkity Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.</i>

<b>Come as you are</b> was a refreshing romance read as it features Ashley, a 46 divorced snow resort owner, and Madigan, a 53 year old guitarist, recovering addict and owner of a recovering house for ex-cons and addicts.

The story includes heavy topics such as grief, substances abuse and the difficult reintegration of ex-cons in society. Despite the difficult topics, it is a heartwarming read as, in its essence, it is a story about forgiveness, acceptance and second chances in life.

Older couple romance books are a rarity. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about it because love has no age, and romance books should not have too.

Bonus points for the 90’s playlist!

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review.

Come As You Are features Ashley, a 46 year old divorced ski hill owner trying to save her deceased father's beloved business from a corporate takeover headed by her slimy ex-husband, and Madigan, a 53 year old former rock star, heroin addict and now leader of a sober living house. 
When her bookkeeping shows the accounts are short, Ashley takes a chance on Madigan's community of recovering addicts and employs them at her ski hill for a reduced rate. This puts her in forced proximity with the complex,vulnerable Madigan and soon, Ashley can't seem to keep away even though she knows her business is her first priority. Madigan equally feels he must stay away and keep his men his first priority, but slowly the two build on their emotional connection. 
This book is achingly raw in all ways. There are themes of grief, recovering addiction, and self-forgiveness that resonate throughout the novel. I loved the leads, but I also loved the side characters including the men working on the hill and their past stories, Ashley's daughter and her mother. I also loved reading about main characters falling in love that are older than we typically see in the genre. 
Overall, this is a spicy, yet heartfelt rom-com that lovers of the genre will enjoy. Be sure to pick it up. I certainly will be picking up Jess K Hardy's next book.

Ashley Cooke is desperate to save her struggling ski hill. She reluctantly makes the judgment call to hire a group of men from the local sober living home to get things done and save some money. She needs to save her mountain and keep her scumbag ex-husband from getting his hands on it.

Matthew Madigan is a recovering addict and ex-rocker, and he's spent the past decade cleaning himself up and helping others through the difficult process of coming and staying clean. When Ashley inquires about hiring the men at his sober living home to get her ski place in better shape, he is all for the idea. These men all need to keep busy while they're working on their second chances at life.

Come As You Are is the amazing story of these two middle-aged people, battered and bruised by life, coming together to fight for second chances. This was a super sweet nostalgic romcom. I love that the protagonists are older. I love the chemistry between these two as things start to sizzle. Slowly, but sizzle they do! 🌶️

This is a wonderful story about second chances, picking yourself up and forging forward for the things you want in life. This brought so many memories back of the 80s and 90s! I absolutely adored this slow-burn romcom with all the feels! ❤️

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you uto netgalley for the advanced reading copy of come as you are. This was so cute! I'm trying to branch out on my romance and ROM com reads and this is definitely one that needs a spot on a shelf!!

What an absolute delight it is to read a story about middle age characters.

Hardy really created something wonderful and true to life with this book.

Thank you to Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op, Pinkity Publishing, and NetGalley for providing an eARC for a honest review.