My heart is still weeping with joy after experiencing this beautiful, endearing, and cozy romance! From the very first page, I was completely captivated by the tender emotions that flowed effortlessly through the story. It's a slow burn romance that weaves a mesmerizing tapestry of themes, including second chances at love, starting over, redemption, loss, healing, friendships, family, bravery, and forgiveness.

The book brims with poignant angst, witty banter, and adorable heartfelt moments that tug at your heartstrings. The chemistry between the characters, written in a wonderfully engaging way, ignites the pages with a steamy spark that leaves you yearning for more. Moreover, the wide cast of relatable characters feels like a warm embrace you never want to let go.

At its core, the story revolves around Ashely, who battles to preserve her family's cherished ski mountain, despite constant threats from her ex-husband to buy her out. Her mother's ingenious idea to save the lodge by partnering with a sober living facility brings her face-to-face with Madigan, the facility's owner. Their instant chemistry sparks a journey of love and growth through a transformative ski season, where Ashley, Madigan, the men from the facility, and her family learn the value of trust, forgiveness, and self-confidence.

The novel handles themes of addiction and therapy in a refreshingly healthy and positive manner, making it a truly beautiful portrayal. The male character's sensitivity and openness about his insecurities and fears, coupled with the characters' ages and their open communication, breathe a breath of fresh air into the romance genre.

Throughout the book, I found myself alternately laughing, crying, and swooning as I immersed myself in the tender and heartfelt emotions that enveloped each page. The emotional journey is expertly crafted, leaving you with a lasting impression of hope and love.

This book is an absolute gem that will undoubtedly touch your soul. If you're seeking a romance that will make you feel every emotion imaginable, then look no further. With its heartwarming moments and soul-stirring narrative, this book will leave you enchanted long after you've turned the final page.

This heartfelt rom-com is amazing! It was nice to read a story involving older characters, and the main characters are easy to fall in love with; it was a slow burn, but a fun read. The story was very steamy, had great banter, with new beginnings, and good chemistry amongst all the emotional moments. This book just has it all, so I will definitely be reading more Jess K Hardy. Thank you NetGalley and Victory Editing Co-op Pinkity Publishing for the chance to read this.

Available November 1st 2023 and I can’t wait!


Post will be available later within 48hours.

"I've gotta admit, it's pretty strange to finally meet the woman you wrote a love song about thirty years after you wrote it."

Before I get into the themes of the book, let me tell you the swooniest part of this whole thing: the way he notices her. The way he sees her. Oh, but to be seen the way Madigan sees Ashley. I know he kind of trained himself to be hyper aware of everything, but he was so in tune to her, so aware of her likes and dislikes, what made her blush and what made her uncomfortable, even before she became his Most Important Person, even from the beginning. Even when they fought, he still had me swooning. Too often in romances I've read lately there isn't enough groveling, there isn't enough atonement for hurtful words. Just a general apology that usually ends up forgiven but leaves me wondering if they even knew what they were apologizing for in the first place. But Madigan made sure to kiss every wound he opened up until it healed over. (That goes for Ashley, too. Some really mature conversations happened in this book.) Gosh, am I too young to want a Madigan? Probably. But that isn't stopping me.

Ashley was a really fantastically written character, too. She was so brave and caring and had the heart of a fighter, and between her insecurities, her familial relationships, and her past, I feel like so many people are going to relate to her and find hope in her. But really, I feel that way about the whole cast. It's no secret that the stories of addicts don't always have happy endings. But to see a group of men struggling at different places but supporting each other and making it? This book was just filled with an abundance of hope, and I think that beneath the romance (which, again, is incredibly swoon-worthy), it's going to touch the hearts of a lot of people.

I read the first 50% of this book so quickly because it was interesting reading a romance book that takes place on a ski hill! I liked the addition of Little Timber, the rehabilitation program that had its members work on the hill. However, I got so bored in the second half and I’m not sure why. It just seemed all so predictable and I completely lost interest. I ended up skimming the last 30% of the book.

This is such a cute romance and the perfect romance about a couple in their 40's and 50's something you don't often see in romance novels!

Definitely recommend this book! Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for gifting me an arc of this book!

Surprisingly I enjoy this book immensely and I would highly recommend this book for those of you that are looking for a NA romance book with a more older age range. This feels refreshing, especially for me who often read high-school/campus-setting NA romance books.

4/5!!!

I went in blindly and fell in love.. I'm so happy I got the opportunity from Netgalley to read this for an honest review!
Having people in my family battelig addiction, I hope they will come out on the other side like Madigan and the guys at Little Timber. It was such a heartwarming and sweet story, and I truly want to read more about Ashley and Madigan, and their lives at Bluebird.

kay first of all it was really hard reading a winter book in summer with honestly melting temperatures! But I requested the ARC so that's on me lol (thanks netgalley!)
Nevertheless, this was such a good read. The topic covered, the entire idea and the story were interesting and very well executed. Also they are both middle aged (he is over 50 and she is in her late 40s), they have both lived lives and went through so much just to find each other in the end. Loved that! I wanted to say I am tired of reading about college kids but oops my next read is that but this was so refreshing okay! What is also refreshing is the men who came to work on her ski hill are all recovering addicts. That entire aspect was also handled so well and while we don't know a lot about the rest of the guys I cannot wait to see them get their HEA. The found family aspect and the glimpses of couples to come make me look forward to the rest of the series. Everything about this book felt so realistic and while I needed a little bit of something to make it 5 stars, I thoroughly enjoyed it and recommend this one!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🔥🔥🔥
TW: Addiction, grieving the loss of a parent

Review:

This book took me by surprise! It was my first time reading a book where the main characters were over the age of 35 (FMC is 46, MMC is 53), so I wasn’t too sure how it was all going to go. But honestly, it went better than I ever expected!!!

I loved Ashley and Madigan from the start. While they both were fighting their own demons (some physically, others emotionally), they fit so incredibly well together.

Ashley and her mother own the family’s ski lodge, Bluebird Basin, and unfortunately they’ve been struggling since her father passed away. Ashley and her mother don’t get along and trying to work together is slowly driving Ashley up a wall!

Matthew Madigan is an ex-rockstar, recovering addict who now runs Little Timber Sober Living Home. In need of winter jobs for the men he oversees, he reaches out to Bluebird Basin to see if they can work together.

Ashley needs the workers, but is a little on the fence, especially since her mother went behind her back to set it all up in the first place. But the longer the season goes on, the more Ashley and Madigan can’t stay away from one another, finding the love they were both missing in their lives in each other.

Jess K. Hardy’s writing is easy to digest, the chapters flew by, and I promise you’ll want to get to the end! Oh, and did I mention the spice is HOT? 🔥🥵

Matthew Madigan could play me like an electric guitar anytime he wanted 🫣

I really thought I'd enjoy this book, since it has all the great parts of a contemporary romance - two people who appear to be opposites, who both needs to heal and be brave, a struggling family owned company, a cast of quirky but sweet characters, MCs who are both over 45.

But it, sadly, wasn't for me. I couldn't get past the writing, which consisted so much of similes and metaphors. And then when they had known each other for maybe two weeks, the unrealistic way of "I've been waiting for you to make up your mind" and "You are so different from all other people" and no, I couldn't believe it.

I didn't finish the book, so even though I have to put a rating on Netgalley, I won't on Goodreads.

/ Denise

I loved this book! It was so fun, I loved drama, and I loved the spicy times! Ashley and Madigan were so cute, and I loved how Madigan wasn't the "rough and tough" toxic masculinity type, but actually talked about emotions and being vulnerable in a healthy way. I also really enjoyed getting to know the guys! I hope we get to see more of them!

5/5 Stars. Highly recommend.

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

Heart wrenching, steamy, emotional and beautifully written. Come as you are had me completely invested in Ashley and Madigan’s stories. This book addresses some really heavy and complicating topics like grief and addiction but does so wonderfully.

If you’re looking for a heartfelt read about overcoming struggles, finding a second chance at love, becoming confident with yourself and just so happens to be full of 80s references I highly recommend this book!

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Pinkity Publishing, and the author for this advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review!

This was such a cute read! I am excited for when it is published in November! Can't wait to get myself a copy :)

This book made me laugh, made me swoon, and even made me cry. I really enjoyed reading about an older FMC rather than the typical 20-something (although I'm dying to learn more about Davis and Kev)! Madigan is my new book boyfriend. This is everything. I can't wait for the whole series.

Ashely Cooke's ski hill is in jeopardy of shutting its doors. With less people visiting her mountain in favor of her fancier competitor and her cheating ex-husband constantly pressuring her to sell Bluebird Basin to him, it will be a longshot if she can keep her operation running through the end of the season. When Ashley's mother Maude Alice suggests they hire the men from the local sober living home to save on costs, Ashley hesitantly agrees.

Matthew Madigan knows all about second chances. As the owner of Little Timber sober living home and a former addict himself, Madigan helps men struggling with previous addictions by providing them a safe and supportive environment. He knows how difficult first impressions can be to overcome, but he is determined to show the owners of Bluebird Basin and the local community that people's past actions do not determine character. Working at the ski hill may be physically demanding, but it's nothing he and his crew can't handle. When he meets Ashley, a gorgeous woman struggling to overcome her own difficulties, he recognizes a kindred soul and keeping himself closed off may be harder than he realizes. As the snow falls and the ski season continues, sparks begin to fly between Ashley and Madigan, but will their new relationship be able to survive the approaching snow clouds?

I ADORE this book! Ashley and Madigan are both characters over forty, which was refreshing to read. They had complex emotions and communicated like mature adults and their steamy scenes were STEAMY! The secondary characters were just as well written and amazing as our adorable couple and each had significant growth throughout the novel. This romance made me smile, scream in frustration, and cry in the best way. I cannot recommend it enough!

Thank you to Netgalley and Victory Editing Netgalley Co-op, Pinkity Publishing for providing an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

**Review is currently pending on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

I really enjoyed this book. I loved that instead of the classic couple in their twenties, we are dealing with a couple in their forties and fifties that have been through great struggles but are finding love with each other. I really enjoyed that Madigan was multi-dimensional and we saw and felt his emotions. Although I wasn't a big fan of the "breakup" period, and I seriously don't think it moved the plot too much, I understand the pattern being used. I really hope there is a sequel in the works for Davis and Kevin.

This book is book number one in a new series called ‘Bluebird Basin’.

Come As You Are is a wonderful, Wintery rom-com and concentrates on two middle-aged characters, Ashley(46 years old) and Mathew(53 years old) and I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know more about their lives and how they begin to entwine together.

I absolutely felt all of the emotions whilst reading this book, it made me laugh, cry and smile a lot and don’t get me started on how much of a swoony rom-com this was and I loved everything about it…..

I received this book from NetGalley.

I liked the sound of this book so I was excited to get to read it. I lived that this book was about people who were a little bit older because it felt like they had a bit more control over their emotions. Madigan and Ashley were both really great characters and I loved the way they interacted with eachother.

I think the job that Madigan does is amazing and the way he works with the guys is so great. They really respect eachother and he really does want the best for them.

Ashley wants the best for the mountain and I love that she gave the guys a chance. She also works hard but also gives herself time to enjoy herself too.

Maude Alice seemed like a bit of an unnecessary character in some ways because she added a bit of frustration but not much else. However, she came around in the end so she was okay.

I wish there was more about Kev and Davis - I would love to read some more about their story!

Overall, a really enjoyable story that I would recommend!

Copy provided by NetGalley

Well this was delightful. It was an easy, cheesy, breezy romance to read though. I loved the Gen X demographic, as well as the mental health representation with recovering addicts. I think it was a unique concept but executed in a familiar outline we see in romance novels. I enjoyed getting to know the characters. It was a little too cheesy and predictable at points. I thought it could’ve gotten more creative in the chain of events, but still fun,
4/5 stars

Thank you Net Galley for giving me an ARC copy of this book!

Rating 4.5/5

This story was so heartfelt and I felt every emotion in the words with every page. I loved the ski setting, as I sat here boiling in 95 degrees weather, I loved Ashley and Madigan, I loved everything about this book. I laughed, cried, all of it. This book had me invested from start to finish and I wish I could read it for the first time all over again. Fantastic job! I can't wait to read even more from this author in the future.