One thing about me is I love, a good opposites attract. Like OOO UGH. I love that kinda book. When I first saw the cover I thought, highschool musical. And that peaked my interest. But reading it , peaked my interest even more ❤️

Dahlia Adler at it again! She continues to pull me in with her adorable YA romances, proving you are never too old for the genre.

Evie Riley is determined to start fresh at Camden Academy—until a housing mix-up lands her in an all-boys dorm. To survive the gossip, she strikes a deal with her broody dormmate Salem: he’ll teach her how to be bad, if she helps him look good. But as lessons blur into something deeper, Evie must decide if she can move past heartbreak and embrace the girl she really wants to be.

Such a good book and phenomenal YA about self-acceptance and never changing for anyone. Evie and Salem’s romance was so cute and I always felt myself drawn to pick up this book.

I wanted to like this book so bad, but no matter how hard I tried to get into it and I did end up sticking to the end, I just couldn't. I didn't really like the characters, the romance, and everything else fell short too. Definitely heartbroken but I disliked this.

I'm always down for a witty YA rom-com & this one nails the grumpy/sunshine dynamic. Evie is the new kid at Camden Academy and as if that wasn't stressful enough, she is accidentally placed in the all-boys dorm. Her broody roommate, Salem, definitely fits the grumpy mold, but he has depth to him that Evie slowly discovers. Overall the story is filled with banter, hi jinks, and themes of self-acceptance.

Sincere thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Wednesday Books for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I have read a few Dahlia Adler books before, and though Going Bicoastal was a real win in my books, Come As You Are was definitely not as strong. There are lots of things that I enjoyed, Salem, the main male character (MMC) and his twin sister, Sabrina, for one, as well as the banter between him and Evie. But there were a few things that frustrated me a bit—like that I felt like this story would have almost worked better if it were set in college versus high school, because the characters didn’t act like teenagers.

What didn’t work for me

Evie’s sister issues: Without going into spoiler territory, I completely understand how Evie would be upset about her sister sleeping with her boyfriend and how that would affect their relationship. But for someone who really (mentally) focuses on her sister a lot and their strained relationship, there could have been a lot more in the story to put these two together that would have been interesting—especially after there’s a bit of a reveal.

Evie’s school friendships: Maybe this is just me being cynical, but Evie is a very blunt, sarcastic, take-me-or-leave-me personality, and she made instant friends at school, in, like, less than 24 hours. And the friends seem to just understand her and put up with her (she’s a lot) without question. Do you know many teenagers who would just accept the new kid like that? It just felt very convenient.

The bad girl/good boy trope: Ultimately, I feel like the whole “make me a bad girl” premise wasn’t really necessary. I guess for forced proximity reasons? There could have been a better reason (maybe a school/academic related one) that could have put Salem and Evie together, because this kind of just ended up fizzling out anyway.

What I liked

The male characters: I really adore Salem. I wish we got his POV in the story instead of just Evie’s because I tend to like that storytelling better. I got a sense of who he was—especially when it came to his relationship with his sister—and I really enjoyed his journey. I also thought Matt was such an interesting character. Believable as a teenager? Probably not, but I got a kick out of his relationship with Evie.

The banter: One thing I adore about Adler’s writing is the banter. Her characters are quick and witty and complement each other so well. This is what keeps me coming back for more each and every time.

3 STARS

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Wednesday Books for an advanced book copy in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this book so much! I’m a huge fan of this author’s writing so I was excited to dive into this. I found this story to be exceptionally well written. I enjoyed this cast of characters and Evie’s development.

I adored Salem and Evie’s dynamic from their first scene together. Their banter was so fun and the seamless way they fell into a friendship was perfect. I also loved Salem’s twin, Sabrina, and I’m rooting for her to get her own book alongside Isabel.

Overall, I highly recommend this one to my YA Romance lovers.

I really enjoyed this book! The setting was unique, and the plot had enough twists and turns that it didn’t become a predictable read. I really enjoyed the characters and being immersed in their world — made me feel like I was back in scool again ….. but smarter this time!

"Come As You Are" by Dahlia Adler is a title that immediately caught my attention while looking for potential YA books for our district's Summer Reading Program. As someone less familiar with the romance genre, I relied on recommendations, and this one came highly suggested.

The story's setup—a new student at a boarding school trying to reinvent herself—felt a bit cliché, and the plot has few surprises. However, the premise held promise for a compelling summer read for students. The characters are well-developed, and the banter is sharp and engaging, making it an enjoyable read.

Ultimately, while the book has many elements that would appeal to a teen audience, the content, particularly the discussions around sex and drugs, makes it unsuitable for the specific parameters of our program. While I think many young adults would genuinely enjoy it, I will not be pushing for its inclusion in this particular collection.

While it did take a while for me to get into this book, courtesy a reading slump, I finally read it. I enjoy YA stories so it wasn’t difficult for me to gather an understanding of the young characters and how their mind worked. I found myself really enjoying the plot as well as the characterization of Evie and Salem.

I just love Dahlia Adler books. COME AS YOU ARE follows Everett "Evie" Riley, the new girl to Camden Academy, who accidentally ends up in an all boys dorm after some confusion about her name. I'm a sucker for a boarding school setting and the "girl ends up in the all boys dorm" is a fun spin on it. Evie decides to make the best of an uncomfortable situation and makes a pact with her neighbor Salem. She wants to learn to be cool and he needs to convince his parents he is responsible so they agree to help each other out.

What follows is a fun mash up of a lot of YA tropes, everything from poker night to an all school talent show to Evie having to pretend to be Salem's girlfriend. This book is a bit zanier than Adler's previous work (although its grounded by the slowly revealed drama with her sister). My only complaint is that the end of the book is fairly abrupt, it just sort of ends! But as long as you lean in to the fun of it all, you'll have a good time.

I enjoyed this for what it is- a coming of age YA. Overall I liked it, but I didn't love it like I hoped I would. The mix of characters was good and I liked the boarding school setting.

My first from this author and it was fun and chaotic but I enjoyed it! The main character was relatable and funny. I enjoyed the dynamic between Evie and Salem and their banter. I liked the feeling of self discovery Evie had and liked the romance aspects of the story. Overall, I’d give it 3.5 stars, and while it wasn’t a favorite it was still entertaining and kept me interested!

This was definitely a fast easy read, but it fell kind of flat for me. I just didn't feel the chemistry between Evie and Salem. Also I just didn't like how forgiving Evie was considering the circumstance. I feel like Evie is a character that you either fell in love with or hated, she was very direct which can be annoying to some. With that being said, I did enjoy the themes and felt like they were really well written, it felt naturally done.

3.5/5 stars

Thank you to St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the e-ARC of this title to read and review. I absolutely loved this! Dahlia Adler is one of my favorite authors within the YA space right now, and books like this are absolutely why. "Come As You Are" was full of my favorite tropes but they were given a fresh new approach, with lots of depth and sincerity to how they played out in the ploy. It was a lot of fun to read, and I was anticipating friendship reunions and confessions of feelings all the way through. Not only do I deeply care about the leads, Evie and Salem (and want them to find peace separately and love together) but the side characters also feel real and fully-formed, so I could not only picture the boarding school overall, but I felt like I got to know a lot of the personalities and dynamics driving the story along.

In addition to the really excellently done friends-to-lovers slow-burn that had me sooo chuffed, there's a lot of friendship dynamics that are as fun as they are complicated. When I was a teen myself, I would have loved to think about starting over anew at a boarding school where nobody knew me, where my personality and back story and future could be whatever I wanted - we get to see Evie embrace all that uncertainty but carve a path for herself no matter what!

I will say that I could more easily read this cast as college freshmen rather than high school sophomores and juniors in a boarding school situation - but I think kids' parents were brought into situations more, which gave that distinct YA feel.

4.5

This was such a fun, heartfelt read and definitely my favorite Dahlia Adler book.

What I loved:

Evie was such a relatable main character. The way she was written was so consistent, but also showed her growth. And man did she pull at all of my heartstrings. Her journey from heartbreak to learning to trust others again to healing was so beautifully written. I was laughing at all of her moments. Watching Evie build the new friendships while dealing with the old wounds from her past felt so rewarding. I felt like a proud big sister.

The friendships in this story! Sabrina and Matt are my favorite side friendships. If a possibility, I wouldn't mind sequels with their perspectives, because I just know their stories would be chef's kiss! If gave one of those friend groups that would make a perfect tv show. I also appreciated all of the friendships Evie developed weren't in the same friend group. Everyone felt so distinct and individual.

Evie and Salem were so cute! I am a little hesitant with the friends to lovers arc. This one was perfectly done. My favorite part was their banter, their back and forth was teasing without being disrespectful. Watching them go from strangers to friends to something more. Ahhh I was swooning.

Also one of my favorite settings to read is the private school/academy. I just love that element because it adds something special to the romance and found family elements. The atmosphere was perfect.

My only dislikes that are pure preferences:

I wish the characters were aged up. They definitely read as seniors and being reminded they weren't threw me off a little.
And I personally wanted more from Evie's familial relationship that started this journey. I just wish we got more development throughout the story. There were mentions of her past as she was making new friends, I just felt like it was all rushed at the end. Obviously, Evie needed to grow and learn how to heal. So, maybe it needed more time at the end or more development throughout, but the resolution felt rushed overall.

Final:

I loved and enjoyed my time with this story. I would like sequels preferably Sabrina and Matt's stories. It was so close to being a five star read for me, I had an amazing time.

Everyone needs something from someone and in the case of Evie, she needs to learn to "be bad" and Salem, a boy at her boarding school needs to learn to "be good" so they team up to do just that while navigating friendships, the independence of a boarding school, thriving under the expectations and and weight of parent and family expectations (including one very nasty spat between sisters) and more.

It's got a little bit of everything to be an enjoyable escapist read.

This gave the ultimate if rapunzel was in boarding school vibes. After a falling out at home, Evie takes a chance on boarding school. Unfortunately it begins with her being the only girl in the boys dorm, assuming “Everett” was male, and the female dorms are full. Evie is determined to reinvent herself this year and with the help of her misfit band of friends she’s made, they’ll figure it out together. What she doesn’t expect is falling for dark, broody rock and roller, Salem, the stoner who lives above her and is going to give her lessons on behaving badly. Before long, there’s more than just friendly vibes between them but Evies too much of one of the boys for that, or is she? Will Evie notice their spark before it’s too late? There was just enough drama the keep my attention and the romantic aspects take me back to being in middle school with the first boy I ever kissed! It was so cute!

really enjoyed this book and the journey of the main character and all that they went through. It kept me on my toes and what would happen in the story.

4.5 stars rounded up

Dahlia Adler is quickly becoming a must read author for me. Her latest really solidified my being a fan of her books, with this being my 4th book of hers.

I really enjoyed the characters, and the relationship between Evie and Salem. Adler did a great job on the development not only for the individual characters, but for their relationship as well. It felt natural, and the pacing was great.

The book isn't exactly original, since the plot has been done before, but it was still a very enjoyable read.

Her name is Everett. Everyone thought she was a boy, including her new boarding school. When she arrives, Everett is mistakenly placed in the boys dorm, where she’s subjected to emotional torment from narcissistic dorm mates who won’t stop with the crude jokes and unwanted advances.

Everett befriends two reclusive siblings who keep to themselves but end up becoming her safe place. The more time they spend together, the more Everett realizes she might be falling for her best friend, blurring the line between friendship and something more.

This was such an easy, engaging read that still didn’t shy away from the tougher, grittier parts of student life. It’s a heartfelt story about identity, healing, and finding where you fit. I was rooting hard for Everett and Salem the whole way through.