I loved this one so much! The cover is absolute perfection. I love Dahlia Adler, her collection, and the representation in her books.

Come As You Are was a fun book filled with self-discovery and character development. I really liked the way that Evie pulled you in as the main character and how her relationship with Salem grew over time. I think that this book is the perfect mix of serious and sarcastic and is just what you need to breathe life into any reading slump. While the book definitely had some issues at the front (like in the first 20 pages) it picked up after this and was really enjoyable.

Very entertaining!! The plot was fun and well done and you can tell the author put so much love into this book.

Soooo entertaining. I could see it as a movie or show. I would've loved to see more of the main couple after the fact. I liked the fmc and mmc friendship so much. I really liked that the side characters had depth to them as well.

Thank you to the author and publisher for an ARC copy

Instantly hooked by the dedication: “To all the characters who refuse to be forgotten, and all the writers who refuse to forget them” This was a very heartfelt and cozy read. The characters were all easy to like and root for. I look forward to reaching for this author again

You know those books you just need? Dahlia Adler has written one of those for me! Learning to love yourself is such a hard won gift. I cannot wait for the rest of the world to read this.

This book was really great! Come As You Are was written so well and the writing style of the book was super memorable. There was a little confusion at the beginning of the book for me but that doesn't change the fact that I seriously enjoyed this book!

A fun YA romance. Evie transfers to boarding school to try to outrun her heartbreak, and become a new version of herself. That doesn’t get off to a great start when she’s assigned to the boys’ dorm, and accidentally makes out with a future friend’s boyfriend on her first day, but she figures out a way to stand out among her new crowd by making a deal with her upstairs neighbour. She’ll help him become a “good guy” to make his parents happy if he teaches her how to become a “bad girl.” Spoiler, Evie’s not remotely edgy, and her new friends like her how she is. “Come As You Are” is a slow burn romance, but a fast paced read, with well-developed characters. The author writes teenagers and their motivations really well.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the ARC!

I was so excited about this book but it really fell flat. The characters were very surface level.

The ending seemed very abrupt - almost like the author got tired of telling the story.

There were also several things left unresolved - including the actual first name of Evie's love interest.

And maybe this is petty, but the drawing on the cover never actually happens in the book... so I'm not sure why that image is even there.

First, I want to thank NetGalley for providing a digital ARC of Come As You Are by Dahlia Adler!

I was pleasantly surprised by this book—it was a quick, easy, and fun read. I really liked Everett (aka Evie) and her sharp humor. There were multiple times I found myself laughing at the things she said or thought. The side characters were also great, especially Matt and Sabrina! I absolutely loved the dynamic between all of the characters and the boarding school setting.

As for the MMC, Salem, I found him to be such a unique and fun character. The moody emo boy with a hidden softness? I ate that up. His relationship with Evie was a joy to read, and I loved how naturally their dynamic evolved from friends to something more. Their banter and arguments felt realistic, making their romance all the more enjoyable.

That said, I’m rating this 3 out of 5 stars for a couple of reasons. The biggest issue for me was the unnecessary subplots that took away from the main story. I think the Jenna and Lucas storyline could have been cut entirely—it didn’t add anything significant and didn’t contribute to character growth. There were also some contradictions, especially regarding Evie’s feelings about her former best friend, Claire. For most of the book, Evie is adamant that she doesn’t like Claire anymore and doesn’t miss her. Even her internal monologue reinforces this. But then, out of nowhere, they’re suddenly friends again? The progression of their reunion didn’t feel natural or believable.

Another thing that stood out was the setting. This book almost felt like it should have taken place in college rather than high school. There was little to no parental or teacher involvement, and the fact that 16-year-old Evie was living in a boys’ dorm completely unsupervised just didn’t feel realistic.

Overall, I still enjoyed Come As You Are and would recommend it to anyone looking for a light, easy read!

There's a very special place in my heart reserved for YA boarding school romance books.

They said, "for fans of Better Than the Movies," and I ran, guys—I truly did!

Because of her boyish name, Everett “Evie” Riley gets placed in a boys’ dorm on her first day at Camden Academy, with no other housing options. And since it's YA, it’s not too gross—just kinda funny.

This is, obviously, where she meets Salem: all trouble, all grumpy vibes. She needs help to become bad; he needs to be better to impress his parents.
A match made in heaven!

I loved the MCs’ banter—it was genuinely funny. But the supporting characters tho? That’s where this book really won me over.

It's definitely an elevated YA, meaning more mature topics and language on page, and that's MY CUP OF TEA.

Thank You to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an opportunity to read this title early!

I just could not get into this book. I'm not sure if it's the writing style or just my mood. But it wasn't working out for me

This is hardly a romance. It's kinda you just flip a page and they want each other which is fine because books are like that but it isn't my cup of tea. I don't see the chemistry between them. I read another book by the author really liked it so this one was disappointing.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC. Come As You Are by Dahlia Adler is a heartfelt and authentic YA novel that explores themes of identity, love, and self-acceptance. The story follows a high school senior navigating her way through complex emotions, friendships, and the pressures of living up to expectations. Adler’s writing is warm and relatable, capturing the struggles and joys of coming into one’s own. The characters are well-crafted and engaging, making it easy to connect with their experiences. Overall, Come As You Are is an honest and empowering read for anyone who enjoys stories about personal growth and finding the courage to be yourself.

"You're a peach, you know that?" "No," I say, yanking open the door and flashing my most charming smile over my shoulder as I make my exit. "I was a peach. Now I'm a bad apple."

Come As You Are is a cute YA novel revolving around Everett Riley, whose non-gender specific first name accidentally lands her in the male dorm at her new boarding school, which she's enrolled in to escape her ex-boyfriend, ex-best friend, and sister. In the process, she makes friends with her dorm mate, Salem, and a few of the other girls at school.

This story was actually so cute. I really loved Evie as a character, she was witty and funny, and I absolutely LOVED watching her comebacks to the obnoxious boys. The story is a YA romance novel, so there is of course, some drama, and it takes the main characters probably too long to figure out and communicate their feelings for each other, but that's such an integral part of being a teenager in love.

I did feel like the ending was a bit abrupt - after reading the last sentence, I absolutely turned the page expecting another chapter. Once I thought about it, I did realize that almost everything was, in fact, wrapped up and I just really wanted to see more of their story! The one plot point I felt like did not have a satisfying ending was with her sister - I felt like the phone call between them didn't resolve everything, and I was looking forward to seeing them maybe have a real conversation once Evie got home for Thanksgiving.

Overall, I really enjoyed this story! I would definitely recommend to friends, and will be looking for future releases from this author!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I FLEW through this book, it was so good! Heartfelt, fun, a little bittersweet, and cheeky, it's everything you could ever want in a YA book.
Salem and Evie's chemistry was well-developed, and felt so natural. They're two people who want to be different, but their differences are what bring them closer. This felt like a warm hug and a night well-spent with friends all rolled up in one.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an ARC of this book. I'm glad I found it <3

This had a little bit of a slow start for my liking but once things picked and the characters and plot were established I had so much fun reading it. I saw so much of my younger self in these characters and thought their friendships and relationships were very sweet. I wish there had been more to Sierra. She felt more like something that had happened than an actual person and I would have liked to know more about her and why she did what she did but this was Evie’s story so I’ll let it pass. I thought Salem was adorable and reminded me so much of my first loves and he was so good to Evie. This was my first Dahlia Adler book but I don’t think it will be my last by any means!

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book!

This book was a super cute & fun read! It's a YA book, but does use explicit language and makes references to more adult content, but it is closed door.

The authors writing style was very easy to follow, and I will definitely read more books by her.

The book does feel like the first 3/4ths of it go at a steady pace, and then it quickly rushes through the end, and not all storylines are completely cleared up, but it didn't feel like they needed to be. I think I enjoyed more that everything didn't end on a perfect note, because I find that books that do that are either cringey or cliche.

Overall, if you're looking for an easy and entertaining YA book, l'd recommend this one!

I DNF'd at 30%, I really wanted to like this one but felt something was missing. I enjoyed Evie and Salem and their friendship but just couldnt move on

Took a while to really get into this and to get into the characters, I could feel the potential chemistry between Evie and Salem but I just wish it wasn't as drawn out. Would of been nice to have them meet and just gravitate towards each other minus all the side characters. This probably would have been better as a good dual POV. I didn't not like it but I didn't love it either. I love YA but this had a good amount of F bombs that kind of threw me off too. The plot had so much more potential. Boarding school romance i mean there's alot you can do with that. Especially since they were both new to the school. Anyway I did enjoy but not something I would read again.