4.5 stars rounded to a 5.

I ended up loving this later-in-life romance! The biggest hook for me was the fact that it took place at a small, family-owned ski resort. As it just so happens, *I* work at a small, family owned ski resort, and I can confirm that the resort elements of the book were spot-on, from learning to ski to struggling with pass sales and finding winter help.

As far as the romance, we have two adults in their forties who both have pasts that they're still dealing with when they find themselves working together over the winter. The relationship is naturally progressing and has to navigate around real-life speed bumps. It's a very authentic romance with tons of fun characters and perfect wintery vibes. If you love skiing, tattooed reformed baddies, and a woman who's just trying to hold it all together, then you'll love this book!

I liked the themes in this book: Second chances, fresh starts, taking a risk, trust.

I found it refreshing that the main characters were older and had their own baggage and actually talked to each other. I was so worried there would be a miscommunication plot line and I was thrilled when people talked to each other and actually figured it out!

Four stars,. Murphy the pup stole the show, really. What a cutie!

One star knocked off because they sounded like horny teens at times and I feel like a 50-ish rockstar wouldn't sound like that, but this was an enjoyable read.

This was really nice to read. I work in recovery-related services and it was really wonderful to see such a loving depiction of people in recovery. I also loved the setting of a ski mountain. It is fade to black, which I don’t love, but I still thought this was worth the read!

Come As You Are is an emotional, inspiring romance novel about love, forgiving yourself, and second chances.
This book had me smiling, laughing, and crying. The romance is so hot, there was snow melting and you will just enjoy the whole story that Jess takes you on.

One of my favorite aspects of this book was getting background stories on the other characters involved in The Little Timber. Sam especially stole my heart and I was rooting for him the whole book. This book had me smiling, laughing, and crying. The romance is so hot, there was snow melting and you will just enjoy the whole story that Jess takes you on.

Overall, this is a really great romance book and I would definitely recommend it!

Thank you so much to netgalley and Jess K. Hardy for the e-copy!

This book is so much more than a love story, it discusses heavy topics of addiction and the road to recovery, the effects of family and personal relationships due to addiction, and focuses on the re-entering of the workforce after spending time in prison. This was such a lovely read between to mature adults who focus all of their time taking care of other people, always putting other’s needs above their own emotional needs. These two, while helping teach other people valuable life lessons, learn their own harsh lessons about what it takes to be in a relationship, and it was so lovely to read.

These characters are so incredibly real, and each one is tested in unique ways, physically and emotionally. Everyone is facing their own battles and it’s really interesting to read about.

This book was really special, it took me on a bit of an emotional ride but in the best way. There’s toxic exes, rehabilitation, family drama, and a lot of emotional processing and talking through things in a mature way. I really loved this!

Side note, the spice was sweet and spicy in the best ways too. Their chemistry is off the charts, these two were clearly made for each other. I loved reading about their journey!

Come As You Are is beautifully written, emotional, and honest, and I loved every second of of! Add this to your tbr ASAP!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this book, in exchange for my honest opinion.

TW: addiction

such a feel good read. i thoroughly enjoyed this and i can’t wait to read more from this author!! so fun and cute and hot

I really LOVED this book! I loved seeing a much older FMC. And the ex-addict MMC. It's something that isn't done a lot in romance and Hardy does it WELL.

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