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caseroo7's review
4.0
Find this review and more at Ramblings From This Chick
I have become a fan of Melissa Collins over the last few years and I was really excited when I found out she had a new book coming out. I love her character driven stories, and As I Am was everything I have come to know and love from her. This contemporary M/M romance was sweet and sexy, and I really enjoyed it.
Chase’s life didn’t go as planned, instead of graduating college and pursuing a career in business, he found himself a dropout tasked with raising his 17 year old brother. Needing to find a way to support them, he became a stripper. The last thing on his mind was love, until a bachelorette party came in and he met Noah. Noah had been betrayed and wasn’t looking for love either, but the minute they locked eyes they knew something between them was different.
I liked these two a lot. They each had a lot they were dealing with, and I felt for both of them. They were great for one another and I really felt like their connection was genuine. I loved how Noah clicked with Chase’s little brother as well, it was really great to see them forming their own family.
Overall, this was a quick and enjoyable read and had everything I have come to know and love from Melissa Collins. I liked the characters and the story, and I think readers will enjoy this one as much as I did. If you are looking for a solid M/M contemporary romance, this is one you will want to check out!
**ARC Provided by Author**
I have become a fan of Melissa Collins over the last few years and I was really excited when I found out she had a new book coming out. I love her character driven stories, and As I Am was everything I have come to know and love from her. This contemporary M/M romance was sweet and sexy, and I really enjoyed it.
Chase’s life didn’t go as planned, instead of graduating college and pursuing a career in business, he found himself a dropout tasked with raising his 17 year old brother. Needing to find a way to support them, he became a stripper. The last thing on his mind was love, until a bachelorette party came in and he met Noah. Noah had been betrayed and wasn’t looking for love either, but the minute they locked eyes they knew something between them was different.
I liked these two a lot. They each had a lot they were dealing with, and I felt for both of them. They were great for one another and I really felt like their connection was genuine. I loved how Noah clicked with Chase’s little brother as well, it was really great to see them forming their own family.
Overall, this was a quick and enjoyable read and had everything I have come to know and love from Melissa Collins. I liked the characters and the story, and I think readers will enjoy this one as much as I did. If you are looking for a solid M/M contemporary romance, this is one you will want to check out!
**ARC Provided by Author**
chandlerainsley's review
2.0
dnf @ the part where noah lets us know he named his puppy after his dead sister
good god. i wouldn't say this was my most disappointing read of all time or anything but it sure was a let down. i mean such a promising premise... a male stripper & a fcking doctor. i've genuinely never read that in MM fiction so I was looking forward to it, especially since it's marketed as very ~feelsy.~
but it wasn't. here are my main 2 issues with the book.
1. the plot. i'm not a plot queen, truly. but there were so many fucking inconsistencies and just dumb things... for instance. noah takes care of his younger brother. said little brother needs a ride home so noah ubers to pick him up. why can't the fucking brother get an uber??? and in general the author hints trying to make these characters have damaged pasts but they just come off as whiny.
2.the sex. yeah so the lap dance scene was where this book originated. it was part of an anthology and then expanded into this mess. the lap dance was hot.. the sex was SO unrealistic though. like i've read my fair share of MM romances and tbh just being a human person i know how anal sex works. you'd can't NOT prep for it. and if you don't prep once that doesn't mean that you will NEVER prep. like these poor dudes probably have the rawest asses around.
too exhausted to give even a modicum of a fuck more than this. don't recommend, 2 stars.
******************
im sorry but me & hayley have been waiting for this book our whole lives
#where she at tho
carosi's review
2.0
I didn‘t feel a thing not their love not their lust just nothing. The storyline was promising but the rest felt forced...
scvallese1's review
4.0
Melissa Collins has a way of writing characters that you care about. She manages to build background that deepens her characters, and she does this very well with Chase and Noah.
Chase has one more semester of college when he finds out that his parents have died and he is responsible for his sixteen year old brother. Noah is an ER doctor who is in a relationship that has deteriorated. Both are struggling when they meet and feel as if they are not worthy of the others' time and attention.
This book was done very well. I loved Chase and Noah- and Chase's brother, Brandon. Noah's friends were super supportive, as well. I did feel as if the second half of the book was better written than the first; it took me a bit to get into the story, but once I did, it was full-steam ahead.
This is definitely a book that I will read again!
Chase has one more semester of college when he finds out that his parents have died and he is responsible for his sixteen year old brother. Noah is an ER doctor who is in a relationship that has deteriorated. Both are struggling when they meet and feel as if they are not worthy of the others' time and attention.
This book was done very well. I loved Chase and Noah- and Chase's brother, Brandon. Noah's friends were super supportive, as well. I did feel as if the second half of the book was better written than the first; it took me a bit to get into the story, but once I did, it was full-steam ahead.
This is definitely a book that I will read again!
missysreadingcorner's review
5.0
So Sweet!
This was one of the sweetest stories I’ve read in a while. I’m glad Noah and Chase got their happy ending. I’m glad Benny was very accepting of his brother being gay and his relationship.
This was one of the sweetest stories I’ve read in a while. I’m glad Noah and Chase got their happy ending. I’m glad Benny was very accepting of his brother being gay and his relationship.
kara_hildebrand's review
5.0
As I Am is Melissa Collins' newest M/M standalone. We got a glimpse of Noah and Chase in Stripped Bare (Drunk in Love Anthology). And a glimpse wasn't enough for me so I was so excited when Melissa said they were getting a full length story! I needed to know what happened next. What happened before. Once I started I didn't want to put it down. Melissa's writing is wonderful. This story is emotional and heartfelt. The characters fun, sexy, and vulnerable. Chase had to drop out of college to raise his younger brother. He's broke, exhausted and now he's a stripper instead of a college graduate. Noah is a doctor. He loves his job, but his love life just fell apart. He's not looking for another relationship. When Noah ends up at a strip club he can't take his eyes off Chase. The feeling's mutual and they sparks fly. One sexy hook up is all they think it's going to be, but they both want more. When fate puts them in the same room again, neither of them is going to let the other get away. They both have secrets and baggage. Will their growing feelings be enough to for them to get past it all? Will the realize they are meant to be together before it's too late? I loved every word of this story. It's emotional, sexy as hell and fun. Melissa managed to give us all the feels even amongst the tragedy. Noah is smart, sexy and knows how to wear a suit. Chase is hot, knows how to use his body and stronger than he realizes. They may seem like opposites, but together they just fit perfectly. I already want more!
"Oh, and I'm a stripper."
"You couldn't wipe the image of you stripping out of my mind if you tried."
"You look good. You know how to wear a suit, Doctor."
I blushed. The fucker made me blush.
"God."
"It's Noah, actually. But God has a nice ring to it."
"Shh, relax, remember."
"You try to relax with this going on. Not so easy, huh?"
"Hard. It's definitely hard."
"Oh, and I'm a stripper."
"You couldn't wipe the image of you stripping out of my mind if you tried."
"You look good. You know how to wear a suit, Doctor."
I blushed. The fucker made me blush.
"God."
"It's Noah, actually. But God has a nice ring to it."
"Shh, relax, remember."
"You try to relax with this going on. Not so easy, huh?"
"Hard. It's definitely hard."
dragonflyreads's review
4.0
As I Am was a sweet read by the always fabulous Melissa Collins. Not necessarily a rags to riches story, but down-and-out to happy ending with the love of his life. Chase and Noah meet when Noah is celebrating his best friends bachelorette and Chase is the entertainment. There's an instant connection but they don't act on it just yet.
Great storyline and build, fantastic side characters as well, another great read by Melissa!
Great storyline and build, fantastic side characters as well, another great read by Melissa!
aligroen's review
4.0
Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Oh man, both of these guys and everything they have been through, they totally deserved to find love and that it’s together is even better! Chase had to make some hard decisions after his parents died and hasn’t really had any support or help. Noah has given himself over to being a doctor and after his last relationship ended he doesn’t really see the point in trying again.
Chase is at the point where he is just trying to survive and in his own mind he knows that no one would want him if they really knew everything he had going on. Noah has a great group of friends around him but is quick to think the worst after catching his ex cheating.
I couldn’t help but feel for these guys. I was easy to relate to Chase because I know what it’s like to feel like the weight of the world is on your shoulders even if I couldn’t in other ways and I loved watching Noah just take care of and support him when he needed it, it was just what his fragile heart needs. I still couldn’t really like his friend Gavin though, even if at times he thought he was helping he didn’t do much and thought about himself first. Noah is very cynical in his assumptions but I loved that he was willing to apologize and accept when he was wrong and the unconditional support from Chase was just what he needed. I loved these guys so much and the only reason it’s not 5 stars is that there were just too many points that I felt the characters didn’t fully resolve what they were talking about or doing.
The cover art by Sommer Stein is great and I love the picture of these characters together.
Oh man, both of these guys and everything they have been through, they totally deserved to find love and that it’s together is even better! Chase had to make some hard decisions after his parents died and hasn’t really had any support or help. Noah has given himself over to being a doctor and after his last relationship ended he doesn’t really see the point in trying again.
Chase is at the point where he is just trying to survive and in his own mind he knows that no one would want him if they really knew everything he had going on. Noah has a great group of friends around him but is quick to think the worst after catching his ex cheating.
I couldn’t help but feel for these guys. I was easy to relate to Chase because I know what it’s like to feel like the weight of the world is on your shoulders even if I couldn’t in other ways and I loved watching Noah just take care of and support him when he needed it, it was just what his fragile heart needs. I still couldn’t really like his friend Gavin though, even if at times he thought he was helping he didn’t do much and thought about himself first. Noah is very cynical in his assumptions but I loved that he was willing to apologize and accept when he was wrong and the unconditional support from Chase was just what he needed. I loved these guys so much and the only reason it’s not 5 stars is that there were just too many points that I felt the characters didn’t fully resolve what they were talking about or doing.
The cover art by Sommer Stein is great and I love the picture of these characters together.
paddlefoot55's review
4.0
ARC received for an honest review
It has been a while since I have read an m/m story, and even longer since I have read a Melissa Collins, so As I Am was a great way to get back in the saddle.
As I Am had me hooked right from the start. Endearing characters, beautiful, heartbreaking but hopeful story, I couldn't put this book down once I started.
At times. both Noah and Chase did annoy me, with their arguments (that seemed to be for argument's sake at times) and their lack of communication) however with this story it was easy for me to overcome that. I think it was because I really did adore them both.
This pair definitely do deserve to find love after all they have been through, and as a reader, you just can't help but be a cheerleader for them to find it with each other.
There are some great secondary characters, like Chase's brother and (at times) Chase's best friend Gavin is great too. But only sometimes lol.
Sweet, sexy, drama free story that I really did enjoy reading.
It has been a while since I have read an m/m story, and even longer since I have read a Melissa Collins, so As I Am was a great way to get back in the saddle.
As I Am had me hooked right from the start. Endearing characters, beautiful, heartbreaking but hopeful story, I couldn't put this book down once I started.
At times. both Noah and Chase did annoy me, with their arguments (that seemed to be for argument's sake at times) and their lack of communication) however with this story it was easy for me to overcome that. I think it was because I really did adore them both.
This pair definitely do deserve to find love after all they have been through, and as a reader, you just can't help but be a cheerleader for them to find it with each other.
There are some great secondary characters, like Chase's brother and (at times) Chase's best friend Gavin is great too. But only sometimes lol.
Sweet, sexy, drama free story that I really did enjoy reading.
onceupon_a_bookdream's review
5.0
4.5/5 Stars
There are only a few authors writing that I trust when it comes to M/M romance books and Melissa Collins is one of them. Her characters are always so well written that you can't help but care for them.
Chase Hansen's whole life gets turned upside down when his parents pass, and he struggles to provide for his younger brother Benny [[ p.s. I adored Benny, loved his character soo much]] His lack of self-esteem and self-worth is heart breaking. Noah Carpenter is a successful doctor who is happy with his career and not his personal life. He finds his boyfriend cheating on him and is left with some extreme trust issues.
Chase and Noah are complete opposites but together they work. They struggle in the communications department and end up butting heads a lot because of it. However, the chemistry between them is undeniable and intense. They both learn to lean on each other in and out of the bedroom. Chase and Noah's story isn't an easy one but worth it in the end.
By the end of the book Melissa Collins had me so invested in the characters that the conclusion made me teary eyed. She did not fail to bring real emotion and passion to the story and it was beautiful. I highly recommend As I Am by Melissa Collins to all M/M romance loving readers!
There are only a few authors writing that I trust when it comes to M/M romance books and Melissa Collins is one of them. Her characters are always so well written that you can't help but care for them.
Chase Hansen's whole life gets turned upside down when his parents pass, and he struggles to provide for his younger brother Benny [[ p.s. I adored Benny, loved his character soo much]] His lack of self-esteem and self-worth is heart breaking. Noah Carpenter is a successful doctor who is happy with his career and not his personal life. He finds his boyfriend cheating on him and is left with some extreme trust issues.
Chase and Noah are complete opposites but together they work. They struggle in the communications department and end up butting heads a lot because of it. However, the chemistry between them is undeniable and intense. They both learn to lean on each other in and out of the bedroom. Chase and Noah's story isn't an easy one but worth it in the end.
By the end of the book Melissa Collins had me so invested in the characters that the conclusion made me teary eyed. She did not fail to bring real emotion and passion to the story and it was beautiful. I highly recommend As I Am by Melissa Collins to all M/M romance loving readers!