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4.04 AVERAGE
4.04 AVERAGE
This was such a good read. Both main characters are over 40 and that made me so happy. Madigan runs a place for nonviolent excons/ recovering addicts to get back on their feet. Ashley is trying to keep her family's ski lodge afloat. These two see the best in each other and say it. I loved the little references to the 90s so much. But my favorite thing about this story was how much I cared about the men that Madigan was helping. Sam made me cry multiple times, Clay and Kev made me laugh, and Tex charmed me. I really hope to get more books in this world.
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Really liked this! Will deffo read more from this author, the writing was good, the characters where well developed and likeable and I found the subject matter and the characters’ stories/backgrounds refreshingly different and sensitively portrayed. Also it was hot!
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Fun, cute, relatively low stakes, and cozy romance that features:
- Older MCs (52, 46)
- Addiction recovery
- Winter vibes
- Small town
- Mother wounds
- Grief
- 90s and 80s music references
- Close proximity
- Meddling a-hole ex husband
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, Genocide, Sexual content, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail
I quite liked this one! I found it to be a unique festive romance story with two middle aged adults as the focus. While age-wise, I didn’t fully relate to Ashley and Madigan, I did love that the romance was set up like an NA romance. I could picture this story becoming a Christmas movie for sure!
A sweet, safe, tingly love story about a 46yo woman and 53yo man who absolutely deserve a happier, healthier second act in life.
I loved how it reminds readers of what we deserve from a partner.
I loved how it reminds readers of the humanity of people who have faced addiction and prison in the past.
Can’t recommend it enough.
I loved how it reminds readers of what we deserve from a partner.
I loved how it reminds readers of the humanity of people who have faced addiction and prison in the past.
Can’t recommend it enough.
Thank you to Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for this advance reader's copy. I first heard about this book on a Fated Mates podcast episode, and it lives up to it's positive recommendation. Come as you are is a sweet, second-chance romance that had a plot I could totally relate to. Ashley and Madigan's paths cross later in life, at her family's strugging ski slope where Madigan has brought the halfway house he runs for a season. Ashley is flustered and shy, but they soon crack the ice and their story unfolds in a sweet way. This second chance romances is meaningful and touching. The couple runs into many obstacles, but their intense connection and attraction withstand the obstacles. Jess K Hardy writes and develops characters with honesty and in a refreshing way. Her subject matter stands out from other romantic plot lines. I highly recommend this book and the Bluebird Basin series overall!
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Between the annoying, pushy, sex-crazed mom (she was like the annoying sassy best friend character and I really did not like her at all), and the ski resort setting (I’m not a skier) - I wasn’t drawn in by 30%. I was also starting to hear a lot of the standard romance lines (MMC has a great body, he can’t stop staring at the FMC), I knew this was headed to a 3 star book already.