You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
bottleblondebookworm 's review for:
Come As You Are
by Jess K. Hardy
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
Thanks to NetGalley and Victory Editing for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
I won’t lie, I started to request this book because of the cover, but after actually reading the synopsis, I was intrigued and wanted to see how this story played out. While there were some aspects that didn’t vibe with me, ultimately, this was a lovely romance with a surprising amount of depth.
Ashley Cooke is struggling to keep her family’s ski lodge, Bluebird, up and running, and dodging a buy-out from a competitor, who just so happens to be her ex-husband. Ashley’s ex, Chuck, really did a number on her, as well as her own mother! With the death of her father, her divorce, and her constant tension with her mom, Ashley has been through the ringer and is struggling to find her confidence and self-worth. She has so much fear related to doing the wrong thing and failing her father by losing Bluebird. After a push from her mother, more like a shove really, Ashley hires Matthew Madigan’s Little Timber Sober Living Home on as staff for the winter season. She is instantly attracted to Madigan, but her fears hold her back from acting on anything for a while.
Madigan was an interesting character. A former rocker who turned his life around after spending time in prison for drugs, Madigan dedicated his life to helping others. I absolutely loved the dynamics between him and the guys from Little Timber. Sam, Kevin, and Clay all stood out to me, and I was immediately intrigued and wanted more from them upon first being introduced. Back to Madigan, he was immediately attracted to Ashley, and while he flirted with her and was fairly upfront about what he wanted, he respected her decision to hold off on things. He also had a few fears of his own he needed to address in regards to relationships.
As for things I didn’t enjoy, I felt like some of the dialogue was a bit stilted. At times, conversations between characters just didn’t seem to flow very well. I did find some of the plot to be predictable and occasionally found myself skimming over some of the internal dialogue. Overall, I'd give this 3.5 stars.
I won’t lie, I started to request this book because of the cover, but after actually reading the synopsis, I was intrigued and wanted to see how this story played out. While there were some aspects that didn’t vibe with me, ultimately, this was a lovely romance with a surprising amount of depth.
Ashley Cooke is struggling to keep her family’s ski lodge, Bluebird, up and running, and dodging a buy-out from a competitor, who just so happens to be her ex-husband. Ashley’s ex, Chuck, really did a number on her, as well as her own mother! With the death of her father, her divorce, and her constant tension with her mom, Ashley has been through the ringer and is struggling to find her confidence and self-worth. She has so much fear related to doing the wrong thing and failing her father by losing Bluebird. After a push from her mother, more like a shove really, Ashley hires Matthew Madigan’s Little Timber Sober Living Home on as staff for the winter season. She is instantly attracted to Madigan, but her fears hold her back from acting on anything for a while.
Madigan was an interesting character. A former rocker who turned his life around after spending time in prison for drugs, Madigan dedicated his life to helping others. I absolutely loved the dynamics between him and the guys from Little Timber. Sam, Kevin, and Clay all stood out to me, and I was immediately intrigued and wanted more from them upon first being introduced. Back to Madigan, he was immediately attracted to Ashley, and while he flirted with her and was fairly upfront about what he wanted, he respected her decision to hold off on things. He also had a few fears of his own he needed to address in regards to relationships.
As for things I didn’t enjoy, I felt like some of the dialogue was a bit stilted. At times, conversations between characters just didn’t seem to flow very well. I did find some of the plot to be predictable and occasionally found myself skimming over some of the internal dialogue. Overall, I'd give this 3.5 stars.