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Come As You Are
Hot on the heels of a broken heart, Everett “Evie” Riley arrives at Camden Academy ready for a new beginning - one far away from her cheating ex-boyfriend, the sister who stole him, and the best friend who let it happen. But her fresh start is stopped in its tracks when she's accidentally placed in an all-boys dorm, with no choice but to stay.
When rumors and gossip about Evie's housing predicament spread like wildfire, she decides the only way to survive is to lean into her questionable new reputation... but she's definitely going to require help. Her grumpy emo dorm mate Salem Grayson isn't exactly her first choice, but he does need her help to repair his relationship with his parents every bit as much as she needs his to learn how to be cool. And so they make a pact - he'll teach her how to be bad, if she teaches him how to be good.
It's a flawless plan, except while Salem thrives academically, even romantically, and - annoyingly enough - even physically, Evie's quest feels like one dead end after another, and the girl she's becoming certainly doesn't feel remotely cool. But when Evie realizes what she wants more than anything, she'll have to contend with her thrice-broken heart and figure out how to become someone capable of chasing happiness.
Dahlia Adler’s Come As You Are is about refusing to accept less than you deserve, and realizing that the best relationships are with people who know exactly who you are.
When rumors and gossip about Evie's housing predicament spread like wildfire, she decides the only way to survive is to lean into her questionable new reputation... but she's definitely going to require help. Her grumpy emo dorm mate Salem Grayson isn't exactly her first choice, but he does need her help to repair his relationship with his parents every bit as much as she needs his to learn how to be cool. And so they make a pact - he'll teach her how to be bad, if she teaches him how to be good.
It's a flawless plan, except while Salem thrives academically, even romantically, and - annoyingly enough - even physically, Evie's quest feels like one dead end after another, and the girl she's becoming certainly doesn't feel remotely cool. But when Evie realizes what she wants more than anything, she'll have to contend with her thrice-broken heart and figure out how to become someone capable of chasing happiness.
Dahlia Adler’s Come As You Are is about refusing to accept less than you deserve, and realizing that the best relationships are with people who know exactly who you are.
320 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 27, 2025
41 people are currently reading
19658 people want to read
About the author
Dahlia Adler
21 books2,811 followersDahlia Adler is the award-winning author of seven young adult novels, editor of five young adult anthologies, and founder of the website LGBTQReads. As a book blogger, her byline has appeared on Buzzfeed, B&N Reads, Reactor, Parents.com, and more. She enjoys ’90s rock, rewatching Grey’s Anatomy, finding great cover songs, crying at commercials, and extremely short walks on the beach. She lives in the New York City suburbs with her family.
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May 28, 2025
Come As You Are written by Dahlia Adler was raw, heart breaking, nostalgic, deeply flawed, sad, gut wrenching, and so inspiring. I thought this novel was going to be a cheesy young adult story, but goodness gracious, Come As You Are changed my life in the best way. I honestly wish this book was around when I was in high school because this book was made for the younger version of me. If you are a struggling high school student, please read this book, it will truly change your life, it will change so many aspects for you. Come As You Are taught me so many life lessons, but the most important one was friendship. Friends come and go. You might never see the people again you met in high school, but you will always have that ONE friend that sticks with you through life. Friendships are like four leaf clovers, they are hard to find, but once you find that friend, they are worth everything to you. When I saw that gorgeous and beautifully detailed cover, I knew I had to get my hands on this book immediately, and I'm so blessed I had the chance to read an early copy because I loved this book in so many ways, and once again it changed my life for the best. Dahlia, thank you from the bottom of my heart for writing this beautiful story, it felt like you wrote it just for me and spoke to my younger version. I can't recommend this book enough, please do yourselves a favor and grab a copy of this book as soon as possible, or mark your calendars for May 27th, 2025 for the publication day. I'm just so amazed with how beautiful this story was, I'm so amazed with how deeply this book spoke to me, I'm so amazed with how much I absolutely loved and adored this book.
THANK YOU TO NETGALLEY AND ST. MARTIN'S PRESS FOR AN ARC OF THIS BOOK IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW!!!!!!
MUSICAL PLAYLIST
Come As You Are- Nirvana
People I Don't Like- UPSAHL
Jealousy, Jealousy- Olivia Rodrigo
Shadow- Ashlee Simpson
Self Sabotage- Waterparks
Tally- BLACKPINK
Good Girls Go Bad- Cobra Starship ft. Leighton Meester
Anti-Hero- Taylor Swift
Farmhouse- Phish
Happy Face- Jagwar Twin
Boyfriend- Ashlee Simpson
Overwhelmed- Ryan Mack
Poker Face- Lady Gaga
GOSSIP- Måneskin ft. Tom Morello
Just A Girl- No Doubt
BABY SAID- Måneskin
Numb Little Bug- Em Beihold
Patience- Chris Cornell
THE LONELIEST- Måneskin
Teenage Dirtbag- Wheatus
Vampire- Olivia Rodrigo
Who's Afraid of Little Old Me- Taylor Swift
"Fuck it. I have worked too hard at becoming a badass to stop going for what I want now".
"I was a peach, now I'm a bad apple".
"Being you is not a bad thing".
"Friends are not the easiest for me to come by, and this time around, I want the ones I make to stick".
Everett "Evie" Riley has a heart of gold and she's a badass. Evie is such a relatable character, I feel like so many young girls will connect with Evie on a personal level. Hot on the heels of a broken heart, Evie is ready for a new beginning, so she leaves Greentree, New Hampshire behind and transfers to Camden Academy as a sophomore transfer. Evie is known as the girl who wasn't chosen for a few reasons. Evie's ex-boyfriend Craig and her sister Sierra were together behind Evie's back, meanwhile Evie and Craig were in a relationship, but here's the gut punch, Evie's former best friend Claire knew that Craig was cheating on Evie for quite some time and never said a word. At Camden Academy, the school thought Evie was a boy because her name is Everett, so they placed her in Rumson's, which is an all boys dorm room, but Evie got lucky because she has the best dorm room in Rumson's which is wheel chair accessible and she doesn't have to share with anyone. Now that Evie has arrived at Camden Academy, Evie is looking for a fresh start, she doesn't want to care about people's stupid opinions, she wants to become the kind of girl who takes chances, breaks rules, makes her own reputation, and she wants to have actual fun. Evie comes up with Reign of Terror which is her planned badass phase. I was literally so proud of Evie for all of the progress she made, I know it wasn't easy for her, but she still kicked life in the ass. It was so hard not to cheer for Evie after everything she went through.
Salem Grayson is a little mystery wrapped in an enigma. In the beginning, Salem was super shy and so freaking sweet, but by the end of the book he will come around and capture your heart. Salem is also a sophomore transfer at Camden Academy just like Evie, except Salem was kicked out of his old high school for smoking in the principal's office. Salem is gothic, he's a swagger, and he's a stoner mess, but he's one of the best male main characters. Salem has gorgeous eyes and did I mention that he sings? His voice is a low rasp that's coated in honey. Y'all this man was so funny and sweet, I couldn't help but love him even though I don't necessarily agree with his past mistakes, but that's okay because he literally overcame those obstacles and Salem became the best version of himself. Salem also attends Camden with his sister Sabrina and his roommate, Matt Haley. Matt might seem like a douche bag, but he was literally so sweet and hilarious, it was kind of hard not to fall in love with him either. Sabrina was also a lovely character, I love how Sabrina and Evie formed a bond, so Evie wasn't completely stuck with the boys. Salem had a pretty rough childhood, he was always getting into trouble at school until the school administrators finally had enough of his bullshit and kicked him out. I think attending Camden Academy was the best solution of Salem, because he completely changed his life around and became the most precious angel. Don't let any of their personalities fool you, they were the best group of friends and they welcomed each other with opened arms.
Salem and Evie are the life's of the party, their energy is unmatchable. Together Evie and Salem are dormmates, study buddies, pact partners, and partners in crime. Salem teaches Evie how to be cool and Evie teaches Salem how to be on his best behavior and not get kicked out of school. Evie and Salem make a deal with each other, Salem's goal is how to make Evie be bad, and to live her life to the fullest, and Evie's goal for Salem is to teach him how to be good but still have the best time in life. Evie and Salem had the cutest nicknames for each other, Evie calls Salem her bad boy guru and Salem calls Evie Skeevy, ugh these two were just so cute and precious. Their banter is top tier, I couldn't stop laughing when they were always around each other and bickering back and forth. When Evie cries in the shower, Salem always knows and constantly brings her chocolate, y'all this man is a damn keeper. Salem became the person who knows Evie better than anyone else in the world. Salem- "Evie Riley, you are a fucking literal ball of sunshine". Oh my goodness gracious, these two just absolutely had me howling with laughter and swooning non-stop. Despite how young Salem, Evie, Sabrina, and Matt were, I wish I had them in my friend group, they are just the type of people who light up any room they walk into, honestly they are the type of friends everyone needs in their lives because they are just the best people ever. The best way to describe Evie and Salem is love birds. This Camden Academy crew had me laughing uncontrollably for hours on end.
THANK YOU TO NETGALLEY AND ST. MARTIN'S PRESS FOR AN ARC OF THIS BOOK IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW!!!!!!
MUSICAL PLAYLIST
Come As You Are- Nirvana
People I Don't Like- UPSAHL
Jealousy, Jealousy- Olivia Rodrigo
Shadow- Ashlee Simpson
Self Sabotage- Waterparks
Tally- BLACKPINK
Good Girls Go Bad- Cobra Starship ft. Leighton Meester
Anti-Hero- Taylor Swift
Farmhouse- Phish
Happy Face- Jagwar Twin
Boyfriend- Ashlee Simpson
Overwhelmed- Ryan Mack
Poker Face- Lady Gaga
GOSSIP- Måneskin ft. Tom Morello
Just A Girl- No Doubt
BABY SAID- Måneskin
Numb Little Bug- Em Beihold
Patience- Chris Cornell
THE LONELIEST- Måneskin
Teenage Dirtbag- Wheatus
Vampire- Olivia Rodrigo
Who's Afraid of Little Old Me- Taylor Swift
"Fuck it. I have worked too hard at becoming a badass to stop going for what I want now".
"I was a peach, now I'm a bad apple".
"Being you is not a bad thing".
"Friends are not the easiest for me to come by, and this time around, I want the ones I make to stick".
Everett "Evie" Riley has a heart of gold and she's a badass. Evie is such a relatable character, I feel like so many young girls will connect with Evie on a personal level. Hot on the heels of a broken heart, Evie is ready for a new beginning, so she leaves Greentree, New Hampshire behind and transfers to Camden Academy as a sophomore transfer. Evie is known as the girl who wasn't chosen for a few reasons. Evie's ex-boyfriend Craig and her sister Sierra were together behind Evie's back, meanwhile Evie and Craig were in a relationship, but here's the gut punch, Evie's former best friend Claire knew that Craig was cheating on Evie for quite some time and never said a word. At Camden Academy, the school thought Evie was a boy because her name is Everett, so they placed her in Rumson's, which is an all boys dorm room, but Evie got lucky because she has the best dorm room in Rumson's which is wheel chair accessible and she doesn't have to share with anyone. Now that Evie has arrived at Camden Academy, Evie is looking for a fresh start, she doesn't want to care about people's stupid opinions, she wants to become the kind of girl who takes chances, breaks rules, makes her own reputation, and she wants to have actual fun. Evie comes up with Reign of Terror which is her planned badass phase. I was literally so proud of Evie for all of the progress she made, I know it wasn't easy for her, but she still kicked life in the ass. It was so hard not to cheer for Evie after everything she went through.
Salem Grayson is a little mystery wrapped in an enigma. In the beginning, Salem was super shy and so freaking sweet, but by the end of the book he will come around and capture your heart. Salem is also a sophomore transfer at Camden Academy just like Evie, except Salem was kicked out of his old high school for smoking in the principal's office. Salem is gothic, he's a swagger, and he's a stoner mess, but he's one of the best male main characters. Salem has gorgeous eyes and did I mention that he sings? His voice is a low rasp that's coated in honey. Y'all this man was so funny and sweet, I couldn't help but love him even though I don't necessarily agree with his past mistakes, but that's okay because he literally overcame those obstacles and Salem became the best version of himself. Salem also attends Camden with his sister Sabrina and his roommate, Matt Haley. Matt might seem like a douche bag, but he was literally so sweet and hilarious, it was kind of hard not to fall in love with him either. Sabrina was also a lovely character, I love how Sabrina and Evie formed a bond, so Evie wasn't completely stuck with the boys. Salem had a pretty rough childhood, he was always getting into trouble at school until the school administrators finally had enough of his bullshit and kicked him out. I think attending Camden Academy was the best solution of Salem, because he completely changed his life around and became the most precious angel. Don't let any of their personalities fool you, they were the best group of friends and they welcomed each other with opened arms.
Salem and Evie are the life's of the party, their energy is unmatchable. Together Evie and Salem are dormmates, study buddies, pact partners, and partners in crime. Salem teaches Evie how to be cool and Evie teaches Salem how to be on his best behavior and not get kicked out of school. Evie and Salem make a deal with each other, Salem's goal is how to make Evie be bad, and to live her life to the fullest, and Evie's goal for Salem is to teach him how to be good but still have the best time in life. Evie and Salem had the cutest nicknames for each other, Evie calls Salem her bad boy guru and Salem calls Evie Skeevy, ugh these two were just so cute and precious. Their banter is top tier, I couldn't stop laughing when they were always around each other and bickering back and forth. When Evie cries in the shower, Salem always knows and constantly brings her chocolate, y'all this man is a damn keeper. Salem became the person who knows Evie better than anyone else in the world. Salem- "Evie Riley, you are a fucking literal ball of sunshine". Oh my goodness gracious, these two just absolutely had me howling with laughter and swooning non-stop. Despite how young Salem, Evie, Sabrina, and Matt were, I wish I had them in my friend group, they are just the type of people who light up any room they walk into, honestly they are the type of friends everyone needs in their lives because they are just the best people ever. The best way to describe Evie and Salem is love birds. This Camden Academy crew had me laughing uncontrollably for hours on end.
Read
May 30, 2025I wrote this! (I actually wrote it a very long time ago and then rewrote it about a thousand times until it became the delightful boarding school rom-com you see before you.) If you read it, I hope you enjoy it, and if you're interested in the playlist, you can find that on my website!
May 11, 2025
If you’re in want of an easily readable story that lifts the corners of your lips, you need to pick up one of Dahlia Adler’s YAs. Don’t expect stories full of twists and depth because they’re pretty simple, but I just had a great time with Come as You Are.
First of all, Måneskin makes an appearance in this story. For all of you who’ve never heard of this band, they won Eurovision a couple of years ago and then conquered the world.
Another thing, Dahlia used one of her own books as a cameo. I laughed out loud.
Okay, so now to the story and the MCs themselves. Evie is someone who you either love or hate. She can be pretty direct and, therefore, get under your skin. But I loved the way she settled into the all-boys-dorm-except-for-her. And Salem, the weed-smoking emo boy (I have no clue, btw why he suddenly stopped smoking), was such a good, bad guy.
And … I want to highlight Matt. The ladder on the cover is his. For his sleep dates. And there were a lot of them. He was clear about it: no cheating because he didn’t do relationships. His friendship with both Evie and Salem was a fantastic one.
Thank you, Wednesday Books and NetGalley, for this witty and quirky ARC!
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First of all, Måneskin makes an appearance in this story. For all of you who’ve never heard of this band, they won Eurovision a couple of years ago and then conquered the world.
Another thing, Dahlia used one of her own books as a cameo. I laughed out loud.
Okay, so now to the story and the MCs themselves. Evie is someone who you either love or hate. She can be pretty direct and, therefore, get under your skin. But I loved the way she settled into the all-boys-dorm-except-for-her. And Salem, the weed-smoking emo boy (I have no clue, btw why he suddenly stopped smoking), was such a good, bad guy.
And … I want to highlight Matt. The ladder on the cover is his. For his sleep dates. And there were a lot of them. He was clear about it: no cheating because he didn’t do relationships. His friendship with both Evie and Salem was a fantastic one.
Thank you, Wednesday Books and NetGalley, for this witty and quirky ARC!
Follow me on Instagram
April 13, 2025
╰┈➤ post-read 𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒♫₊˚.
3.75 !!! rtc tmr <3
╰┈➤ review ᡣ𐭩 ... ｡ꪆৎ ˚
╰( 🫧𓂃 3.75 stars )
i enjoyed this one. it was a cute little boarding school romance with our protagonist, evie, escaping her so called "good girl" life in her former town of greentree after a breakup in which she discovered her sister was sleeping with her own boyfriend. to make things even more shitty, her best friend knew about it. this story follows evie's as she's accidentally placed in the all boys dorm at the boarding school because of a mixup involving her full name, everett. she has to navigate being in an all boys dorm and having the experiences that she wished she had in the all girls dorm.
characters ‧₊˚ ⋅.
🧸 everett (evie): she was mostly likable, but she kind of seemed like a pick me at times, but she was funny and carefree mostly, and i liked that. idk at some points i felt like she could definitely change something and turn her bad experiences around, yet she did nothing really and just cried and that sort of pissed me off lol.
salem 🐚: he was cool and cute, just like a book boyfriend should be, and sarcastic and basically i mostly liked him. some things he said game me the ick mildly, but in general he was fine.
a few problems in the mix with writing, but this was overall a fun cutesy YA read!!! 💞
╰┈➤ pre-read ༘ ⋆｡
we got to lock in on these arcs!! joni and ash reminded me <3
thank you netgalley for the arc
3.75 !!! rtc tmr <3
╰┈➤ review ᡣ𐭩 ... ｡ꪆৎ ˚
╰( 🫧𓂃 3.75 stars )
i enjoyed this one. it was a cute little boarding school romance with our protagonist, evie, escaping her so called "good girl" life in her former town of greentree after a breakup in which she discovered her sister was sleeping with her own boyfriend. to make things even more shitty, her best friend knew about it. this story follows evie's as she's accidentally placed in the all boys dorm at the boarding school because of a mixup involving her full name, everett. she has to navigate being in an all boys dorm and having the experiences that she wished she had in the all girls dorm.
characters ‧₊˚ ⋅.
🧸 everett (evie): she was mostly likable, but she kind of seemed like a pick me at times, but she was funny and carefree mostly, and i liked that. idk at some points i felt like she could definitely change something and turn her bad experiences around, yet she did nothing really and just cried and that sort of pissed me off lol.
salem 🐚: he was cool and cute, just like a book boyfriend should be, and sarcastic and basically i mostly liked him. some things he said game me the ick mildly, but in general he was fine.
a few problems in the mix with writing, but this was overall a fun cutesy YA read!!! 💞
╰┈➤ pre-read ༘ ⋆｡
we got to lock in on these arcs!! joni and ash reminded me <3
thank you netgalley for the arc
July 11, 2025
I'm not going to lie to you, Come As You Are is, at times, a mess and probably an objective 3 star read, BUT, I loved it. It's cliche and it's over the top, but for whatever reason, in this moment in time, it was exactly what I was looking for.
Again, I have to note to any potential readers, the plot is insanely cliche. Evie, our main character, goes to boarding school and accidently gets put in the boy's dorm. She then instantly becomes best friends with the "bad boy" who tolerates no one but her. She teaches him how to be a model citizen in exchange for him teaching her how to be bad. She also has curly hair that can't be tamed that only he appreciates for it's natural beauty. She's great a poker and swindles boys out of their money. She befriends the most popular girls in school. She has an evil family and ex-boyfriend ... It's all very fanfic-y. But still, I had fun.
In terms of some of the strong points, the romance itself is super sweet and well-paced. I really enjoyed the friends-to-lovers aspect of it. I also liked Evie's character development. The way she experienced insecurity, self-sabotage and catastrophizing felt very real and relatable. Even though some aspects of this book felt more adult than YA, Evie always felt like a real teenager. And although this book felt unlike the author's others in many ways, the banter, a signature of Dahlia Adler's that I love, felt the same. I found Evie very charming and all the dialogue between her and Salem was very engaging.
That being said, on the topic of banter, I found the pacing weird in terms of how quickly Evie made friends and got comfortable with them. Most of Evie's dialogue is that "I'm a thorn in your side but you love me" type banter, to which the other characters begrudgingly respond "yah, I do". This made sense further into the novel when characters had formed relationships, but when Evie was grilling people page one and they decided to be her new best friend, it felt a little rushed. Another problem I had with this story is that I felt like quite a few plot threads didn't get resolved, such as how Evie never talked to Heather, or how Isabel never spoke out against Jenna's cruelty. Additionally, this book discusses cheating a lot, but strangely enough, the thesis regarding cheating seems to be "if it's not happening to me, it's not my problem," which is really damn bizarre. That's so passive? And finally, the characters in this book act way older than they are. Not only does this book discuss cheating, but there's a lot of talk of sex and drugs. I know that teenagers do these things, but they're not normally depicted so casually in YA books. I feel like this plot kind of only works if you imagine the characters are in college, or if you're looking for a book with NA content but a YA feel.
So yah, even though the author has said that she's been workshopping this story for a long time, I think there was a lot left in that needed to be polished. But to reiterate, personally, that didn't detract from my enjoyment of the story. The core of the book, both the romance and Evie's character development, is strong, and honestly even the cliche's have their own charm. I would recommend this book to romance fans, I'd just say to know what you're signing up for. This book is fun if you set the right expectations and let yourself have fun with it.
Thank you to the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!
Again, I have to note to any potential readers, the plot is insanely cliche. Evie, our main character, goes to boarding school and accidently gets put in the boy's dorm. She then instantly becomes best friends with the "bad boy" who tolerates no one but her. She teaches him how to be a model citizen in exchange for him teaching her how to be bad. She also has curly hair that can't be tamed that only he appreciates for it's natural beauty. She's great a poker and swindles boys out of their money. She befriends the most popular girls in school. She has an evil family and ex-boyfriend ... It's all very fanfic-y. But still, I had fun.
In terms of some of the strong points, the romance itself is super sweet and well-paced. I really enjoyed the friends-to-lovers aspect of it. I also liked Evie's character development. The way she experienced insecurity, self-sabotage and catastrophizing felt very real and relatable. Even though some aspects of this book felt more adult than YA, Evie always felt like a real teenager. And although this book felt unlike the author's others in many ways, the banter, a signature of Dahlia Adler's that I love, felt the same. I found Evie very charming and all the dialogue between her and Salem was very engaging.
That being said, on the topic of banter, I found the pacing weird in terms of how quickly Evie made friends and got comfortable with them. Most of Evie's dialogue is that "I'm a thorn in your side but you love me" type banter, to which the other characters begrudgingly respond "yah, I do". This made sense further into the novel when characters had formed relationships, but when Evie was grilling people page one and they decided to be her new best friend, it felt a little rushed. Another problem I had with this story is that I felt like quite a few plot threads didn't get resolved, such as how Evie never talked to Heather, or how Isabel never spoke out against Jenna's cruelty. Additionally, this book discusses cheating a lot, but strangely enough, the thesis regarding cheating seems to be "if it's not happening to me, it's not my problem," which is really damn bizarre. That's so passive? And finally, the characters in this book act way older than they are. Not only does this book discuss cheating, but there's a lot of talk of sex and drugs. I know that teenagers do these things, but they're not normally depicted so casually in YA books. I feel like this plot kind of only works if you imagine the characters are in college, or if you're looking for a book with NA content but a YA feel.
So yah, even though the author has said that she's been workshopping this story for a long time, I think there was a lot left in that needed to be polished. But to reiterate, personally, that didn't detract from my enjoyment of the story. The core of the book, both the romance and Evie's character development, is strong, and honestly even the cliche's have their own charm. I would recommend this book to romance fans, I'd just say to know what you're signing up for. This book is fun if you set the right expectations and let yourself have fun with it.
Thank you to the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!
August 3, 2025
The cover gets 5 stars for me and the story 4 stars!
May 24, 2025
You know the story: Girl tries to escape complications at home and have a nice normal boring existence at boarding school. Girl might succeed...except girl is placed in boys' dorm by accident. Shenanigans ensue, and girl decides that if she cannot have a non-reputation, she might as well have a Reputation of her own making.
First things first, then second things second, then third things and a caveat third.
First things first: Adler writes both f/f and f/m romance (and possibly other things, but I haven't read her entire backlist), and while there's plenty of queer coding in this book, that dark-haired character on the cover is (alas) not a butch lesbian. If that disappoints you, there's a solution! Read this anyway, and tell the publisher how much you want to see a queer sequel...because there's definitely sufficient setup for that.* And that's all I'll say on that particular subject.
Second things second: I've loved all of Adler's books that I've read, and this was no exception. I giggled out loud (and then had to explain myself to my partner) more than once, and that doesn't happen often. I enjoy how ready Evie is to come out swinging—she has a great poker face, which makes sense given some of her plot points. And her repartee with Salem and Sabrina in particular is just aces. I wasn't sure what kind of pairing to expect going in (I did not get past "boarding school" in the description before I chucked the book on my to-read list; that was almost a year before I read the book, and I didn't reread the description in the meantime—I knew it would be good read regardless, and I like to be surprised), so I spent a big chunk of the book expecting Evie to end up with a different pairing, and it turns out that reading YA romance is way more fun when it's not immediately glaringly obvious who the love interest is. (I mean...it is. If you've bothered to read the description. But if you're going in blind, it's fun.) I also love that one of the people Evie meets early on, whom she expects to be a tool to end all tools, ends up to be a pretty okay guy, if a total dudebro. Be prepared to hear a loooot about teenagers getting it on, but it's a fun read.
Third things third: This is where the caveat comes in. If you've ever been to boarding school, Come as You Are requires, ah...a fair amount of suspension of disbelief. (Is not, has never been, probably never will be my forte.) It's like this: I went to boarding school. Granted, mine was free,** public** nerd school in the South,*** not a fancy, expensive prep school in New England; also, I am an expert on neither my boarding school nor boarding schools in general. However...I do know that my school sometimes ended up with more students than they'd bargained for. And I know some of the ways they dealt with that: They turned singles into doubles. They turned doubles into triples. They turned triples into quads. They turned storage closets into singles. (Literally, there were windowless rooms in one of the boys' dorms known as closet singles and elevator singles, and to the best of my knowledge the former were originally closets and the latter were originally part of an elevator shaft. Was this legal? Who knows. But it was a thing.) One year, they chucked some beds and desks into the lounge of a girls' dorm and called it a bedroom until enough girls in real dorm rooms dropped out (a few people every year got homesick or couldn't hack it academically...and in the boys' dorms, one or two boys typically did something really, really dumb and got expelled early on) and the girls in the lounge could move elsewhere.
What they definitely never did: moved a girl into a boys' dorm. What they definitely, definitely never did: moved a girl into a boys' dorm without extensive conversations with the girl's parents, and lots of waivers signed (probably by everybody's parents), and about a thousand extra rules for the girl. (There probably would have been a lot fewer rules for the boys, let's be real. This was the South.) With no effort at any point in time to move her to a girls' dorm. And in the 0.0000001% chance that that would somehow happen, there is a further 0% chance that the girl would decide to respond by never locking her door, because what? Boys in boys' dorms are awful. The stories Evie comes out with (like boys playing a game involving shouting "penis" at increasing volumes) are nothing compared to the stories I heard from the boys' dorms at my school. (Just...trust me on this one. Those are not stories that I'm repeating on the Internet.) Oh, and girls in girls' dorms can be a different kind of awful, but that's a whole 'nother thing. As is the part where there are at least a dozen characters in this book who would have been expelled from my high school, post-haste, for any number of reasons, and I swear to the giant spaghetti monster in the sky that my school was not especially strict—they were just worried about things like student safety, and also their reputation and being sued.
Now...I have to assume that Adler knows all this, and she chose to run with it anyway, because you cannot be smart enough to write books this good and also fool enough to think that, you know, Evie's experience would be what Evie's experience is. So I'm taking that as what it is, but also, well. Writing a dissertation on the ways that boarding schools would be more likely to react. Because I'm not very good at suspension of disbelief.
So go forth and read anyway, and know that if you someday send a kid off to boarding school, none of the things in this book will happen, but much worse things probably will.**** And then please hassle Wednesday Books (politely) for that sequel.
* Hey Wednesday Books—and Dahlia Adler—I'd love a queer sequel!
** Yes, really (x2).
*** It was...an experience.
**** Kidding. Or am I?
Thanks to the author and publisher for inviting me to read a review copy through NetGalley.
First things first, then second things second, then third things and a caveat third.
First things first: Adler writes both f/f and f/m romance (and possibly other things, but I haven't read her entire backlist), and while there's plenty of queer coding in this book, that dark-haired character on the cover is (alas) not a butch lesbian. If that disappoints you, there's a solution! Read this anyway, and tell the publisher how much you want to see a queer sequel...because there's definitely sufficient setup for that.* And that's all I'll say on that particular subject.
Second things second: I've loved all of Adler's books that I've read, and this was no exception. I giggled out loud (and then had to explain myself to my partner) more than once, and that doesn't happen often. I enjoy how ready Evie is to come out swinging—she has a great poker face, which makes sense given some of her plot points. And her repartee with Salem and Sabrina in particular is just aces. I wasn't sure what kind of pairing to expect going in (I did not get past "boarding school" in the description before I chucked the book on my to-read list; that was almost a year before I read the book, and I didn't reread the description in the meantime—I knew it would be good read regardless, and I like to be surprised), so I spent a big chunk of the book expecting Evie to end up with a different pairing, and it turns out that reading YA romance is way more fun when it's not immediately glaringly obvious who the love interest is. (I mean...it is. If you've bothered to read the description. But if you're going in blind, it's fun.) I also love that one of the people Evie meets early on, whom she expects to be a tool to end all tools, ends up to be a pretty okay guy, if a total dudebro. Be prepared to hear a loooot about teenagers getting it on, but it's a fun read.
Third things third: This is where the caveat comes in. If you've ever been to boarding school, Come as You Are requires, ah...a fair amount of suspension of disbelief. (Is not, has never been, probably never will be my forte.) It's like this: I went to boarding school. Granted, mine was free,** public** nerd school in the South,*** not a fancy, expensive prep school in New England; also, I am an expert on neither my boarding school nor boarding schools in general. However...I do know that my school sometimes ended up with more students than they'd bargained for. And I know some of the ways they dealt with that: They turned singles into doubles. They turned doubles into triples. They turned triples into quads. They turned storage closets into singles. (Literally, there were windowless rooms in one of the boys' dorms known as closet singles and elevator singles, and to the best of my knowledge the former were originally closets and the latter were originally part of an elevator shaft. Was this legal? Who knows. But it was a thing.) One year, they chucked some beds and desks into the lounge of a girls' dorm and called it a bedroom until enough girls in real dorm rooms dropped out (a few people every year got homesick or couldn't hack it academically...and in the boys' dorms, one or two boys typically did something really, really dumb and got expelled early on) and the girls in the lounge could move elsewhere.
What they definitely never did: moved a girl into a boys' dorm. What they definitely, definitely never did: moved a girl into a boys' dorm without extensive conversations with the girl's parents, and lots of waivers signed (probably by everybody's parents), and about a thousand extra rules for the girl. (There probably would have been a lot fewer rules for the boys, let's be real. This was the South.) With no effort at any point in time to move her to a girls' dorm. And in the 0.0000001% chance that that would somehow happen, there is a further 0% chance that the girl would decide to respond by never locking her door, because what? Boys in boys' dorms are awful. The stories Evie comes out with (like boys playing a game involving shouting "penis" at increasing volumes) are nothing compared to the stories I heard from the boys' dorms at my school. (Just...trust me on this one. Those are not stories that I'm repeating on the Internet.) Oh, and girls in girls' dorms can be a different kind of awful, but that's a whole 'nother thing. As is the part where there are at least a dozen characters in this book who would have been expelled from my high school, post-haste, for any number of reasons, and I swear to the giant spaghetti monster in the sky that my school was not especially strict—they were just worried about things like student safety, and also their reputation and being sued.
Now...I have to assume that Adler knows all this, and she chose to run with it anyway, because you cannot be smart enough to write books this good and also fool enough to think that, you know, Evie's experience would be what Evie's experience is. So I'm taking that as what it is, but also, well. Writing a dissertation on the ways that boarding schools would be more likely to react. Because I'm not very good at suspension of disbelief.
So go forth and read anyway, and know that if you someday send a kid off to boarding school, none of the things in this book will happen, but much worse things probably will.**** And then please hassle Wednesday Books (politely) for that sequel.
* Hey Wednesday Books—and Dahlia Adler—I'd love a queer sequel!
** Yes, really (x2).
*** It was...an experience.
**** Kidding. Or am I?
Thanks to the author and publisher for inviting me to read a review copy through NetGalley.
January 27, 2025
This was my first Dahlia Adler book, but it will most definitely not be my last. I had such a fun time! It was full of humour and chaos and I’m always a fan of a boarding school setting.
The author did a great job with the main character Evie. She was relatable, witty and a big ball of sunshine. I just adored her energy so much! She is by no means perfect. I mean I think she could have handled the situation with Heather a bit better than she did, but that’s my only complaint. Otherwise, I liked her as a protagonist.
This book is very much a journey of self-discovery, but I loved the romance as well. The dynamic between Evie and Salem was the best! Whenever they were together, we would get to see another side to Evie. She was snarky and confident and it matched perfectly with Salem’s sarcasm. Their banter was one of my favourite parts of the book. The romance is very much a slow-burn, but once they got together, those two were just the cutest.
The supporting characters were equally amazing. They all brought something different to the story, but Matt and Sabrina were probably my favourites. They just had the best dynamic with Salem and Evie. I definitely wanted to join their friend group and honestly the school too.
Overall, this was exactly what I needed after a heavy fantasy read.
Thank you to NetGalley for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
The author did a great job with the main character Evie. She was relatable, witty and a big ball of sunshine. I just adored her energy so much! She is by no means perfect. I mean I think she could have handled the situation with Heather a bit better than she did, but that’s my only complaint. Otherwise, I liked her as a protagonist.
This book is very much a journey of self-discovery, but I loved the romance as well. The dynamic between Evie and Salem was the best! Whenever they were together, we would get to see another side to Evie. She was snarky and confident and it matched perfectly with Salem’s sarcasm. Their banter was one of my favourite parts of the book. The romance is very much a slow-burn, but once they got together, those two were just the cutest.
The supporting characters were equally amazing. They all brought something different to the story, but Matt and Sabrina were probably my favourites. They just had the best dynamic with Salem and Evie. I definitely wanted to join their friend group and honestly the school too.
Overall, this was exactly what I needed after a heavy fantasy read.
Thank you to NetGalley for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
March 4, 2025
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!
June 29, 2025
2.75
Her name is everett, she is placed in an all boy's dorm, they don't wanna fix it so now she's making local "bad boy" salem (aka grayson) help her to be a bad girl and she'll make him become more of a gentlemen. Aside from the absoloute insaneity of this plot and the crazyness that went down at this school (where are the adults???? Just asking???) I actually have no words? It started out super good and then it went downhill....??? Like babes you are telling me that the guy you like slept with another girl and you are totally okay with that? You know...what your sister did to your boyfriend...? I'm just not following the logic. 💀
Oh and we thought that "peach" was a cute nickname? broski, she's not a fruit.
Banter slayed!! And the plot itself was actually adorable and hilarious!
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc < 3
Her name is everett, she is placed in an all boy's dorm, they don't wanna fix it so now she's making local "bad boy" salem (aka grayson) help her to be a bad girl and she'll make him become more of a gentlemen. Aside from the absoloute insaneity of this plot and the crazyness that went down at this school (where are the adults???? Just asking???) I actually have no words? It started out super good and then it went downhill....??? Like babes you are telling me that the guy you like slept with another girl and you are totally okay with that? You know...what your sister did to your boyfriend...? I'm just not following the logic. 💀
Oh and we thought that "peach" was a cute nickname? broski, she's not a fruit.
Banter slayed!! And the plot itself was actually adorable and hilarious!
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc < 3
March 26, 2025
I love all of Dahlia's books and this one is NO EXCEPTION! Funny and romantic and full of queer side characters, make sure this one is high on your TBR!
March 12, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
First off, huge thanks to NetGalley for the free eARC in exchange for an honest review!
I loved this book! The romance was so freaking cute, and I was hooked from the very first page. The chemistry between the characters was great and I adored how their relationship developed. It felt so natural and had the perfect mix of tension, banter and swoon worthy moments.
The characters were so well written. I found myself really rooting for them, and I loved their personalities. Particularly Evie and Sabrina. They each had their own struggles and growth throughout the book, which made them feel super real. I could totally picture every scene, and the setting added so much to the story.
The only reason I’m knocking off half a star is that I wanted more! I flew through it and honestly wish it had been a little longer because I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to these characters. But overall, Come as You Are is such a fun, heartfelt romance that I’d totally recommend. If you love cute, swoony reads with great characters then this one is definitely worth picking up!
First off, huge thanks to NetGalley for the free eARC in exchange for an honest review!
I loved this book! The romance was so freaking cute, and I was hooked from the very first page. The chemistry between the characters was great and I adored how their relationship developed. It felt so natural and had the perfect mix of tension, banter and swoon worthy moments.
The characters were so well written. I found myself really rooting for them, and I loved their personalities. Particularly Evie and Sabrina. They each had their own struggles and growth throughout the book, which made them feel super real. I could totally picture every scene, and the setting added so much to the story.
The only reason I’m knocking off half a star is that I wanted more! I flew through it and honestly wish it had been a little longer because I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to these characters. But overall, Come as You Are is such a fun, heartfelt romance that I’d totally recommend. If you love cute, swoony reads with great characters then this one is definitely worth picking up!
May 31, 2025
2025 reads: 132/300
2025 tbr: 39/111
i received a digital review copy from the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review. this did not affect my rating.
after experiencing heartbreak and betrayal, evie riley is ready for a new start, which she hopes the boarding school camden academy will provide. her new start doesn’t exactly go as planned when she’s accidentally placed in an all-boys dorm. she decides the only way to survive is to lean into her questionable reputation. she recruits her grumpy, emo dorm mate salem grayson for help becoming a troublemaker. in exchange, she’ll help him repair his relationship with his parents. soon enough, though, it seems like salem got the better end of the deal, and evie’s not so sure she can pull this off.
i love dahlia adler, so of course, i had to request this book as soon as it became available! i really enjoyed this book. i loved how evie was determined to reinvent herself and stuck to that plan. i also liked how she made friends with other students, especially how she went out of her way to make girl friends since she was in an all-boys dorm. i enjoyed her romance with salem, though it didn’t become prominent until later in the book. they’re the definition of “opposites attract.” finally, it was great how reinventing herself at camden gave evie the courage to stand up to the people, family members especially, who hurt her in the past and led to her going to boarding school in the first place. overall, this was a great book. i can’t wait for more from dahlia adler!
2025 tbr: 39/111
i received a digital review copy from the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review. this did not affect my rating.
after experiencing heartbreak and betrayal, evie riley is ready for a new start, which she hopes the boarding school camden academy will provide. her new start doesn’t exactly go as planned when she’s accidentally placed in an all-boys dorm. she decides the only way to survive is to lean into her questionable reputation. she recruits her grumpy, emo dorm mate salem grayson for help becoming a troublemaker. in exchange, she’ll help him repair his relationship with his parents. soon enough, though, it seems like salem got the better end of the deal, and evie’s not so sure she can pull this off.
i love dahlia adler, so of course, i had to request this book as soon as it became available! i really enjoyed this book. i loved how evie was determined to reinvent herself and stuck to that plan. i also liked how she made friends with other students, especially how she went out of her way to make girl friends since she was in an all-boys dorm. i enjoyed her romance with salem, though it didn’t become prominent until later in the book. they’re the definition of “opposites attract.” finally, it was great how reinventing herself at camden gave evie the courage to stand up to the people, family members especially, who hurt her in the past and led to her going to boarding school in the first place. overall, this was a great book. i can’t wait for more from dahlia adler!
May 28, 2025
4.5/5 stars
Come As You Are is a Young Adult coming of age rom-com that takes place at a boarding school.
The narrator is Everett/Evie. She arrives at Camden Academy (high school) as a sophomore trying to get a fresh start after being betrayed by some people back home.
Because of her first name the school thinks that she is a boy and she is placed in the boys' dorm. This was such a fun premise.
Evie is a fun character. She is smart and snarky. She is really good at cards. She shows up at this boarding school hoping to make friends and get her life back in order.
I really enjoyed the boarding school setting. The book features both LGBT and Jewish rep.
One of my favorite things about this book are the friendships. I adored Evie and Sabrina. And I was intrigued by the popular girls befriending Evie. I really liked seeing Evie and popular girl Isabel interact. I also really enjoyed the boys in the dorm (Salem and roommate Matt).
The romance does not happen right away. However I really liked it. I enjoyed the witty banter between the couple. This was a coming of age story, but it was quite funny. It's a boarding school rom-com that shows what it's like for teens to struggle. But it's also happy and hopeful. It's a very enjoyable YA read.
Thank you to Wednesday Books for allowing me to read this book.
Come As You Are is a Young Adult coming of age rom-com that takes place at a boarding school.
The narrator is Everett/Evie. She arrives at Camden Academy (high school) as a sophomore trying to get a fresh start after being betrayed by some people back home.
Because of her first name the school thinks that she is a boy and she is placed in the boys' dorm. This was such a fun premise.
Evie is a fun character. She is smart and snarky. She is really good at cards. She shows up at this boarding school hoping to make friends and get her life back in order.
I really enjoyed the boarding school setting. The book features both LGBT and Jewish rep.
One of my favorite things about this book are the friendships. I adored Evie and Sabrina. And I was intrigued by the popular girls befriending Evie. I really liked seeing Evie and popular girl Isabel interact. I also really enjoyed the boys in the dorm (Salem and roommate Matt).
The romance does not happen right away. However I really liked it. I enjoyed the witty banter between the couple. This was a coming of age story, but it was quite funny. It's a boarding school rom-com that shows what it's like for teens to struggle. But it's also happy and hopeful. It's a very enjoyable YA read.
Thank you to Wednesday Books for allowing me to read this book.
May 28, 2025
Unfortunately, this book didn't quite work for me. The premisse sounded so fun, but something about it didn't click. My main issue was that I didn't really like any of the characters, including the main character, which made it hard to root for them. I also felt like some storylines were underdeveloped, especially the storyline with Evie's sister, where I would have liked to see a little more nuance.
July 16, 2025
De eerste helft ging echt nergens over. Er gebeurde gewoon letterlijk niks. Ja, shoppende karakters, etende karakters, niet denderend allemaal. Tweede helft was wat vlotter geschreven, waardoor ik in ieder geval niet meer afdwaalde en na bleef denken over wat er deze week bij de appie in de aanbieding is.
Daarnaast vond ik bepaalde plotlijnen echt niet goed ontwikkeld. Een best groot plothole als het om haar zus gaat, bijvoorbeeld. Het hele boek draait erom, maar eigenlijk zit er geen ontwikkeling in. Vanaf de eerste tot laatste bladzijde is dit hetzelfde gebleven.
Daarnaast vond ik bepaalde plotlijnen echt niet goed ontwikkeld. Een best groot plothole als het om haar zus gaat, bijvoorbeeld. Het hele boek draait erom, maar eigenlijk zit er geen ontwikkeling in. Vanaf de eerste tot laatste bladzijde is dit hetzelfde gebleven.
May 31, 2025
This is probably more of a 4.5. It wasn’t perfect, but it definitely is my favorite romcom that I’ve read this year. RTC
June 1, 2025
It was cute but had more friends to lovers vibes than I typically like. Even once they were together their relationship was a little too jokey jokey for my taste. Nothing really changed in their interactions from when they were friends to boyfriend/girlfriend except now they kiss.
Want to read
August 24, 2024Omg considering her name is Everett, she probably pronounces her nickname the same way I do (i.e. the right way) (no shade to the people who say it the other way, I just am not a Pokemon <3)
Read
September 6, 2025I loved this book so much! I’m a huge fan of this author’s writing so I was excited to dive into this. I found this story to be exceptionally well written. I enjoyed this cast of characters and Evie’s development.
I adored Salem and Evie’s dynamic from their first scene together. Their banter was so fun and the seamless way they fell into a friendship was perfect. I also loved Salem’s twin, Sabrina, and I’m rooting for her to get her own book alongside Isabel.
Overall, I highly recommend this one to my YA Romance lovers.
I adored Salem and Evie’s dynamic from their first scene together. Their banter was so fun and the seamless way they fell into a friendship was perfect. I also loved Salem’s twin, Sabrina, and I’m rooting for her to get her own book alongside Isabel.
Overall, I highly recommend this one to my YA Romance lovers.
December 22, 2025
I enjoyed this very much.
The fresh start, the bond with a new bff and the awkwardness of being placed in a boys dorm.
This tackles a lot of heavy feelings, but inserts enough giggles that it doesn't drag.
It was so entertaining I read it in a day.
Highly enjoyed the drama, giggles and all the side characters.
Much love to NetGalley & St. Martin's Press for my ebook.
The fresh start, the bond with a new bff and the awkwardness of being placed in a boys dorm.
This tackles a lot of heavy feelings, but inserts enough giggles that it doesn't drag.
It was so entertaining I read it in a day.
Highly enjoyed the drama, giggles and all the side characters.
Much love to NetGalley & St. Martin's Press for my ebook.
June 21, 2025
After an awful situation involving her sister sleeping with her boyfriend and stealing her best friend, Evie talks her parents into sending her away to boarding school. She blocks all of their phone numbers (except her parents, of course) and basically starts her life over.
When she gets to the school, there is a mix-up with her enrollment (somehow) and even though she is female, because her name sounds male (Everett is her full name), she gets assigned to an all boy dorm. This is important to the story, because after it’s sort of solved and she gets a single room, and even though it’s still in the same dorm, she makes friends with two characters: Matt and Salem
Matt is the owner of the ladder seen on the book cover. He is very “free” with his love, inviting girls over for “sleepovers” daily. He is very honest early explaining to anyone he has an encounter with that he isn’t looking for relationships. His roommate Salem is an emo boy (with a queer twin sister named Sabrina) who is obviously the love interest of the story from early on.
This is the first book I’ve read from Dahlia Adler where the MC is not queer. There are queer characters in the book and I haven’t read all of her older books, so I don’t know how all of the MC’s identify, but from what I have read, this is a change. Where I’m going with that statement is that even though she identifies as straight, she’s an ally. She is integral in starting a GSA at the school by the end of the book. So I appreciate that we still get some form of representation.
I really enjoy her books. I feel like we get strong friendship bonds in every single one I’ve read. It is a found family type of story without being overtly tropey. Did I know where it was going? Absolutely. But the writing is so good you just don’t care.
Thank you to Wednesday Books & NetGalley for my gifted ALC.
When she gets to the school, there is a mix-up with her enrollment (somehow) and even though she is female, because her name sounds male (Everett is her full name), she gets assigned to an all boy dorm. This is important to the story, because after it’s sort of solved and she gets a single room, and even though it’s still in the same dorm, she makes friends with two characters: Matt and Salem
Matt is the owner of the ladder seen on the book cover. He is very “free” with his love, inviting girls over for “sleepovers” daily. He is very honest early explaining to anyone he has an encounter with that he isn’t looking for relationships. His roommate Salem is an emo boy (with a queer twin sister named Sabrina) who is obviously the love interest of the story from early on.
This is the first book I’ve read from Dahlia Adler where the MC is not queer. There are queer characters in the book and I haven’t read all of her older books, so I don’t know how all of the MC’s identify, but from what I have read, this is a change. Where I’m going with that statement is that even though she identifies as straight, she’s an ally. She is integral in starting a GSA at the school by the end of the book. So I appreciate that we still get some form of representation.
I really enjoy her books. I feel like we get strong friendship bonds in every single one I’ve read. It is a found family type of story without being overtly tropey. Did I know where it was going? Absolutely. But the writing is so good you just don’t care.
Thank you to Wednesday Books & NetGalley for my gifted ALC.
wish-list
April 1, 2022
”Vicki Lane at Wednesday Books has bought
Going Bicoastal by Dahlia Adler (Cool for the Summer), a YA contemporary pitched as a bi Sliding Doors that follows a Jewish teen through two versions of the summer before senior year, one in NYC (with a cute girl) and one in L.A. (with a cute boy); plus My Name is Everett, a sunshine-meets-grump boarding school romance in which a girl who wants to try being bad meets a boy who’s desperate to be good, leading to an ill-conceived deal that quickly goes awry. Publication is set for summer 2023 and summer 2024; Patricia Nelson at Marsal Lyon Literary Agency did the two book deal for North American rights.”
Announcement here.
Announcement here.
April 12, 2025
this book was simply not the vibe i was looking for. the characters did not feel real, and they most certainly did not match the age group that the author put them in. i assumed that the characters were seniors! but you’re going to tell me that the characters are acting like that at 15/16?!?! baby, where are your parents???? you are a CHILD talking about sneaking girls into your dorm room!!!! you should be in the library studying!!!! stop it!!!!
thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc in exchange for an honest review
thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc in exchange for an honest review
May 12, 2025
Read: April 24th, - May 6th
Format: E-Book
Rating: 4 stars
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review
I actually started this book uncertain. I just took a bit to really get invested, but once I did, I DID. Salem just worked for me, and Salem + Evie? 👌🏼 Their banter felt like it was specialized just for me, and I ADORED every second of it. It also just felt like a very authentic slow burn, having them become genuine friends that developed into something deeper.
This also has one of my favorite tropes of "I could do the thing I asked you to teach me to do but I wanted to spend more time with you because I'm in love with you". Very specific type of trope, but one I absolutely adore thanks to Golden Lily by Richelle Mead 👌🏼
It was also a nice coming of age story in general, with Evie blossoming into her own person outside of her sister's shadow, while also accepting that there was nothing wrong with who she was.
Overall, a book I went into expecting to just be pretty okay, but I ended up enjoying a ton 😁
Format: E-Book
Rating: 4 stars
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review
I actually started this book uncertain. I just took a bit to really get invested, but once I did, I DID. Salem just worked for me, and Salem + Evie? 👌🏼 Their banter felt like it was specialized just for me, and I ADORED every second of it. It also just felt like a very authentic slow burn, having them become genuine friends that developed into something deeper.
This also has one of my favorite tropes of "I could do the thing I asked you to teach me to do but I wanted to spend more time with you because I'm in love with you". Very specific type of trope, but one I absolutely adore thanks to Golden Lily by Richelle Mead 👌🏼
It was also a nice coming of age story in general, with Evie blossoming into her own person outside of her sister's shadow, while also accepting that there was nothing wrong with who she was.
Overall, a book I went into expecting to just be pretty okay, but I ended up enjoying a ton 😁
May 17, 2025
Every once in awhile, I find a YA romance that is so excellent I read it in a single day and need to tell everyone about it. That's how I feel about "Come As You Are".
The emotions and emotional turmoil in this book is SO authentic and relatable. It's been awhile since I was a teenager, but this brought back that almost painful feeling of wanting to belong, making and losing friends, and falling in love. The interpersonal relationships between characters were perfect for the ages being portrayed, and the plotline was SO much fun. There were moments where disbelief had to be suspended (she ends up in an all-boys dorm, and they won't move her?!) but I personally LOVE a bonkers moment that kicks off the rest of the action.
As an adult, I very much enjoyed this, but I also think it's the perfect YA romance for The Youths this summer.
Note that there are references to sex, drugs, and alcohol (off-page) in this book. I don't have kids, I'm not here to police what they read, but some people might care about this.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC! All opinions are my own.
The emotions and emotional turmoil in this book is SO authentic and relatable. It's been awhile since I was a teenager, but this brought back that almost painful feeling of wanting to belong, making and losing friends, and falling in love. The interpersonal relationships between characters were perfect for the ages being portrayed, and the plotline was SO much fun. There were moments where disbelief had to be suspended (she ends up in an all-boys dorm, and they won't move her?!) but I personally LOVE a bonkers moment that kicks off the rest of the action.
As an adult, I very much enjoyed this, but I also think it's the perfect YA romance for The Youths this summer.
Note that there are references to sex, drugs, and alcohol (off-page) in this book. I don't have kids, I'm not here to police what they read, but some people might care about this.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC! All opinions are my own.
June 9, 2025
What a sweet book with such a fun premise—
Escaping the transgressions from her previous school & home life, Evie is hoping for a fresh start at her new boarding school. Everett Owen Riley (Evie for short) gets mistakenly placed into the boys dormitory after being misgendered by her name. The living situation offers unique obstacles as you’d expect, but also delivers the friendships she has been craving and maybe even a budding romance with a dorm mate.
Ughhhh this made me feel like I was in high school all over again and in the throes of life at this boarding school alongside Evie. There was humor, growth and a budding slow burn- friends to lovers romance that had me kicking my feet. This is probably my favorite Dahlia Adler book I’ve read so far! Super cutie read.
This book was also different from previous DA books I’ve read in which Come As You Are featured lgbt side characters (instead of the main couple) + Jewish rep.
Escaping the transgressions from her previous school & home life, Evie is hoping for a fresh start at her new boarding school. Everett Owen Riley (Evie for short) gets mistakenly placed into the boys dormitory after being misgendered by her name. The living situation offers unique obstacles as you’d expect, but also delivers the friendships she has been craving and maybe even a budding romance with a dorm mate.
Ughhhh this made me feel like I was in high school all over again and in the throes of life at this boarding school alongside Evie. There was humor, growth and a budding slow burn- friends to lovers romance that had me kicking my feet. This is probably my favorite Dahlia Adler book I’ve read so far! Super cutie read.
This book was also different from previous DA books I’ve read in which Come As You Are featured lgbt side characters (instead of the main couple) + Jewish rep.
June 11, 2025
I listened to this on audio and I finished it between two work days so I'd say it's a really easy/fast read, but I think it fell flat for me. I was intrigued in the beginning but around the halfway mark I was easily zoned out while listening. I couldn't see the chemistry between Evie and Salem, and I didn't really like how fast Evie just forgave her family.
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thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me an eARC in exchange for my honest review. all thoughts are my own.
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thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me an eARC in exchange for my honest review. all thoughts are my own.
April 14, 2025
3.5 ⭐️
This was a super cute fast read, I really loved the writing and the characters, the banter was 10/10! I really related to the FMC with her struggles, if you’re interested in a boarding school YA read this one is definitely for you!
Thank you Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the eARC!
This was a super cute fast read, I really loved the writing and the characters, the banter was 10/10! I really related to the FMC with her struggles, if you’re interested in a boarding school YA read this one is definitely for you!
Thank you Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the eARC!
March 13, 2025
This is my first book by this authors, i was searching through netgalley for a book in between my other series, and this did NOT disappoint.
i LOVED this book! it was light, easy, fun and a fresh read. i will 100% read another book by this author, i love her writing style. i also saw she re wrote this a couple times and it definitely did justice! i love that in an author.
read this book you won’t be disappointed if you’re just looking for a fun read! 💖
i LOVED this book! it was light, easy, fun and a fresh read. i will 100% read another book by this author, i love her writing style. i also saw she re wrote this a couple times and it definitely did justice! i love that in an author.
read this book you won’t be disappointed if you’re just looking for a fun read! 💖
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