While I knew from the description when I first requested this book that it was a retelling of Pride and Prejudice I definitely forgot that fact when I started reading the book, until it got to a specific moment and all of the pieces fell into place.

This was a very fun story and while it was hard to like Daria at first (not surprisingly) I quickly fell in love with so many of the characters. I liked how it was a queer retelling of the story, and I always enjoy books taking place in the publishing world.

The story was close enough to the original that it was comfortably familiar, but different enough that I was engaged throughout the whole story.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. Pub date: April 25, 2023

A queer Pride & Prejudice retelling? Sign me up. This unfortunately fell flat, and was definitely not the romcom it was billed to be.

Sigh. Chapter one is spent lazily info-dumping every character’s gender identity, sexuality, race, look, dietary restrictions, etc. instead of actually doing the work of writing it into the actual story organically. That along with constantly explaining who each of the conference rooms were named after was borderline offensive. Give your readers more credit. I almost DNF @ 13%.

Alas, I read on. This centers around a toxic, drama-fueled friend group and quite frankly, I’m too old for this nonsense. Yes, people are messy, but surround yourself with better people so you don’t have to go through so much hell. Have real conversations so you don’t find yourself in these messes. In the end, I wasn’t invested in any of the characters or relationships.

I loved this book! Charming and funny, with my favorite enemies-to-lovers story and plenty of chosen family elements, Just as You Are was a delicious read. I enjoyed the character dynamics in both the friend groups and the romantic relationships, and appreciated the insights into the strange world of media and publishing. Would love to read more from this author!

- Raise your hand if you're looking for a sweet, funny, and smart lesbian Pride and Prejudice retelling! Oh, everyone is looking for that, and here it is in JUST AS YOU ARE!
- This book is a loving homage to P&P, to queer culture, to trying to find yourself when you're somewhere between labels. I adored Liz and Daria, modern incarnations of Elizabeth and Darcy down to every last detail.
- One of the things I loved most about this book was how steeped in queer culture it is. So often books feature one or two queer characters surrounded by straight people, but this book is queer down to the bones. Every character is queer, they move entirely through queer spaces, and references to our pop culture touchstones abound. Heaven.

I found this hate-to-love romance to be well paced and full of emotional pulls, to the point where I didn't want to put it down to sleep. It can be so easy to make snap judgements but so fulfilling to get the whole picture.

In this queer Pride and Prejudice reimagining, Liz and her roomies work at a queer magazine that's going under. At their goodbye party, they get word that the magazine has been saved by two wealthy lesbian investors. One of them, Daria, is so budget-focused, she's taking all the fun out of work! Daria is brash and domineering, and she and Liz butt heads immediately. But after spending more time together, Liz realizes there's much more to Daria than meets the eye.

Sparks fly in this delightful, swoony, charming, workplace romcom! I thoroughly enjoyed the friendships, the representation, and the writing! I look forward to reading more by this author.

What a perfect read for lesbian visibility week!

Thank you NetGalley, Dial Press / Random House for the gifted eARC.

This book was so funny and adorable! I loved the witty banter between the roommates. I do wish we got to see more of the romance between Liz & Daria, but it was a sweeet romance novel overall!

Thank you to NetGalley and Dial Press for a copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review!~

"Isn't it sad that I write advice articles for queer people, and I can't figure myself out? I leave the house in femme clothes and feel small. I go out in men's clothes and feel like I'm trying too hard. I'm pretty sure I identify as a woman, but I'm not really sure what it looks like, to not be either of those things."

Characters - 10/10
We focus on Liz and her roommates, the people that work alongside them on the Nether Fields magazine, and their new bosses. While it felt like there was good representation across the board, in both race and identity, I'm not really qualified to speak on the race portion so definitely check out some reviews by BIPOC reviewers. Liz and Jane have my entire soul. It's really wonderful to see strong platonic relationships between queer women, especially to see how they can handle true turmoil and betrayal. I honestly cannot stand Lydia, they... they are really something else. For fear of spoilers, I will say nothing else, but wow. Katie was a bit forgettable at the end of the day. I enjoyed her when we saw her, but I felt like she was cast in Lydia's shadow for most of the book.

I enjoyed the Nether Field's staff, especially Finn and Caroline. For side characters, they felt very fleshed out and I really enjoyed whenever we got to hear from them. Daria and Bailey are a bit tough for me... Obviously I love them both, but it really is hard to feel bad for a bunch of rich people.. I'm not saying they both haven't had their struggles, but I do think it may be hard in this current climate to put aside that information. I really do like their character development and they. very much embodied the characters they were inspired by!

Atmosphere - 8/10
How does one create a Pride and Prejudice atmosphere in modern day New York? A struggling queer magazine will honestly do a great job! Watching a magazine crumple into dust was definitely not something I knew a lot about, but it worked perfectly for this type of book. You get to watch these characters panic as they try to figure out what they're going to do to fix everything and bring it back to life.

Writing - 10/10
I'll be honest, I loved Camille's writing. It has been a long time since I've read something that felt like it leapt off the page, begging me to continue. In short, I felt like this book was written for me, as if she knew that I had come off a painful break-up, wasn't sure about my career path, and really didn't know who I was. So, I may be biased at the end of the day, but the pacing and writing all felt so right to me.

Plot - 8/10
This is a Pride and Prejudice retelling and I'm not sure how, but I couldn't see it while I was reading. Ash... they're literally called Liz and Daria? This retelling was fantastic, sticking to the important plot points from the original, but adding a queer journalism twist. Liz works at a queer magazine that's going under. As Liz and her coworkers finish setting up a party for their last hurrah, their boss arrives early and shares that some rich people bought the magazine and all hope is not lost! Everyone is excited except for Liz, who was hoping to use the severance money to pursue her long-time dream of writing a novel. Everyone's excitement soon diminishes as they meet Bailey and Daria, their new bosses. Ah, it's so well done! I never expected picking up running would be such a large part of this too!! While i don't really see this as a romantic comedy, I think it stands on it's own two feet regardless. This is more about someone finding hope when all hope is lost, when they don't know who they are or what they want to do with their life.

Intrigue - 10/10
I read 30% of this two day ago and decided to try and get to the 50% mark yesterday.... by 2am I had finished the entire thing. I literally could not put this book down, even though I definitely should have been sleeping. This book resurrected me from a BAD reading slump. I am a huge fan of Pride and Prejudice, but a queer retelling? How could I not love this book?

Logic - 9/10

Enjoyment - 10/10
If you couldn't already tell, I loved it! I cannot wait to read more of Camille's work in the future and I will be screaming about this book for AT LEAST the rest of 2023.

Overall a 9.29/10, or 5/5 stars!

While i don't really see this as a romantic comedy, I think it stands on it's own two feet regardless. This is more about someone finding hope when all hope is lost, when they don't know who they are or what they want to do with their life. When their happy ending seems so impossibly out of reach, life finds a way to make you believe again. PLEASE read this book if you feel lost as a queer person or if you're confused about your gender identity.

Liz works for a queer magazine that's about to shut down when a pair of wealthy friends buy it. Investor Daria cuts budgets and criticizes Liz's work, making Liz worry for his job. But after spending more time with Daria, Liz sees her softer side. Will the attraction between them turn to love?

Pride and Prejudice fans are in for a treat with this contemporary rom com. A funny and fast-paced read, it reflects the wit and charm of the original. The characters are well-drawn and the emotion high, so you can't help feeling invested in the story. Don't miss this rom-com debut!

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

I LOVE a good retelling of a Jane Austen novel. And boy, this one did not disappoint!

This is a queer, Pride and Prejudice-inspired rom-com whose pages you will easily get drawn into. You’ll be able to tell which characters are based on which P&P characters, but there are still enough differences between Kellogg’s and Austen’s characters that this book feels refreshing and new. Jane has always been my favorite character in Pride and Prejudice, but dare I say I liked the Just as You Are version of her….even better?! I didn’t think that was possible.

In this book, Liz is a listicle writer (á la Buzzfeed) for the queer magazine Nether Fields. A wrench gets thrown in the mix when the magazine almost shuts down, but is saved at the last minute by a wealthy investor and her seemingly snooty, tightly wound best friend, Daria Fitzgerald. I really loved the development of the relationship between Daria and Liz. Their dynamic and their banter totally drew me in!

Character development is a HUGE part of this book and it is done so, so well. The characters are all real, flawed, and imperfect, leaving room for growth for even smaller side characters.

This is a fun, engaging, sweet (and slightly spicy) read. “Just as You Are” is Camille Kellogg’s debut novel, and I really look forward to reading more books by her in the future!

“Just as You Are” is out today! Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A SONG THAT PAIRS WELL WITH THIS BOOK:
“Dress” by Taylor Swift

READ IF YOU LOVE:
— Sapphic love stories
— Jane Austen
— NYC/Brooklyn setting
— Enemies to lovers
— Found family
— Journeys of self-discovery and gender identity exploration

Just As You Are is a modern day, sapphic Pride & Prejudice retelling that’s both hilarious and heartfelt! I loved it so much 🥹 highly recommend picking this one up—especially if you’re a fan of P&P (like I am)!!!

Thought this was a good read. The story is entertaining and the characters engaging. There is plenty of humor and heart woven throughout but it also offers a strong ribbon of realism that allows this fun read a make an impact. Add in the romance, angst, tension, and emotion and you have yourself a very satisfying book.

Just As You Are is a Queer, Pride and Prejudice retelling, set in NYC. Liz and her roommates work for a failing digital Queer magazine that has recently been purchased by new owners. After a bad first impression and significant changes to the work environment, Liz finds herself hating one of her new bosses, Daria Fitzgerald. Told in single POV, Kellogg expertly builds the tension between the main characters, leaving readers desperate for answers and a look into Daria’s feelings.

I really enjoyed this debut. I think it does a really nice job depicting the messiness of your twenties; between finding your rhythm in your career, exploring dating, and just wanting to feel at peace with yourself and more settled. At the same time, you may feel restricted in your choices based on economic constraints. Liz and her roommates all face unique challenges in the workplace and relationships which I think most readers will relate to.

Daria was my favorite; I loved her quiet thoughtfulness. Her secret kindness and desire to be around Liz made me SWOON. She does some really sweet things 🥹

Liz is a work in progress and the honesty in her journey was refreshing. She isn’t perfect, she is still trying to figure out where she fits and her candid inner dialogue was relatable.

Kellogg has a great writing voice and I look forward to their next book!

Read if you like:
🏙️NYC setting
📈Workplace romance
❤️‍🔥Enemies to lovers
📖Pride and Prejudice
📰Queer pop culture references

Thank you so much to Random House Publishing Group and Dial Press Trade Paperback for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

🗽🗽🗽.5/5

Just As You Are beautifully depicts queer experiences and has a wonderful cast of diverse characters!

Liz intrigued me from the very beginning. Her journey throughout this story and her struggle with gender presentation/identity is one that many young people experience today when they are trying to figure out who they are and who they want to be. It is super relatable and an integral aspect of queer culture, especially the depiction of anxiety that comes along with this experience. She’s real, imperfect and flawed, but just as beautiful.

The more of the story I read, the more invested I became. And JAYA is quite a page turner because it celebrates found family, queer relationships, the struggles of figuring out where your meant to be and what you’re meant to do, and the act of falling in love even against your better judgement.

One thing I was not a huge fan of was that this book was marked as a rom-com. And in my opinion, it was the exact opposite. Yes, it had romance. But it was a character driven story that was more about Liz’s experience living in NY as a queer woman who struggles with her identity and what she’s meant to do with her life, rather than her romantic feelings for a particular person. And it seemed more serious of a conversation rather than a light and fluffy lovey dovey story.

She does end up falling in love, and that final chapter between her and Daria was gorgeous and much anticipated. But to me, this book was more about her journey to get there and her journey of identity than anything else, along with the workplace struggles she was experiencing. I thought these struggles to get to her end destination were realistic and super relevant. And it was refreshing to read a contemporary book that is this powerful and meaningful to the LGBT+ community.

This book was definitely eye opening and insightful, and I HIGHLY recommend picking it up!

*** 3.5 ⭐️***

Liz and her roommates work for a queer magazine on the verge of shutting down when they’re saved at the last minute by two wealthy independent lesbians, drama and misunderstandings ensue.

The plot of this story had merit - how are the staffers going to save their jobs? - but, as the story progressed, it turned into “how many people can we screw over?”

While feeling inadequate about her writing, her looks, and her gender presentation, Liz is always acting before thinking of the consequences. She gets herself into more than a few situations that end up needing to be apologized for after the fact. This is one reason that kept me from rating this story higher - the fact that “I’m sorry” was overused to the point of beating the sentiment right out of the phrase. Liz’s character flaws became overbearing and, unfortunately, this theme also bled into the other character actions as well. It felt, as a reader, that a simple apology could right the world again with no repercussions, which was just aggravating by the end of the story.

It does also bear mentioning that, while the author was trying to point out the diversity of the staff at the magazine (describing their ethnicities, gender, pronouns), it was only made mention of at the introduction of the character; subsequently, the character’s name was used as well as their pronoun. By the end of the story, I had forgotten who was Black/White/Asian/Lainte, trans/cis, bi/lesbian/gay, etc. I do appreciate the attempt, but the distinctions didn’t feel part of the characters’ identities, just labels.

This is an enemies to lovers to enemies to lovers (…) kind of story that could have been 50 pages shorter.

This ARC was provided by the author, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to The Dial Press and NetGalley for providing an advanced copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.

"Just as You Are" was a really solid romance read! I found out afterwards that it's a Pride & Prejudice retelling, but I've never read/watched P&P so I can't speak to how well it works as a retelling of a classic. But the story did keep me engaged throughout and overall I really enjoyed it!

My only real issue was that I wasn't super invested in the main pairing because I felt they spent more time being enemies than lovers. As a fan of friends to lovers, I think I prefer gentleness and slowly deepening intimacy in my romance. It was nice to see Liz and Daria learn to get past their initial judgements of each other, but sometimes I felt things moved too fast and there was a lot of back-and-forth.

Despite that, this book did a lot of things very well. I loved the queer rep, especially the discussions around gender expression and seeing a character question their identity. As well, the platonic relationships were amazing and probably my favourite part of the book. I appreciated that Liz put as much work into her relationships with Jane and her other roommates as with her romantic relationships.

Overall, I can definitely see myself recommending this book in the future, especially for fans of sapphic romance and the enemies to lovers trope.

Fun fact about me? I will love anything marketed as a Pride and Prejudice retelling. This one was particularly great because of the it is very inclusive and features a diverse range of characters. I think this could make a great tv adaption! I look forward to reading more from this author!

Pride and Prejudice, the 2005 version, is my favorite movie. If you don’t know this by now, you aren’t paying attention. Or maybe I don’t talk about it like I used to. 🤷🏻‍♀️who knows.

I am a big fan of all the Jane Austen retellings, but if it’s Pride and Prejudice?? Sign me up.

One of my favorite parts of Just As You Are by @kellogg_camille is the meeting with Moira Campbell. The way Liz was able to see herself in this person who had an equally tougher life growing up because of the lack of acceptance of being queer and how she took photos for herself and the community instead of worrying about all the fuss with the world around them…I was so enthralled. It’s absolutely beautiful when you live unperturbed by the outside world and live happily as you are. Moira says, “I didn’t want to capture our world for other people,” and to imagine a life like that, well, they certainly lived their best life.

The growing tension between Liz and Daria was perfectly paced and gave those of us who wanted a little bit more affection in the 2005 movie a moment in the kitchen that was certainly hot as hell.

This is currently my favorite book of 2023. I really, sincerely hope that everyone is able to pick this up because this could be life changing to someone who can’t see past the darkness and help them out of it.

I want to thank @kellogg_camille, @netgalley, and @randomhouse for my early advanced reader copy! I can’t wait to get my signed physical copy after release!

Out 4.25.2023

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for sending me an earc!!

wow, where do i even begin? since this is an ARC, i am gonna try (key word is try) and be short and sweet and not do a long af review. but this is a VERY negative review. proceed with caution, may contain spoilers!!! cw listed at the end!

first, i couldn't stand either mc. being in liz's head the entire book was unbearable, but i also don't think i would have liked to be in dalia's head either. liz's inner monologue was just not my favorite. she made quite a few mistakes in this book - which like i get it, she's human and "relatable" but sometimes i just wanted to shake her.

second, wtf was the reason for weston to even be in this????? I COULD NOT STAND HER AT ALL and she was in the book for waaaaaaay too damn long.

third and in that same respect, lydia belongs to the long list of characters i hate. they were a trash human being, did things with out any give-a-shit for those around them, and treated katie like absolute shit. like literally the only characters i genuinely liked were katie and jane, although jane did some stuff in the end that i didn't agree with but whatever.

fourth, the plot was boring af. i kept reading just to see if it got better and NOPE it did not.

all-in-all, i hated reading this. i was VERY excited because i love queer romances, especially ff romances and it was workplace romance?!?! but this did not deliver, and i do not recommend.

⚠️: homophobia, infidelity, toxic relationship, toxic friendship, drug use, emotional abuse

This book had me at P&P retelling and it didn't disappoint. I read it in a day and was thoroughly charmed. I liked how the story was adapted to this world and to this time while confronting serious issues. Liz was funny but ultimately hit every Elizabeth Bennett characteristic one could want!

Just as You Are comes out next week on April 25, 2023, and you can purchase HERE! I really liked this one!

For a moment, Liz was actually tempted. It would have been so easy to fall into Daria's arms and not think at all. To let herself be kissed. To. let herself be taken care of. Liz had wanted someone to feel this way about her so long. She had wanted someone to look at her, to see all the different messy parts of her, and still seem something worth loving.

But this was Daria.