a very cute ya boarding school romance! i think the main reason why i can't rate this higher is the characters. i liked evie and salem overall, but there were times when evie was a bit of a pick me and some of the things salem said were a bit icky. but overall this was fun!

Wasn't expecting to love this but I did! Super fast-paced, sweet, and cozy with just the right amount of heart.

Holy moly, I LOVED THIS BOOK!! Dahlia Adler is one of my go-to YA authors, and this might bd a new favorite of mine. From the story and diverse characters to the banter and trying to find yourself in high school, I was hooked the entire time. Evie was fantastic, and I found myself relating to her at times. I also loved Salem and Sabrina and the fact that they were Jewish was just a nice bonus. I loved the characters here too. Everyone was so unique, and it seemed like the peak high school experience. I also love a friend's to lovers plot line, and while I wasn't sure Salem and Evie would end up there at first, I'm so glad they did. There was also a lot healing and growth throughout the story that I feel like Adler handled so well. I genuinely cannot get enough of this book and I wish my physical copy was here so I could flip through it again. Definitely one of my favorites of the month and maybe the year. Thank you to Wednesday Books for the ARC to read and review!

*Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this free ARC in exchange for an honest review. Pub date: May 27, 2025

A cozy and adorable YA friends to lovers read. Everett “Evie” Riley goes to boarding school only to be mistakenly assigned a room in the all boys dorm. She pairs up with Salem to help find her way and their banter and chemistry made this a speed read. A well written cast of characters!

This book honestly ended up being so much better than I expected especially as a straight romance which I don’t tend to read often. This is probably my second favorite book by Adler, just behind Home Field Advantage.

All of the different characters really made this book what it is. They were so incredibly lovable (except for a select few). The plot was hilarious and captivating, and though at time it was very predictable I didn’t want to set it down! If you’re looking for a cute book with a relatable FMC, an incredibly lovable MMC (and that really means something coming from a lesbian), the most amazing side characters who have a lot of diverse representation, and VERY complex family dynamics this book is for you! Also the side characters in this book, (*cough cough* , Sabrina) are incredible and some of my favorite queer YA characters of all time!

This was so fun! 4.5 out of 5 for sure! Maybe my favorite Dahlia Adler book I've ever read! I loved Salem and Evie and what a crazy way for them to meet! Evie (real name Everett) transfers to a boarding school and admissions thinks she's a boy (cause of the name) and assign her to an all boys dorm and she can't move!! So of course rumors abound but she meets several people and ends up making some good friends. And he falls first! Which is just one of my favorite things. I do wish there had been a little more of a resolution between Evie and Jenna or at least a conversation to clear the air, but that's a small complaint lol! Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for my digital ARC!!

A wonderful read!
This novel drew me in from the very first page and kept me hooked until the end. The characters were vibrant and relatable, the writing was engaging, and the story had just the right balance of heart and humor. Highly recommend!
Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

3.5 stars

Dahlia Adler has a knack for writing about characters at pivotal stages of their lives and romantic awakenings, and those features come through in this most recent effort.

Evie heads to Camden Academy to escape a tough personal situation involving her sister and now ex-boyfriend, and the main issue when she arrives is that she has been placed in the men's dorm (and is the only woman in that scenario). There are some funny moments of embarrassment and some intriguing opportunities that come her way in this space, not the least of which comes in the form of a guy named Salem. Readers with any exposure to life will know immediately that the relationship between these two will start one way and end in an expected other.

Something I have really enjoyed about Adler's characters in the past is how attached I've grown to them, and that is a mark of their thoughtful development. Evie and Salem, though they go through some harrowing trials, were a bit tough to connect with for me. I still enjoyed the writing and general plotting, but I wanted a bit more personality out of these two and their connection.

Overall, this was a fun listen, and I'm already looking forward to what Adler offers next.

I honestly did not expect to like this as much as I did! It's a cute YA romcom, yes, but it also deals with some mature topics in a great way (not fitting in, wanting to fit in, difficult family relationships, relationship drama, etc) without it veering into teenage drama. I actually loved the slow burn, friends to lovers aspect of the story, but I also loved Evie's story of growing more mature and confident. The side characters were great too, especially Sabrina and Matt!

Thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday books for a copy in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.

Thank you so much to Dahlia Adler and St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books for the eARC of this book! This is a very YA vibes book. Took me a bit to get hooked but it was a great book! I love a good YA book with a boarding school setting. It was a quick read once I got through the first bit. Highly recommend!

#bookreview Come As You Are by Dahlia Adler

🤔where did ya come from?🤷🏼‍♀️
- eARC from NetGalley and the publisher (thanks!)

😍the good stuff😍
- Salem and Sabrina. Firstly, the names of twins ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. Secondly, their relationship and support of each other as siblings ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Evie getting put in a boys dorm because her name is Everett 🤣
- Evie getting a private room because they fucked cup 👌🏻
- Salem as an emo rock boy. Adorable. Perfect.
- Salem bring her tampons in her time of need. Because his sister told him but stilllll. Top tier behavior for a teenage boy.

🫢my complaints🤫
- I would’ve liked more romance. It was just the end. Like her happy ever after blah.

☺️the tropes☺️
- Dorm mates? Idk if that’s a trope lol
- Pact
- Good girl with bad boyyy

⚠️the warnings⚠️
- YA cheesiness

rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

"And I know that this time, I finally got the person right."
2.5 ☆

"Come As You Are," was just an okay read. It was fine at times, but I wasn't ever super invested in it until Parents Weekend. The pacing definitely drags down the book, it just felt like it was going at a snails pace. It wasn't a slow-burn but rather just boring. It was disappointing that when the book finally found its groove, it was already almost over.

There are moments and lines that made me cringe abit, but I feel like it fits in with the story and just being at the age where the things we say and do can seem cool/edgy but a few years down the line we realized that was a bit cringey.

I personally don't get the Better Than the Movies comp. It lacks the charm and stronger coming of age aspect that BTTM has.

For characters, Evie doesn't really have a personality to be honest other than 'my older sister stole my boyfriend.' I feel like even with the internal monologue, I felt a huge disconnect like I don't really know Evie as a person/character outside of the drama that happened to her. She's valid in being angry, but I wished there was more to her as a person than feeling second best to her sister, Sierra and being the "Girl Who Wasn't Chosen." It borderline makes Evie seem like a pick me girl at times especially when she rants, "because the guy will always eventually get lured away by shameless flirting and sexy clothes and, above all, a willingness to do what the sweet girl won't." Also, given what happened with her in the past, I really don't get why Evie didn't tell Hannah in the end about what happened between her and Lucas. It feels like it was meant to add drama, but it dragged Evie down as a character and makes her seem less sympathetic. It didn't add anything to the book or led to any character development, so the book would have benefited more with having the storyline cut.

A positive has to be Evie and Sabrina's friendship. It was genuinely great and was one of the more stronger parts of the book.

With Salem, he was just okay as a character. I think it comes down to he's meant to be the contrast to Evie and seem exciting, but he just comes off as just being there. In a way, his pact with Evie did indeed make him boring for most of the book. It isn't until towards the end of the book, did I find Salem to be more charming. There was definitely a shift around the Talent Show, when he starts to show a different side to himself and Evie herself starts to see him differently.

Overall, the book has some problems, but there are some cute moments.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the arc.

This one was a little too YA vibes for me as far as the characters being immature. But I fully recognize this is a me issue and not a book issue necessarily, so if the synopsis intrigues you I would give it a read. Just not the book for me!

Recommended: sure
For boarding school drama, for learning to be honest about who you are (even with yourself), for learning that others may be more than they first appear, and for a story where being nice is balanced with standing up for yourself

Thoughts:
There were multiple times in reading this that I thought, wow this is a mix between The It Girl by Cecily von Ziegesar, and Grease. She's the new girl at the boarding school, she's placed in the boys dorm, ooh it's a scandal, and she decides to become the bad girl with help of the bad boy who is trying to be a good boy. I mean, come on, I think we all know what the ending to that plot is going to be. xD But what a fun way to get there.

As with any book of young love and teenagers, they are definitely a bunch of hormonal idiots at times. No shade, I am too and I don't even have the excuse of being a teenager. But still, that's definitely a factor that equally made me laugh indulgently with nostalgia or cringe with chagrin... and nostalgia. So yes, in the plot, there are a lot of baseless assumptions, and things that made me want to scream "IF YOU WOULD JUST TALK TO EACH OTHER!" but isn't that part of the fun?

It was actually a bit gut-wrenching at times too. Her discovery with a boy on her first day haunted me like a time-bomb the whole way through. I actually don't think it ever resolved, which is weird, but boy was I constantly nervous about that blowing up horribly. And the issues with her sister (and by extension, with her parents) was stressful as hell too. I did appreciate that it presented a viewpoint that wasn't necessarily everyone has to get along and be nice. Granted, that's the whole point of the book in theory, but still.

Sometimes characters felt way older than 16 in the things they said and did, but then I thought about what I felt and thought and did at 16 and it felt more reasonable after that. Especially taking place at a boarding school. xD

Overall this was a story I ran through quickly, enjoyed the whole time, and was still thinking about a few days after I finished it. There were clear messages and goals, and it achieved them with the story while also being entertaining. I'd say this was a win!

Thanks to NetGalley for a free advanced copy. This is my honest review!

Hot Dog! Dahlia Adler hits me in the gut with all the feels. Her latest was a long time coming, but was worth the wait. The way she subverts expectations is bar none.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books and NetGalley for providing an eARC for a honest review.

Wow! I adored this book. This is the first time I’ve read Dahlia Adler in a minute and it reminds me why her books are so good. I like how real this book is. Evie has a lot to deal with it, and sometimes things aren’t perfect. When Evie is placed in a wrong dorm and doesn’t get the fresh start she wanted, she doesn’t know how things will get better. She starts to make friends and open up. I love how her friend group is diverse. The romance with Salem was so cute too. I was rooting for them, and it happened at the perfect time. Going back to how the book was realistic, I like how her relationship with her sister was handled and that it wasn’t magically better. It just made the book that much better. Can’t wait to read more from this author.

I love a good coming of age YA book! Bonus points if it’s set at a boarding school because boarding school dynamics have always fascinated me. This book did not disappoint and I was super invested in Evie’s character from the jump. She was messy and complicated and so hurt. I loved watching her find her people, getting comfortable in her skin, recognizing she had a right to take up space in the world, and coming into her own. Salem was rough around the edges but clearly had a soft spot for her from the start. I loved their banter and how they truly saw each other. Watching them go from friends to something more was a roller coaster ride. Sabrina was hilarious and the banter she added to the story was perfect. I loved the way she and Evie bonded. The plot was well paced and kept me turning pages. The ending was adorable and fit the story and the characters well. I just wish there had been an epilogue to see how things went a little further in the future.

I will read a grocery list written by this author. I love all of their stories and this one is no different. I will say it was a little TOO slow burn for my liking but her characters are just so well developed I had to find out how things end for them! No notes!

come as you are by dahlia adler (ARC)

thank you @netgalley for this ARC! this book was adorable and a perfect YA read. the characters were all so cute and well developed (especially side characters)! i loved the boarding school aspect of it too. it was VERY slow burn however and i did want a little bit more at times though. other than that i absolutely ate this up

/5 ⭐️
This is a good turn-your-brain-off-and-enjoy-the-ride kind of book.

However, its start was definitely stronger than the rest. The opening chapter was amazing! I was hooked. But the longer I read the more I cringed and the less it held my attention. But the reason why this was extra hard to review is because parts of the decision making and cringier moments are ones I remember doing when I was that age, except it was falling short here. And I think it was falling short because it was lacking a story arc. The main plot was forced onto us to the point even the story seemed to forget about it, and the whole story in general felt more like a rambling tale you tell your friend. The worst is that this had some great stuff to it. The diamond hidden in the roughness of this story was the interactions. Even though sometimes they were cringe and unrealistic, I still really enjoyed watching some of the character interactions. There’s something here. There’s something that showed me the author’s talent. I just think this was tough to read because it felt all over the place and too cheesey/cringe at times.

Thank you to NetGalley & Wednesday Publishing for providing an advance reader copy of this book for my honest review.