DNF at 20%

This pains me because I've previously really enjoyed Adler's books, but this one was just not it for me. I like the writing, but I don't care about Evie at all, and she seems really judgey about Salem and Sabrina because they look "emo". The maturity level of how her character acts versus how old she actually was didn't really match up.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the opportunity to read and review.

Man, I'm so bummed this book is over!! I just finished it, unknowingly, because I was ready for so much more of Evie & Salem.

Not everyone like teen stories, but they are usually so charming, and this book was as well.

I loved the dynamic of "The Rumson girl" and the rest of the school. Go, Evie!!

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Oh my gosh. I absolutely devoured this book. I already a huge fan of YA, so I was super excited to pick this up. Salem may be in the top 10 book boyfriend category. I loved him. Evie was precious, and I was cheering her on the entire time. This is such a good book!

Thank you St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books and of course Dahlia Adler for the ARC!

I don't even know where to start. This had literally everything I love in a book. Relatable characters, fun side plots, and THE ANGST. The Angst had me screaming into my pillow at 1 o'clock in the morning.

Evie was literally me first year of college (minus the boys dorm) just trying to discover herself and work through major trust issues from previous bad relationships. She wants to live a bit on the wild side but find herself falling for the one person she never thought she would. And OH MY GOSH do I not blame her at all. Salem is your stereotypical goth but with such a loveable side that we don't often see in these type of MMCs. He just absolutely melted my heart and I loved everything about him. The banter between Evie and Salem was top notch. And the way he cares for her even just as a friend UGH my heart.

There were so many moments that I legit screamed, kicked my feet, or was giggling like a High Schooler and I absolutely adored it all. It truly felt like I was transported back to my dorm days and all the emotions and drama that comes with that.

The side characters were an absolute blast and they all had their unique traits and quirks that made it easy to remember them and tell them apart. I genuinely would follow these characters to do grocery shopping and have fun 😂

My one issue is that the maturity level and some content felt more like college and not High School. I really think the story didn't need to be set in High School and could've benefited a bit aging the characters up a bit in a college dorm setting. I also do wish the conflict between Evie and her sister was wrapped up a bit more because I really wanted to see Evie punch her lmao (her sister is the WORST).


Overall, this was such a pleasant surprise and I will definitely be checking out Dahlia Adler's other works and will pray she gives these characters a sequel. I would genuinely love to see them in college or give Sabrina and Isabel a book 👀

thank you to wednesday books and netgalley for the arc! dahlia adler is one of my top ya authors so when this hit my kindle i was giggling and kicking my feet!

i ate this up! i mean who doesn’t love good girl x bad boy. especially with a ya book about self discovery— i was sold!

if you read adler’s books for the queer rep i still recommend reading this. even tho the “main” couple was cishet, the side characters were top tier. we love a found family.

did i sort of wish i went to boarding school after reading this? definitely. do i think i would’ve done well in boarding school? absolutely not. but that’s why we love to read about them. this did give me This May End Badly vibes by Sam Markum.

Cool for the Summer is always gonna be my favorite dahlia book, but this one was fun 🙌🏻

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

DNF at 25%. The initial premise is kinda funny, but I’m just not gelling with the characters, and I’m not the target audience anyway, so I’m putting it down.

Sadly, this was a DNF. I love Dahlia Adler, but I struggled to get invested in the story and characters.

This was such a cute coming of age young adult story. I loved reading about Salem and Evie. The accidental putting Evie in the boys dormitory starts her new school adventure in a way she didn’t want to start, but then she meets Salem and they come up with a plan to make him a “good boy” and make her a “bad girl”, I cried a couple of times, and I hated where it ended, I hope the story continues. I need to know what happens with Sabrina, Salem’s twin sister.

Sickeningly sweet and adorable, I was giggling and it was just so cute.

If you like the old school 90s teen romcoms where the "bad boy" and the "good girl" make a deal to help one another then you'll love this.

Evie (Everett) is running away from her home/school life and transfers to boarding school - she's hoping for a new start but obviously life has other plans and she begins on the wrong foot with basically everyone...except Salem.

I ADORE Salem. I just love him. He is everything. He pretends like he doesn't care but really he's just masking that he cares entirely too much. It's just so sweet.

Sabrina is the epitome of the 90s romcom edgy friend, she's great for Evie though and she conveniently is Salem's twin sister so that's fun. I did like how the author portrayed Isabel - she very easily could have fallen into the "cool girl" stereotype but it was refreshing to see it play out differently.

I really wish we got more Evie/Salem moments but I did enjoy the book overall, I wouldn't say no to a sequel to be honest. I feel like there was a lot left that could be explored more and I would love it.

Also, as someone who grew up with a predominantly "boy" name (thank you Taylor Swift for making it not so anymore lmao) I relate so hard to Evie's struggle with people assuming she's a boy when they see her name. Although I guess to be fair, Everett is pretty solidly boy and not generally considered androgynous lol.

Rep: side LGBTQ characters, minor ace mention

Come As You Are by Dahlia Adler is a YA Romance book set in a boarding school. It is a fun and easy read. There are lot of portions where you can't stop smiling. I liked the book but did not love it. I was looking forward to read this book, but somewhere along I felt disappointed as it was not what I was expecting. Also I found the ending a bit unfinished.

This book might appeal to people who are looking for a quick, easy read and those who love YA Romance.

Rating: 3.5

When I read the synopsis I was intrigued and excited to get reading. But as the story and characters began I just wasn't feeling it. I kept on hoping for connection or feeling something besides boredom. But I just didn't feel it. The book seemed juvenile to me and I'm probably in the wrong headspace to want to escape into a boarding school romance.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC of this book!

I have enjoyed all of Dahlia Adler's previous YA rom-coms, and this was no exception. It is a very quick read, it's funny, and the main characters all have fun little quirks. Evie and Salem's relationship was entertaining and endearing--definite Rory and Jess vibes. I enjoyed that the story was more than just a romance--it is also a coming of age story in many ways and I think teen readers will like reading about how people their age handle issues when the parents are present (since they are all at a boarding school).

Come As You Are was an adorable and funny YA romantic comedy. Evie is mistakenly assigned to the boy's dorm at a boarding school - definitely not the fresh start she was hoping for after the drama of her ex-boyfriend cheating on her with her own sister. But she dives in headfirst with lessons in how to be "bad" with a deal struck up with her upstairs neighbor Salem who claims to need some lessons in being good to show his parents that his enrollment at Camden is justified and that he is trying to improve. Evie has some stumbles in trying to make friends and fit in - but learns to have fun, let go, and finds friends that truly "see" her. Salem is the perfect mix of moody and considerate and caring. The banter between Evie and Salem is excellent and reminded me of Jess and Rory from Gilmore Girls. Loved Sabrina and the relationship she has with her brother Salem. Matt and Isabel were fun side characters too. Plenty is left up in the air - but overall this was a really fun read. Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the opportunity to read this novel.

Come As You Are by Dahlia Adler is not my normal read. I just could not get into the story. The characters seem well-developed. It is just not the story for me

Come As You Are has all the makings of a classic teenage story. I can honestly picture this making a great movie or show with how detailed the setting was and how interesting the plot points were!

We start off with our FMC Everett Owen Riley who gets placed in a boys dorm because again, her name is EVERETT OWEN RILEY. And the crazy just keeps getting crazier because she winds up having to stay in a single in the boys dorm and she makes the most interesting friends. One of them (Matt) lives above her and has a rope ladder that goes past her window for his conquests to use (hence the eye-catching cover art). And that's just the beginning of the book!

School shenanigans and high school drama are so entertaining to me. (Be wary, if you suffer from secondhand embarrassment you might be doing A LOT of cringing during this book.) I also felt so bad for Everett (Evie) with her situation with her family and friends, I definitely understood her desire to start over in a new place with new people but the drama that ensued was top notch for sure. I loved the quirky twin friends she makes: Salem and Sabrina, because why not have funny, cutesy twin names. Salem is very Jess Mariano coded in the best way. He and Evie totally have Rory+Jess chemistry with quippy banter and sarcasm. Following Evie on her adventure to be a whole new person was such a great ride, especially when she involved Salem in her schemes.

There is a sweet slowburn romance and some lines that literally made my heart melt, but this is also more of a coming of age story about finding yourself than just your average YA romance. Evie's journey is so relatable and I truly felt like I was in the thick of it with her. I loved the boarding school setting and all the different activities and adventures that occurred through the school. The school year plot layered with Evie's story was balanced perfectly.

Lessons are learned, experiences are had, and even when Evie was making some less than good choices, I was still rooting for her! This book was a lot of fun and I enjoyed every minute of it.

Come As You Are feels like XO, Kitty meets Perks of Being a Wallflower.


Thank you so very much to St. Martin's Press / Wednesday Books for the ARC through Netgalley!

This book was cute and a fast read. The characters do feel like they are written to be at the older end of the YA spectrum rather than ~15 years old. It had fun banter, but the romance seemed to develop very fast and could have used more moments between the two.

DNF @21%

I think I'm giving up on this author. This is the third book I've tried to read by her and I've hated all of them. I don't like the writing or the dialogue and I think this book oversexualizes 15/16 year olds.

I need to put a disclaimer that I don’t think I was in the demographic for this book as it’s very YA but it didn’t translate as YA because they acted and dealt with some more mature situations.

Overall, this book was okay. The writing left a lot to be desired and I don’t think there was a great resolution to anything besides Evie and Salem eventually figuring things out. Even that thought was so rushed. The situation between Evie and Sierra too was left to the very last minute as well. Unless there’s a sequel to this book, it’s a bummer how that ended.

I did like the LGBTQIA+ representation and if the author does choose to write another book, that it’s their story.

Overall, for the right demographic, I’m sure this will be enjoyable. But I wouldn’t rush to read it. Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Dahlia Adler for the ARC in exchange of an honest review.

Come As You Are is a super cute YA book set in a boarding school.
Evie decides she needs to attend a boarding school after a pretty bad situation at home concerning her sister, ex boyfriend and best friend. She just wants a "do-over" and to have something that is hers and hers alone. But when she shows up to her dorm room, her roommate is a boy and she is indeed NOT a boy. But the school got it wrong because of her more masculine name of Everett. She decides from this day forward, she will give herself a voice and not let it deter her. She will find a way to get into one of the dorms she requested. Unfortunately, things don't work out as expected, BUT she gets a room to herself.....in the boys dorm.

But then things start off on the wrong foot and Evie feels like her old life has followed her and she needs to change things up. She then turns to her upstairs neighbors, Matt and Salem. The good girl Evie needs to be more "bad" and the bad boy Salem needs to be more "good", so they make a deal to help each other succeed with their goals. A friendship of sorts form and something more transforms as time goes on between these seemingly two opposites.

Evie and Salem are totally cute and 100% relatable. They felt like true high schoolers. I loved the friendship they built that was full of sarcasm and banter. They were both at this school to start fresh and probably to go through some self-discovery, as one does at a teenager. There are some supporting characters (like Matt, Sabrina, Heather, etc) that help push the story forward and some normal high school hijinks that come into play, but overall I felt like this story was just too YA for me. There was nothing wrong with it, just was cute and fun and would be good for someone much younger who could relate to the characters and what they were going through more than myself.

Overall, this is an enjoyable story of finding your people. Of growing up and discovering who you are. With plenty of queer rep and true to life teenagers, this will appeal to 12-18 years olds.

Dahlia Adler's writing is always difficult to put down. Come As You Are was a cozy boarding school YA with lovable and relatable characters. Evie is a flawed, but genuine main character who ran away to boarding school to escape a devastating betrayal by her sister and her best friend and decides she wants to reinvent herself. She makes a pact with Salem, a boy who has a history of making questionable choices, that lead to trying new things, misadventures, and discovering themselves. This was a beautifully written YA romance with diverse representation.