Come As You Are: A Novel
In this opposites attract romance for fans of Begin Again and Better Than the Movies, a fresh start doesn't have to mean changing yourself.
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, romantically, and–annoyingly enough– even physically, Evie's quest feels like one dead end after another. 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 forged with people who know exactly who you are.
"Heartfelt and hopeful. In Come As You Are, Dahlia Adler deftly combines the witty dialogue of a grumpy-sunshine romance with the emotional turmoil of searching for self-acceptance. This is the royal flush of YA romances!" - Kristy Boyce, bestselling author of Dungeons and Drama
"Dahlia Adler’s uplifting Come As You Are is full of snappy banter, personality-plus characters, and the chaos and complications that come with being sixteen. Plus, a giggle-inducing grumpy-sunshine romance. This fresh take on the boarding school story is a delightful way to spend the afternoon!" - K.L. Walther, New York Times bestselling author of The Summer of Broken Rules
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Community Reviews
Determined to reinvent herself, Evie teams up with her grumpy emo partner-in-crime Salem trying to teach her “how to be bad” while she’s the goody-two-shoes teaching him “how to be good.” Cute enough, sure. But let’s get real for a second: the setting is a boarding school, yet somehow the drug use and casual hookups read more like a college frat party than a prep school drama. I mean, did everyone forget that boarding schools tend to have a bit more supervision and a bit less… well, reckless debauchery?
The fake-bad-girl-meets-fake-good-boy dynamic? Adorable. The pact? Classic YA gold. The banter? On point. Salem even manages to be a functioning human despite all his brooding (a YA miracle!). But here's the thing—this story would've made so much more sense in college. Like, sure, boarding school drama is juicy, but when teens are signing housing contracts and negotiating PR makeovers like they're interns at Vogue, maybe it’s time to up the characters’ ages just a smidge. Just a tiny dash of realism, please.
In the end, Come As You Are delivers cute vibes, heartwarming growth, and some swoony moments, but it loses points for realism, subtlety, and trying to pass off this whole dorm fiasco as anything remotely plausible.
Still, Evie’s emotional journey is endearing, Salem is a decent blend of angst and adorableness, and the idea of learning how to be unapologetically yourself is never a bad message. I just wish it came with a more grounded setting—and maybe fewer 15-year-olds casually hooking up.
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