Six Degrees of Separation - August 2023

Six Degrees of Separation is hosted by Kate at booksaremyfavoriteandbest. A book is selected each month as the starting point for us to link to six other books. I go a bit rouge by selecting my own book from the previous months’ Five Star Friday, but still maintain the spirit of the meme.

This Month's Book

Come As You Are by Jess K. Hardy
Published by Pinkity Publishing on November 1, 2022
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Goodreads

He’ll win her heart one mixtape at a time.

46-year-old Ashley Cooke will do just about anything to save her struggling ski hill. When she hires the men from a local sober living home for the season to cut costs, even she thinks she’s gone too far. With her credit cards maxed, her cheating ex-husband intent on buying the mountain out from under her, and record-breaking snow in the forecast, she can’t afford to be distracted by the six-foot-tall bearded and tattooed sober living home owner moving onto her mountain.

53-year-old recovering addict and ex-grunge rocker Matthew Madigan has devoted every minute of the last decade to the men residing at his sober living home. When he meets tightly wound and adorably flustered Ashley, desires he’s put on the back burner for years start to simmer. Immune to his infamous albeit rusty charm, Ashley presents a challenge he can’t resist. When she offers to give him skiing lessons in exchange for his help training her St. Bernard rescue dog, he jumps at the chance to ride next to her on the chairlift despite his debilitating fear of heights.

During bunny hill shenanigans, chairlift confessions, and steamy cabin serenades, Madigan teaches Ashley that a person’s past doesn’t define them, and Ashley shows Madigan that the men he helps aren’t the only people who deserve a second chance. When sabotage threatens both the men and the mountain, Ashley and Madigan will have to decide if they’re only having a winter fling, or if the mountain isn’t the only thing worth fighting for.

Content Notes: Addiction, divorce, mourning loss of parent

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Come As You Are is a fantastic contemporary romance which many would consider a "mature" romance given the ages of the hero and heroine. The themes of love, second chances, connection, and forgiveness were things I loved, but I also adored the plot point where they work together to try and save the family ski business. 

1. A Little Too Late by Sarina Bowen finds Reed returning home to his family's ski resort and attempting to hold onto the family business. This book also featured a second chance romance which reunites college sweethearts. 
2. Just my Type by Falon Ballard is another second chance romance, but these two were high school sweethearts. Hero and Heroine are pitted against each other to win a desirable opportunity for their own Chronicle column. 
3. The Last Word by Katy Birchall is another office romance between journalists. Ryan and Harper had a whirlwind romance back when they were interns. Ryan went from love interest to nemesis back then, and now the exes find themselves working for the same magazine. 
4. You with a View by Jessica Joyce brings high school rivals together as they take the honeymoon their grandparents had planned. The trip was amazing and took them to many popular destinations out west, including Utah. 
5. Something Wilder by Christina Lauren is an action/adventure type romance which takes place in Utah. One of the major plot points involves a treasure hunt which was pretty exciting. 
6. Maggie Moves On by Lucy Score included some interesting historical gems along with a treasure hunt of their own. 

What books can you connect to the starter book?
Let us know in the comments!