In Alicia Thompson’s new novel With Love From Cold World, Lauren Fox is a bit of a control freak who naturally works as a bookkeeper surprisingly in a small tourist attraction in Florida that needs to find ways to attract more visitors and is asked to work with her coworker, workplace goof Asa Williamson, and thus begins the hate to love romance.
With Love From Cold World presents itself as a typical quick-read, forgettable Rom-Com but offers quite a few surprises. It’s captivating and written well, pulling in the side characters with their own problems that effect the leads, even if we don’t see that much of them in the pages; they feel well rounded and believable. The main leads have interests, desires, and hobbies all outside of the main question of their romance. Even more so, the female lead, Lauren, is representing the foster care system, highlighting many of the issues it has and the male lead, Asa, not only represents the LGBTQIA+ community, he lives with three roommates that represent the community, too, written by an author who identifies as bi. And suddenly, this “forgettable” Rom-Com is dealing with issues such as identity and abandonment, inclusion and acceptance, loyalty and friendship, intertwined with the central romance but dangling outwards with the side characters, too.
Truly, this is a Rom-Com to actually recommend!

Who knew a place called Cold World could be so steamy?

Welcome to Cold World, Florida's premiere icy tourist attraction! A place where the only thing working harder than the employees who adore their tights-and-cardigans-required jobs is the air conditioner. Asa is our resident holiday season superfan who uses teasing as a love language, has some serious moves on his ice skates, and makes the best secret Santa presents ever. Lauren, for reasons, doesn't have that same, celebratory relationship to the holidays. What she does have is a dedication to help other kids growing up in foster care, a competitive streak a mile wide, and a sudden appreciation for people with tattoos and blue hair—even if that person is her main competition in a contest to see who can come up with the best idea to make their beloved Cold World shine.

I love stories where the setting becomes a character, and Cold World does just that. It's such a unique and perfect environment for a romance, and by the end of the book I was EMOTIONALLY INVESTED in its success. I also love stories where two characters who've both been hurt and let down and abandoned in truly devastating ways slowly convince each other to let their walls down. It's not easy for these two to learn to trust again, but it's so satisfying when they do.

Alicia Thompson has such skill for creating characters with the endearing quirks, tons of depth, and huge hearts. When I tell you I was an emotional wreck until these two finally realized they were it for each other, please believe. The supporting cast is also fantastic, and I can definitely see more people finding love in Cold World.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the author for this wonderful ARC. All opinions are my own.

I adored Alicia Thompson's absolutely brilliant sophomore romance, WITH LOVE, FROM COLD WORLD. This book seriously rocked me; please be prepared to have every piece of your heart deconstructed, cleaned, tuned, lovingly polished, and reassembled. (This robot metaphor is brought to you by FMC Lauren, who worries she might be a robot but is actually a real person with such a beautiful shimmering heart of her own.)

Deep in the Florida manufactured-fun industry lies Cold World, a third-rate winter theme park that’s seen better days, as introverted accountant Lauren Fox knows all too well from constantly calculating the sketchy bottom line. Perpetual entry-level employee Asa Williamson disagrees – there’s a lot to love about their shared workplace, especially the eclectic staff, who are like a found family…for everyone except Lauren and her robotic bean-counter reputation. But when the boss challenges both of them to come up with ideas that will revitalize the aging park, will they find a way to create a warm place in this Cold World?

So I know the title is COLD WORLD but y’all, I had zero chill while reading. Alicia Thompson writes some of the finest, most delicate, yet most impactful tender moments in romance, in my opinion - I was literally breathing “oh my God” through the fingers clamped over my mouth at times. Thompson will surround you with her immersive world-building and hold your heartstrings tight between Lauren, who’s afraid to give her heart and have it politely, pityingly handed back to where she stands on the outside looking in, and Asa, who tries to satisfy the depth of his longing for love with a thousand shallow connections. Throw in Thompson’s pop-culture drenched punchlines and hidden surprises from Taylor Swift lyrics to Little Prince allusions (I might’ve imagined that one, but I’m clinging to it) and folks, I’m not sure romance gets better than this.

Thanks to Berkley, Netgalley, and the author for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks first to Berkley and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

With Love, From Cold World is one of those wonderful, dreamy romances that I just couldn't put down. I knew I would enjoy it after reading Love In The Time of Serial Killers last year, but this one had me counting down the minutes of my day until I had a chance to get back to reading it. It was so good that I read it on a moving bus knowing I would likely get motion sickness. I absolutely loved it and feel sure that it will be a top favorite of the year.

Someone posted recently about loving books that are "rom-com-traum," and that is basically a perfect description. Lauren and Asa ... have been through some things. They work different jobs at a novelty winter attraction in Florida called Cold World. It snows there (kind of), and it's charming and kitschy and the perfect place to fall in love. Opposites attract as quiet, reserved Lauren gets to know easygoing Asa. They find they have more in common than they thought as they work together on an increasingly important project.

The characters were deep, interesting, and well-developed. It was nice to see thoughtful bisexual representation in Asa's character. Found family is a big theme, as both characters have dealt with loss and grief from their birth families. Really though, this was more a rom-com than a traum. Asa's pranks are fun, and there is plenty of lighthearted, sexy banter between Asa and Lauren that leads to some spicy scenes. Thompson always writes with humor and heart, and this book was the sweetest one I've read yet.

I give it 10/10 stars and recommend it to anyone who loves a charming romance with a side of depth and humor.

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

CW: foster system, parental drug addiction (past), parental death by overdose (past), religious intolerance to sexuality, involuntary outing (past), parental estrangement, sexual harassment, biphobia

I would recommend if you're looking for (SPOILERS)

-m/f contemporary romance
-workplace romance
-holiday vibes
-frenemies to idiots to lovers
-bi rep
-but wait I like kissing you
-denial

Gosh what a fun setting. An amusement type park dedicated to being cold in Florida. I was such a fan of Lauren. Self-contained, and just crushing entirely on the wrong guy (haven't we all?). And her workplace frenemy who gets along with everyone but her, Asa, is annoying but darn doesn't he smell good. This book was just soft, dealt with some heavy topics, and just two people who could be so distrustful of love somehow found their person.

I loved how both Asa and Lauren came from difficult upbringings and they both worked to help other kids going through it. As they slowly opened up to each other, forced to work together for the work place they both adore (I really wish Cold World was real it sounds so fun) and just their vibes of crap is everything I thought wrong and really I want to kiss them and maybe I do like them. Especially Lauren tiptoeing around Asa, the denial that they were both in just had me laughing as they tried not to care too much but whoops. Asa jealous about her crush.

These two were just so tender, the drunken serenading, trapped together at the office, just lovely watching them get their HEA after so much hurt in their lives.

Steam: 3.5

What makes Alicia Thompson one of my favorite authors is her ability to create a deeply intimate environment for her characters. It's this cozy space where they can exist and interact and fail and try again and find their happiness, and we readers are just lucky to exist in that space with them. It's like watching real people navigate their lives—she creates fully realized human beings, not just with her main characters but with the secondary ones as well. With WLFCW in particular this is so masterful of Thompson, because the cast is large! But every single character felt so *themselves*, if that makes sense.

It's going to be hard to write a review without spoiling things, because I want to talk about all the specific moments I loved so much (of which there are many) but I'm going to do my darnedest.

I loved Lauren, sweet, sweet Lauren who finds a family within the walls of Cold World. In the beginning of the book, it's clear she put herself into this stasis because she was scared to get close to people, and watching Asa and the rest of the beautiful cast of characters help her break out of it is so, so rewarding.

I loved Asa, who is such a scamp (my weakness), the jokester, the guy who thinks that's ALL he is, and yet we the reader know he's so, so much more. He cares so deeply for people, even (especially?) Lauren at the beginning when they're meant to be more adversarial, and the payoff of watching these two do the dance of starting to trust one another, and then pulling back, and then trusting and pulling back, until they were too close to pull away was absolutely perfect. One thing we never doubt from the very first page to the last, is that Lauren and Asa at their core care for one another.

I was so sad when I finished reading this book; I wanted to live inside the pages forever. I know I'll visit with Lauren, Asa, and the rest of the gang again and again, because as it turns out, Cold World is a very, very warm place indeed.

I sat down expect to start it, and I read it in under four hours. This is bisexual hug full of fake snow and the sweetest couple who deserve everything. Sexy, sweet, tear, and did I say sexy?? Cannot recommend this enough! Go preorder!