I'll be perfectly honest here--I DNF'ed this one about 25% of the way through. I might give it a try again someday, because part of me feels like I'm just not in the right mood to read this now. But I also found myself getting frustrated with the story, as well. A quarter of the way into the book, and I wasn't feeling very connected to either lead. It was also starting to feel a little repetitive to me--with character descriptions, as well as the interactions between the leads. On a positive note, it was an easy-to-read writing style, so like I said earlier, I may try it again at another time, but I don't think this one will be a favorite for me, even then.

I became a fan of Thompson's writing with Love in the Time of Serial Killers, but this one cemented me for life. With so many romances populated by beefy gruff alpha men and bubbly hyper-confident women, it's like a balm to the soul to read two complex, fully fleshed out characters who wrestle with relatable insecurities and difficult family dynamics and who are basically still figuring out who they are and what they want in life. Thompson deftly lays in challenging backstories for both of her leads, while also building an in-the-moment fun, funny, heartfelt love story in a spectacular setting, with a supportive and memorable friend group (who all need their own spin-offs, please!), a sassy boss with a wardrobe I'd love to design, and just enough steam to melt all but the most stubborn snowflakes in Cold World. Workplace rivalry launches the story, but the heart of the of the book lies in the ways the heroine works through her fear of abandonment and the hero peels away a few long-ingrained defence mechanisms as the two gradually acknowledge that their attraction to one another goes way beyond skin-deep. I loved that by the end of the story I felt like I knew them both, not just as characters in a book, but as three-dimensional people. I loved reading about a heroine who wasn't always confident. I loved reading about a hero who had his own struggles and whose greatest asset was his heart and not his pectorals. It's a tender love story--my favourite kind--full of memorable details, and I'll be right here for whatever Thompson writes next.

WITH LOVE FROM COLD WORLD is without a doubt one of the best contemporary romances I’ve read all year. Both main characters have traumatic back stories but Thompson skillfully makes those backstories a part of who the characters are in a way that doesn’t leave them as walking wounded, but rather as fully formed people who have believably taken that pain and moved forward from it, though not without scars. Thompson has a gorgeous authorial voice (I’ve likened it to literary flannel in how warm and compelling it can be, and I’ll continue the simile here) and Cold World is a real place in my mind that I wish I could visit (even if it is in Florida). If you’re going to read only one contemporary romance this year, read this one.

I enjoyed Alicia Thompson's previous book and this one was also a good time. Lauren and Asa's attraction to one another was so great! This had good banter and passion and I had a pretty good time reading this.

In this sweet, heartwarming book, we meet Lauren and Asa, who both work at Cold World. Cold World is a family park in Florida that brings nostalgia and snow to families who rarely see the cold. Both Lauren and Asa are dealing with trauma from their pasts, and both struggle with feeling unloved because of it. Despite being opposites in most ways and not getting along, they are assigned a task by their boss that results in them spending more time together. Then they begin to realize that they might have more in common than they originally thought.

I loved this author’s debut novel and was so excited to have the opportunity to read her second! It didn’t disappoint at all. I loved both main characters and wanted them to find happiness after such difficult upbringings. I appreciated how the author was able to touch on serious topics (foster care, loss of a parent, bigotry, coming out as bisexual) in a very sensitive and empathetic way. In addition, the workplace setting, holiday time period, childhood nostalgia, and an accidental workplace overnight added to the fun of this story! It is warm, cozy, funny, and poignant. You’ll surely want to grab this when it releases!

Thank you to Alicia Thompson, Berkley Romance, and Netgalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

This book was SO good! I loved how the pace wasn’t too fast but also wasn’t slow either. I kept up with everything nicely and it was so refreshing!

I also loved how this touched on topics that members of the LGBTQ+ community tackle - especially the youth. As an ally with a best friend that’s gay, it really does hit home to see some of the bigotry and hatred that they face for no reason.

Asa was SO charming and I found myself blushing and giggling at many points during the book. I was so happy that he was able to get Lauren out of her comfort zone and it was so clear that they helped heal each other.

I loved this book so much. It has a unique setting, characters you can’t help but root for, and a romance that’s beautiful and tender.

Lauren is the bookkeeper at Cold World, an Orlando attraction that’s an indoor winter wonderland. Asa is the guy who’s worked there for ten years and has a reputation as a jokester. He and Lauren are complete opposites in every way. She’s prickly and organized; he’s easygoing and carefree. Grump, meet sunshine.

The two have been rivals since Lauren started working at Cold World two years ago. Things heat up when their boss challenges them to come up with ideas to increase revenue. Cold World is struggling financially, and without a way to attract more customers, it could close. I was so invested in Cold World’s success! It was such an interesting setting, and the way Alicia Thompson writes it, I felt like I was there.

When Lauren and Asa end up locked inside Cold World all night after it closes, their relationship shifts from enemies/rivals to something more. Everything about that scene was perfect. It’s one that’s going to stay with me for a long time.

After that shift in their relationship, Lauren and Asa’s romance unfolds beautifully. They both have terrible things in their past — Lauren was in foster care and her mother died of an overdose, and Asa was kicked out of his family’s home at 17 when his pastor father learned he was bisexual. I was really touched by the way they supported each other and helped kids who were going through what they had gone through. (Lauren volunteers as a guardian ad litem for foster kids, and Asa volunteers for an LGBTQ+ crisis line.)

Something about this book just felt safe and cozy. I think a lot of it had to do with not just Lauren and Asa, but found family, which is a theme throughout the book. Lauren doesn’t have a family or any friends, and watching her be brought into Asa’s found family was lovely. So was reading about Lauren and Asa falling in love. THESE TWO. They’re written with such care and heart that it makes me kind of emotional.

This is one of my favorite romances I’ve read in a while. I highly recommend picking it up when it releases in August.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

i LOVED this book. i loved lauren, i loved asa, i loved lauren AND asa. i loved the setting; cold world is expertly crafted. i loved the friend group (i am DYING and i mean DYING to see what john it up to… PLEASE alicia thompson PLEASE tell me we get a book for him!) - so supportive & so loving. I LOVE THIS BOOK! READ IT!

#netgalley

This was a very sweet & sexy workplace romance: the workplace just happens to be an Orlando theme park named “Cold World”.

(CW: the two MCs each had childhood trauma - one was abandoned & in foster care, the other was kicked out by parents for being bisexual.)

I love these cheesy covers, and I absolutely loved Love in the Time of Serial Killers. I was so excited to start With Love, from Cold World. Enemies to lovers, characters with incredible chemistry. The plot of this one was so unique and I got through it in one sitting. Highly recommended!!

definitely a unique one! Sweet
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This new story is based on a love-hate relationship. You know the type – you meet someone and they automatically rub you the wrong way. Personalities clash and you think you really don’t like them when in actuality, you just have to get to know them.

Thompson brings a story that has character and flavor with a simmering connection that slowly builds between the two main characters. They are opposites in many ways but yet blend together perfectly with understanding and trust. She adds a solid lineup of secondary characters that help to develop this book into an engaging and compelling read.

The story is definitely unique with the plot and the character development, not to mention the crazy business! Plus, With Love, from Cold World gives us a sweet ending that leaves you with a smile and anticipation for more from this up-and-coming author. (Fab cover BTW!)

A very sweet, opposites attracts/enemies to lovers story in a chilly and unique setting. Perfect read for hot beach days.

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

First off, what a gorgeous cover! With Love, from Cold World by Alicia Thompson is a winter-themed rom-com that would make the perfect holiday gift. The story revolves around Lauren, who works as a bookkeeper for Cold World, a winter wonderland located in Florida. Lauren is competing with Asa, a coworker at Cold World, to come up with the best ideas to bring more people into the store But the rivalry soon turns into something else...

Here is a magical excerpt from Chapter 1, which is from Lauren's point of view:

"LAUREN FOX HAD THE MOST BORING JOB AT THE COOLEST place. Literally, the coolest—it said it on the website and everything. If you felt the sudden urge to build a snowman or ice skate in Central Florida, Cold World was the place to do it.
...
She loved her job, though. There was something so satisfying about entering numbers into spreadsheets, sorting the data into different permutations, and keeping her filing cabinet like a finely manicured garden of color-coded folders. And there was something just a little magic about stepping into a blast of winter every Monday through Friday, no matter how humid and gross the Florida air was outside."

Overall, With Love, from Cold World is an absolutely amazing rom-com that would make the perfect cozy-day winter read! One highlight of this book is the one-of-a-kind setting. I've never read a book that takes place in a winter-themed store before, and it made really interested in the book. Another highlight of this book was the humor and laugh-out-loud moments. One final highlight of this book was the LGBT representation, which was completely unexpected but also wonderfully done. I was also a fan of the cast of characters beyond the main couple. If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of rom-coms in general, I highly recommend that you check out this book when it comes out in August!

I enjoyed the authors previous novel, "love in time of serial killers" so I was so excited to get this ARC. However I couldn't get into the storyline, or the writing. It looked amazing and I was disappointed. It was extremely unfortunate, because the story itself seemed interesting.

My heart, this was so soft. I loved Asa and Lauren so much. This book was so complex, too. Their relationship had lots of layers and I enjoyed them so much.

The first time Asa and Lauren met wasn’t exactly a meet cute so there was a lot of tension in their interactions… but once they started getting along, that tension became amazing chemistry. Even at the beginning I could tell that once they finally became more, they were going to be the cutest. They both had the most gentle personalities. I love soft/soft pairings so much.

Lauren was one of the most lovable heroines ever for me. After growing up in foster care, it was so understandable how much she valued consistency and stability. I loved how protective she was of Asa. The confrontation with his parents gave me life. Asa was such an amazing hero. Always so open about his feelings, even after suffering his parents’s bigotry. Everyone loved and wanted to protect him, and I could totally see why. He’s the kind of person that makes everything better just by his sole presence. Kiki and the rest of his roommates were the best! These secondary characters made this book the complete package: great romance, great plot, great friendships.

Also, this epilogue was literally everything. It made me so happy. I want more from Asa and Lauren! 😭

TW: Biphobia, parental abuse (emotional), death of a parent, drug addiction

Rating: 5/5
Steam level: Open door, 2-3 scenes, high level of detail

ARC provided by PRH International and NetGalley. Opinions are my own!

Once again I've fallen in love with Alicia Thompson's characters! Asa is a bisexual king. This romance deals with complicated issues but in a really beautiful way. And all around Christmas! I tried my hardest not to read it too quickly but I couldn't stop myself.

Update 4/3: Sometimes books have the ability to stick with you, and this one has stuck with me. The depth of the characters and the intensity of the feelings evoked has me thinking back to this, two months later. I'm already looking forward to rereading it when it's officially published.

Review 2/16: Lauren Fox is a wet blanket, and Asa Williamson is a clown. An opposites-attract slow-burn story worth sharing. The plot was enjoyable and the pacing was done well. A great beach read for the summer.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC.

I was lucky enough to win an e-ARC of WITH LOVE, FROM COLD WORLD by Alicia Thompson through a Shelf Awareness giveaway. Thanks for the early look, and have a safe and happy spring!

This book!! So, so good from the beautiful cover to the oh-so satisfying ending. I finished yesterday and I’m still in my feelings, in love with Lauren and Asa.

Cold World, a winter-themed entertainment venue in Orlando, has seen better days. Lauren is the shy facilities bookkeeper and Asa is the tattooed, blue-haired, Jack of all trades, the bane of her work existence. She’s a rigidly self-controlled, former foster kid. He’s the easy-going, bisexual son of an unforgiving pastor. Together they are magic.

Alicia Thompson did a fantastic job of building all the relationships, the supporting characters, the entire Cold World vibe. There really is nothing not to like here!

Thank you to Shelf Awareness, NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group, Berkley for this complimentary ARC. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

❄️ It's such a cold, cold world (hello cold world)❄️

Well this was absolutely delightful!!! It was a giant mug of hot cocoa warm and cozy feelings. Asa and Lauren were the squishy marshmallows on top. I’m currently deep in the clutches of a Minnesota winter, so it was doubly impressive that I actually felt love for snow again…it’s been 84 years.

*Minor spoilers and/or plot things below*

With Love, from Cold World was such a good enemies to lovers workplace romance!!! Their banter really hit the spot, and I don’t think it really ventured into uselessly childish or cruel. They each had a lot of preconceived notions about each other, so it was really nice watching them…break the ice. (I couldn’t resist.) It’s dual POV (unlike LITTOSK), so I got a great sense of both of their misunderstandings and personal roadblocks.

It’s one of those books where the relationship and emotions escalate quickly but it’s incredibly believable because they already had that simmering passion, they just needed a little nudge… WHICH WAS BEING LOCKED IN COLD WORLD AFTER HOURS ALL NIGHT. I’M SORRY FOR YELLING BUT IT WAS SO GOOD. Everything about that scene!! And the conversations that followed and how they processed everything and worked together! UGH it was just so soft.

Asa and Lauren were lovely. The found family element of the book was my absolute favorite. The camaraderie between Asa’s roommates felt so real and frankly I’d die for John. Lauren was also working with a child in the foster system, while Asa volunteered with a LGBTQIA+ youth crisis line. They were both helping other where they received help and/or struggled in the past. Lauren was put in foster care as a child and Asa was kicked out by his parents in high school for being bi.

On that note, I love whenever an MC defends the other one, especially in front of shitty parental figures! I also loved how Asa wasn’t pressured into forgiveness. Not everything ended perfectly in that regard, because he wasn’t ready to repair those relationships. Lauren and Asa’s relationship felt so restorative and safe.

Overall, I wasn’t expecting to feel so invested in the setting of Cold World. It felt so nostalgic. I swear I could smell that cold rubber mat hockey player popcorn scent of ice rinks. Maybe I should go sharpen my skates just to feel something.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 🌶️🌶️.5*/5

*I wasn’t sure how hot this would be but whoo the snow was melting!!! We got a bit more than LITTOSK, but the writing in both was explicit. The scenes aren’t very long, but I could tell that Alicia is a romance reader and reads a lot of it. She has an excellent handle on how to craft a really hot scene in a short amount of space. Asa and Lauren had such great chemistry.