Jasper is the proclaimed golden girl of her hometown. She's the one everyone counts on, everyone loves, but nobody really knows or understands. "Jasper who never said no." She's coming home for the holidays, but her doubts are her own.

I loved getting an authentic neurodivergent main character with a voice everyone needs to hear. Jasper is delightful and relatable - and I loved her story. I loved her rocky relationship with her sister, and then we add a love interest enemies-to-lovers thread, and here's the most fun holiday story for the season.

"This loopy town IS the story."

❄️❄️❄️❄️

"Some like it cold. I know I do. I like being warmed up."

This is a hetero romance with an autistic protagonist. The autism is the only thing that makes the protagonist interesting—in every other way, she’s perfect and she just needs to find someone who can love her under her mask. Meh. I’m glad there are more books featuring autism, especially women with autism, but this isn’t one I loved. If you want a feel good story in which everyone ends up happy—sure. It’s brain candy. But there’s nothing else to it. They live in a perfect town and everyone loves her. Her family is perfect and rich, and while they start out as mean to her because of her autism, somehow by the end they are sorry for being mean and will live happily ever after.
The book is sweet and I liked some of the minor characters, like Odette and Hera.

I received a free temporary e-ARC from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I was invited to read this book by the publisher. I really enjoyed reading this book! This book is about Jasper coming to terms with her relationship with the place she was raised, family, and the past. The characters in this book actually had a lot of depth, and were also incredibly relatable. And between Jasper and her love interest, Arthur, there is very obvious chemistry and it flowed very nicely (I also liked that we got both perspectives!). I also appreciated that the author made the town a character in this book - there was also a lot of depth in portraying the town, as well. This is just a well-rounded, good book that will put you in the perfect mood.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Wednesday Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Some Like it Cold is a YA romcom with an autistic heroine, Jasper. I liked Jasper's character but her mom and sister were very unlikable characters.
It's a quick read and has some great parts but it was just hard to like the family and some of the people in town.
Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for my ARC.

This is such a sweet and cozy romance read. You will fall in love with Jasper while wanting to beat up her older sister, Christine. This book focuses on the budding romance between Jasper and Arthur and takes on the realities of small towns and needing to be perfect for your family while having autism.

After being away for what seemed like an eternity, 18-year-old Jasper Montgomery is finally making her way back home to the picturesque town of Lake Pristine for the holiday season. However, she's concealing some undisclosed secrets she is not yet ready to reveal. Meanwhile, Arthur, an aspiring filmmaker, is fervently working on capturing the essence of Lake Pristine, aiming to transform the quaint town into the backdrop for a remarkable small-town story fit for the silver screen. His ambitious plans are unexpectedly thrown into disarray when the town's beloved golden girl, Jasper, reappears. Strikingly, she also happens to be the figure who once served as the antagonist during his school days – someone who has lingered in his memory all these years.

Jasper's return to Lake Pristine is not without purpose; she is there with the sole intent of bidding farewell to her hometown. However, as time passes, interpersonal tensions in the small town begin to mount, and a particular brooding film enthusiast emerges as a compelling reason for her to linger.

This narrative promises an immersive experience. Jasper takes center stage as an autistic heroine in a deeply endearing, small-town romance that will undoubtedly tug at your heartstrings.

I enjoyed reading this incredible story. Thank you so much to Netgalley and St. Martins Press for an opportunity to read this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Loved this one! Great and fun read. Highly recommend.
Many thanks to the publisher, Netgalley, and the author for my ARC.

I really liked this book because the characters were fun to follow. Their struggles and obstacles kept me hooked the whole time! I also love a good small town romance, so bonus points for that. The only thing I was confused by/didn't like was the UK slang that didn't match as well with the small town America vibe. Outside of that, great book!

Thank you Netgalley and publishers for the digital advanced copy!

10 * stars! This was such a beautiful book. It was such a sweet and lovely story. I enjoyed it from beginning to end. And I learned so much from it.

Jasper Montgomery is the Golden Girl of the small town of Lake Pristine. Away at college for the last 18 months, the entire town is a buzz knowing she is finally coming home. Well, everyone but Arthur Lancaster, the grumpy son of the beloved cinema owner. Or so we are led to believe… It would appear that there is more to Arthur’s grumpy exterior when it comes to Jasper. He seems to actually see Jasper for who she is, neurodivergence and all. While Jasper struggles with what her future is going to look like thanks to the pressure from her family, she never imagined that future might have to include Arthur once feelings get involved. Having a female MMC with autism is incredibly important as someone who has a family member with the same. Jasper is a strong and beautiful MMC and deserves a HEA with someone who loves her as she is - not as the person she is masking or thinking the world needs to see. This entire book was a warm hug on a cold Christmas night.

Fun summer or winter read. Jasper is autistic and has always been told that she can’t show her true self to the people of the town where she grew up. Her sister, raised as the queen of the village, can do no wrong and is expecting perfection for her wedding. Arthur hasn’t been able to get Jasper’s face out of his mind even though there’s no way she could ever be interested in him, right? Sparks fly and friendships are tested and destroyed as secrets come to light. Great story.

So for those of you wondering based on the cover and title: <b>This is NOT a Christmas book</b>.

It’s a story that would be good for winter break as it takes place around Christmas, but I wouldn’t call it a Christmas story.

This book follows Jasper, a neurodivergent teen who has come home for the holidays following her first year of college and who wants to follow a different path from what has been laid out for her. She clashes with Arthur, her old high school nemesis, and faces major stresses in her personal life.

This is very much a character driven story and it was an interesting exploration of a neurodivergent teen. However, most of the secondary characters were completely awful, especially Christine, Odette, and Marcus which made it hard to see why Jasper or Arthur cared so much about them. It was nice to see Jasper grow and change though.

The tone of the book was quite melancholy which I wasn’t really expecting. Overall this would be a good read for those interested in learning more about neurodivergence. I also loved that they put on The Nutcracker (though I would have liked more details about the performance itself).

I loved it. I stayed up way past my bedtime to finish reading and am bawling. This book is like coming home to the comforts and warmth of what’s familiar. I loved how the characters and relationships grew and developed from start to finish. I found myself rooting for Jasper and Art, and wanting to visit the town of Lake Pristine. Elle McNicoll empathetically navigates the complexities of friendships, families, romantic relationships, grief, and neurodivergence in this novel. Kudos and well-done! Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

What a FUN book! I loved the main character, and the theme behind this one. I love a good dramatic love story. So sweet! Highly recommend

“Some Like It Cold” was a beautiful story. Jasper is autistic/neurodivergent and knows firsthand that her struggling to understand social cues or becoming overstimulated in environments makes neurotypical people uncomfortable. Her family, especially her mother, have also instilled in her the belief that her diagnosis means she is imperfect, and that the world would consider her imperfect. As a result, she has become an expert at masking. Jasper is also almost universally beloved in her small hometown of Lake Pristine because she is a genuinely caring person who is always willing to lend a hand, putting other people’s needs before her own.

However, trying to live up to her family’s expectations and the image the townsfolk have of her has become emotionally overwhelming. She has been away at college, but it has been a horrible experience. Jasper is planning to finally do something for herself and pursue her dreams, even though it will likely mean being ostracized by her family and having to give up Lake Pristine.

However, before that happens Jasper has to get through one more Christmas in Lake Pristine, including dealing with her family, and putting on an amazing performance of the Nutcracker (her mom runs the ballet studio and Jasper is a former prima). This becomes more difficult when she arrives home to witness her sister’s very public marriage proposal and becomes enmeshed in the wedding planning. Her sister Christine is not the nicest person, and the stress of the wedding preparations increases her rudeness towards others, including Jasper. If that was not enough, Arthur, the one person in town whose annoying behavior Jasper will actually react to, is making a film about small town life in Lake Pristine that will prominently feature her family. Beneath his grumbly exterior, Arthur is actually a pretty good guy. He is also harboring a secret love for Jasper, although it is not as hidden as he believes, except to Jasper. However, the making of the film and other events in town will result in Arthur and Jasper gaining a better understanding of each other.

Jasper is a wonderfully developed and complex character. I enjoyed watching/reading as she finally allowed herself to be vulnerable and to stand up for herself. I also liked the Jasper - Arthur dynamic. The story even contains a redemptive arc for Jasper's family, especially Christine.

This was cute! And that's as much as I think about it.

The neurodivergent rep was incredible. McNicoll's portrayal of masking and Jasper gradually breaking out of it was so well done and tender. It also helped that Jasper herself was a delightful main character, as her kindness and love she has for her family, friends, and Lake Pristine really shine through the page. It took me a while to like Arthur, for I found the motivations for his documentary to be dubious, but he did warm up to me as he became closer to Jasper and was being more genuine.

The big reason why I didn't like this more was the snide attitude the town gave off for the majority of the book. The rampant gossip, the in-group or nothing plights, the casual worship of the richest family in town, it all gave me the ick. The characters joke about it themselves, and this eventually is turned on its head to show the better, friendlier side of small towns, but the whole experience left a bad taste in my mouth. It also made it hard to come around to Jasper's family at the end, particularly her sister Christine. They show remorse and become more supportive, but it didn't really feel earned when they spent most of the book being the absolute worst type of family towards her (For Christ's sake, Christine forced her easily overstimulated sister to go to a club for her bachelorette party, knowing she would likely shutdown, and never even said sorry! Making Jasper maid-of-honor last minute doesn't make up for that at all.)

All in all, this was a cute romance, but there were some elements in the story I couldn't vibe with well.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the arc of this book. all opinions are my own.

I will post my full review once SMP address the insensitive comments of their employee.

This was such an empowering romance book I loved it!
The main character is written beautifully and is so complex. The mc is autistic and even though I am not autistic, the author was able so show and explain what it is like to live with it SO AMAZINGLY.

Overall, the storyline was great, the characters are great, and this WHOLE BOOK is freaking fantastic. Everyone should read it. Especially to understand what it is like to live as someone with autism.

'Some Like it Cold' is a great book to get readers in the holiday spirit! Loved the neurodivergent and LGBTQIA+ representation within the cast of characters. Excited to see what author Elle McNicoll comes up with next.

3.5 stars

First off, I would like to say that the neurospicy rep for this was wonderful, and really loved Jasper as a main character. As for Arthur, it took a minute for his character to grow on me, but once he did I adored him too. That being said, I sort of hated the town & everyone else? & how her family acted just really rubbed me the wrong way.

This was a really cute small town romance. It was a slow burn romance but it was super cute. I liked the look at Jasper as an autistic character. The depth of these characters was really great and I felt like I really got to know them and see them fall for each other.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC.