The autistic representation was great but I was bored most of the time. This should have been marketed as general fiction because there’s no romance at 35% in and that was not what I was expecting of. And so many mean people in the story. The sister was so annoying and arrogant on top of everyone. A disappointing read.

Absolutely loved this book. Nothing bad to say about it. I loved the characters and how the relationship grew throughout the story. The sister I could’ve done without, she was just rude all the time and I dislike it took her so long to realize how she treated people.

3.5 stars rounded up. This was a really cute, somewhat festive tale featuring an autistic heroine. I liked the main characters and the small town vibes. The secondary characters were a mixed bag and were often unlikable. The story takes place during the holidays but it wasn't overwhelmingly festive. I found the writing kind of stiff at times, but it was a cute story and I always like seeing books with neurodivergent leads.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. All comments are my own.

A cute, feel good holiday romance about a neurodivergent character. Not my favorite, but worth the read.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an e-ARC copy of this novel in return with an honest review.

Jasper is returning home for what she thinks is one last visit....and she's holding on to secrets.

Little does she know that she is going to be expected to partake in her sister's wedding AND she runs into her teen rival during her visit.

I didn't really get into this one - it was just ok for me.

3.5-4/5 stars. The first half just really dragged on for me. I was really really hoping something would pick up but it took a long time for that to happen. Once it did, I did really love it! I was also getting tripped up through the entire book that the FMC was named Jasper. My brain had to work hard to remember that she was female.
I liked the small town aspect because that really developed Jasper as a person. She always felt like she had to hide her true self from everyone, including her family. I really appreciated learning about and reading from the POV of an autistic person. I felt a lot of her struggles and inner thoughts were relatable!
It was around Act 2, Scene 5 that I was still thinking not much had happened between Jasper and Arthur. No banter or tension. VERY slow burn. But like I said, after it picked up (around the time of the documentary showing), I really enjoyed it. A lot of great quotes and I loved Arthur.
I loved seeing Jasper's growth in this, along with the people in her life who learned more about her and how to love her and let her be herself.
"It was not pristine, but it was love."

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

This was just a beautiful Christmas story with all the feel-goods I love during this time of year especially. Jasper is a neurodivergent who is autistic. Those on the spectrum have some degree of lacking the ability to socialize without some awkwardness due to overstimulation in certain social settings. What I didn't like is that her mother made sure that she knew she was "imperfect" so Jasper carried that label with her, culminating in her not being able to be her authentic self. But she is caring and nurturing and a genuinely good person. I thought her character was well-developed and I really felt for her plight, but she had self-growth and learned to stand up for herself and who she is.

I have been provided with a review copy of Some Like it Cold from NetGalley for an impartial review. This book was just so easy to get lost in. I completely got lost in the story and I just loved getting to see these new characters come together. I just absolutely love this story and I just didn’t want to put it down. I can’t wait to see what’s next from this author.

I really appreciated the main character in this book being a neurodivergent female. It will always continue to be my favorite heroin as I myself am a neurodivergent female! 😁

This book was super cute and while I was disgusted with Jasper's family quite a few times I really loved watching all of their stories unfolding. Such a cute read and I suggest every one gives this book a shot! ⭐⭐⭐⭐ From me!!

Jasper heads back to town after 18 months away at school, thinking she'll be saying goodbye to this beautiful town where no one can accept her. Arthur is her high school nemesis and she can't help but run into him again since his family runs the local theater. I couldn't understand why everyone in this town seemed so mean but yet it's billed as kind of a Christmas wonderland? I was invested in Jasper and Arthur getting together but there were some moments where I was thinking that both of them needed to run away ;).
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for my honest review.

Some Like It Cold is such a heartwarming story. It reminded me of Lessons in Chemistry and Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder….a leading lady who has challenges but that makes her endearing. Sometimes it’s nice to read a story through a different lens and feel that innocence of the main character. The world can be more difficult but the love they feel is so real and genuine.
Jasper came home to say goodbye to her hometown only to be sucked right back in. Arthur has a job to do and has no plans to revisit the past or his feelings for Jasper. Both Jasper and Arthur have supportive and loving families but they each have their own challenges to navigate and aren’t looking to add to the pile.
The story is written in several voices which gives you dual perspectives which I liked. I loved the pure innocence of the characters and the warmth the author makes you feel while reading it. If you’re looking for a feel good story look no further!

Sadly this is a DNF for me.
I could not bring myself to continue it, the story just didn’t grab my attention the way I was hoping.

If you are looking for a good to read on a cold winter day, this is it!

Some Like It Cold follows Jasper, a girl who returns home for the holidays (to a small town, no less!), but is planning on a new life away from her family, who struggles to understand her.

She runs into Arthur, her old childhood enemy, and the sparks ignite! I love enemies to lovers, so this checked a box for me in terms of fave tropes. I really enjoyed this book, and think it's perfect for the winter season!

I feel like this book is a bit mismarketed, or maybe I just misunderstood. It read less like a romance and more like a coming of age novel, focusing particularly on Jasper’s neurodivergence and her place in her hometown. Her family is pretty insufferable; honestly, pretty much everyone in the book is insufferable. Not my taste for sure, but I know there are folks who will enjoy it.

This fell flat for me. I really wanted to fully love it but I just couldn't. I however did love the atmosphere and setting ALOT.

Thank you Wednesday Books, SMP, NetGalley, and the author for the gifted electronic copy.

“𝘏𝘦𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘭𝘢𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘴, 𝘑𝘢𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘦𝘭𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮.”

This was a cozy YA romance, with the added bonus of some really solid neurodivergence representation.

Jasper is coming home from college for the first time in a long time and she’s hoping not to be back again any time soon. Of course things don’t go to plan when Jasper’s sister Christine gets engaged and Jasper gets caught up in the wedding hubbub. If there is one thing that never fails to be true about wedding planning, it’s that the family dynamics and drama always come out to play.

We get to see how Jasper’s family functions and what those relationships are like. Christine is simply awful. Her parents never seemed to fully accept or adapt to Jasper’s diagnosis. And Jasper just gets walked all over. In the midst of all this we also have Jasper’s BFF (and her boyfriend and her new bestie) in addition to an old enemy(?), Arthur, from high school. Insert our enemies to lovers romance.

Overall this was a super cute and easy read. I absolutely adore small town vibes and enemies to lovers is a favorite trope of mine. Watching Jasper navigate all of these relationships, dynamics, and pressures just made your heart break for her at points. But then watching her own it in certain moments had me smiling and cheering for her. The neurodivergence rep was awesome, especially as the author disclosed that she too is neurodivergent. I do feel like at points it was over explained, but I can appreciate the authors passion for making sure the representation was accurately and respectfully done. There is something special about reading a story told from an “own voices” perspective 💛

Let me start by telling you how much I adored Jasper. She was a main character who made the story, and I loved seeing her small town, her relationships, her present (and her future) through her eyes. She made the story, and I loved that a character like her could be centered. I also loved the small-town holiday romance vibes - It was a great combination of feels, of frustration, and of some good humorous situations. And of course, I loved that it was love, and the slow burn and way it develops was also a delight. I needed some holiday romance feels in my life, and this fit that bill so well. Thanks to NetGalley for the look at this October 2024 release!

Some Like It Cold by Elle McNicoll [St. Martin's Press #NetGalley]

Liked:
- we love a small town romance
- main character is neurodiverse

Not so much:
- Jasper's family is just awful; there's no other way to put it and despite how they sort of redeem themselves by the end - they're just awful people. And until they get called out for it, they truly don't seem to realize just how awful they really are
- Just a lot of mean, vindictive characters within the town itself

I put this book off in anticipation of winter. Once I made it through my spooky fall reads, this was first up on my list. I found that to be a great choice on my part! This book was marketed to fans of Gilmore Girls, and that's exactly what it gave. I have described it to friends as "Gilmore Girls if Gilmore Girls was a Hallmark movie" - this was right up my alley and definitely put me in the winter mood! This was my first experience with author Elle McNicoll, and I think her writing is really beautiful. I looked into her and see that she has an extensive backlog, and will definitely be dipping my toes in a little deeper with her stories.

I really struggled with this one- while it’s YA, the language feels stilted and formal. There were so many unlikeable characters from the very beginning that it made it difficult to root for anyone. I can see how this could appeal to some, but it just wasn’t for me.