What would you do if you returned home after being away at school and stumbled into your siblings engagement?

If you are looking for something with a small town Gillmore Girls feeling set during Christmas this is a light holiday read. There is Neurodivergent rep and the assumptions and attitudes within that family, enemies to lovers, and a lot of sorting out priorities and plans.

While I had a difficult time figuring out if we were in the US or across the pond I'm sure this will find a home with readers who connect with it more.

Elle McNicoll’s Some Like it Cold is a heartwarming small-town romance with emotional depth, endearing characters, and a dash of nostalgia. Set in the picturesque Lake Pristine, the story follows Jasper Montgomery, who returns home after a long absence, carrying the weight of secrets and personal struggles. Arthur, a budding filmmaker with ambitions of turning the town into a cinematic masterpiece, sees Jasper as more than just his high school rival—she’s the one person he’s never quite forgotten. Their reunion sets the stage for a tender enemies-to-lovers romance with plenty of heart.

Jasper is a refreshingly nuanced heroine. Her portrayal as an autistic character brings authenticity to the story, and McNicoll handles her journey with sensitivity and care. Jasper’s internal battles, as well as her emotional growth throughout the novel, make her a relatable and compelling protagonist. Arthur, on the other hand, is a classic brooding love interest with dreams bigger than his small town, and his evolving feelings for Jasper create a charming dynamic that fans of slow-burn romance will enjoy. The tension between them, built on past misunderstandings and present vulnerabilities, unfolds beautifully against the backdrop of small-town life.

While the romance is heartfelt and sweet, some of the plot elements, particularly the reason behind Jasper’s return and the small-town conflicts, feel a bit predictable. However, McNicoll’s engaging writing style and the genuine chemistry between the leads make it easy to overlook these minor flaws. The novel’s blend of warmth, personal growth, and the magic of revisiting home gives it a cozy, feel-good quality, making Some Like it Cold an enjoyable read for fans of Alice Oseman and Gilmore Girls.

I really enjoyed this small town YA book. I loved the enemies to lovers vibes mixed in with a cozy wintery story. Our two MCs really don’t like each other - and they seemed to thrive on it!

This book does have excellent neurodivergent rep - it felt authentic to me and I think other readers will connect with this story.

Some Like it Cold by Elle McNicoll is an absolute gem of a small-town romance! With wintery charm, heartfelt moments, and characters that truly leap off the page, this book feels like a warm hug. Jasper's return to Lake Pristine for a bittersweet goodbye quickly turns into something much more as old tensions with Arthur bubble up, leading to a beautifully nuanced enemies-to-lovers story. The neurodiverse representation adds so much depth and authenticity, making it a refreshing read. If you love romance with real emotion and characters you can root for, this one is a must-read! Perfect for fans of Gilmore Girls and cozy holiday vibes. Highly recommend!

This book was super cute!! Small towns and romance just seen to go together. Include wintery weather, a holiday wedding, and of course, two teenagers who hate each other.

In fact, they love to hate each other. They've hated each other for years. Jasper was the queen of the ballet, while Arthur watched from the wings.

I truly smiled so much throughout this book. I definitely recommend it!!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
I really enjoyed this book and especially loved the neurodiverse representation with the main character as I am neurodiverse myself. This book made me laugh and cry and if you're looking for a book with all of the feels then this book is for you!

I DNF’d this book. The sister just really upset me with how she was and I was feeling lost reading it. Perhaps I’ll try reading this again soon to give this book another try.

Couldn't make it through "Act One", as the chapters are divided (which I found overly twee). Everyone spends their time complaining, and I wasn't interested in what happened to most of them.

Lovely and endearing even though the main characters could be a bit acerbic to one another. I loved the nuerodivergent representation. Jasper and Arthur were my favorites. It’s a heartwarming romance that grows on you with each page as it took me a bit to believe these two actually liked one another. It did feel at times a bit more of a telling than a relationship based off of feeling if that makes sense. By the end I was satisfied and I rooted for them and their HEA. Well rounded and delightful romance:)

If you just like Romance, I expect this will work fine for you, but if you’re looking for a solid holiday RomCom, look elsewhere.

This doesn’t have much humor to it, and what’s there feels forced. And for a holiday book, it’s pretty short on setting and atmosphere.

I see why the author wanted to center her book around a neurodivergent character, but I don’t think it worked particularly well, though I do applaud the effort.

In the end the story just doesn’t have much plot beyond the generic parameters of a romance, and as a holiday read it falls really flat.

2.5 stars

I'm seeing the word heartwarming used a lot for this and I'm just not sure it is, mostly everyone is just mean in her surrounding life and by the end only like 3 of them come to terms with how they have treated her and apologize for all that has happened. I will say this is a great story in terms of the MC's personal growth, learning how to stand up for herself and just overall what she wants in life. However sometimes they read as a late 20-something year old and other times they read as if they are middle teens. Overall a decent story with great autistic rep.

Thank you to St. Martins Press, Wednesday Books and Netgalley for access to an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

In this book we are following Jasper who is our autistic main character. We watch her grow into herself and learn to let others in as well. I loved following Jasper and her growth throughout the book. I also enjoyed the romance plotline with Arthur. The problem with this book was there was just A LOT going on. I get why some elements of the story were included to show Jasper's growth but there were just too many little side plots for me. Because of all the stuff going on I sometimes felt drawn out of the main storyline. I would still recommend this book as Jasper was a great character to read about and it was a beautiful coming of age story!

When Jasper arrives back into her small town and the timing ruins an important moment in the life of someone she is connected to, I knew I was going to laugh and like this book. I was not wrong. This was a fun easy read full of many emotions.

Some Like It Cold by Elle McNicoll ⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was an adorable, small-town cozy romance that merged community with growing up. I didn’t realize it was YA until the end, but it didn’t read childish at all. I did think there was a lot going on in this one, which led my experience to be more surface-level enjoyment.

Jasper, the FMC was neurodivergent, and while I appreciated that, I felt at times it was mentioned too much. Perhaps it would’ve been better had the neurodivergence been shown and not told quite as much. Arthur, the MMC was a perfect grumpy character with a heart of gold. Most of the other characters could be described mostly as rich people behaving badly. I didn’t love that plot line, but I understood why it was there.

Overall, this was an enjoyable, lighthearted read. Fans of small-towns, enemies to lovers, and winter months will enjoy this one.

I really enjoyed have a rom com novel that showcases a neurodivergent heroine. Jasper was a wonderful character to get to know and she her realize who she is by her definition not that ones her family has put on her. Even the town has a certain personality for her.

I love the autistic rep from an own voice author! The thought process and emotions of Jasper was a little all over the process and I feel like it was a great insight into how it feels for a neurodivergent individual.

I loved Arthur and their budding romance, but I wish we got more of them. I feel like I didn’t get a chance to truly get invested in the relationship. The small town vibes were there complete with gossip, wild characters, and town rules. I did not feel the small town love though. So many of the characters were mean and rude that I didn’t get the love or how it could feel like home. Though I will admit that this story is probably also showing how neurodivergent people are treated and spoken to and I do appreciate the highlight of those issues.

Overall this small town romance was short, cute, and easy to read. There’s also queer rep!

This is a lovely book with sweet romance and beautiful found family vibes. The actual family vibes aren't always the best. Jasper's family can be pushy, overbearing, and opinionated, at least, at first, particularly her older sister and mother. However, in the end, they support her and her decisions, and their actions and words, contrary to their previous actions and words, show that they really do care about her.

On the other hand, Arthur's relationship with his siblings is warm, loving, and supportive. His relationship with his younger sister, Grace is especially heartwarming. Jasper has a great relationship with Grace as well. She touchingly takes the girl under her wing.

Jasper is a very admirable heroine who doesn't let her autism completely rule her life. She tries to push herself a little bit. However, she is realistically portrayed in that she can only go so far, and when she is put into a situation that is too far out of her comfort zone she has a breakdown. However, that allows Arthur to show what a great guy he is in the way he tenderly takes charge and rescues her even before they have admitted they have feelings for each other. The way her friend Odette drops everything for her even though their friendship is not in the best place at the time is also moving. In fact, this book is full of moving relationships and sweet moments. That is one of the best things about it.

A teenager struggling with a big decision comes home for the holidays only to discover her arch nemesis will be in her way during her entire break. As she navigates family relationships and her own neurodivergence, she realizes life is just as complicated back home as it was at school. Author Elle McNicoll leans into her own experience with neurodivergence to lend authenticity to Some Like it Cold.

Jasper Montgomery has come home to Lake Pristine for Christmas break after making a major decision: she’s not going back to college. After 18 months, Jasper knows she’s completely unsuited for the major her parents forced her to take. Jasper wants to become an interior designer. She couldn’t care less about law school. But her parents made it clear: if they’re paying for college, Jasper has to study what they want.

She’s hit a breaking point, though, so she told her academic advisor she’s dropping out and drove home. She’s done. Of course, that was easy. Now she has to tell her parents.

It’ll also be hard facing the residents of Lake Pristine who assume Jasper will come back to town. Everyone does. How could they not? The beautiful lake and the homey small town eventually bring them home.

What makes it worse—or better—is everyone in Lake Pristine adores Jasper. She’s always been the helpful one, the dependable one, and the residents of Lake Pristine feel like she’s their own daughter. How, Jasper thinks, can she tell them she plans to leave forever?

Then she discovers her sister, Christine, has gotten engaged and is planning the wedding for New Year’s Eve. Naturally everyone in Lake Pristine will be coming. Christine has already turned into a bridezilla, ignoring Jasper’s pleas that some of the activities are in direct contradiction to what Jasper can handle.

Being diagnosed with autism later than other kids means Jasper is still trying to advocate for herself. Her mother is in denial about Jasper’s diagnosis, and her people-pleasing father refuses to take a strong stance in Jasper’s defense. Christine is too self-involved to pay much attention, and her ego is inflating with the wedding coming.

Then there’s Arthur, the boy who has been Enemy Number One since high school. He’s still grumpy and ill at ease whenever Jasper is around. Now he and his cousin, Marcus, have decided to enter a documentary contest to show what makes Lake Pristine special.

Given that Jasper’s family is one of the most prominent families in Lake Pristine, it only makes sense that Christine’s wedding will be a part of the documentary. But Jasper doesn’t want any of it. She doesn’t want Arthur and Marcus following her everywhere with a camera, she doesn’t want to keep kowtowing to Christine’s ridiculous whims, and she doesn’t want to stay in Lake Pristine. Except now that she’s back, she’s finding it harder than ever to tell the most important people in her life she’s going to leave. Maybe, Jasper thinks, it might be best just to walk away from it all without stopping to say goodbye.

Author Elle McNicoll shares in her author’s note that her own personal struggle with neurodivergence informs her storytelling, and in some scenes that authority is clear. At one point, Jasper experiences what she calls a “shutdown,” and only someone with internal knowledge could have written the scene so powerfully. The anguish, too, that Jasper experiences at her mother’s insistence on her masking—acting like someone who doesn’t have autism—also rings with a truth that can only come from living it.

Other parts of the story aren’t as strong and may leave readers asking questions. Jasper makes mental note many times of how her peers bullied her in school. If Lake Pristine’s residents love her so much, readers may wonder why more adults don’t speak up on Jasper’s behalf even if they didn’t know about her autism.

Also, the book tries to include too many elements to make Jasper seem overworked and stressed. Her love for ballet competes with her passion for old movies. While her family may be a major reason why Jasper wants to leave Lake Pristine, the rest of the people there are so wonderful it seems hard to justify her departure. Some readers may wonder why she can’t just ask one of the other trusted adults in town for a place to stay while she strikes out on her own in design school.

For the most part, however, the book is a fairly enjoyable read and a step in the right direction of diverse storytelling. Those who enjoy a YA romance will like this one.

Some Like It Cold is the story of a neurodivergent teen who returns home to her small town for winter break, to deal with family drama, small town drama and all of the winter excitement. This book was adorable and heartwarming. I loved the charming small town vibes which had a Gilmore Girls feel to it. I loved the romance. I loved the teenage banter and angst. It felt very honest and real, full of lovable characters.

It took me a little while to warm up to this one (no pun intended). I just needed to settle in and get a feel for the characters to figure out the dynamics at play here. Once I did, I found this heartwarming and tender small-town romance.

Jasper has been away at Uni for the last 18 months but has returned to her little hometown of Lake Pristine for the holidays.

Jasper’s sister, Christine, is getting married and once again is the main focus of the family’s attention. Little do they know Jasper has returned to say goodbye to their little town for good.

But when Jasper runs into Arthur Lancaster, an adversary from her teenage years, she discovers there just might be a reason to stay.

Jasper is a fantastic character, as she is on the Autism spectrum, and she doesn’t want to hide it. And she is done trying to please everyone else. I loved the chemistry between her and Arthur, truly moving from icy cold to cozy warm.

One thing that stood out to me was the family relationships. Jasper’s and Arthur’s families are an integral part of the story, but I wouldn't say I liked Jasper’s family. Her parents didn’t seem to accept her diagnosis, and her sister was selfish and mean at times. Thankfully, there is some character development and relationship repair towards the end.

With themes of belonging, family, and acceptance, the wintery holiday atmosphere set the mood just right for scripting this sweet love story.

Thank you @wednesdaybooks and @stmartinspress for the gifted ebook via Netgalley.