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.

Some Like It Cold is an adorable small-town romance, perfect for cozying up with during the winter holidays. The story follows Jasper, who returns to her hometown with a plan, only to find that life has its own surprises in store. When an unexpected situation forces her to rethink everything, Jasper must decide whether to take a leap of faith or stick to her original path.

The author does a fantastic job portraying a neurodivergent protagonist. Jasper is incredibly endearing, and I found myself rooting for her from the start. The enemies-to-lovers dynamic with Arthur, the other main character, is both charming and fun to watch unfold. Arthur complements Jasper well, and their interactions are a highlight of the story.

If you're a fan of small-town romances with a festive backdrop, Some Like It Cold is a delightful holiday read you won’t want to miss.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for providing me with this copy.

This was my first book by this author, and I was totally caught up in it. The story is about Jasper, a neurodivergent young woman who has returned home after being gone to college. Her homecoming is looked forward to by the entire town, because Jasper is such a sweetheart to everyone. She's caring and loyal. She helps everyone and always has a smile on her face.

Dealing with people is actually fairly hard for Jasper. Reading people's reactions and cues is hard. So she acts. She hides her own feelings and tries to put on the face that she thinks will get her by. Romance is hard. She can totally miss interest from guys or react inappropriately. Arthur would be a good example.

Arthur has always had feelings for Jasper and really hates the way her family treats her as if she will never be enough and the way her sister always takes advantage of her. However, they actually believe each dislikes the other. Their discovering each other isn't smooth sailing, but this really is a sweet romance that makes you cheer!

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley. All thoughts are my own.

❄️ Book Review ❄️

Some Like It Cold by Elle McNicoll
❄️
This book was sweet, charming, and a joy to read. Elle McNicoll brought Lake Pristine vibrantly to life, and she accurately captured both the whimsy, and the struggles of living in a small town. Jasper is a wonderful main character. The author did an excellent job of showing her neurodivergence without making it her entire personality. Jasper is autistic, but that’s only a small part of what makes her her. This book allowed her to be more than her diagnosis, and I love that! Jasper and Arthur have such a cute relationship. There’s vitriol at the beginning when they hate each other, then banter when they start to become friends, and finally chemistry when they begin to fall in love.
Charlie Sanderson does a great job with the narration. I loved her accent, and it really helped me get into the setting of the book.
If you’re looking for a heartwarming, delightful book that deals with the complexities of family relationships and expectations, autism, and romantic relationships, check this one out.
❄️
My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice level: 🌶️
❄️
Read if you like:
▫️YA romance
▫️small town
▫️enemies to lovers
▫️neurodivergent rep
▫️dual POV
❄️
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Macmillan Audio, NetGalley, and Elle McNicoll for the gifted copy and ALC. I received them for free, and am leaving this review voluntarily.

“A privileged childhood was just that: a great privilege. But sometimes it felt like a down payment on lifelong subservience.”

Jasper Montgomery has always been the sweetheart of her hometown, Lake Pristine. Think Rory Gilmore in a warped version of Stars Hollow, or Cinderella minus the fairy godmother. So when she left for college, Jasper left behind a big hearted hole no one else in town could ever dream of filling.

Now the prodigal daughter is returning to town, but she’s got a secret- she won’t be returning to college-or coming back to Lake Pristine, anytime soon. Instead she has decided to divert from the plan she had, or rather, the plan her family had for her.

But her arrival coincides with a big announcement of its own-her sister, the high maintenance Christine, is getting married. No stranger to Christine’s desires eclipsing her own, Jasper finds herself once again diving into her sister’s divisive demands, despite tiring of taking on the role her entire life. But being back home, while giving her some sense of creature comfort, also reminds her why she hasn’t wanted to return in the first place. Now in the midst of wedding madness and newfound feelings for an old foe named Arthur, Jasper has some tough decisions to make, and fears to face once and for all.

When I first started reading this story, I had a hard time getting into it. The idea that Jasper was such a people pleaser who was loved by many didn’t jive with the neurodivergent people I have known and if I’m being honest, I’m still grappling with some of those emotions. However, I’m glad I stuck with the story as the second half, especially the relationship between Jasper and Arthur, ended up really grabbing me. I even managed to make some peace with her family, who were God awful throughout most of the book. While I still feel her sister and mother were painted as pretty deplorable people, it takes a special writer to make them some degree of redeemable as author, Elle McNicoll amazingly managed to do.

DNF @ 9%. Unfortunately I’m calling it on this one. The characters feel entirely two dimensional and just keep randomly pondering important backstory in a way that doesn’t feel natural. There are so many ARCs I have that I would prefer to read that I can’t keep going with this one.

𝐒𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐄𝐥𝐥𝐞 𝐌𝐜𝐍𝐢𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐥
𝗠𝗬 𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ★★★

This was a sweet small town story based around Christmas time that gave all the sweet winter feels. I enjoyed the writing that gave very strong Gilmore Girls in the winter vibes.

The main character Jasper is coming home from college for the holidays with a long list of things she wants to do and some big changes ahead. I enjoyed Jasper’s personality and determination and I enjoyed her character development over the story to learning to stand up for herself.

The things that didn’t land with me is how much mean things happened with the people of the town and Jasper’s family. It was odd that it was such a small town and everyone seemed so sweet, yet everyone looked up to Jasper’s family like royalty, but the parents and the sister were so mean to everyone including Jasper. I just didn’t get the connection.

I really did enjoy the neurodivergent representation in the story. I appreciated how it was written and handled as well and I love that Jasper’s future really did fall into place at the end of the story.

This is a very cute, YA love story, of high school friends, who eventually become sweethearts. The town sweetheart comes home for the holidays to see her sister, getting engaged in a very public manner. The story takes us through this struggles, navigating parental expectations versus the need to follow your own heart and your own passions. Simultaneous to that story is a documentary being made to expose the other side of the town princess and the family that practically runs that town. This is my first time reading this author, and I was very intrigued by the story. The Neurodiverse aspect of the story also adds to the allure.

I wasn’t sure about this book when I first started reading it, but I wound up really enjoying it! I think it’s because the first part of the book felt a little disjointed for me. I didn’t quite know where the plot was going, there were a ton of characters, and it sort of felt all over the place. When the book starts, we meet Jasper who has been away at college. She is coming home for the holidays, and as she pulls into town, she sees her sister’s boyfriend proposing. Her sister Christine can be kind of a monster, but Jasper is the people pleaser. She’s always felt like she has to be. See, she’s Autistic and her family has always made her feel like she’s had to hide that part of herself away. Upon her arrival, she realizes that her best friend has another close friend, Sophie, who really isn’t a good friend to Odette. Then there’s Arthur, he’s hated her since high school, or has he? Jasper knows one thing, this is the last time she’s going to be home, she has other plans.

The neurodivergence rep in this book was fantastic. There is still a stigma out there for neurodivergence, including within families. Our family has experienced it as well, so that part of the book was easy to connect with. Do I think it was mentioned maybe one or two times too much? Personally for me, yes. But that’s okay. Jasper’s family annoyed me at times with the way that they treated her; I wanted them to be kinder to her. I especially wanted her sister to be more in tune with Jasper’s needs.

This is a cozy YA romance, once Arthur and Jasper come together, it’s really sweet. I wanted more from them. I wanted more of them. I did like the ornament scene, it made my heart melt. The ending was great, and I hope for Arthur and Jasper live a long life together!

This book is like drinking a warm cup of cocoa. This small-town romance is filled with laughs, wit, and charm. I highly recommend this to anyone who loves the feel of a Hallmark movie.

I mean this in the best way possible - this was the awkward and reserved romance I didn't know I needed. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy.

Some Like it Cold is a coming of age YA gem about a beautiful, intelligent, talented young lady named Jasper who is neurodivergent and living with the challenges that come from autism. She has been off at college for 18 months but it’s Christmas Break and she has decided it would be the perfect time to return to her hometown of Lake Pristine for one last time before starting her new life adventure. Only problem is, she hasn’t told her parents about these plans yet. But when she returns home, being part of a documentary being filmed about the town, helping plan her bridezilla sister’s NYE wedding, and helping with the town’s annual production of The Nutcracker were NOT part of her new life plans…and falling in love most definitely wasn’t.

Lake Pristine is a small town, think Stars Hollow, where everyone knows everything about everybody. Jasper is known as the Golden Girl of Lake Pristine because she has always been willing to help everyone in town, not because she necessarily wanted to, but because she didn’t know how to tell anybody no. She is a people pleaser and would rather mask her own feelings to make someone else happy. As she gets older she realizes she doesn’t need anyone's approval and wants to do things that make HER happy. She wants to be accepted and loved for who she really is, and not how she is portrayed by others.

I would be lying if I didn’t say that I originally chose this book because of the adorable cover. Now after reading it, it is so much more than just the adorable cover on the outside. The inside is a super cute, heartwarming love story with a powerful message and important representation! Although this was fiction, it was really informative too, giving the reader a greater understanding of the things that go on in a neurodivergent brain, from feelings and facial expressions, to overstimulation and sensory overload.

First time reading this neurodivergent author. Jasper comes home for the holidays to the small town of Lake Pristine after being gone to university for eighteen months. (I’m a little confused at that because she is only 18 years old.) Her arrival interrupts her older sister Christine’s perfect proposal. I enjoyed the autistic representation in Jasper and learning more about her ways of thinking and masking. The perfect image she holds in the town comes with a lot of extra pressure from her parents and others.

The male lead is Arthur who is a budding filmmaker. He wants to enter a documentary film competition featuring their hometown. Christine's engagement turns her into a very entitled bridezilla when she wants her wedding on New Years. She is very unkind to Jasper although loving her as a sister.

I didn’t really love the storyline. It all works out in the end but at some cost. I had problems with how unkind so many people were to Jasper. She needed a mentor or someone in her corner. The second half is more tolerable with Arthur on her side. But this isn’t a cute, warm, fuzzy holiday story like the cover suggests. I did like there was comeuppance and growth but it was a heavier read than I expected. The setting is never explicitly stated but I assume England from some words. That also may explain entering university at 16. This is a YA, kissing only story and has some language.

This book is far more than the cover leads you to believe. It looks like another light romance but it is so much more. I love it!!! Jasper is returning home to Lake Pristine, a Hallmark village of a town for winter break. As she pulls into the sparkling, snow covered main square, she spies her beautiful, spoiled little sister, Christine, in the gazebo - getting proposed to by her longtime boyfriend, Kevin. Surprised, Jasper runs her car into a snowbank, putting an end to her quiet reentry Life gets very messy from there. Everyone in town loves Jasper and is delighted to see her but she has trouble finding the peace and quiet she needs. Jasper's mother is a very exacting, controlling, demanding woman, and is determined to run the wedding along with everyone's life. Christine is turning into Bridezilla and doesn't even want Jasper in the wedding. Jasper's best friend, Odette, has moved on and found other friends. The town grump, Arthur, and his friend Marcus are making a film about Lake Pristine. Jasper's mother signed her up to direct the Nutcracker this year AND Jasper has good bye list of things she wants to do before she leaves Lake Pristine for good to go to design school. And that's just in the first few chapters. Most importantly, Jasper is an autistic heroine - the first I've encountered. It is obvious that author, Elle McNicoll, cares deeply for her characters - Jasper is so real she almost jumps off the page. I have a child with autism and McNicoll's descriptions of panic attacks and sensory overload are dead on, and written with kindness and sensitivity. Some Like it Cold is a beautiful, funny, emotional and highly entertaining story - the ending was incredible. I was sad when I finished the book - I always wonder what happens to characters after I leave them and I ached to know more of Arthur and Jasper. This book will put you in the mood for Christmas, but it is so much more that that. Do yourself a favor and buy this book, then curl up for one of the best reads of the year. Many thanks to Net Galley for the ARC..

This is a heartwarming and cozy read that will captivate fans of small-town romances, autism representation, and winter wonderlands, making it a perfect fit for readers who adore stories that celebrate neurodivergent characters, cozy atmospheres, and the magic of first love.

I just finished *Some Like It Cold*, and it was such a fun read! Jasper Montgomery heads back to her small town for the holidays, hoping to say goodbye for good. But things get messy when she accidentally ruins her sister's engagement and runs into her old rival, Arthur.

The dynamic between them is super entertaining, and I loved the neurodivergent representation in Jasper's character. This book is cozy and full of heart

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc!!

Christmas time is coming, so college student Jasper Montgomery is headed home to her small town for the holidays. But it’s not just to celebrate with her family. She has an agenda. She wants to ice skate on Lake Pristine, the lake that gives the town its name. Jasper wants to go through the holiday maze and buy a hand-crafted ornament and go to the late show at the art house movie theater.

And she wants to tell her parents that she doesn’t want to go back to school. She doesn’t want to study psychology and then law. She wants to get a design degree and become an interior designer. And while her parents are footing the bill for the psychology degree, Jasper thinks they will be upset about the design school and cut her off. So she’s going to find a job or two while she’s home, to save up money for the life she really wants.

Unfortunately, her reentry to the town disrupts her older sister’s marriage proposal, so Jasper is immediately on the defensive. And the fact that she is neurodivergent makes her more aware of how she appears to others. She does her best to stay thoughtful towards others, so she is mortified to have interrupted her sister’s moment.

Arthur Lancaster has had a crush on Jasper since they were in school together. He runs the local art house theater with his brother, and he’s the one who chooses the late movies, the old Hollywood features they show for anyone interested. He comes up with the idea of making a documentary about the town to enter into a competition, and he starts filming around town. And he has two big events to focus his filming around—the upcoming wedding of Christine Montgomery and Kevin, and the annual ballet The Nutcracker.

It’s the Montgomery family who runs the ballet studio, and with Jasper home for a while, she is the one directing the show this year. Especially with Christine planning a wedding, the family will be very busy over the next few weeks. Jasper has a lot to get done, and Arthur is there for a lot of it, filming the Nutcracker tryouts and offering up the theater for the bachelorette party. And when he and his editing partner put together an early cut of the documentary to show the town, everything goes wrong. The edit that Arthur had agreed to is not the one shown—his editor goes rogue and shows the clips of the town he wants to, and that edit is quite revealing of some of the Montgomery family secrets.

Suddenly, Arthur’s feelings for Jasper are obvious to the whole town, and he is feeling vulnerable. But more than that, he’s worried about how Jasper is feeling about the documentary and thinking she’ll never talk to him again. Will he be able to undo the damage his documentary has done? And will Jasper ever find a way to tell her parents the truth about what she wants for her future?

Some Like It Cold is a beautiful love story about a young neurodivergent woman and the town that loves her for her. As she manages to work through her agenda, she is forced to deal with issues with a friend, her family, her past, and trying to figure out how to fall in love as a neurodivergent. Her choices show a depth of character and strength of resolve that is encouraging and inspiring.

I listened to Some Like It Cold as an audio book, narrated by Charlie Anderson. I thought Anderson did a beautiful job telling this story, keeping it lively and interesting as well as honest. After the story, there is a conversation between author Elle McNicoll, who is autistic, and narrator Anderson, who is ADHD, so they both bring understanding to being neurodivergent to the character of Jasper, which I think shows throughout the entire story. I loved this story, and I think it will appeal to both neurodivergent and neurotypical readers. Anyone who loves a good love story will find a lot to love in the story of Jasper and Arthur.

Egalleys for Some Like It Cold were provided by Wednesday Books and a copy of the audiobook was provided by Macmillan Audio, both through NetGalley, with many thanks.

A coming-of-age romance, finding your path in life, inspirational kind of romance.. Jasper, our main character, is neurodivergent and she is struggling to meet the expectations put in place by her parents, until she realizes that maybe she doesn't have to, maybe she can put herself first. I thought the plot got waylaid at some points, but overall it was a cute and sweet read. I enjoy reading about neurodiverse characters, it just helps me expand my own perspective on life and expectations. 3.75 stars.