Good grief, this book hit me right in the feels. Witty and healing and sexy and hopeful. Loved, loved, loved it.

Thank you, Berkley, for the complimentary review copy. All opinions are my own and are unbiased.

Content notes: parental abandonment (past, discussed briefly throughout), parental drug overdose (past, off page), being in the foster care system, biphobia (on page, vehemently condemned in the narrative), being outed (past, mentioned briefly), being kicked out by parents due to bisxuality (past, discussed throughout, condemned and confronted in the narrative).

I really enjoyed this rivals-to-lovers workplace romance! It had the right balance of dealing with sensitive topics but having the steam and spice that I look for in a romance.

Workplace rivals Lauren and Asa have been at odds since they met. Where Lauren is uptight and controlling, Asa is laidback and whimsical. When their boss selects them to develop plans to revamp Cold World, the failing Orlando indoor theme park where they work, the two end up spending more time together, including getting locked into the park overnight. As the two work against, and eventually with, one another, they grow to realize how much they didn't truly understand the other - and how much they really, fundamentally, understand one another now.

While on a the surface level With Love, from Cold World seems like a playful romantic comedy, it goes deeper, discussing some tough topics. Lauren and Asa are both standout characters. While their personalities clash due to being so different, they both come from the same place, a fear of rejection due to troubled pasts. This is a memorable read that takes a surprisingly steamy turn.

This was a great book. I enjoyed it even more than love in the time of serial killers and found the banter endearing. The main characters were so easy to love and had a compelling character development. This was a refreshing and light hearted read, perfect for something easy! The covers are SO beautiful.

Quality bi male lead representation at its finest! Asa was a gem! Lauren was relatable in a lot of ways. Watching the two of these characters fall in love was very rewarding, and readers will adore the journey.

This was a solid 3 stars from me. Parts of it felt really uneven to me, but I can't quite put my finger on why. The characters were fine. I could maybe have done with more of Asa's point of view, but I didn't dislike either of the lead characters. Will Kiki get her own book? That one might be an interesting read. I felt kind of bad for her at the end of this one.

Thank you for the free book @berkleyromance!! #penguinrandomhousepartner #berkleyIG #BerkleyBookstagram

𝑾𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑳𝒐𝒗𝒆, 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝑪𝒐𝒍𝒅 𝑾𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️ 🌶️🌶️🌶️
𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲: workplace romance, LGBTQ rep, work nemesis to lovers, tattooed male lead, one locked in night, some love triangle -ish situation, Christmas in July vibes, found families

I loved Love in the Time of Serial Killers and so I was very excited when I received this book in the mail!

Imagine a winter wonderland amusement park in Florida then add 2 coworkers who can’t totally stand each other 😅 That’s pretty much where this book takes us and what a fun ride it was!

First of all, spice seeking friends, this one’s for you!! Wait until you get to the locked in scene!! Secondly, to everyone who’s a classic enemies to lovers fan, this book will definitely satisfy you! The banter is amazing! I would also like to commend the author for writing about an LGBTQ male lead and his struggles with a very insightful perspective. I also really enjoyed the found family trope from this book!

It could’ve been a tad shorter for me to have enjoyed it more but it is still an overall fun read especially if you’re craving some winter vibes during these last few weeks of summer!

I’ve read the last book by this author and enjoyed it and I enjoyed this one as well. I really liked the set up and it was unique enough that I wanted to keep reading it. It was fun and I loved the main characters.

Favorite Quotes:

Not for the first time, Lauren couldn’t help but notice that he smelled good. Like, really good. It was one of life’s true mysteries, because she felt like she’d know his scent anywhere, but she couldn’t quite place what it was. Some mixture of cedar and citrus, not overpowering, never burning her nose like some colognes did. But always present whenever he was nearby, and sometimes she’d catch the tail end of it when she entered a room he’d just been in. She lived in fear that one day he’d catch her inhaling a big whiff whenever he was close, and she’d have to quit her job and move to North Dakota.

Even thinking about it now made her wish the beach beneath her would suck her into a quicksand vortex and spit her back out at her apartment.

...the beauty of special underwear… You never know when it will be called into service.

You’re going to have to make up your mind about me... Because you used to think I was some hedonistic slacker who only cared about a good time, and now suddenly I’m this altruistic philanthropist giving out orgasms like UNICEF went into sex work.

Do you have cream and sugar, or do you keep your kitchen on some Soviet food rationing system?


My Review:

I enjoyed this tale. It was well constructed and populated with a plethora of complicated and quirky characters, who were well nuanced and endearing despite being a bit difficult. The storylines were engaging and the writing style was involving, unique, easy to follow, and tricky enough to keep me reading well past my bedtime.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for this Advanced Readers Copy of With Love, from Cold World by Alicia Thompson!

Loved this one so much. Couldn't put it down until an HEA was secured. Asa and Lauren felt like real people, with actual experiences figuring out what matters to them and what they want to be. It was refreshing for the characters profession not to be their defining characteristic, just a setting for them to meet. Cold World is a pretty cool setting though.

Its simple-I loved it! I love Thompson's previous novel and this solidifies the fact she will be an auto buy author for me. She writes with such ease and with the perfect amount of romance!

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy!

Quick Breakdown

Opposites Attract
Grumpy x Sunshine
Workplace Rivalry
LGBTQIA Rep
Found Family
Holiday Vibes
Dual POV
Open Door - Mild to Moderate Detail

Thank you @PRHaudio for the complimentary audiobook and @berklery romance for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinons.

Well, this book just swooped right on in and made me unexpectedly swoon. I am 1000% HERE FOR IT!

Set at Cold World, a kitchy winter themed park in Orlando, Florida, it features Lauren, the introverted, number savvy bookkeeper & Asa, the assumingely carefree jack-of-all-trades employee.

I got ALL the Pride & Prejudice vibes here. Years ago, they got off on the wrong foot and were stuck with surface level misinterpretations of the other's character. Slowly, while competing to come up with the best idea to improve Cold World, the pair push back those superficial layers, really get to know each other & sparks fly.

It’s soft & swoony, with quirky heartwarming characters & just the right amount of spice (that locked in together scene 🔥🫠). I loved how it’s fairly low angst while still handling some heavier topics, like growing up in foster care and a strained parental relationship secondary to bisexuality. Also, it takes place in December making it a great option for the holidays.

I went back & forth between the ebook & audio while reading. You really can’t go wrong either way - they’re both very well done 👏🏻

Another banger from Alicia Thompson! Her characters are so refreshingly real and relatable. Her romances feel really healthy. Quickly sky rockting to one of my favorite authors.

What a fun, swoony, heart-warming read! I absolutely adored this story. I mean, what's not to love about an opposites-attract, enemies to lovers, workplace romance!? But beyond the romance, these characters were layered and filled with heart and I love the challenges they both had to overcome. Such a sweet romance!

Quick Stats
Age Rating: 18+
Spice Level: 1.5/5
Over All: 4.5 stars

Special thanks to Berkley Romance and NetGalley for an eARC of this book! All thoughts and opinions reflected in this review are my own.

With Love, from Cold World is Alicia Thompson’s sophomore novel—and it is MILES beyond her debut, Love in the Time of Serial Killers.
While I did enjoy LitToSK, I thought it was pretty average. It left me wanting more. This book blew me out of the water.
With Love, from Cold World follows accountant Lauren, who’s a total stickler for the rules, and free-spirit Asa. It’s rivals to lovers; its forced proximity, its grumpy (her) x sunshine (him). It’s a work place romance—and the workplace is a winter wonderland theme park.
The setting was the first part of the book I fell in love with. I mean, come on—it’s a winter wonderland theme park! Asa has so much love for Cold World, and it really shines through in his narration. It’s impossible to read his POV and not feel a visceral connection to and love for this place. I desperately wish it were a real theme park I could go visit.
The second aspect of the book that I fell in love with, also almost immediately, was the characters. There was so much depth and emotion and development to these characters. Each had experienced traumas—Lauren grew up in foster care, and Asa was kicked out of his home as a teen for being bi—and their respective pasts and experiences were handled with such care. I think Alicia Thompson expertly balanced a thoughtful and in depth exploration of these topics, without making these traumas the extent of the characters. These experiences are woven into the fiber of Lauren and Asa’s being, without overwhelming them and the rest of their characterization. I especially appreciate the care given to the discussions of foster care, because lately I’ve read many books that use foster care as a quirk or plot point in a way that has felt insincere and almost disrespectful. It was so refreshing to see this topic explored in a way that seemed, to me, well researched and respectful.
This book is very character driven, it’s emotional, and it deals with important, sometimes heavy, topics. However there is still a measure of lightheartedness to it. There is lots of swoon and sweetness, and the emotional moments are balanced with wit and banter and a scoop of trope-y-ness. It reminds me of Emily Henry’s writing, and I think fan’s of her work could also enjoy this book.
I was hesitant to pick this up, after feeling relatively neutral towards Alicia Thompson’s debut, but I am so glad I did. With Love, from Cold World is the kind of book that sticks with you long after you read it, and I cannot recommend it more.

2 coworkers discover an unexpected attraction for each other while working at a winter wonderland tourist destination in Florida. They spend a good third of the book not liking each other at all. They are rude, sarcastic, unforgiving - I was a bit worried because neither seemed to thaw their attitudes one little bit. Then a night of forced proximity, and things drastically change.
I loved their growth and connection in the latter parts of the book, but did not enjoy the I-hate-you-more beginning and insta-love turn around.
There was a work subplot that took a few strange turns, and a couple of other subplots that I wish we could have dug a little deeper into - like LGBTQ representation and the local foster care system.
The story gets its feet under it eventually and the ending is everything we could want in a romance, including a sweet and fun epilogue.
I enjoyed the author’s previous book much more than this one, however that’s mostly due to my personal preferences. I know this one will be a great read for many romance readers.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC to read and review. All opinions are my own.

Lauren Fox is a quiet, unassuming bookkeeper for Cold World, a winter wonderland tourist attraction in Florida. She loves spreadsheets, and number columns, and order. Asa Williamson is all about fun. He organizes the Secret Santa at work, enjoys his low pressure job, and seems to love teasing Lauren. So when they are asked to create a proposal to improve Cold World, along with the owner's son, their rivalry ramps up as they try to outdo the other with great ideas. But what they aren't prepared for is how much they understand and KNOW each other, and how well they work together.

Lauren and Asa have very different upbringings, and very different pasts. Their childhoods play a big role in who they are as adults and how they navigate relationships. Both have such big, good hearts and you can't help but cheer them on for their happily ever after. The found family aspect of the story was another heartwarming element that made for a great read. I love a romance with heart and substance.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The way this book wrecked me and put me back together. Alicia Thompson is a genius. Asa and Lauren were beautiful, sad, complex. Both of their parent relationships are so heartbreaking but the way that the trauma they faced molded them into different and stubborn people, but they could break down their walls for each other? GOODNESS GRACIOUS MY EYES. I had so many highlights for this book and now I wish Cold World was a real place. Just unbelievable.

So fun and sweet! Asa and Lauren are such lovable, complex characters, and their story is funny and entertaining. I liked the set-up of Cold World and the plans to revamp it — it gave this book almost a Hallmark-esque feel, just with a lot more depth and good writing. We get a good look at the characters’ backstories and how they can grow together as a couple. Their conflicts, both internal and external, are believable and make for really well-rounded characters and storytelling. This book also has some fun side characters and a great found-family element. Would highly recommend!