⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
🌶️🌶️🌶️.5

A cute romance with great bi representation and themes that sensitively touch upon foster care and belonging. Quick and easy read, esp for anyone who likes “enemies” to lovers, grumpy/sunshine, and found family.

Thank you NetGalley, Alicia Thompson, and Berkeley for a free copy of With Love, From Cold World (just published on August 1st!) in exchange for an honest review.


For 2023, I’ll be using this rating scale:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I mourned the ending of this journey 🥹
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ really enjoyed and would recommend
⭐️⭐️⭐️ it was fine
⭐️⭐️ I didn’t enjoy this journey
⭐️ I dnf’d or wish I’d dnf’d
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ this is smutty smutty erotica 🥵
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ medium burn
🌶️🌶️🌶️ slow burn
🌶️🌶️ romantic b plot / closed door / YA romance
🌶️ no romance / nonfiction

The title alone! The setting! I adored this romance so much, a rare bi m/f story that hit all the right beats for a holiday romance. A down-on-its-luck winter theme park, a rivalry, a plot to save. Loved it!

Where do I even begin? I was so pleasantly surprised with this book. It’s a slow slow burn with the perfect intimate moments to satiate you. It’s more than a romance and hits on being a child of the foster care system, religious intolerance to sexuality, and more. There was something about this book that made it incredibly difficult to put down. I was rooting for Asa and Lauren, both individually and separate. I loved them so so much. Ugh I could go on and on about how much I loved this one.

*I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

CWs in the book and on Storygraph.

This book is definitely perfect for those who are looking for a little treat to beat the heat. Although, I can’t say things don’t heat up in Cold World. This was my first read by Alicia and though at times I found the story to be slow moving, I will definitely be reaching for future releases. This was a cute—at times emotional—bickering coworkers to rivals-but-not-really to friends to lovers story and whew I feel winded because that was a lot of words. I couldn’t fit this book into a neat little box if I tried. Asa is a bisexual goofball artist and Lauren is a lover of lists who definitely needs a heavy dose of fun. These two also both have some deep-rooted trauma to heal from as well and as they keep spending time together their walls slowly come down. It truly was a ride though because these two are hot and cold. Although the idea of a cold-themed world in a hot climate is deeply impractical, it felt like the author planted this bubble of magic for these two to find themselves in. I’m excited to see what Alicia comes up with next. Oh, and have you seen the cover?! I’m obsessed.

Super cute with a helping of real emotional issues. Someone else on here referred to this as a rom-com-traum and that definitely works. Cold World sounds dopey, but I stayed up late to finish the book because I was rooting for both the tourist attraction and Lauren & Asa.

Thank you to @netgalley @berkleypub and @berkleyromance for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to @prhaudio for a free download of the audiobook. And thank you to @berittalksbooks and @dg_reads for including me on this buddy read.

This enemies to lovers and workplace romance trope book is a sweet slow burn that is worth the wait. Asa is a long-time maintenance working at the winter wonderland that is Cold World, while Lauren is the penny-pinching accountant. Along with the owner’s son, they are tasked with coming up with a proposition to generate more revenue.

Alicia Thompson did a great job developing characters and working through each of their traumas. She brought the characters together in an entertaining way that was a delight to read.

I loved this book. Full disclosure, Thompson’s previous book wasn’t my favorite and I wasn’t entirely sure about this one. But oh goodness. This book just worked its way into my heart. It had me laughing and crying by turns. I spent most of the book wanting to give Lauren a giant hug (which she probably wouldn’t appreciate, but needs anyway). She was so flawed, but likable. Asa is also an absolute delight, making a major contrast to Lauren. I love the relationship between all of Asa's roommates. It’s so delightful and adds depth to the world of the characters.

Alicia Thompson is officially on my list of “must read” authors - no need to check what it’s about, I just want to read whatever she’s writing next. I loved her first book and was really excited for With Love, From Cold World.

Luckily Cold World lived up to my high expectations. Lauren and Asa work together at Cold World - an amusement in Orlando that gives a winter wonderland experience year round - an ice skating rink, a snow globe with real snow, hot chocolate. Lauren and Asa are opposites and don’t get along - but are pushed together on a new work opportunity.

This is a slow burn with some heavier topics covered so you may want to check for warnings. I loved how Thompson handled their character growth and had them work through conflicts. I cared about these characters so much and was rooting for them all along. Thank you to Berkley, PRH Audio and Netgalley for the advance reading and listening copies - I alternated between both and thought the narration was excellent.

First of all, THAT cover oh wow it’s so stunning. And second of all, I love a good opposites attract book… I don’t think I’ve read a lot of books where the hero is bi, which was a delight because his personality is beyond adorable and then we heave our heroine, who is kind of reluctant. So, of course, they fit each other freaking well.
The chemistry and connection is sweet. Sweet romance is one of my to go favourite reads when I want entertain myself, but not looking for any drama whatsoever.
By the way, who would have thought ‘one office’ aka one bed would be that interesting? Gosh, adorable.

With Love, from Cold World is a sweet and slightly angsty romantic workplace comedy.

I adored this book. Best read around Christmas time, this novel features lots of talk about holiday movies (and songs), and leans heavily on themes of family–both biological and found. This all takes place in a setting that’s far colder than you’d expect a book set in Florida to be…

The hook for me was the unique setting. Cold World is a theme park, but it’s much smaller than Disney or Universal, and it fits in a warehouse in Florida. It features fake snow, a skating rink, and other cold attractions meant to appeal to those who don’t get to experience winter in southern USA. What a fun premise! The hero, Asa, works on the floor, but Lauren spends her time holed up in her office, working on the books. Asa is fun-loving and a bit of a prankster, and Lauren is often accused of being an emotionless robot. He’s “cool”, and she’s “frigid” (I’ll see myself out…) Of course, it turns out that they have a lot more in common than you’d think, and their love story is equal parts adorable and humorous.

The dialogue is, at times, laugh out loud hilarious. I love the reverse grumpy-sunshine trope (where the heroine is the grump), and the author pulls this off so well with her heroine–Lauren Fox.

I adored the subplots of this book, which were important, but didn’t detract from the main plotline. They served to add substance to a plot that could have been quite shallow. Asa is bisexual, and his parents disowned him when he was only eighteen. Lauren grew up in foster care, and now she’s signed up to be a guardian ad litem, even though she has no idea how to talk to kids. These subplots were sweet and heartfelt and really added an extra layer to an already unputdownable novel.

I loved this book, and I can’t wait to see what Alicia Thompson cooks up next!

2.5 stars!!

This book was not for me unfortunately. I felt it lacked romance, humor, and character development. I think it comes down to the one fact that I could not connect or want to connect with the characters. A few silver linings were the setting of the book was very unique, and I did enjoy some of the side characters. Plus the cover is stunning!!

Al in all, this was not for me but does not mean you shouldn't read it because I have a feeling lots of people are going to love it.

(thanks to the Berkley for the e-arc, I love you guys)

I would read anything that Alicia Thompson publishes, including her grocery list. I loved this one so much and it has very quickly become one of my favorite romances of the year. This book genuinely has me giggling, crying, kicking my feet in the best of ways. If you loved, Love in the Time of Serial Killers - you better fully prepare to have your expectations blown out of the water with this one!

4.5 stars

This was super cute. It was light, quick and easy to read. This is the second book I've read from this author and I loved this one as much as I did the first. The characters were down-to-earth and relatable, but the competitors to lovers was so sweet and their story was easy to fall into. I loved that they both were looking for their path and found it by opening up to each other. I think the fact that this grumpy/sunshine duo was flipped compared to a lot of romances was interesting as well. Not that the female meant to be "grumpy" but the charm and sunshine vibes that the male MC gives off makes you want to smile at every moment. Thanks for the opportunity to read this book.

This was slightly heavier than I was expecting but that is not a bad thing!! Not to @ myself but bi kind of sad but also not art boy who is also kind of chaotic??? It’s giving men written by women for Janai specifically 🤌

This was such a sweet grumpy/sunshine workplace dual POV romance. The feelings escalate quickly but not in an insta-love kind of way, more like they’ve known each other for awhile and have mutual friends and then a slight nudge creates a domino effect. I ATE IT UP.

Asa and Lauren were so lovable together, I found their connection intimate, bonding over their childhood traumas and pasts. It made certain plot points so much more plausible than some in other romances. I also love that both MCs have clearly spent time reflecting on how those experiences shaped them as adults and you can see it reflected in their actions/thought processes. I think I just found both characters compelling separately and as a couple.

⚠️potential spoiler: there’s a scene when one MC chews out the other MC’s shitty family and it just was so satisfying. I also love that they weren’t pressured to forgive the shitty family and it wasn’t neatly tied up⚠️

I read this in less than 24 hours and obviously devoured it. Even went back to revisit certain parts that made me smile. Can’t wait to read the author’s previous work.

FYI: There is a HP reference but in a fuck JKR kind of way *insert green flag emoji here*

Read if you like: grumpy/sunshine, found family, queer romance, Bi male main character, workplace romance, LGBTQ+ side characters, Latine side characters

⚠️TWs: biphobia/homophobia, Christmas, religious bigotry, foster care, abandonment, outing, mentioned addiction, mentioned domestic and child abuse, toxic family, brief workplace harassment

This was overall a fun and fast-paced read that had me hooked wanting Asa and Lauren to get together from the beginning. I loved the setting of Cold World, and honestly would have loved to see the characters explore the theme park a bit more because it was such a fun concept. The found family dynamic between Asa and his friends was so heartwarming, another thing that I would have loved to see more of. Each of his roommates were unique in their own way and I loved seeing the different perspectives and behavior they brought to each scene. Lauren and Asa had wonderful chemistry, and I absolutely loved Asa as a book boyfriend. He was a total cinnamon roll and I just wanted to give him a hug and protect him. I think the only thing that kept this book from being a five star read was that the pacing of Asa and Lauren's romantic relationship felt off, especially at the end. I would have liked to see it develop a bit more before the third-act conflict, but that did not take away from my overall enjoyment of the story.

Even after finishing this, I keep thinking cold war not cold world. But as we are in the midst of the hot, humid, horrible part of summer here, a Cold World sounds refreshing. My summers as a teen and while in college were spent working at Kings Island, a local amusement park, so I had a connection to the story.

Weirdly it took me a long time to connect to the characters in this one. I am not really sure why that was, but it may gave been the “pranks” seemed quite meanspirited to me and way beyond any prank I’ve been a part of. I eventually really liked them and even had tears in my eyes at one poignant moment. Between the tears in my eyes and the little bit of spice, the parts I listened to during my walk had me wondering if anyone walking near me could hear anything from my earbuds.

Even more than the romance, I liked the underlying idea of where you belong in the world, what makes you you and discovering friendships. Both Asa and Lauren had a rocky childhood and have unique perspectives on how to move forward from them. There were moments I wanted to smack them and other where I wanted to hug them, but I was always rooting for them. Both to get together and to get their acts together.

A little friendly competition from the opposites amplified the chase to get this grumpy sunshine couple together.

First off, thank you to Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for sending an e-arc for my honest opinions and review!

It’s Christmas in August and I’m not even mad about it! And if you’re not feeling the holiday spirit this early in the year, let me convince you to read this book with these tropes:
1. Enemies/rivals to lovers
2. Workplace romance (siri, play I Can See You by Taylor Swift)
3. She’s grumpy/he’s sunshine
4. Bisexual MMC (with a bunch of tattoos)
5. Dual POV
6. Found family

I actually really enjoyed the idea of an all year Christmas themed park in Florida (cause you know, climate change). The main plot focuses on Lauren and Asa working together to come up with ideas to save said theme park, Cold World, but the side plots tied it all together perfectly.

For some of Laurens childhood, she grew up in foster care after her mom abandoned her which has led Lauren guarding herself in any way possible. She begins working as a guardian in the foster system and works closely with a young boy, Eddie. The connection between them is awkward in the beginning, but she sees so much of herself in Eddie that she breaks down those high walls protecting herself to comfort him. Throughout the story, we see that Lauren struggles with letting people in her life and accepting any form of love.

And that’s when Asa comes in, your blue haired, Christmas loving bisexual who has it bad for Lauren. Sure, he teases her relentlessly, but that’s just his way of flirting but also his defense mechanism. In similar ways, Asa has been abandoned by his religious parents when he came out as bisexual. Learning about Asa’s past hit a little too close to home when it came to family/religion trauma, but that made me love him even more. And the Christmas gift he made for her?? I literally started tearing up and I want that art work framed.

I have gotten more into the found family trope and I loved the house dynamic so much, I wish I had more of them. There were some moments where it felt rushed, like the morning after the Christmas party. There was a big moment between Lauren and Asa and they didn’t really talk about it the next day, but instead did…other stuff (I’m not complaining tbh). Their relationship and confessing their love for each other felt kind of insta-lovey, but I didn’t mind it that much. And of course, the third act miscommunication breakup, HOWEVER, I didn’t mind it that much because it only lasted one chapter so it didn’t feel like a big deal.

Overall, once I got about 30% in I was hooked and couldn’t put this down! And the cover?? Absolutely gorgeous!!

Read this if you like:
❄️Enemies to lovers
❄️Workplace romance
❄️Reverse grumpy/sunshine
❄️LGBTQ2 representation
❄️Found family
❄️Witty banters
❄️Lovable side characters
❄️Subplot of family drama

I wanted to love this book but am honestly very over main female characters who are rigid, timid, and second guess every conversation they have. I didn’t want to be in Lauren’s head-I wanted out!-especially after the author’s previous book featured such a strong heroine. I am also over third-act breakups over a tiny miscommunication in a conversation. Just put your hand on his shoulder and ask a clarifying question!
That being said, this has a fun setting, lots of interesting side characters, and a super cute ending that made it an enjoyable read.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

When it comes to romance I want to escape from my day-to-day and enter a world that has me feeling gooey (in a good way, like that extra dollop of frosting on a freshly baked cinnamon role) and grinning from pure joy.

And judging by this cute cover and fun title, I was hoping this book would do just that.

Sadly, With Love, From Cold World wasn’t for me. There was little character development, a number of heavy topics that didn’t get enough page time to give us the scope and depth of what the author was trying to convey in the overall story.

As for the romance, it felt rushed. I didn’t fully believe that these two wanted a relationship, beyond the physical, based on the length of time (which is like a week) these two are interacting in the book.

Even though this one wasn’t for me, if you enjoy a workplace romance, rivals-to-lovers trope, opposites attract, and a quirky setting for a romance, then check out With Love, From Cold World.

Happy Reading ~ Cece