Some Like it Cold is a touching YA romance that shows the world through our main character Jaspers eyes as an autistic female. Jasper has been made to feel that she needs to mask in order fit in with the small town where she grew up. Lake Pristine is a tight community and Jasper mastered being the perfect person for everyone and is beloved. After being away at college, she has returned home just in time to be thrown into her sisters upcoming wedding preparations. But Jasper has made of list of things she wants to do while she is home and they are not things that her controlling family will be happy about. Arthur is still grieving the loss of his father. Along with his brother he has taken over his fathers art house in town and is raising his younger sister. While Arthur and Jasper have a history of not liking each other, now that she is back in town, they have found themselves seeing each other differently.

This is a very sweet romance, but that is only part of this story. The author exposes a lot of drama in the seemingly perfect small town. I gave mean girl vibes at times, as there seemed to be no provocation for much of the bad behavior. Jasper's family is pretentious and entitled. Worse, both her parents and sister Christine, mistreat Jasper unapologetically. Arthur and his cousin spend much of the book working of a film project and this part of the story also adds in drama. The holiday parties and The Nutcracker ballet preparations add a sweet holiday feel to the story.

I really liked how the author informed about autism and neuro-divergence. There are many good learning moments for readers who are unfamiliar with the subject. Because the book covers more then just a romance this was not a quick read, but I was invested throughout.

Thank you Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

I loved the story, the world building and meeting the different characters. I felt completely immersed in the story and couldn't stop reading it.

Some Like It Cold by Elle McNicoll offers a refreshingly unique take on romance with its engaging characters and witty dialogue. While the story is charming and well-crafted, its pacing may feel uneven at times.

I did enjoy this book, but I gave it a 4* for the fact I felt like it was slow in parts. I would still recommend this book.

I had an absolute blast reading this book. It’s a slow-burn romance packed with humor to keep you hooked from start to finish. I definitely think this will be popular amongst my library patrons.

When I started this book, I had to read it in spurts because I hated it. I hated how I could see myself in the main character, Jasper (love that name btw), I hated how I could relate to having a family that demanded perfection/hiding your disability. I hated how even her friendships seemed so one sided and carried by her doing all the work to maintain it. I couldn't read more than a few chapters at a time because I was constantly wanting to throw my phone across the room seeing scenes play out that I have personally experienced.
I don't know if this was meant to be a YA book or adult fiction, but the charm it held was impeccable and it can easily fit on both sets of shelves in a library. I have already read Elle's other books and loved them, so naturally I wanted to read this more mature book. If there is only one complaint, it would be that the idea that Arthur and Jasper would have to break up over a 40 minute drive from LP to Davenport is unbelievable. I don't think I'd even consider stressing at any distance less than 3 hours when it comes to a "long distance".
Please for the love of all that is holy, keep writing stories and telling them in a way that makes me want to throw my phone across the room. The world needs it and so do I.

Very cute romance! Loved the main characters and small town setting. Interesting obstacles with solid resolution.

Jasper Montgomery is back in Lake Pristine, the small town where everyone knows your name, your business and will happily give you an opinion. The Montgomerys are a well respected family, Christine, the older sister, can be a pill and demanding but the sweetness of Jasper often buffers any heartache. The town is thrilled Jasper has returned, unbeknownst to the town, Jasper only wants to complete a list of goals, so she can continue her journey and life’s plan. But you know what happens when you make plans, life throws you curveballs! Curveballs like her sister getting married in a month, a fellow classmate making a short film about the town, and adding her coming out from behind the mask of autism.

This was a well written YA story. I enjoyed the way Jasper looked at situations through the lens of autism. The author provided some wonderful insights about how things like environment can affect a person with autism. The storyline with Arthur and Jasper is sweet without being overly done. It was just the right balance. Enjoy this story, you won’t want to miss it.

Some Like it Cold was a very sweet young adult novel featuring Jasper, a neurodivergent FMC who is dealing with planning her overbearing sister's New Year's Eve wedding, is running the town's ballet production of The Nutcracker, hasn't told her parents that she wants to drop out of her college program, with plenty of friendship and family drama to go around. Not to mention her "arch-nemesis" Arthur is in the middle of making a short film about their small town and they always seem to end up in the same place. But their days of being enemies may be over. It took me some time to really get into the novel - but this was a heart-warming small town romance. Jasper's journey in making decisions for the future that she wants is relatable and endearing. I liked that it was set-up as acts and scenes like The Nutcracker instead of typical chapters. And the added element of the short film being produced and the drama of what was exposed in Marcus's final cut was a lot of fun and finally got people to see reality and admit their own faults and secrets. I really loved Arthur as a character - definitely a grump at times. But everything he noticed about Jasper through the years, everything he did to help her or make her happy and how interested he was in understanding her neurodiversity was so adorable and beautiful to see. Overall, a very cute holiday/small-town romance. Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this novel.

I adored this heartwarming small-town romance! “Some Like It Cold” by Elle McNicoll is the latest novel from the author, and is a delightful journey. As readers, we are taken into the heart of Lake Pristine, which is a small-town where secrets simmer, old rivalries resurface, and love blossoms unexpectedly. With achingly honest prose and a cast of endearing characters, McNicoll weaves a tale that captures the essence of small-town life and the magic of unexpected connections.

Engaging book that, althogh slow at times, kept me interested from beginning to end.

Thank you to NetGalley aan the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Great ND rep, too close to home at times!
🌟🌟🌟🌟.5

Our MC is a fellow ‘tism girlie. Which is what made me so excited to read this book. The only thing that made me lower it half a star was the fact that everyone else was so mean to her. Now… I understand that sadly that has been true for many of us, but in a sweet holiday romance it wasn’t something I was expecting.

There is a lot of small town drama which is great (not for all though) so I felt the cutesy holiday ambiance at times got a bit dimmed by the drama.

It’s more of a personal choice so I might come back and change my review but thought I’d explain why I lowered it. I tend to prefer my holiday romances on the ‘cozy’ side.

It was great to see ND rep and perhaps shine a light to the audience of what it really can be like and how we explore life. Def recommend and a worthy read for the holiday!

Some Like it Cold is a small-town YA contemporary romance featuring a neurodivergent FMC and a grumpy MMC. Including an idyllic setting, lots of small-town drama, and personal development for the main character, this book will surely appeal to many readers.

However, it wasn't a hit for me. Jasper, the FMC, is seen as perfect by her family, friends, and fellow townsfolk. However, her perfection is largely a mask to hide her insecurities and fears related to her autism. I really enjoyed seeing how being neurodivergent affected Jasper and forced her to hide her true self. I learned a lot about how ND individuals may see the world and how they may mask to fit in with society. From a representation standpoint, this book was a win. What wasn't a win was the drama.

Jasper's family and friend are so horribly mean to her. Not only do they treat her differently, they flat-out physically, mentally, and emotionally abuse her. Christine, Jasper's sister, gets engaged at the beginning of the story, and she immediately excuses any bad behavior as being a bridezilla. That's a ridiculous excuse to begin with, but her treatment of Jasper quickly goes beyond bridezilla territory and is, as I said, abusive. Likewise, Christine's friends and even some of Jasper's former classmates with whom she's at least friendly speak badly about her, gaslight her, and write her off repeatedly. It was frustrating to read, and I understand that McNicoll is showing how small towns can have dark secrets, but I think she went too far.

There is some good character development for Christine and Jasper's parents, and some other characters get their comeuppance, which helps things a bit, but the horrible attitudes and meanness really smothered everything else for me. The romance is sweet, but even that had its mean moments, and Jasper really comes into her own, but she lets people walk over her for so long that it's frustrating.

Overall, Some Like it Cold had a lot of potential, but I couldn't get past how mean everyone acts. The neurodivergence representation is good, and the romance is cute, but none of that was enough for me to really like this book.

This us a fun, easy to read heart warming small town romance. Love the cover. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

Thank You Netgalley and St. Martin's Press and Wednesday books

Publish Date: October 1st, 2024

Elle McNicoll's "Some Like It Cold" offers a refreshing and heartfelt exploration of identity and friendship. The main character, Jasper, navigates adolescence with a unique perspective, making her journey relatable and enlightening. Meanwhile, Jasper Montgomery is returning home for the holidays, harboring secrets, and preparing to bid farewell.

This narrative is more character-driven, and the main characters feel authentic.

overall I really enjoyed it!

some tropes
enemies to lovers
small town
ND representation
and so much more!

I really enjoyed this. Cute story. Clean. I didn’t love that every other time Jasper’s name was mentioned it was her full name, Jasper Montgomery. I really liked Jasper and Arthur.

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for the complimentary copy of this ebook. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I enjoyed this book and think you will to.

Oh my goodness, this is such a delightful and insightful story about a young lady, Jasper, that has been diagnosed as neurodivergent. Jasper has always felt that she wasn't good enough for her mother. That her mother was always disappointed in her because of her differences. Jasper has felt that she could never be her true self when in Lake Pristine, her hometown. She feels as if she is always wearing a mask, so that she is accepted and not judged.

I liked the writing style of this author and how she actually knows how Jasper feels and reacts to things. This book is a little different in that it is written in acts and scenes vs. chapters. I feel for Jasper and Arthur's misunderstandings and how that put them on a path as acquaintances instead of friends and how perceptions of people color how they behave around each other and in groups. There is so much happening in the span of a month in this story. I loved watching Jasper grow and begin to emerge from her shell. It seems that people start to see her in a new light, maybe.

This just wasn't the novel for me. I was really looking forward to it, but as I read on it got harder and harder.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

I think this book has lots of potential but needs some help on the execution. Editing would help.

I think the author must be from the UK but tries to set the story in the U.S. while still using a lot of UK slang that won’t make sense to an American reader and even if we do recognize the term it’ll confuse/take us out of the story.

That being said, the bones are great here. Lovely portrayal of neurodivergence and a sweet young romance.