I have read all 5 of Elle McNicoll’s published Middle Grade books and loved them all so had very high expectations going into this and was very excited to have an early copy to read.

Some Like it Cold follows Jasper who has come home from uni for the first time after 18 months and with secrets she's keeping from both her family and the town that means she’s back to stay goodbye. Arthur who runs the local cinema with his brother and is attempting to create a film about Lake Pristine, but to Jasper he is looking like a reason why saying goodbye might not be the best idea.

This is Elle McNicoll’s YA debut romance book and I love that she has made the decision to write romance because I loved this so much and we need more autistic romances. This is definitely for the upper end of YA but it still feels like it’s for YA which YA books don’t always feel like they are.

We get the perspective of both Jasper and Arthur throughout the story which I liked to see. It was nice to see the feelings build up during the story but also I really connected with Jasper and a lot of that came from being in her head. It was also nice to see Arthur’s perspective on a lot of things that went on with Jasper. This worked really well for the story as a whole.

Something else I really liked about the writing was how many of the things that Jasper struggled with were written, including masking, which I don’t think has ever been discussed as much in any book I have read before, the way she has learned to read people and the way she experiences sensory overload. There were so many quotes I connected too and wrote down so that I can look back on. Often books describe things that I am unable to in ways that I really connect to, so those quotes are great ways to describe how I feel with specific things to people that don’t experience things in the same ways.

Along with Arthur and Jasper we see a lot of other characters who live in this town and they went to school with. You see a wide variety of characters that live in town, whether they be older than Jasper, her age or younger. You see how big of a range of people live here which was great because there were characters you liked, you understood and you think needed a stern talking to.

I liked seeing Odette and Jasper’s friendship, how it’s changed due to Jasper being at university and how much they still mean to each other. Odette was a character whose actions felt very understandable and it’s really nice to see how much they still have a strong understanding of each other after this time away and over the course of the book you see Odette make some realisations and Jasper and Odette come back together after some distance between them that felt complete real between these characters in a way that you would expect to happen when one moves away.

Both Arthur and Jasper’s families were heavily involved in the story. I really liked both of Arthur’s siblings, the three of them were close in ways that were great to see and Grace was a character who I was always happy to see. Jasper’s family on the other hand are known to be one of the top families of the town and have struggled to accept her diagnosis properly and what it means for Jasper. I had mixed feelings towards Christine at many times because she was great to Jasper but also really mean to Jasper and many others in the town but by the end of the book she had definitely grown in my opinion she still wasn’t my favourite. Jasper’s parents also improved over the course of the story but I again I can’t say I was their biggest fan by the time I got to the end.

There were many other characters in town that I liked including Hera that I would like to see more of and I’m so glad Elle McNicoll is writing more in Lake Pristine but I would love to know which character’s we will be following because I love Lake Pristine and it’s residents so so much.

Jasper and Arthur were both flawed and had things that they were aware weren’t perfect about them but they were still characters that I really liked and wanted the best for at all times in the story. I really connected to Jasper as a character and was so glad to have read her story because of how much I connected to her and her struggles.

You could see how much the author loves rom coms when reading, it comes right through into the story when reading about both Jasper’s special interest and the love story between Arthur and Jasper. There was fantastic neurodivergent representation in this book which is exactly what I have come to expect from Elle McNicoll in six books, it discussed masking in an amazing way, sensory overload and social interactions it didn’t feel like it was just added in because she wanted to have people understand what being autistic is like instead it felt like it was authentic to Jasper and who she was as a person and how her life was as an autistic girl in a small town that wasn’t the most understanding. Jasper’s family and their views on her diagnosis was also interesting to see because it’s not something that I think I see often in books in the way that it was represented here and how Jasper’s opinion on it differed to theirs.

This book made me feel so seen in such an amazing way that I haven’t felt so strongly in any book before and I know the story will stick with me for quite a while. I would highly recommend it to all readers because the romance is fantastic as is the representation and it’s one that upon release I definitely think you should be picking up from bookshops. It is a new favourite YA romance that I will be rereading many times, and could not rate anything but five stars.

(Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review)

One of my favourite things in this book was the small details like the use of chapter headings that mimicked film script (which was even cooler as the main character loves old romance films). This attention to detail is something I love in books and really just shows the time and care that went into making it.

This book is definitely more character-driven rather than plot-driven which worked really well as the author makes the main characters feel real and they have a lot of depth. And the chemistry between the two main characters is fantastic and you can’t help but root for them. The small town setting also provides the perfect backdrop for the character development and romance. It is cosy and quirky and you can feel the love that the townspeople have for their home.

This book is the perfect winter read. I absolutely adored it and would pi k it up to enjoy again and again.

Elle McNicoll's debut YA has already solidified her as a genius of the genre!

Her love of rom coms bleeds through the page and comes out in how perfectly the tension (and swoon-worthiness) between Jasper and Arthur builds and unfolds. Some Like It Cold has the perfect rom com balance of heart and integrity, cuteness and cringe, and a romance that has you blushing.

Jasper stole my heart from her first, very awkward, entry and will stay with me for a long time after. She's a wonderful example of the struggles autistic girls face with the masks society pushes us to adopt our whole lives, and it was truly refreshing to read a representation so honest and so rarely portrayed. I had tears in my eyes at so many points from how much Jasper's story reflected my own experiences, and from wanting to just make life easier for her.

Overall a fantastic read that I devoured in one day and will stay with me forever.

This was cute! And that's as much as I think about it.

The neurodivergent rep was incredible. McNicoll's portrayal of masking and Jasper gradually breaking out of it was so well done and tender. It also helped that Jasper herself was a delightful main character, as her kindness and love she has for her family, friends, and Lake Pristine really shine through the page. It took me a while to like Arthur, for I found the motivations for his documentary to be dubious, but he did warm up to me as he became closer to Jasper and was being more genuine.

The big reason why I didn't like this more was the snide attitude the town gave off for the majority of the book. The rampant gossip, the in-group or nothing plights, the casual worship of the richest family in town, it all gave me the ick. The characters joke about it themselves, and this eventually is turned on its head to show the better, friendlier side of small towns, but the whole experience left a bad taste in my mouth. It also made it hard to come around to Jasper's family at the end, particularly her sister Christine. They show remorse and become more supportive, but it didn't really feel earned when they spent most of the book being the absolute worst type of family towards her (For Christ's sake, Christine forced her easily overstimulated sister to go to a club for her bachelorette party, knowing she would likely shutdown, and never even said sorry! Making Jasper maid-of-honor last minute doesn't make up for that at all.)

All in all, this was a cute romance, but there were some elements in the story I couldn't vibe with well.

a really wonderful feel-good ya romcom with so much HEART! the neurodivergent rep was fantastic, and it was lovely to see these characters fall for each other with a cosy christmassy backdrop!!

thank you so much to net galley, MacMillan for the arc! X

I loved this heart-warming rom-com so much. As someone with my own experience of neurodiversity I'm really enjoying reading books by authors who have a similar experience and yet celebrate differences too between people who have a similar diagnosis. The characters are sympathetic and I loved being in the 'small-town' world that McNicoll creates. This book falls nicely into that 'clean teen' zone and will be absolutely lapped up by voracious readers of rom-coms young and old. It would make a perfect feel-good Xmas movie- really hope it happens one day!

Having read Elle McNicoll’s other books, I was intrigued as to how her first foray into YA would fare. I will confess that I was little disappointed at first as I thought it was going to be the archetypal “rom com” churned out regularly on the Hallmark channel, with the golden girl loved by everyone, the evil older sister and the broodingly handsome Mr Darcy cipher. However, I soon realised that Elle had brought in many of the classic romantic tropes but there was much more to this story. For me, by far the best part of the story was Jasper’s neurodiversity which was described in an achingly effective way. I enjoyed the setting; who can resist a small-town vignette in the run up to Christmas? The characters were well written, and Elle fleshed out the selfish older sister and brooding boyfriend admirably. The minor characters also felt real. Best of all, there was a lovely happy ending, as you would expect with a rom com. I’m looking forward to recommending this to neurodivergent readers and those who love a great romance.

As a new reader of Elle McNicoll's work, diving into "Some Like it Cold" felt like an already favourite book and I will be reading more of her work.

This novel, which I would say is half coming-of-age novel, half enemies-to-lovers romance, and offers more than a love story. McNicoll brings together themes of family dynamics, small-town life, being on the spectrum, and loving someone on the spectrum, creating a story that offers heartwarming insight.

I found Jasper's journey to be authentic (sometimes, painfully so) but also enlightening. What truly touched me as someone on the spectrum who counts as 'highly functioning' was the way that living with autism was portrayed with sensitivity, honesty, and authenticity. If you have a child or close relative on the spectrum and you are not, I advise you to read this book for some insight on one experience with ASD.

The romance between Jasper and Arthur is nicely written, with a perfect balance of sweetness and personal history. Their journey from distant enemies to reluctant allies to something more is a classic enemies-to-lovers gambit. McNicoll excels at capturing the nuances of their relationship, making every moment feel authentic.

Jasper's relationships with friends and family are also deeply and insightfully explored. These threads and subplots make up the other half of the novel and are honest and compelling. Themes of repairing a strained friendship, the need to belong vs. the need to break away, and the personal price of keeping the peace are explored with brutal honesty without harshness.

Their hometown Lake Pristine, has that small-town atmosphere that adds an extra layer of depth to the story. It feels like a visit to a place where you would spend a charming weekend. If you fell in love with the place and moved there, you wouldn't be considered a 'local' until your family had been there for three generations, and that feeling is kindly but honestly conveyed, an authentic background for the novel.

"Some Like it Cold" is a delightful read that will tug at your heart and leave you with a smile. Elle McNicoll's storytelling shines brightly in this novel, and I cannot recommend it enough. Whether you're a fan of romance, interested in neurodiversity, or simply looking for a heartwarming story to brighten your day, this book is a must-read.

Disclaimer: I received an ARC copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review

Thank you Netgalley for the free eCopy!

I adore Elle McNicoll's children's books and was nervous about trying out her novel for older readers. How I wish I had read it at Christmas time!! (You can of course read it at anytime but this book screams at you for being adapted to a Christmas movie!!!!)

It has that warm Christmas movie feel to it - is warm the right word??

Jasper - the main character is home to her small town. Having lived in a small town too she describes it so perfectly. The pros and cons of such a place. The trying to fit in and return to the face that the locals know.

However Jasper has a plan. Will she be able to tick off everything on her to-do or will the locals get in the way? Maybe Andrew - the grump? Christine - the sister? Odette - the best friend? Saffron - the sisters, friends sister? (See this is such a small town description!!)

A feeling good romantic novel, I suspect the start of many for Elle McNicoll.

what a wonderful feel good young adult romance read , it had all the vibes of the girlmore girls for me set in the winter ,snowy small town , cosy vibes which is what i love .setting is perfect .

I thought that Ella writing was just so beautiful,it flowed wonderfully Elle she left me wanting more and more which is the best .

I thought Elle did an amazing job writing about the autism rep i thought she was very delicate but you can also tell she did her research into i have a son who has autism so i understood much more what was happening with the character which helped me even more to the story its self .

i thought the plot of the story was fantastic, i really want to read more by Elle and i cant wait for others to read this book

i'm giving the cosy book 5 stars

Some Like It Cold is a delightful Young Adult romance full of all the Gilmore Girls / Hallmark movie vibes readers will adore!
18 year old Jasper is home for Christmas. Covered in snow, her hometown of Lake Pristine is absolutely picturesque. The trouble is, Jasper never really liked perfect, unblemished things and it’s what her parents (and the town) always expected of her. How is she going to tell them she’s dropping out of university and pursuing her dreams of design school instead?
As she navigates her perfect sister’s engagement, reconnecting with her best friend and the awkwardness of spending time with an old foe, Arthur, Jasper battles between being “back for now” and being “back for good”.
With a feisty, autistic heroine, Some Like It Cold reveals the realities many young women face with pressure from external expectations, feeling the need to mask and trying to be true to themselves.

The reason I wanted to read this was because it was sold as a book with an autistic heroine which I thought was great and underdone. For a long time it was hard to see how the heroine was autistic and then little things started to happen to explain this and I worried about that or a while. Was it trying to underplay autism? But I’ve decided actually what it was doing was more true to life and realistic and challenges the usual idea of autism (for example, 8 really loved the A word on BBC but not all autistic protagonists need to wear huge headphones to prove neurological differences). I had heard of the author through ‘A Kind of Spark’ but not realised it was connected until after. I liked the male character and the setting, and Jasper’s loyalty to her family.

Thank you to Netgalley and MacMillan for this ARC of ‘Some Like It Cold’ by Elle McNicoll.

WOW! The Autism Rep in this is probably the best I’ve read about. The author truly explored what living with autism is like and did so whilst avoiding society’s stereotypes. I read this and could’ve immediately re read it. I will be ordering the physical copy of this and looking into more of this authors work!

SOME LIKE IT COLD is a cosy, wintry romance centring an autistic woman in a small town that knows everyone's business - except she's always had to hide herself from them.

This book captures what it's like to be an autistic woman, the expectations and demand to mask that much more. The fact that the stereotype of autism is very male centric and so "you don't look autistic" is used like a weapon to force you into a different shape. The fact that there's so much less leeway given to women who don't conform. The energy drain of always, always having to mask and be perfect.

There was something cathartic - so incredibly painful but also freeing - to see that laid out on the page. Everything hidden being dredged up and shown to any who read it. The pain and anger and resentment and fatigue of continually being misunderstood and having to shrug off comments (I could write an essay on why "Oh, I couldn't tell" is awful to hear.) The overwhelming fear and claustrophobia of overstimulation and the physical and mental effects of that.

And yet for all that painful openness, this is a love story that centres autism, that says you do not need to hide any part of who you are to be acceptable, to be worthy, to be loved. It's so empowering.

I also loved that the book has a more creative woman as the autistic lead. There are quite a few stereotypes about autistic people being naturally inclined to science and maths and not being creative or artsy (and I'm saying this as an autistic physicist!) but that is only one sub-group of the autistic community. It was so nice to see that stereotype challenged, to explore facets of the community that don't traditionally get shown (and the book does not hold back from blasting the role autistic characters are usually given in media.)

Jasper loves interior design and pink and movies. She is a dancer even if she's lost the love of it, and is a great mentor, encouraging and boosting others rather than fighting with them for space or putting them down (her and Grace had such an amazing relationship!)

I look forward to any other YA Elle McNicoll writes.

Small town setting, true romance, Neurodivergent representation everything I needed and more.

My Thoughts:

First of all thank you to PanMacmillen & NetGalley for allowing me to read this book for review.

Lake Pristine to me feels like Stars Hollow those are the incredible feelings you get with the town.

If you enjoy small town romances then you will love this book, Jasper has always been the person everyone expects she masks with a perfect person persona and does everything for everyone. Everyone apart from herself.

Jasper is the towns favourite character and you see that throughout the story for how she is portrayed by everyone. I enjoyed the slow burn of this romance and the slight aspect of enemy to lover. The aspects of neurodivergence has been touched on very well and I would highly recommend this book to anyone who feels that they aren’t able to be who they truly are because this book will make you see otherwise. Throughout the story we see all parts of Jaspers mind and how she feels, she goes through Shut-Down in an overstimulating environment she overthinks and sees things differently we feel everything from her perspective we can truly experience how she must see the world.

Arthur sees Jasper for exactly how she is and he always has done; he has a very gruff initial persona with her and part of that is his own denial and belief but he has always loved and respected her for exactly as she is and prefers her feisty power that she reserves only for him

I have loved everything Elle McNicoll has written so far and in this, her first trip into the YA age group, she once again excels with such heartwarming grace and poise

An inventive and different book, definitely not the classic romance. Life as neurodivergent is really well told, examples of the day to day living that ring true and ways that Jasper has tried to protect herself and mask so as to be able to feel part of the community. The community of Lake Pristine is a small town, and the stories of everyone’s business are mostly fun. when the fun turns bitter the writing is very well done, the cruelty of the spurned, the maliciousness of those who are hurt and jealous, and the meanness of parents is all exposed.
It took me a little while to get into the book, so many characters, with links and shared histories that I struggled to get them all straight, it was absolutely worth it though, the second half of the book was frenzied with ideas and changes if direction and love flooding it. A great read.

Some like it cold
By Elle McNicoll
Published by Pan Macmillan

What a fabulous love story from bestselling, award-winning author Elle McNicoll!Some Like it Cold is perfect for middle grade and teenagers who love adventure, love struck teens and village gossip.

Not only does she know how to tell a story but she holds our heart and minds in the palm of her hand as she weaves those words into a beautiful tale of love, friendship and trust. 

Jasper Montgomery is heading home for the holidays.
University life is not what she thought but her mind is made up. She must say goodbye to Lake Pristine. Her small town has one last chance before she leaves for good. Or so she thinks! And just like that Jasper doesn’t bank on accidentally ruining her sister's engagement, or bumping into her teenage crush of a filmmaker Arthur Lancaster.

Full of family feuds, old relationships, small-town tensions and a certain brooding film buff - You will not want to put this novel down!
Can Jasper decide what she wants from Arthur, and from Lake Pristine, before she leaves them both forever?
Will you solve the village feud or jump on the wrong band wagon?

Joanne Bardgett - teacher of littlies, lover of Children’s literature.
#Netgalley

Here comes my honest review, but first things firs. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Ok, so… i think the story is cute but I have some doubts about it. I appreciate the neurodivergent representation, being one the author herself, but I have read books where the FMC happens to be the light of the story, they bring me a sense of admiration and respect, cause they always feel more than what we can see (or read). Sadly in this case, I felt as if Jasper weren’t anything but autistic, as if that defined her. And I think part of that is because the author kept repeating throughout the book that Jasper was neurodivergent, seriously, she took every opportunity she had to remind us, so that held me at arms length and I didn’t feel any connection to her, I didn’t care about her for the first 70% of the book. I though she lacked personality.

Second thing (I’m sorry) I don’t like Arthur (I said what I said) I just think he’s boring. Also, he seemed to be kinda snob for me. Why would you dislike someone just because they’re rich? It doesn’t make sense.

I think this tried to be an enemies to lovers (kind of) but it didn’t work out. This thing between him and Japser felt rushed for me, although they were cute.

I would recommend this book if you like cute stories, small town and cozy vibes.

Again, thank you very much Netgalley and the publisher. Sorry for my bad English.