With Love, From Cold World by Alicia Thompson (Review by Jessica Heatherly)

5 stars

Spice level: 3/5

This book is so much more than a fun and flirty rom com! Asa and Lauren are the complete embodiment of enemies to lovers, forced to work together on a project to improve the frosty tourist destination where they’re both employed. The banter is perfection and the diverse cast of characters is entirely lovable. The depth of the story is achieved in the broken backgrounds of the main characters and the friends who know and love them unconditionally.

I couldn’t put this book down! Alicia Thompson won me over with her previous book, Love In The Time Of Serial Killers, and solidified her spot as one of my favorite romance authors with With Love, From Cold World. Told in dual points of view, we get to feel the emotions of Asa and Lauren as they’re experiencing them, and there are so many! Asa comes from a family who has shunned him for his sexuality and Lauren is a product of the foster system. These experiences as young adults have shaped them into who they are. They have insecurities and hesitations but also clear expectations of what they require from others, especially in relationships. This unconventional upbringing shines a light on the fact that not everyone has a picture perfect childhood but can overcome the past to create a brighter future with the support of those around them.

I’ve focused on the deeper undertones of this novel so far because they are what make this book standout from the crowd. There are so many heartwarming and laugh-out-loud moments too! The Christmas spirit is strong in this one and it definitely had me ready to put up my tree in the middle of summer. There are so many plot points to discuss and this emotional and memorable rom-com is perfect for a discussion with friends!