I absolutely LOVED Some Like It Cold. This isn't my first Elle McNicoll but I think it is my favourite. The main character Jasper is such a warm and delightful person, despite some rich explorations of ableism and grief. As an old movie nerd, the writing about her special interest in classic films especially warmed me. It's a great representation of the "edge of teenage" life and the complexities of family, friendship, and what we call home. The core romance is also very cute. As a neurodivergent person, I particularly appreciated the candour McNicoll offers in how the people who love us can percieve our "difference". Delightful. Book maths: Gilmore Girls meets a Hallmark Christmas movie.

I unfortunately didn't have the time to read this one in time before the archive date but will definitely give it a try in the future.

Thank you so so much for allowing me to listen to this! I really enjoyed it
5 stars from me ⭐️
I would 100% recommend it to anyone and everyone

I have read this novel and really enjoyed it and enjoyed it just as much as an audio version. The narrator was good, and I also enjoyed the accents and voices adopted. What I didn’t pick up on in the book is that this appears to be set in a Scottish town and not America which surprised me a lot as it felt like it fit into an American town. I really like the two main characters and, whilst some of the other characters are deliberately awful and a bit stereotyped maybe, there was also room for growth there (and let’s spare some time to cheer for Christine’s fiancé who is just the cutest, I didn’t notice until listening to the audio book that Jasper refers to Arthur by his full name almost all the time (except for when she calls him Grumble) which was a tiny bit odd towards the end. Anyway, doesn’t change anything and I really enjoyed this sweet read.

This was the perfect blend of a cute and cozy childhood-hate-to-love romance with the often hard realities of being autistic. It was both heartwarming and heartbreaking but overall wonderfully empowering. My only qualm was with just how awful literally every side character in this book was but Jasper’s and Arthur’s characters were so lovely, they more than made up for it.

Overall this was an uplifting and emotional story of first love, taking your life into your own hands and the power giving yourself permission to be your most authentic self.

I also thought the narrator did a beautiful job making this and incredibly enjoyable listen.

I adore Elle McNicholl’s writing, especially when it comes to writing neurodivergent characters, she’s Gen Z’s Judy Blume.

In this book we get an utterly adorable romance between Jasper and Arthur, but also both protagonists figure out who they are and what they want too.

There’s also a great supporting cast of characters.

Also, I loved that Jasper is popular and very involved with various social events in her village, it’s a depiction of autistic people that’s rare. As is Jasper being big busted, I think it’s the first time I’ve ever seen that in an autistic woman.

I also love how Jasper explains how autism affects her and that we see how she masks and what happens when sensory overload happens.

Five stars, I wish I could give it six.

SOME LIKE IT COLD - ELLÉ
MONICOLL - ARC -
AUDIOBOOK
It is so nice to see autistic representation as the female lead in a book. It's really relatable and makes me have an immediate connection with the story. I listened to this on 2x speed and listened all in one day, once I started I couldn't stop! The storyline was decent and I love YA books for their lack of spice. There was some really funny parts to the story and some really heartfelt moments too. It did make me feel lots of emotions, l probably would have felt them more if I had read rather than listened.
Listening at regular speed makes it 10hours and 7minutes long and is narrated by Charlie Sanderson and Elle Mcnicoll
@rachaelmcreads

“Not that you see people like me in love stories”
That quote hit hard. Not often does a book so perfectly capture my own feelings and make me feel seen. As an autistic woman, I recognised Jasper’s struggles, I felt those emotions and I cheered her on all the more for it. Was the story perfect? No, it dipped slightly in the middle but I honestly don’t care. I love Christmas romance movies and books, but never before have I encountered a character that felt like me - representation matters and I would highly recommend anyone - be they autistic or not - to read this absolutely beautiful story.

Thanks to NetGalley, Elle McNicoll, Macmillan UK Audio and First Ink for this ARC

I really wanted to like this book, but alas it fell short.
The narrator was challenging to engage with.
Making the characters boarding.
I didn’t invest in the story. Not for me.

This book was exactly the book that I wish I'd been able to read when I was a teenager, I wish that books like this were written when I was a teenager!!! I cried in the Author's note and throughout.

Jasper is returning home to their small town, university hasn't been going well and Jasper has made the decision they aren't going back but navigating family dynamics and finding their way will not be easy. Jasper's intention is to go home for one last time but then there's Arthur...
The fact that this book has an autistic heroine and it's written by an autistic author means that the autistic rep is impeccable we need more of this please!

I adored this book the Romance, the family dynamics, the coming of age and all set in a small town where everyone knows everyones business it's such a special book.

I listened to the audio and the narration was so good, I listen at 2.5-3 and the clarity was not lost at all.

I will be sharing and recommending this book to everyone for some time.

Another hit from Elle McNicholl. Some Like It Cold is a book to read in front of the fire wrapped in blankets while imagining snowy towns full of markets and mazes and a lot of charm. This is a book to save for when the winter chill hits.

As always, Elle McNicholl’s ND representation is just perfect and at some points so accurate that it hurts just a little. In a good way. As an autistic girl, this book was cathartic. One of the things I love most about her books is that she finds a different type of autism to show in each. Because as the saying goes, If you meet one autistic person, you have met one autistic person. Every single one of us has a unique perspective and McNicholl has truly committed to showing it.

The narration was perfect. One of the things I loved most about Sanderson was that she made the voices subtle but so distinct that you could get a sense of who was talking before the dialogue tag. I always love when narrators do that.

This book was cosy, it had small town charm and it’s the perfect book to break into the Young Adult market.

In this book we meet Jasper Montgomery as she heads home for the 1st time, since she left her small home town Lake Pristine.
Jasper has been away at university for the last 18months and she doesn’t want to go back, she doesn’t want to be in Lake Pristine either as she feels she doesn’t belong

Arriving back, she literally crashes into her sisters proposal scene and is immediately on edge.
We also meet local boy Arthur, he and Jasper have never really got on very well and are often arguing with each other.

We follow Arthur as he films Love in a Small town, his and his cousins entry into a video competition, we follow Jasper as she battles with herself to come clean to her parents about not wishing to continue at university. She has written a list of things she wishes to achieve while home and is slowly ticking them off.
Can her and Arthur help each other out, can they over come their intolerance of each other?

I really enjoyed listening to this audiobook. The narrators accent was lovely to listen to, although it felt at odds with what I initially thought was an American setting.

I am looking forward to discovering more from this Author

Thanks so much to the publisher via Netgalley for access to this Audio ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. This book is out today!

Elle McNicoll, in my opinion, is one of, if not the most exciting voice working in the Middle Grade space at the moment, so I was excited but a little nervous for her first foray into Young Adult. It seems, however, that she has stuck the landing, I can't wait to give this one to our pupils.

A good romance novel doesn't need to reinvent the wheel -- actually, in many cases, I think it's best not to. In many ways, Some Like It Cold is a conventional small town romance; Jasper returns from eighteen months at college with a to-do list of things she wants to do before leaving the town of Lake Pristine forever. Grumpy Arthur Lancaster is making a film about the town, and Jasper is about to unwittingly become its protagonist, despite the antagonistic relationship the film maker has with the former star ballerina. It's not hard to see where it's going to go, but it does so in such a joyful, fun way. Elle McNicoll's natural impulse towards the whimsical and vibrant translates well into the YA space, Lake Pristine coming alive with all the sparkle of the festive season.

Of course, there is also the fact that Jasper, our protagonist, is autistic. McNicoll doesn't shy away from the challenges this presents, painting a full portrait of a young woman who is desirable, intelligent, disciplined and kind, but who also struggles with loud, noisy places, and who sometimes finds difficulty in navigating certain social situations. I've never read anything quite like this, and have no doubt it's going to be invaluable representation for all of the kids I work with, but especially our neurodivergent girls.

Petty irritant: The one qualm I have, and I don't even know if this is on the author, but I keep running into YA that won't commit to being set in the UK or in the States. Partially due to the actress voicing the audiobook being from England, but partially also due to the sheer vagueness of the text, I didn't realise that this book is set in the USA until about halfway through, when the under 21s are wristbanded at a nightclub. Still, the book is full of briticisms, and the characters having names like Craig, Kevin, and Ross, really suggests its set over here. Plus, McNicoll is Scottish, and there doesn't really feel like there's a good reason for it to be set in the US instead of here -- except for it maybe giving more weight to the "parents paying the tuition" thing. It doesn't really matter where it's set, I'm just a little jarred by how difficult it was to pin down and I'd like if publishers could stop letting these things slip through.

Nobody's surprised this was a five star for me. I adore this. It felt comforting and familiar - cosy and warm and just.. I want to be back in it, please.
Loved the narrator and the addition of the author interview at the end.

I really liked the narrator i felt they was easy to get along with. I listened to this book while on my way to work in the car and it made my journey go really fast It was a fun romance and i really enjoyed listening to this book

This book perfectly reflects the feelings of inadequacy neurodivergent people can feel when contemplating if they "deserve" love. In truth, everyone deserves love and this tells the story of Jasper Montgomery discovering just that. I loved reading through the eyes of a protagonist that felt more like myself. Jasper's feelings on social interactions, ambition and family particularly resonated with me. McNicoll presents a heroine that is strong but also simmers in the feeling of being on the outside and not being good enough.
I hope this book finds itself into the hands of young girls who think that different is less and flips their world view on its head. Representation matters.

I absolutely adored Some Like It Cold.

The main character is autistic (like the author - gotta love an own voice story) and while the story is very much about her life and is heavily influenced by her neurodiversity, the themes of being yourself, loving yourself, and weird family dynamics are also applicable to neurotypical readers.

I love the idea that people with neurodivergence will see themselves in the book, and also that it will hopefully help young adults to understand what life is like for their friends and acquaintances with autism - as the main character says at one point: the world may like to think it’s accepting of neurodivergent people, but is it really?

The characters were wonderful, the grumpy x sunshine romance was adorable, and I absolutely raced through the book.

I will absolutely read more by Elle McNicoll and will be recommending this book for my neurotypical and neurodivergent friends and pupils alike!

I completely adored this book! It brings rivals to lovers, complex characters, small town vibes, and people finding their paths. It’s impossible not to love Jasper, who’s written so perfectly. She has character and depth, her emotions feeling genuine and the difficulties of her story and the future she’s fighting for making you root for her. Seeing her through Arthur’s eyes also adds an extra element to her character - and maybe to his too. You can feel the youth in them, but not in the way where some YA books are written with an immaturity to the writing and characters. Arthur and Jasper feel like young adults, finding their feet and their places in the world, but as fully formed people that could step off the page. It was at times difficult to read Jasper’s POV as the way she’s treated by her family is painful, as is the way the world has made her feel the need to become a chameleon instead of herself. Her relationship with Arthur is refreshing and his interest in the woman behind the mask is exactly what I need in a romance (and such an underrated trope). Their characters bounce off each other well and the rivalry from high school adds to their chemistry.

My one complaint would be that Jasper’s family, and especially Christine, were perhaps too over the top obnoxious and could have perhaps been awful but in a more realistic way. However, I loved everything else in this book - especially the audiobook as it was such a great read and really brought to life the writing style and characters, plus it made me take notice of the use of scenes and acts as chapter titles. The characters in this town are brought into the mix too and help to create a community, another element which make this story realistic and make the town feel as though it could be a real place.

I received a free copy of this book. All views are my own.

*4.5 Stars*

I loved this story. The two main characters were so very layered and felt so true and it made me feel everything. I got so angry and frustrated at times on Jasper's behalf that I had to pause and scream before I could keep reading. I really loved Jasper. I also liked Arthur but Jasper was everything to me. I loved seeing their relationship evolve throughout the book but above all, I loved seeing Jasper grow and evolve and become more confident. I felt for her background and saw a lot of myself in her.
I also loved the whole small town setting. It was an integral part of the story and I could just picture it so well.
I just loved this so much.
This was only the second book I've read by Elle McNicoll and now I know I must go back and read every book she's ever written.

Every now and then I feel like I need to read a cosy YA romance or contemporary. Something about them makes them both cosy and causes me to tear up. Some Like It Cold was no different. I’ve read from Elle McNicoll before and actually need to read Like a Curse still, but I was excited to see what she’d bring to the YA romance sphere.

Jasper is back from university for the Christmas holidays but not for the reason people think. She’s come back to say goodbye and tell everyone that she’s quit her degree and is applying for design school instead. But, the moment she arrives in town, her sister gets engaged and things get more complicated. On the other side, we have Arthur, who is still in town to help look after his little sister and his dead Dad’s cinema. He decides to make a film about the town; as a chance to win some money, and maybe show a side of the town others don’t see and during that process, he and Jasper begin to get close. But will their plans be able to overlap or is she saying goodbye to him too?

With this book, we have a cosy Christmassy romance with an autistic girl protagonist. We are starting to see more neurodivergence within the romance sphere, but it’s always nice to see another. Especially for teen readers when they might need it the most. I’m not diagnosed with autism myself, but it is something that I very likely am dealing with. At the very least, I am clearly some kind of neurospicy, so I did find Jasper relatable. You do what you can to fit in, but still, people will call you out and make fun of you for your differences. Not to mention the fact that the world can get incredibly overwhelming sometimes.

I listened to the audiobook of this and there was an interview between the narrator and Elle at the end, and there was a quote from the narrator about how she personally remembered looking at herself in the mirror during school and wondering what was wrong with her. And figuring it was something she couldn’t change, and boy, did that make me tear up. It’s not technically part of the book, but it was so relatable that I had to mention it. Elle herself was incredibly endearing too, so it was lovely to hear from her.

The book was a super easy read. It was filled with teen drama, but you’re cheering for Jasper and Arthur all the way. There were definitely some moments of side characters being unlikable. I definitely had a love-hate relationship with Jasper’s sister. There were times when she clearly adored her sister and really was looking out for her. But she’d also steamroll over her at other moments, once even leading to a shutdown as she just hadn’t thought about how her decisions would affect Jasper.

So, yes, I don’t really have many thoughts but I can say that I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I think it’s a great one for both teens and adults alike to enjoy. It was super cute and I definitely recommend it.