Some Like it Cold by Elle McNicoll. Delicous and smart.

Synopsis

A big-hearted small-town romance from bestselling, award-winning author Elle McNicoll, Some Like it Cold is perfect for fans of Alice Oseman, Talia Hibbert and Gilmore Girls.Jasper Montgomery is heading home for the holidays and keeping secrets. Determined to return to her small town home one last time before leaving for good, Jasper doesn’t bank on accidentally ruining her sister’s engagement – or bumping into her teen adversary, budding filmmaker Arthur Lancaster.Jasper came back to Lake Pristine for one to say goodbye. But during the holidays, old relationships come to light, small-town tensions rise, and a certain brooding film buff starts to look like a very big reason to stay. Can Jasper decide what she wants from Arthur, and from Lake Pristine, before she leaves them both forever?

Review

4,5 stars

This is a solid romance with neurodivergence representation, grumpy/sunshine trope, complicated family dynamics and small town vibe!

I chose to read it because Elle McNicoll was attending YALC and the synopsis ticked all the boxes for me.
What I got is a very good surprise!

Reading it gave me similar vibes as Love at First Knight or The Kiss Quotient .

The trope:
Jasper Montgomery is back in her hometown for the holiday and doesn’t know how to tell her posh and demanding family that she won’t get back to her studies.
To complicate matters, what should have been a holiday turns into a race to organize her sister’s wedding, cast and organize The Nutcracker performance all while her enemy, Arthur Lancaster, is making a film on their small town Lake Pristine.

Between bridal rehearsal, impromptu interviews and the stress of her secret, Jasper is slowly drowning. And what if Arthur, her nemesis, suddenly seems very attractive under his broody exterior?

The characters
Jasper, our female main character is neurodivergent. From the moment she got autism as diagnosis, she has done her best to mimic others and to always be the perfect daughter/neighbor/student…
She is the golden girl of Lake Pristine yet she has never shown her true self.
Jasper is very easy to love with her big heart and will to help others.

Arthur, the male main character is also a good guy under his grumpy façade. He also is mourning his beloved father and wants to honor his legacy, their family theater.
From the first moment he set his eyes on Jasper, they have fought, Princess against Grump. But what if their fights hide attraction?

And then you have several side characters:

Sweet Grace, Arthur’s little sister whose dream is to become a wonderful ballerina but who also had been on the receiving end of cruel jokes because of her uneven legs.

Marcus, Arthur’s cousin, determined to use their film as revenge against the high school bullies.

Christine, Jasper’s big sister with a tyranical streak. She is a very interesting character because she can be odious and vile yet you can feel that she is not fundamentally a bad person but more a highly dysfunctional one.

Odette, Jasper’s best friend who has been hurt by Jasper’s silence and absence but who is still her supporter number one.

The plot and the characters come together to make a story about being different and being accepted for who you are. It’s about complicated family dynamics, about revenge not being the best choice but also about growing up, owning your mistakes and becoming a better version of yourself. And of course it’s also about love!

It’s funny, sad, bittersweet and charming.

Thanks for reading.

Sophie