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chronicallybookish 's review for:
With Love, from Cold World
by Alicia Thompson
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Quick Stats
Age Rating: 18+
Spice Level: 1.5/5
Over All: 4.75 stars
Special thanks to Berkley Romance and NetGalley for an eARC of this book! All thoughts and opinions reflected in this review are my own.
With Love, from Cold World is Alicia Thompson’s sophomore novel—and it is MILES beyond her debut, Love in the Time of Serial Killers.
While I did enjoy LitToSK, I thought it was pretty average. It left me wanting more. This book blew me out of the water.
With Love, from Cold World follows accountant Lauren, who’s a total stickler for the rules, and free-spirit Asa. It’s rivals to lovers; its forced proximity, its grumpy (her) x sunshine (him). It’s a work place romance—and the workplace is a winter wonderland theme park.
The setting was the first part of the book I fell in love with. I mean, come on—it’s a winter wonderland theme park! Asa has so much love for Cold World, and it really shines through in his narration. It’s impossible to read his POV and not feel a visceral connection to and love for this place. I desperately wish it were a real theme park I could go visit.
The second aspect of the book that I fell in love with, also almost immediately, was the characters. There was so much depth and emotion and development to these characters. Each had experienced traumas—Lauren grew up in foster care, and Asa was kicked out of his home as a teen for being bi—and their respective pasts and experiences were handled with such care. I think Alicia Thompson expertly balanced a thoughtful and in depth exploration of these topics, without making these traumas the extent of the characters. These experiences are woven into the fiber of Lauren and Asa’s being, without overwhelming them and the rest of their characterization. I especially appreciate the care given to the discussions of foster care, because lately I’ve read many books that use foster care as a quirk or plot point in a way that has felt insincere and almost disrespectful. It was so refreshing to see this topic explored in a way that seemed, to me, well researched and respectful.
This book is very character driven, it’s emotional, and it deals with important, sometimes heavy, topics. However there is still a measure of lightheartedness to it. There is lots of swoon and sweetness, and the emotional moments are balanced with wit and banter and a scoop of trope-y-ness. It reminds me of Emily Henry’s writing, and I think fan’s of her work could also enjoy this book.
I was hesitant to pick this up, after feeling relatively neutral towards Alicia Thompson’s debut, but I am so glad I did. With Love, from Cold World is the kind of book that sticks with you long after you read it, and I cannot recommend it more.
Age Rating: 18+
Spice Level: 1.5/5
Over All: 4.75 stars
Special thanks to Berkley Romance and NetGalley for an eARC of this book! All thoughts and opinions reflected in this review are my own.
With Love, from Cold World is Alicia Thompson’s sophomore novel—and it is MILES beyond her debut, Love in the Time of Serial Killers.
While I did enjoy LitToSK, I thought it was pretty average. It left me wanting more. This book blew me out of the water.
With Love, from Cold World follows accountant Lauren, who’s a total stickler for the rules, and free-spirit Asa. It’s rivals to lovers; its forced proximity, its grumpy (her) x sunshine (him). It’s a work place romance—and the workplace is a winter wonderland theme park.
The setting was the first part of the book I fell in love with. I mean, come on—it’s a winter wonderland theme park! Asa has so much love for Cold World, and it really shines through in his narration. It’s impossible to read his POV and not feel a visceral connection to and love for this place. I desperately wish it were a real theme park I could go visit.
The second aspect of the book that I fell in love with, also almost immediately, was the characters. There was so much depth and emotion and development to these characters. Each had experienced traumas—Lauren grew up in foster care, and Asa was kicked out of his home as a teen for being bi—and their respective pasts and experiences were handled with such care. I think Alicia Thompson expertly balanced a thoughtful and in depth exploration of these topics, without making these traumas the extent of the characters. These experiences are woven into the fiber of Lauren and Asa’s being, without overwhelming them and the rest of their characterization. I especially appreciate the care given to the discussions of foster care, because lately I’ve read many books that use foster care as a quirk or plot point in a way that has felt insincere and almost disrespectful. It was so refreshing to see this topic explored in a way that seemed, to me, well researched and respectful.
This book is very character driven, it’s emotional, and it deals with important, sometimes heavy, topics. However there is still a measure of lightheartedness to it. There is lots of swoon and sweetness, and the emotional moments are balanced with wit and banter and a scoop of trope-y-ness. It reminds me of Emily Henry’s writing, and I think fan’s of her work could also enjoy this book.
I was hesitant to pick this up, after feeling relatively neutral towards Alicia Thompson’s debut, but I am so glad I did. With Love, from Cold World is the kind of book that sticks with you long after you read it, and I cannot recommend it more.