From the publisher:
USA Today Bestseller!
One of Amazon’s Best Romances of August!She has a to-do list a mile long and falling for her coworker isn’t on it—yet somehow he’s become her top priority in this romantic comedy from the national bestselling author of Love in the Time of Serial Killers.
Lauren Fox is the bookkeeper for Cold World, a tourist destination that’s always a winter wonderland despite being located in humid Orlando, Florida. Sure, it’s ranked way below any of the trademarked amusement parks and maybe foot traffic could be better. But it’s a fun place to work, even if “fun” isn’t exactly Lauren’s middle name.
Her coworker Asa Williamson, on the other hand, is all about finding ways to enliven his days at Cold World—whether that means organizing the Secret Santa or teasing Lauren. When the owner asks Lauren and Asa to propose something (anything, really) to raise more revenue, their rivalry heats up as they compete to come up with the best idea. But the situation is more dire than they thought, and it might take these polar opposites working together to save the day. If Asa thought Lauren didn’t know how to enjoy herself, he’s surprised by how much he enjoys spending time together. And if Lauren thought Asa wasn’t serious about anything, she’s surprised by how seriously he seems to take her.
As Lauren and Asa work to save their beloved wintery spot, they realize the real attraction might be the heat generating between them.
“With this swoony enemies-to-lovers rom-com, Thompson gets in well ahead of the annual slew of Christmas romances, taking readers to Florida’s Cold World amusement park, where the winter holidays are celebrated year-round….This will have readers dreaming of sugarplums at any time of year.”—Publishers Weekly
https://amzn.to/3YJKCe3
Since I live in Florida, I am quite familiar with all the theme parks that abound here. And while there isn’t a “Cold World,” there is ICE! at the Gaylord Palms Hotel. It is not year-round, but rather a holiday event that is very popular with tourists and locals alike. My family visited several years ago, and I get the appeal for sure. They do a beautiful job, and to be honest, it seems lightyears better than Cold World, but that is at the heart of this story. (There is also an Icebar in Orlando, but I haven’t been, and it is open year-round.)
Cold World is in trouble. The owner has kept it going for many years, but she really needs an infusion of cash to keep it going. To that end, she asks her son, vice president in name only, her long-time employee Asa, and her bookkeeper, Lauren, who’s been there for just a few years to try and come up with some ideas about ways to increase the business.
While Lauren has a bit of a crush on the good looking VP, her and Asa have been butting heads since she started work there. He teases her endlessly, and she tries to ignore him and most of her co-workers; she’s a head down, all work and no play kind of girl, while Asa is her extreme opposite. While Lauren jumps at the chance to spend time with VP, she blows off Asa, until the night they get accidentally locked in to Cold World.
Asa is bisexual and open about it, and Lauren isn’t quite sure what to think about that. But as they get to really know one another, their differences seem to fall away. They both have had difficulties in their past and have learned to deal with it in very different ways, but together they are stronger and can more easily deal with their pasts.
These characters were complex individuals, and I really wanted both of them to find their happily ever after. This was a fun read and surprisingly fast for a 400-page book! If you like the opposites-attract, enemies-to-lovers themes in your romance, then this is the book for you. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
8/2023 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
WITH LOVE, FROM COLD WORLD by Alicia Thompson. Berkley (August 1, 2023). ISBN: 978-0593438671. 400p.
Stacy Alesi's BookBitch.com™ 