With Love, From Cold World by Alicia Thompson
Published by Berkley on August 1, 2023
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Goodreads
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.
I adored Love in the Time of Serial Killers and was chomping at the bit to read more from Thompson. I can attest to the fact that she was no one-hit-wonder for me as I greatly enjoyed spending time in Cold World.
There's something special about quirky workplaces. They tend to be filled with great characters and provide the perfect backdrop for fun hijinks. Cold World was an attraction in Florida where one could enjoy cold and cold adjacent things - ice skating, hot cocoa, a snow globe. It sounded like that type of kitschy place that would be irresistible, but most of all, it was a welcoming place.
Asa was the son of a preacher who was not too pleased to learn that Asa had a boyfriend. Banished from his family home, he found a safe place to land at Cold World and was still working there a decade later. He was the heart and soul of this institution and loved by all, though he had been unable to win over Lauren.
Lauren also had a tough past. Due to her mother's struggles with addiction, she entered the foster care system where she learned to protect her heart and keep people at arm's length. The best part of this story, for me, was watching Asa and Lauren warm to each other. He slowly won his way into her heart, and it made me so happy that they now had each other as they made their way in, let's face it, this cold world.
Their romance was definitely front and center for me, but I also adored getting to know Asa's housemates. They were a fun and supportive group. They not only had each other's backs, they were so welcoming and fully embraced Lauren who never really had that level of connection in her life.
Overall, this was a warm and wonderful feel-good romance. The characters, the setting, and that early injection of Christmas combined to put a whole lot of sunshine in my heart.
*ARC PROVIDED BY THE PUBLISHER
Breaking All the Rules by Amy Andrews
Published by Entangled: Amara on January 24, 2023
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Goodreads
Sometimes you gotta toss your whole life into a burning dumpster to find what’s most important...
Beatrice Archer has always done everything she’s supposed to —worked her ass off, ignored her non-existent personal life, and kept her mouth shut. Now she’s over it. The rat race, respectability…the underwire bras. She’s taking her life back. Starting with moving to Nowhere, Colorado to live life on her own terms.
Now Bea gives exactly zero forks. Beer for breakfast. Sugar for everything else. Baggy sweats and soft cotton undies FTW. Then a much younger and delightfully attractive cop is called to deal with her flagrant disregard for appropriate clothing outside the local diner (some folks just don’t appreciate bunny slippers) and Bea realizes there’s something missing from her little decathlon of decadence…and he might be the guy to help her out.
When it comes to breaking rules, Officer Austin Cooper is surprisingly eager to assist. He’s charming, a little bit cowboy, and a whole lot sexy. But Bea’s about to discover that breaking the rules has consequences. And all of the cherry pies in Colorado can’t save her from what’s coming…
Bea had spent her life living by all the rules - her grandmother's rules, her father's rules, the workplace rules. All this rule following had not helped Bea get the things she desired, and therefore, she was done living her life according to everyone else's rules. After throwing a dart, she found her way to Creedence, Colorado and was lucky enough to find a strapping young small town cop who was willing to help her break all the rules.
This book was a lot of fun. There were so many laugh out loud moments, and I adored both Austin and Bea. I thought they made a great pair. There was a bit of an age gap, but Austin seemed quite grown up for a man his age. He was solid in the way Bea needed him to be as she finally started living her life by her own rules. I had a great time with these two and was thrilled with the path they were taking. As if Bea's shenanigans were not enough, Andrews filled Creedence with great characters. I loved meeting them all and thought they brought a little some extra to the story.
Overall, I adored the message of making your own rules, and the idea that it's never too late to find your path. Being part of Bea's journey was tremendous fun, but also very fulfilling, and I was proud of her for taking those chances to make the life she wanted and deserved.
Let us know in the comments!
I love the sound of Breaking All The Rules - definitely sounds like lots of laughs!
ReplyDeleteIt was really funny. Lots of slapstick stuff, but I also found myself agreeing with Bea's anger towards the system.
DeleteWith Love from Cold World sounds fun. It's nice when an author doesn't turn out to be a one hit wonder. I think the Cold World setting is interesting.
ReplyDeleteThe setting was very interesting, but I loved the friendship elements. Always tends to be my favorite parts.
DeleteOkay, I already love Bea and her DGAF attitude. Don't we all at one time or another dream of chucking it all and blowing off the stuff that doesn't makes us happy? I'm not usually drawn to rom-coms but this one sounds really fun. :)
ReplyDeleteReally, you don't like rom-coms? They are my faves. You like the drama more than me, but maybe you can enjoy just kicking back and laughing at Bea's antics.
DeleteNot really big on romance reads but thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteRomance books are my faves
DeleteA cold themed amusement might be a good thing to start with global warming! Sounds like a quirky, engaging romance. I love Bea's attitude! Sometimes I just want to say f*ck it and do whatever I want too!
ReplyDeleteYes, quirky, in the best way. Bea's crisis was sort of hilarious, and I was so happy she had Austin to accompany her on our adventures of mayhem.
DeleteBefore the pandemic, my husband and I visited a Disney park every year. They've had lots of changes in operation and price in the years since, and we haven't been back. We've recently discovered the convenience and value of a cruise, and we're planning our third at the start of next year.
ReplyDeleteWith the unrelenting Texas heat we've had this summer, I'm longing for a Cold World of my own!
I was last at Disney World in 2019 (I have been to FL, CA, and Paris - season ticket holder for 6.5 years when I lived in FL).I felt like they made changes that diminished the magic for me. It started with MGM and just went like wildfire from there. Cruises are great. You get to visit different places without having to pack up every other day.
DeleteAustin and Bea for the win here!
ReplyDeleteI loved them as a couple. He was precious
DeleteBea might be my spirit animal/ book character -- that sounds hilarious!
ReplyDeleteShe was so outrageous in the beginning. She tones it down a bit, but I had to appreciate her attitude.
DeleteFirst, I want to say that I stopped receiving notifications on your posts, Sam. I'm glad I found your blog again and hope that my new follow will work. Now, to your reviews. These both sound wonderful and I like the themes of both of them. Thanks for the great reviews and I have to see if my library has either of these.
ReplyDeleteI got tired of all the issues I had self hosting and came back to my old blog. The URL is the same, but it's not WP, so no notifications. Glad you could find me. I lost a bunch of people when I migrated back. Both were lots of fun. This was such a change from the books I normally read from Andrew's (rugby romances), and I was glad it worked out for me
DeleteI just got a copy of Cold World so I'm glad to hear it was a solid read for you. It sounds like it has a nice blend of romance and friendship elements.
ReplyDeleteIt was a solid read. I liked the author's last book a bit more, but this one had plenty of charm for sure. Hope you enjoy it!
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