Billed as a small-town, young adult contemporary romance reminiscent of the Gilmore Girls, I eagerly accept an advance readers’ copy of Some Like it Cold from NetGalley and Wednesday Books. Following are my honest thoughts and opinions.

I quickly and easily picked up on the similarities between the narrative and one of my favorite shows, Gilmore Girls. And, if you are looking for a simple, sweet story with a happily-ever-after ending, Some Like it Cold hits the mark. However, there were some things that I found distracting or that disrupted my enjoyment as a reader.

Right out of the gate: where are we? The author introduces readers to a delightful small town named Lake Pristine. We are also told the main character, Jasper, is coming home for the holidays after being away for 18 months “in the city” at school. Many setting details point to a location somewhere in the U.S., but other details gave me pause and took me out of the scene and story. (One small example: Mum vs. Mom made me think we were in Europe or England. But the author refers to “college” and not “university,” which then made me think of the U.S.)

Another issue for me was some of the writing and dialogue. The characters are all in their late teens but behave and speak like much older and more sophisticated characters. At times, that made sense for Jasper, especially. Readers learn about her family and the expectations that have been placed on her for her whole life, so that tracks.

The story is sweet and has a few swoony moments that romance readers love. A young woman wants to pursue her dreams. She returns home to lay the foundation for a future on her terms because she thinks her family will refuse to support her. She is prepared to walk away from everyone and everything she has known and loved to follow her heart. Readers meet her family and friends, including the boy who has always vexed (and secretly loved) her.

Author Elle McNicoll sets readers up for a touching story about friendship, love, and bravely believing in yourself. But she also throws multiple stumbling blocks in the way of complete enjoyment. I never felt attached to the characters; I had to depend on the author’s narrative for how to feel about a character or their behavior. What became the most frustrating was the constant reminder that Jasper is neurodivergent. I fully support a lead ND character; that detail made me want to read Some Like it Cold even more. But it became an overbearing detail that, ultimately, others Jasper to the point of being unreliable. We are TOLD over and over instead of being SHOWN.

I appreciate the story concept, the friendships and mentorship aspects written into the plot, and even the swoony sweetness of Jasper and Arthur’s romance. Overall, however, Some Like it Cold left me disappointed.