June 26, 2023
With this swoony enemies-to-lovers rom-com, Thompson (Love in the Time of Serial Killers) 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. Reserved park bookkeeper Lauren Fox, however, does not allow herself to enjoy the festive vibes. The nerdy former foster child protects herself by keeping her walls, and her guard, up. Her easygoing coworker Asa Williamson is determined to get her out of her shell, but his misguided method consists mostly of pulling her pigtails, or, as Lauren sees it, antagonizing her. When their boss asks for pitches on how to revitalize the financially struggling park, the duo develop an intense rivalry—until it becomes clear that, to save Cold World, they’ll have to work together. Over Christmas karaoke and eggnog overloads—and one memorable night trapped in the park together until morning—the pair learn they have more in common than they thought, including a drive to advocate for those whose voices have been silenced. Thompson does a fantastic job with the relationship progression, making each step forward utterly believable. This will have readers dreaming of sugarplums at any time of year. Agent: Laura Bradford, Bradford Literary.
July 1, 2023
Lauren Fox loves her job as a bookkeeper at Cold World, one of Orlando's lesser-known attractions. That means she also knows the trouble Cold World is in financially, so it doesn't surprise her when the owner asks her and coworker Asa Williamson to come up with ways to bring more tourists to the kitschy, wintry playground. But working with Asa is out of the question; he confuses Lauren with his laidback attitude and ability to have fun. And then there was that kiss under the mistletoe... Asa, however, is looking forward to working with Lauren. He enjoys teasing her about how uptight she is and getting under her skin. He also loves making her blush the way she did when she kissed him under the mistletoe. The plot of this humorous opposites-attract romance is complex, with heartbreaking backstories that form Asa and Lauren into realistic, complicated characters. The protagonists also have steamy chemistry, and readers will be cheering for them. VERDICT Fans of holiday romances and Thompson's previous novel, Love in the Time of Serial Killers, will thoroughly enjoy this quirky, unique workplace romance.--Heather Miller Cover
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