Too Cold for Comfort

by Nisha J. Tuli, Shiromi Arserio (Narrator)

The arctic heats up when a photographer who rarely holds anything back is forced to share a private wing with a grumpy lodge owner who holds everything in.

Photographer Aadya Williams has trekked all the way to northern Canada to nab a career-making shot of a polar bear . . . and to put 1,500 miles between her and a messy breakup. Despite expecting freezing temperatures, nothing's colder than the welcome she gets from Reid Doerksen, the gruff owner of the Northern Wilderness Polar Bear Lodge. Even worse, the lodge is overbooked, so now she has to share the private family wing with him for the next two weeks.

At least Aadya has plenty to keep her occupied when she's not out searching for the perfect photo op. But when a storm strands Aadya and Reid together at the lodge, it's impossible to avoid the heat simmering between them. As the snow comes down, so do Reid's walls, and Aadya begins to realize the most important shot of her life may not be one she takes with her camera.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Forced Proximity, Christmas, Holiday, Adult

Audible Audio

Expected publication November 10, 2026

About the author

Visit my website to sign up for my newsletter and download a bonus chapter from Rule of the Aurora King and Not Safe for Work!

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Nisha J Tuli is a USA Today and international bestselling author of glittering fantasy worlds, steamy rom-coms, and kissing scenes full of angst. Her book, Trial of the Sun Queen, went on to become a BookTok hit, selling over a million copies and finding its way into readers' hands around the world. Her book Storm Breaker is currently in development with Amazon MGM for a TV series.

When she isn’t writing or reading, she can be found in the gym or the kitchen (to eat, not to cook) or maybe knitting scarves to survive a Canadian winter. She lives in Manitoba with her husband, their two kids, and their fluffy Samoyed.

Reviews

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Too Cold for Comfort by Nisha J. Tuli

Book Blurb: A sunshine photographer and a grumpy lodge owner find themselves in close proximity when they're snowed in together in this romcom

Rating: *****
Feels: Comfy, Cozy, Cute, Confident
Style: Romance, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance
First published November 10, 2026: 352 pages

Themes & Setting: Being dropped off in the middle of a snow drenched winter wonderland with a sexy lodge owner ... Yes please !! The lodge is full of some really amusing characters as well as some sweet couples that I really adored getting to know. Aadya starts off the story with some life transitions and it was heart warming to see her explore what she wanted out of life in this setting. Conservation themes are touched on which was appreciated and it was done in such a way that it blended very well with the story.
FMC: Aadya works for the National Geographic and nature photography/ traveling has always been her goal and life long dream. Her family had other ideas for her as did her fiance .. who she breaks up with to seek her own dreams as we start this story.
MMC: Reid also has goals, to see his family lodge be successful and protect his people as well as the land around the lodge *sighs sooo cute* Apparently this makes him grumpy (hehe). I do love a grumpy x sunshine dynamic and this one is soooooo good !!!
Conclusion: I loved throwing all these elements together and the story just shines !!! Aadya is just wanting to be happy, Reid just wants things to go well, and put them together and maybe, just maybe they can both have everything they ever wanted out of life? I had the best time reading this and this is the kind of comfort read I could easily reread. This author does banter sooo well and I always love to see the playful way she has people interact because I know I will be in for a good time and will be kicking my feet giggling. Highly recommend this read !!

Favorite Quote (this is not the final copy - early arc): "How it's occured to me only in the last few days that I've always had to keep moving because until I met you, nothing was important enough to hold me in place."

This book has:
Grumpy Lodge Owner
Sunshine Nature Photographer
Slow Burn
Forced Proximity
Isolated Nature Setting
Fun side characters
Queer friendly

HUGE thank you to the team at Forever/Grand Central Publishing for this gifted copy !!!

[Kelsey reviews•books · Rating 2.25 out of 5]

I’ve found a new nickname I hate the most.

▹Format: 📱 eReader
I am providing this honest review in exchange for the early eARC from NetGalley and Forever (Grand Publishing). This book comes out November 10, 2026).
─────────────────────────

○★○ What to Expect from This Book: ○★○

– FMC: Aadya Williams (aka “Gossip Girl” or “baby”). Photojournalist for National Geographic. Recently called off her engagement weeks before her wedding because she didn’t want to be a “kept” woman.
– MMC: Reid Doerksen. 34-year-old manager of his family’s Canadian lodge. A real grump.
– Location: Churchill, Manitoba
– POV: Single first-person
– Spice: 4-5 open-door spicy scenes (incl. “grab the headboard”)
– Tropes: strangers to lovers, insta attraction/insta lust, grumpy x sunshine, forced proximity, only one bathroom, “good girl,” remote location/snowed in, healing
– Representation: LGBTQIA+ minor side characters

─────────────────────────

🎯 My Thoughts:

I was excited to read this after Nisha’s last contemporary romance, Not Safe for Work. She was consistent with a lot of her trademark themes: strong, independent FMCs; broody, complex MMCs; and questionable HR etiquette.

I definitely enjoy Nisha’s ability to put words together for impactful quotes and character development, but unfortunately, a few things didn’t quite come together for me in this book. I struggled to connect with the romance, found the FMC’s choices a little contradictory at times, and felt the overall message could have been more fully developed.

What do Reid and Aadya have in common? They’re both nature lovers with a penchant for calling out Karens, and they can apparently hear Reid call Aadya “Gossip Girl” a million times without wanting to slap him. That’s about it, folks. Oh, and they find each other incredibly hot. Immediately and forever.

The second half of this book felt a little rushed to me. An inciting incident separates our MCs, and from there, the story moves quickly toward bringing them back together. I would have loved more time to explore the fallout and give these moments the development they deserved.

What I struggled with most was Aadya’s characterization. She expresses frustration with her former fiancé’s poor communication and the expectation that she should take care of him, yet she sometimes struggles to communicate with her own family, who are simply worried about her well-being. She also emphasizes that she doesn’t want to prioritize a relationship over her career, while simultaneously expressing a desire to be there for her family, only to leave for two months when they could have used her support.

I’m all for a badass working woman who prioritizes her own ambitions, but I wanted to see more consistency between what Aadya says she values and the choices she makes. I think a little more exploration of those contradictions could have made her character arc and the story’s overall message much more impactful.

Would I Recommend?: No. THAT SAID, I do think there will be readers that find something in this book that was lost to me, and so read a balance of reviews before determining if this is for you or not.


─────────────────────────

⍟»This or That«⍟

Character Driven—————✧——————Plot Driven
Fast Burn—————✧——————Slow Burn
Sweet———————✧————Spicy
Light/Fluffy—————✧——————Heavy/Emotional



•♥Consider following me on Instagram @kelseyreviewsbooks for more visual content and bookish discussions.♥•

[Maeghan 🦋 semi-hiatus · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley & the publishers for a chance to review this arc!

Too cold for comfort follows a national geographic photographer as she explores Northern Canada. I’m all up for a grumpy/sunshine dynamic in a cozy setting… especially since the colder Canada months are right around the corner.

Unfortunately, this did not work for me. I don’t read a lot of regular romances because I find that most of them don’t have ‘actual plots’ and I think it was the case with that one.

His ‘hotness’ was described an insufferable amount of times. The fact that he was so sexy, strong, beautiful, hot, blablabla was just constantly thrown in the reader’s face and at some point the fmc hopes he locks his door at night because she wants to touch him so bad… obviously stating that it’s the only thing stopping her. If this would’ve been the mmc’s thoughts… he would’ve been sentenced to death by reviewers so talk about double standards.

The mmc was such a child. He growled and was rude to her because she was a journalist? Then he suddenly changed his behaviour because she put someone in their place & hurt her ankle. It was just so convenient.

She broke up with her fiancé & cancelled the wedding which was scheduled in two months and then this random mmc becomes her safe space and she needs him to calm her down… the insta-lust & insta-love were what this novel was based on, which accentuated my feeling that nothing was going on.

There’s a lot of internal dialogues & just inner conflicts. And i sincerely despised the ending because it kind of sent back the message that marriage/kids will be okay for a woman who doesn’t want that ; as long as it’s with the ‘right person’.

Overall, not a read for me. Reading is subjective though so I always recommend reading and seeing if it’s for you.

[Katie’s Bookshelf · Rating 3 out of 5]

3⭐️
This was mildly cute but also just felt a little underwhelming, the entire way through. We had a solid plot and a great cast of characters but it always just felt so undercooked?

Reid and Aadya were both solid, but they had no chemistry in my opinion. From the get-go Aadya can't see Reid across the room without thinking about how hot he is. Which, fine! But it never felt like the relationship moved past that? And Reid seemed like a solid guy but also just so bland, I couldn't picture these two together for real at all.

I will say, the setting was fantastic. The atmospheric surrounding of the of the Canadian taiga and the polar bear walks? SO much fun

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishing team for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

✨ARC Book Review✨

This book is such a fun and cozy winter romance! I loved reading about the polar bears and the winter setting. It felt unique and different.

In the story, Aadya takes a photography job with National Geographic in northern Canada, where she’s sent to capture the perfect shot of the polar bears and beautiful scenery. Almost from the minute she arrives, she’s at odds with Reid, who is the owner of the lodge where she’s staying. He’s a total grump, but he’s also really hot. He has no problem saying he doesn’t like the media. As their paths continue to cross, their walls slowly begin to come down, and they’re able to build a connection.

One of my favorite parts was how Reid was always there whenever Aadya needed help, never hesitating to step in. The lingering glances, growing closeness, and undeniable chemistry built the romantic tension perfectly. And once a storm leaves them stranded at the lodge together, the romance really heats up!

The issues in the last quarter of the book felt realistic and understandable. I loved how it ended! It was definitely a fun read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever Publishing for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[tahaslibrary · Rating 3 out of 5]

too cold for comfort is a significant improvement in nisha j tuli's romance writing.

it's a cozy, winter read set in churchill, manitoba. i love the representation of an often overlooked Canadian location that is very beautiful and filled with rich animal life. this book at it's core is two individuals getting to know each other and slowly falling in love while being snowed in. the dislike to having majorly embarrassing crushes on each other while being forced to cohabitate closely is precious. i was rooting for aadya and reid. it's snowy, sleepy and sweet.

there aren't any high stakes and the issues between the characters are internal. the exploration of any issues is relatively surface level across all the characters. it's easy to read and has stromg hallmark energy with more diversity.

something to pick up as a low stakes winter holiday read!

(3.5 overall)

[abby :) · Rating 3.25 out of 5]

i know you saw polar bears playing in the snow under the northern lights, but it should've been me!!

this story seemed like the perfect mix of any trope but you by victoria lavine and secret nights and norther lights by megan oliver, both of which are stories that i loved so i was really excited for this wintery read! the setting, the bear walks, the dome restaurant, that was amazing. i loved feeling like i was actually in the lodge and on these excursions with everyone. i think sitting in front of floor to ceiling windows and watching snow fall would heal me. i think the rest of the story fell a bit flat but this is definitely a cozy winter romance that will keep you entertained in front of the fire!!

aadya is trying desperately to gain some stability with her job so she's on this trip to get the perfect cover image, also so she can get away from her overbearing ex. reid is very against reporters being at his lodge due to some past bad experiences, but when the two are forced to share a suite things change. i really liked aadya's character. her growth through the story felt very natural and i loved how she wasn't willing to compromise on her aspirations. i also loved seeing her form friendships on the trip and have some heart to hearts with her sister, those relationships were all so cute and well developed. her and reid kinda felt a bit fast and unnatural to me though. i get that reid is supposed to be this stoic guy who doesn't smile or joke but its hard to read that when we don't get his perspective. he just kinda switches to a completely new person once they get together and i felt zero connection to his character.

i did love how the ending of this went though, it didn't fall into the same trap as other books i've read like this. their communication stayed being important and they both got what they wanted which i loved. i didn't love reid mentioning her past engagement while PROPOSING to her but we'll let it slide i guess...

*thank you to netgalley and forever for the early copy!!*

[Emma (ejm_reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a quick, easy read perfect for the cosy season. My first book by Nisha J Tuli and I’m excited to pick up more of her work.

I knew this would be a winner for me as I love a grumpy sunshine, forced proximity romance and boy did this deliver! Aadya was such a likeable FMC and the book is told entirely from her pov. She had great humour and I really liked her strong, independent woman vibes. Her ex fiancé was such a frustrating character in the background and it was so clear how different Reid was to him from even their first interactions. I love in a romance when the grumpy character starts to show more personality and it was well written here. Although the romance started off a bit instalusty, I was rooting for them throughout the book and enjoyed their happy ending. I always prefer a dual pov romance so it would have been nice to have chapters from Reid’s perspective but I don’t feel like this took away from my enjoyment of the book.

The side characters were a fun bunch. I particularly liked Erica and Robin who have their own relationship drama to navigate. Andy and Sandeep, the expedition leaders, were good comic relief and I even appreciated annoying Stacey by the end! But the real star was Hector the polar bear. I wish we had seen more of him!

Finally the setting was incredibly well written. The author note at the start gives us some background on Churchill and how it is a real place with incredible views and wildlife, and this was captured in the story. It made me want to jump on a tiny plane and head there myself! I wish Aadya could have explored it a bit more but I understand why she couldn’t from a plot perspective.

A fun read perfect for the winter months. I’d recommend to anyone who likes:
- Grumpy sunshine
- Forced proximity
- Polar bears
- Isolated setting
- LGBTQ rep
- Humour

Thank you to Netgalley and Piatkus/Little Brown Book Group for access to this ARC.

[Randi (randi_reads) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story started out okay for me - until Aadya sees Reid. Then, her ogling him and objectifying him bugged me so much. She could not stop saying how gorgeous he was. ALL. THE. TIME. I felt like she could not get past that at all.

It's only two weeks in this remote lodge for them and was very insta-lust for me. Well, that and the fact that Aadyah acted like she had never seen a handsome man before.

The setting of northern Canada is wonderful. I loved seeing the polar bears.

Thank you to Forever Pub for the advanced readers copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[fromthestudyof · Rating 4 out of 5]

wintery romance with a grumpy lodge owner & a photographer that’s running from her family after breaking off her engagement 2 months before her wedding

this was really cute & read like a true romcom movie

I honestly felt like the story got better as it went - I was struggling a little in the 20-30% range for a second but then it really picked up (aka the romance kicked in more)

I sometimes struggle connecting with FMC’s whose personalities are really different from my own (this girl basically lives on a plane & never wants to be at home…… after 6 out of town weddings in the last 6 months, the only place I wanna be is home) so I wasn’t shocked when I started to get a little impatient with our FMC here. A me problem 100%. But her character development by the end was really satisfying.

things to know:
- single pov
- photographer on a work trip to the arctic
- grumpy lodge owner
- will they won’t they
- forced to share a bathroom (& someone walks in on the other 👀)
- she’s a flight risk forreal

[joni ౨ৎ]

i NEED this rn

[Angelie · Rating 2.5 out of 5]

If you're looking for an open-door lusty read with a grumpy sunshine trope and forced proximity, this is a quick and easy read. Sadly, I would say, don’t expect a bold plot, nor a well-developed believable romance. There were some entertaining mini stories and events that kept this one moving forward, though.

This one hit so hard on lust, that the two main characters didn’t have a real conversation until a little after 40% into the story. And if the lust was directed from the MMC to the FMC, it would have read so creepy and wrong. Being told over and over that the MMC is hot, didn’t work for me. And his initial “grumpy” character was downright rude and assuming, so I never was sold on the attraction that comes about later in the story, especially since there is so little time spent together.

The main and side characters were very stereotypical, with one or two characteristics a piece, and told on repeat. I at times could see how in the right mood, it could land somewhat funny, but for me it did not work.

It has a great atmosphere, and I did enjoy learning about this Arctic landscape. My favorite character was Hector, the polar bear!

📢 Publication Date: 11/10/26
🎉 My Star Rating: 2.5/5🌟🌟💫
📖 Genre: Romance

Thanks to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Publishing) | Forever for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review! All opinions and statements are my own.

[vicky ꨄ︎]

𐙚⋆°. preread

I got the alc of this book and I’m so so excited to listen to it.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this alc in exchange for an honest review.

[Cate (catescozycornerofbooks) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had so much fun reading this and genuinely could not put it down. Seriously, I was not supposed to be reading but I just could t help myself. I am a sucker for grumpy sunshine and absolutely ate this up. What can I say? I’m a girl who knows what she likes. And, in this case, what I like is Aadya and Reid (especially Reid. Very much.)

I love that the setting of this book was so tied to Nisha J. Tuli. Books have an added layer when authors add pieces of themselves into them, and the care Nisha has for this place and story is evident throughout the book. Now I’m ready to take a trip to Northern Canada to see polar bears and the Aurora Borealis. Maybe I’d freeze to death, but if I was in a nice cabin with some hot cocoa and a hot tub, I wouldn’t even mind.

Too Cold For Comfort is a very entertaining grumpy sunshine romance between a travel photographer and lodge owner that snuck in and stole my heart. The tension from the moment Reid and Aadya saw each other was so good and I knew the payoff would be excellent. I was correct. If ever you become too cold for comfort while reading this, the spice will warm you right up. Talk about HOT! The pantry, the living room, the bedroom, the hot tub… it was in fact happening. However, I also loved the small moments between the two as they formed a friendship. The conversations about childhood, life aspirations, dreams gone awry and dreams yet to happen, etc. all made each character more endearing. While it’s true the two there is an insta-love element (which I don’t have a problem with LOL), I also think the amount of time Reid and Aadya spent together being cooped up due to the storm and talking for hours on end allowed them to build a certain foundation that made sense. Regardless, I loved every scene they had together, from their very rocky start to their very stable end.

This book is fun and addictive and an all around good time. It delivered exactly what I was looking for. Fingers crossed I find a man as down bad for me as Reid is for Aadya.

[Christi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first time reading this author and I was really impressed and enjoyed this one. It’s a fun grumpy x sunshine, set on the shores of Hudson Bay in Canada.

Reid is the grumpy lodge owner x Aadya is the sunshine nature photographer. We get a slow burn, and loads of forced proximity and an isolated nature setting! Aadya recently broke off her engagement and does freelance photography for NatGeo. The start of the story she checks into the lodge and finds out all the rooms have been taken and they only have space for her in the family wing of the resort. Which she ends up having to share an adjoining bathroom with grumpy Reid!

I love a nature setting so we get loads of that in this read and definitely adds to that true forced proximity feel. I liked so much about this one: how he keeps calling her Gossip Girl because she’s from NY, when she walks in on him showering 👀 (the sharing of a bathroom between there rooms adds for some fun), her photographing polar bears and the tundra, the setting, the hot tub, how much he listens and turns that into surprises/caring for her. The pacing at the end slowed down a bit for me once they aren’t in the same place together, but the rest of the book I really liked. The audiobook was great too.

I received an audio ALC from the publisher, all thoughts in this review are my own.

[Liz | lizzuplans · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun book!

After enjoying the author’s Artefacts of Ouranos series and the contemporary romance Not Safe For Work, I was very excited to be allowed to read this wintery romance. Perfect to cool down with (and some occasional heating up) during very warm summer days in May!

The book was very well written and easy to read, had engaging storylines, a fun cast of secondary characters, and even the third act breakup was believable and worked well.
Aadya and Reid also worked well together and I felt their romance was real, sexy, and cute.

Reid carrying Aadya around the whole time, calling her “good girl” (EEEEEEK), properly listening to her (to be loved is to be heard), sharing insecurities, giving her space, but also taking the reins when necessary… did I just find a new top tier literary lover?!

Shoutout to the mention of my fav brand Kate Spade (even though it was connected to the ex’s family…!), minus points for using the incorrect term “King Louis-style” (that should for instance be “Louis XVI style”), and gosh dang it now I am craving Nanaimo bars!!!!

Just glad the camera did not get any water damage (IYKYK).

Thank you to Nisha and to Dana at Forever for the invite to read this ARC so early!!

I received an ARC of this book and these are my own opinions.

[megan]

unfortunately i will need to come back to this one at a later date with the audiobook! i’m about halfway in and just cant get into this one like ive been hoping to. absolutely nothing is wrong with the book itself i just need to soft dnf this eyeball read 🥲

[charisse ♡]

managed to grab this on read now cuz joni is a fucking legend! also not safe for work was sooo good so like i NEEDED this, okay??

[lins୨ৎ📚 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Xoxo, Gossip girl🤭
-
𝚃𝚘𝚘 𝙲𝚘𝚕𝚍 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝙲𝚘𝚖𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚝
★★★★★ 5/5
-
꒰💭꒱ This was definitely the PERFECT book to read during fall and kick off the winter❄️

First, I love Aadya so much. @nishajtwrites always has a way of writing women who are strong-willed, and I commend her for always highlighting the important issues women face in the world and ensuring the narrative goes beyond just smut and romance.

As a woman who has encountered challenges in relationships for being too "independent" or having my own path and determination, I genuinely appreciate Aadya's dedication to her own life and none of it revolves around a "man." She knows her own worth and I think that's why Nisha's writing is so IMPORTANT!

The banter in this book is GOLDEN, and it is the PERFECT read for the enjoyers of The Love Hypothesis, as it is VERY Adam and Olive coded🤭

Thank you to @readforeverpub and @netgalley for the Earc in exchange for an honest review🫶

[Serafina Sunflower · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Nisha J Tuli for an e-ARC of Too Cold for Comfort. After both reading and loving Not Safe for Work, I was really excited to get into this one and it did not disappoint.

I'm generally not a fan of solo POV as I'm always dying to know what's going on in the MMC's head but Nisha writes in such a way I don't ever wonder what he's thinking. Not because I'm not interested but I'm just so consumed in the POV we're in. Another thing she excels at? Writing an FMC that's absolutely FERAL for the MMC.
Some of my fav quotes that made it very easy to imagine Aadya just openly gawking at Reid while drooling:
"His dark jeans make me wish I could come back as a roll of denim in my next life"

*when she gets him to smile* "why do I feel like I just lifted an entire car over my head?"

"He’s glistening and wet, and he was already too beautiful for words. Now he’s like the sun, frying my retinas with the force of his hotness. I watch a drop of water coast down the line of his throat and snake down one shapely pec before it meanders its very lucky way along the ridges of his abs and meets with the towel. When I die and get reincarnated, I’m petitioning to return as that drop of water." A lot of these were internal thoughts but she also had no shame in saying these things to his face too. I LOVE an FMC that just says whatever is on their mind. It's so refreshing.

Also, do you ever feel like the author travelled to the location they're writing about? Because this was written in a way that I could picture this wintery landscape surrounded by polar bears so easily. I love the cold but not freezing weather like this; however, for some reason I was sat daydreaming about visiting this frozen tundra.

Okay one last thing I wanted to say: the epilogue? Perfection. I was crying 😭 seeing her mom finally do her own thing outside her husband and travel with her daughter 👏 this book was everything and more. No notes.

[Gosia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well that was fun!

I’m going with 4 but I’m not gonna lie, big part of my rating is because of the polar bears and northern lights and overall the setting, and then thanks to the audio (quick and easy to keep listening)

The audio is ~9h long, narrated by Shiromi Arserio. There’s only one narrator cause the story is written in 1 POV, 1st person narration.
I enjoyed the narration a lot! I was able to listen with my usual speed of 2.0x. The audio was perfect for my morning walk and then to keep me company when doing some house chores or working out.
Shiromi did a very good job bringing this story to life! I had no trouble following the story or the dialogues. Basically I have no notes for the audio, it was good.

The storyline was nice, but it was little more than a half about the location, and less than a half about the romance. The romance was fling-y for the most part, only in the last 10-15% there was a cumulated development of the romantic part and the real relationship.
I didn’t mind, I truly had fun with this book, but if I expected the usual amount of romance in a romance book, I think I would be disappointed a bit.
So for me the setting and the polar bears and all the nature stuff carried the story.

I liked all the side characters storyline. They were a nice addition, kept me engaged, without overshadowing the main storyline.

I am so happy that it didn’t end up with Aadya leaving everything and staying in Churchill. Even tho the last bit was pretty accelerated, I was very content with how things happened between Aadya and Reid after her trip.

Reid was a bit too grumpy at the beginning. It was a bit off putting how rude he was at times, for really not good (enough?) reason.

Overall I did have a really fun time listening to the audio, but I’m not sure if this would be such a quick read for me if I only had the ebook.


Thank you Hachette Audio for ALC and Forever for eARC (“read now” on NetGalley)

[Emmie Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in remote Canada, Too Cold For Comfort quickly had my heart! Aadya was a character I immediately felt a connection to. I liked her backstory about why she ended up on this work trip and what she left behind (and why!) to pursue her passion.

Reid was a steadfast, slightly grumpy, guy who just wanted what was best for his family’s legacy and the wilderness and wildlife that surrounded it. He was protective of the things and people most important to him, so sometimes he came off as a little gruff or closed off, but he really was such a kindhearted guy. You can really tell a lot about how someone treats their employees, and how Reid responded to conflict between a guest and his staff gave me heart eyes. Respect to you, sir! (Aadya definitely got those heart eyes too, fyi!)

The chemistry between Reid and Aadya was spot on, the perfect amount of funny encounters (like walking in on someone in the shower) to sizzling chemistry. The forced proximity trope worked wonders with these two! (Did I mention that they were one room short so Aadya has to sleep in the family wing??)

One thing I loved most about this story was the setting - chilly, rural Canada where your neighbours are polar bears with attitude? Love it! The cozy sounding cabin, the crackling fireplaces, the untouched snow… everything I love most (and the food sounded to die for!) I’d happily pay to stay there for a couple weeks… if only I didn’t have to hike to see the polar bears. Hiking and I don’t get along and I would definitely be joining the sprained ankle club.

I also really enjoyed the supporting characters, even the ones that were designed to be antagonists were interesting and brought depth to the story. The easy and natural way queer characters were brought into the story was lovely, too.

This book would be the perfect comfort read as we enter the ‘ber months, although to be fair, it was the perfect comfort read in August too when I was trying not to melt from the heat!

[Jess (lucky.bookclub) Hilbert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who knew a cozy lodge, a rugged man, and a few polar bears could make the Canadian wilderness sound so tempting? 🐻‍❄️❄️

Too Cold for Comfort transported me straight into the remote Canadian wilderness, where Mother Nature makes the rules and life moves at its own pace. And honestly, I kind of loved it.

Aadya is living the dream as a wildlife photographer, and she’s absolutely NOT about to give that up for a man. We love a woman who knows what she wants! 👏 Meanwhile, Reid has spent his whole life taking care of everyone and everything around him, and maybe it’s time someone reminded him there’s a whole world out there.

I loved how these two balanced each other. She showed him that life could be a little bigger, and he showed her that finding a place to land doesn’t mean giving up her wings. 🥹

Add in a lovable cast of side characters, some serious winter atmosphere, and a romance that proves you don’t have to give up your dreams to find your person, and you’ve got yourself one very sweet read. 💗❄️

Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[melissasreadingdiary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely adored this book! After having read and loved Not Safe for Work last year, Nisha is becoming one of my favorite authors, and Too Cold for Comfort is joining that list!!!

Aadya’s independence was amazing, and I loooooved her vibes and character and energy from the first chapter into the final pages! She was such a badass, and it was exciting to live out the professional photographer/journalist pipeline through her story!

Reid was so hot, so grumpy, so perfect! I love a man who’s the epitome of >:( but is secretly tender and soft-hearted, and that is him to! a! tee!!

Their chemistry was amazing, from Reid rescuing and carrying Aadya back to the cabin to their night in the hot tub (hot!!!!) and into the epilogue, I was giggling kicking my feet!!!!

Nisha’s writing is amazing, and her descriptiveness and love for banter in this book (and a slow burn!) have me absolutely squealing and screaming for everyone to pick a copy of this book up next Tuesday (Nov. 10)!!!!

Thank you to Forever Publishing for the digital review copy!

[Angela | nerdslovebooks · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

Overall, I'd give this book 3.5 stars. It was a cute wintery read and made me want to cuddle up with a blanket next to a fire. Aadya sure had a lot of parental issues, but I loved the relationship between her and her sister. The grumpy/sunshine dynamic between Reid and Aadya was fun to watch develop. Reid's actions definitely spoke louder than his words. Aadya was coming out of a long-term relationship/engagement, so I liked that their connection was more physical at first and then developed over time. I'm not one for insta-love so I enjoyed this. The unique dining scene had me cackling, I would've loved to be a fly on that wall and watch the show.

*Grumpy/Sunshine
*Forced Proximity
*Photographer/Lodge Owner
*Spicy - open door

Format: ebook

Thank you NetGalley, Nisha J Tuli, and Forever for the ARC!

[Leanna · Rating 4.75 out of 5]

Okay, I’ll admit I’m completely biased here because I am OBSESSED with winter! Give me a romance set in the snow, and I’m already halfway in love with it. And OMG, I freaking loved this book!

Nisha J. Tuli knows how to write romance! A grumpy lodge owner, a sunshine photographer, forced proximity, and a snowstorm? YES PLEASE! The chemistry between Aadya and Reid was fantastic, and I loved their banter. But that setting! A remote lodge in northern Canada surrounded by snow and polar bears? It was absolute perfection!

This is exactly the kind of book I want to curl up with under a blanket while the snow falls outside. In fact, I already know I’ll be rereading this one during our next snowstorm!

The perfect cozy winter romance, at least in my very biased, snow-loving opinion! I adored it!

[Terri McCarrell · Rating 3 out of 5]

So this was a fun little rom-com.

Aadya was horny for Reid from chapter one. No slow burn for that girl. Reid was a great grumpy MMC, and was a mitigating factor in my enjoyment of the book.

For the most part, however, I felt a little on the surface as a reader. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly why, but it didn’t feel like it held much depth, like I’m used to with Tuli’s writing. This plot line had such HUGE potential, and I felt like it was reduced to a lot of silliness without purpose. UGH, I wanted to love it so much, but in the end, I just like it. Which is ok, too.

For anyone that loves a quick, light read. And doesn’t let FMCs drive them too crazy, LOL

Thank you to the author, and NetGalley, for the opportunity to read this book in advance.

[Julianne Harkleroad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Aadya is emotionally cold and controlling for others' comfort 😬 Man! I was hoping for stunning landscapes, once in a dream wildlife encounters, lush vacation commodities and they weren't in this book. I LOVE that Churchill is a real place! But where is the poetic adjectives that describe this incredible location? The picture wasn't painted. We got one awe-inspiring wildlife encounter. Tuli describes Aadya taking hundreds of photos, but we get a couple sentences describing it? I know a picture is worth one thousand words, but they weren't in my copy! 🤣 And when the family quarters are described as being better than the rooms millionaires are staying in- WHERE ARE THE ADJECTIVES?! Granted, pictures of Churchill don't look like there's a luxury resort out there, but when the first third of the book focuses on the demanding guests, why would such prideful millionaire's stay in bare 8th grade bunk cabins? 😬 Maybe my expectations were too high?

Photographer Aadya Williams broke up with her fiancé, ending a long-term relationship because she did not want to settle down. Totally fine! You do you, boo! But this self described feminist needs a man to carry, take care of, defend, and baby her? Repeatedly? Where's the strength, Aadya? Ohh it's in bullying your mom and ex-fiancé's mom. Then this career woman gets so wasted while working that she needs someone to look after her, providing the 4 extra-strength Tylenol when she ingests after regaining consciousness. Reid Doerksen, sweetheart that he is is the best part of this whole book! A MAN! Professional, successful, strong and hardworking, caring and intentional, capable and generous 🥵 Society could use a million more Reids!

"Looks like you need rescuing again."

*Breathlessly* "You're so strong, carrying me all this way. Do you work out or something?"

"Realizing my mother is a lost cause." Aka isn't doing what YOU think she should do, so you roll your eyes and scorn her?

"I don't indulge (ex-fiance's mom) any further" EXCUSE ME, MA'AM. That woman is allowed to have her own feelings over life changing information she wants just shocked with. Which, by the way, is sorrow over not having you as a daughter-in-law. HOW DARE HER 🙄

Aadya demands everyone change to meet her needs and desires with zero character growth or improvement. That ending, I get she's the main character, but making everyone else do 100% of the work? That's craaaaazy!

Also, can we address the elephant in the room? Does Tuli hate all traditional Caucasian nationalities or just the color of their skin? Because that racism was offensive.

Tropes: work trip, exotic location, grumpy v messy FMC, no open rooms in the inn, rebound, forced proximity, protective/fixer MMC, lgbt, slow burn, snowed in, grand gesture, HEA
Spice: 5/5 🌶️
Gore: 1/5 🩸
Language: 5/5 👀
Triggers: racism, heart attack

Thank you to Hachette Audio and NetGalley for this ARC.

[Lauren (lololovesthings) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars.

Nisha J. Tuli's "Too Cold for Comfort" is a forced-proximity, snowed-in romance. Aadya (FMC) is an underappreciated, underhired photographer with a deep sense of wanderlust. She has recently gotten out of a long-term relationship with her ex, who wanted her to stop traveling so she could be a wife and mother, a conversation they never actually had but that he assumed would happen. Reid (MMC) is the grumpy boss at his family's Northern Wilderness Polar Bear Lodge in Manitoba. Aadya is at the Lodge to try and get the cover photo for National Geographic, which would help resurrect her stagnant career. Reid seems to be against Aadya's presence at the Lodge, but he has his reasons for being skeptical of media. I loved the setting of this novel! What a creative, interesting place for the romance to blossom. I love the idea of a lodge that does excursions to see polar bears. Tuli paints such a snowy, breathtaking picture of this backdrop! There is quite a bit of biting humor between Reid and Aadya, mostly because Reid is like a snorting bull with a pointed glare, and Aadya gets a rise out of trying to poke and prod him. Of course, Reid is more than he seems under his gruff, grumpy exterior: he's sweet, caring, attentive, and really, really wants his family's business to succeed. I liked Aadya, her sense of independence, and her desire to succeed in her passion, but I hated everyone around her in her life. Her ex, her mom, her father - all of them basically ignored what she enjoyed doing and wanted her to settle down and be a wife and mother without even asking her what she wanted!! I get that being a photographer doesn't always pay a lot and isn't necessarily lucrative, but my god, her "support" system was nonexistent, and it made me feel deeply for her. I think my biggest complaint is that this didn't feel like a HEA to me, more like a "HFN" (happy for now). Aadya and Reid's romance is definitely based on insta-lust above all. I never truly got a sense of deep chemistry between Aadya and Reid, apart from the physical. Her job takes her around the world as a photographer, and Reid is stuck where he is, running his family's business. It just never felt like anything other than a vacation fling to me. That said, the spice between them is hot, Hot, HOT, but that's basically all it was. This is a quick read and a fun story.

Thank you to NetGalley, Nisha J. Tuli, and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.

[jordan · Rating 3 out of 5]

unfortunately, i did not love this one :/ i thought the setting was unique and was interested in the initial setup and dynamic between aadya & reid, but ultimately, i struggled to feel connected to them. there were only a few moments where i felt genuine chemistry between them (seriously,,, like maaaaybe two scenes 👁️👄👁️), but their relationship moved SO quickly (the insta-lust/insta-love here was not for me) that i never really became invested in their romance.

bc i felt disconnected from the characters and their relationship, i was pretty emotionally removed from the third-act conflict. the barriers keeping them apart seemed forced and easily resolvable imo (idk maybe communicate?? everything was so internal). the central conflict just wasn’t believable or compelling to me. i also struggled with the dialogue and fmc’s inner monologue, which often came across as immature and overly cringe (i honestly suffered from secondhand embarrassment on several occasions, which is the fastest way to take me OUT of a story). and the constant comparisons between reid and her ex were exhausting 🫩 (like girl, i promise u, we get it).

i’m wondering if tuli’s writing just isn’t for me, as i remember having similar thoughts and feelings while reading her other contemporary romance. overall, the plot, character arcs, and romance all fell flat for me. i had literally nothing to sink my teeth into (and I’M HUNGRRYY 👹)… everything was so surface-level, and i never felt like there was enough depth to truly become invested in any of it 🥀 despite all of this, i still read this in under 24 hrs soooo 😭 make of that what u will.

thank you so much to netgalley and forever | grand central publishing for providing me with this arc!