Love at Frost Sight: A Holiday Novella

by Torie Jean

Seth is fine with the friend zone. Well, he would be okay with being gutted every time his best friend, & love of his life, Jenny, swooned at the star quarterback if it wasn’t a constant reminder that it should have been him.
The big guy on campus. Pro scouts.
The girl of his dreams looking his way.
His identity. His future. All ripped away by a freak hit that shattered his knee & his dreams in an instant. Even his high school sweetheart left. So when the quirky bookstore owner offers him a world where that hit never happened, the least a guy can do is humor her.

It’s just a bonus that when he wakes up, the mean girl on campus, who ditched Jenny for a sorority, is his tutor & she fumbles around like some lovestruck, blushing fool whenever he flashes a smile her way.

Jenny is the endgame.
But it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world if, along the way, he made Madeline Finch beg for him in the stacks of the library, or the locker room, or his bedroom….
In the spirit of giving, & all that jazz, am I right?

Mean Girl Madeline Finch is officially desperate. Her star quarterback boyfriend just dumped her for his tutor & her ex-best friend & in the aftermath, she made a few—or several, who’s to judge here—mistakes.
With the fear of losing the crown she worked tirelessly for, Madeline would do anything for a do-over. So when a bizarre bookstore owner starts yelling about a rewrite and offering her a too-good-to-be-true deal: get some alleged soulmate of hers to fall in love w/ her by Christmas, and she can have ten mins of her life back, who is Madeline to say no?
But when Madeline wakes up in a world ripped straight out of a Christmas display window, as the not-like-other-girls-girl of her nightmares and finds the “soulmate” she has to woo is none other than thorn-in-her-side, Seth Aarons, Madeline may find herself learning a lesson or two.
Like when making a deal w/ a faerie, always read the fine print.
It’s never too late to start becoming a good person. & the most important lesson of all, Seth Aarons has a particularly lovely mouth when he’s not using it for talking.

Genres: Romance, Christmas, Novella, Holiday, Enemies To Lovers, Contemporary Romance, Fiction

192 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 4, 2023

About the author

Torie Jean's favorite memory growing up is the way her Memere's fingers flew over the keys of her two-tier electric organ, playing songs like "Singin' in the Rain", "I've Got Rhythm", and "What a Wonderful World". Her undying love and affection for the magic and charm of Gene Kelly and Audrey Hepburn followed her from childhood, to a seventh grade book report on a Gene Kelly biography, to studying abroad in Paris and finding "the den of thinking men." Torie is married to her high school sweetheart and is blessed with the best gaggle of nieces and nephews she could ask for. She has had endometriosis for over half of her life now, and hopes to raise more awareness of the disease with her writing, while providing the happily ever afters people with endo deserve.

Reviews

[sil ♡ the book voyagers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I crave more romance novels with mean girls as protagonists!!! We get a lot of the wallflower, shy girls in romance, but I need me the popular, mean girls who have soft insides but protect themselves with walls so they can't get hurt! And Torie Jean did a wonderful job writing this novella.

It has a little bit of magic too, because in this world there exists alternate realities and FAERIES. So, a faerie sends Maddie and Seth into another reality where Maddie happens to be his tutor and he is the popular quarterback of their college footbal team. So different from their real world where she's a sorority mean girl who despises Seth with a passion. In this world, they are having this little friends with benefits relationship, but in order for Maddie to return to her world, she must make Seth fall in love with her. Still, she doesn't know that he's also very much present in this new reality, that her Seth, her world Seth is here with her.

It's hilarious, so much banter and bickering around each other. He calls her "satanic barbie" and she calls him "tragically more-annoying ross geller" lmao. BUT WHAT IS SO ADORABLE IS THAT THEY'RE ACTUALLY SOULMATES. REAL-LIFE SOULMATES. IN EVERY UNIVERSE SOULMATES. They wil find each other in any alternate reality, time and time again.

I loved this holiday novella so much and I had such a blast reading it. But I would really enjoy anything Torie Jean writes, because I'm obsessed, yeah! Highly recommend reading it too if you love to read praise kink (he calls her my good girl so many times *scream*), college romance, he's down bad for her and has been pining for her fOR YEARS.

[Sanyah(Taylor’s Version) · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Whatever it is when we wake up, I’ll find you. Okay? We could live a thousand lives, and I’d find you in all of them.”

[shimmyreads · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️4.5⭐️

dual pov

i was a bit lost in the beginning but this was such a cute read (yes i read it on february and not during christmas season it is still winter soo it counts fight me😐)
however, this was such a cute book

“whatever it is when we wake up, i’ll find you. okay? we could live a thousand lives, and i’d find you in all of them.” 😭😭😭😭

“i am cherished
i am loved
and for the first time in forever, i know without a doubt that i am enough, as i am now.
god bless ellie, everyone “ 🥲🥲🥲🥲

[rachೃ⁀➷ · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first romance read where the protagonist is a mean girl, so I didn’t expect to love it, but I was totally proven wrong because I thoroughly enjoyed this little novella! I didn’t actually read the blurb so at first I was like what the hell is going on??? But then after I got it, I got it and I ended up finishing it all in one. I only recently discovered Torie Jean through Instagram, but both the books I’ve read so far have been total hits, so I’ve got high hopes for the next one. If you’re looking for a quirky Christmas romance, and probably unlike any you’ve read before, then this one is definitely for you! 

  When I first realised that the female main character was ‘a mean girl’ I was on the fence about continuing, but I’m so glad I did because I did end up loving Maddie in the end. I adored the banter and humour in this book, the conversations between this couple had me almost giggling out loud. Also, I have a new favourite trope thanks to this one, the soulmate trope!!!! This was the perfect break that I needed to break up my long, dramatic, festive romance reads.

[carmine · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book tried way too hard. Also one of the first books I have ever encountered to include both Rhysand and Adam Carlsen in its chapters. Like? I can't believe society has come this far.

[nat · Rating 3 out of 5]

ngl i skimmed most of this but the chemistry between the main characters was so good

[talia ♡]

the six days between christmas and new year's are for dissociating, eating leftover holiday cookies, and binging christmas romcom books

[vicreads24 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this cute holiday novella. It took a bit to understand the plot with the dual timeline, but after I got used to it, I loved it. Madeline is definitely a complex FMC but Torie Jean did a great job letting us see underneath her mean girl exterior. I also appreciated how Seth went from hating her, to seeing the real her. The magical part of this book made it a unique reading experience that gave me all the Christmas feels. Definitely would recommend!

[KB · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a feel good, warm hug on a cold day! I absolutely adored it! It has the whimsical and magic of a hallmark movie, the banter and pining (the sense of humor was spot on for me) that we LOVE in a romcom and the perfect amount of toe curling spice! Please add this to your holiday read list, you will not regret it! Have I also mentioned that the author is one of the most genuine and fun people I’ve ever met? GO READ IT!

What you can expect:
❄️enemies to lovers
❄️Christmas magic and miracles (a story telling faerie)
❄️chronic illness rep ♥️
❄️🌶️🌶️
❄️banter and pining romcom
❄️praise kink 🫠

[Cortney Walton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This cover is absolutely gorgeous! I also love the title, Love at Frost Sight.

This was such a cute novella. Tori Jean is becoming one of my favorite authors. She knows how to hit you with the feels!

This one just absolutely perfect! I loved it all. The fairies, the different timelines, the endo rep, and Seth! Seth was the best!

The ending made me smile so much. I can’t wait to buy this in paperback!

[Sophie]

DNF 10%

I am so sad I had to DNF this because I heard it had incredible Endometriosis rep. The problem was that I did not like how the beginning started. It made 0 sense and the main character was annoying me already.

[Sofia Samu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Convoluted for no reason.

[Kimmy · Rating 1 out of 5]

1 Star: Wow.
I grabbed this one because the reviews looked really good. I havent read a mean girl romance that wasnt classic enemies to lovers yet and thought a christmas novella would be an easy in and get me into the festive mood. WRONG. From the first sentence the sentences are all over the place. It feels like you started mid book. Theres no introduction to the main perspective and we are thrown into a weird scenario where this book shop owner is ranting about something incoherent.

Ok so you get past that first chapter and realize its not that complicated, so you then get 3 chapters in and the plot starts to pick up. We have the 4 main characters, the pairs are going to get all mixed together, interesting right? Well you and i are wrong. SOMEHOW we keep going back to that incoherent book shop where the owner makes no sense, says she writing this story. Cringe. Then the bookstore owner is obviously a faerie and now the main characters are transported to their what if their tragic backstories didnt happen. Ok i guess... but here is where the story lost all interest. Its really not clear at all. the FL and ML fuck eachother every other chapter but what i this is to their faerie dream version. I skipped over these chapters even thought they are only 10 pages each, there is no plot. I think at some random sentence they realize their fuck buddy is a real person? idk how they get back to the real world. Read the end of the book and honestly disliked every second.

Heres the overall thoughts. For a novella just under 200 pages, this story really struggles from the beginning. The author had a great premise with the mean girl and a former football star getting together is delicious but she really set it on fire with this whole faerie thing that transports them to another universe. It was such a stretch that heavily relied on suspended disbelief when it really didnt need that at all. We could have continued with reality, the conflict between the FL and her old best friend becoming less mean girl and the other girl being more was really interesting. Why did the author completely drop that massive plot line? What could have been a solid novella about a texas winter became a werid faerie fantasy that made no sense and set fire to any plot was set up within the first 100 pages.

Unfortunate, wish i enjoyed it as much as the other readers but didnt.

[Kelsy · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars? I hesitate to be overly critical of a book that's not meant to be taken too seriously. People who have read it mentioned it being bonkers and Torie herself asked readers to suspend their disbelief. I knew all this going in and just wanted to squeeze in a final read for the end of the year. It was a nice cherry on top that this was Torie's considering I've never read any of her books but have been wanting to for a while. What better way to start than with a novella?

After the first few pages, I knew I wouldn't love this. I'm not a fan of the "mean girl" archetype (sue me) but was willing to give it a shot knowing that everyone else loves a mean girl. Ironically, it wasn't Maddie's mean girl personality that I didn't like, rather it was the writing. There were run-on sentences, references to modern day romance heroes like Adam from The Love Hypothesis and good God, Rhysand from A Court of Thorns and Roses, lots of smirking, and monologues and dialogues I just didn't care for.

I expected the bonkers-ness but strangely didn't find it bonkers enough. Rather than "delightfully bonkers", I just found it a little cringe? Maybe juvenile? Like watching a D!sney or Hallmark movie. I didn't quite understand what Ellie was saying most of the time but chalked it up to it not really needing to make sense. At the same time, the hour and ten minutes thing got kind of confusing and I stopped caring even more.

I could (sort of) look past most of this though bc, again, it's not meant to be taken too seriously. In Torie's words, it was just a project she did to pass the time through doctors appointments. Yet, I think we can all also collectively agree that this, however short, is meant to be a romance. If this was marketed as an erotica, I wouldn't have as much to say about it bc the expectations are different. With this being, again, a romance, I really thought, despite the casual element of it all, that we would be watching Seth and Maddie fall in love.

Instead, they have sex repeatedly. All the time. In nearly every scene together. They have sex so much, it's summarized. And both before and during all this sex, it's repeatedly emphasized that Maddie just can't help herself when it comes to Seth bc of some soulmate bond. Meaning, against her better judgment and wishes, she's physically incapable of resisting Seth. So much so it's really all she can think about when they're together, from the beginning. I don't really enjoy the soulmate trope bc to me it can feel like the characters only fell for each other bc fate demanded it. However, this takes that a step further and makes it so that the soulmates will be so drawn to each other that they can't stop having sex and a majority of the story will be, again, them doing it. I'm not against multiple sex scenes but when the book is less than 200 pages long and a portion of it was already spent on the characters getting to the alternate reality, maybe focus a bit on the two getting to know each other and falling in love outside of the physical demands of their bond?

Other than attraction in their reality, there was nearly zero indication that Maddie liked Seth. In fact, she really didn't like him. This means that her feelings must be established in their alternate universe. Here's where it all gets a little messy and confusing: she gets there and ends up having sex with Seth, she can't help but feel this overwhelming desire for him 24/7 and they spend most of the week(s) just having sex. On the back copy and within the book itself, Maddie is made out to be someone who is lovestruck, a fool for Seth. I don't particularly enjoy this plot point, but it's barely explored. Other than her physical reaction to Seth and giving into that attraction when they have sex, she is very much not a lovestruck fool for him.

When they both realize that their real-world selves are in their alternate universe's bodies, she's even less of a lovestruck fool who craves his affection and just continues to be (sort of reluctantly) more submissive in the bedroom. Just bc she begs a little, doesn't make her the fool that the back copy is making her out to be? And it's just weird that the two of them had sex with (who they thought were) the other's alternate universe selves for a week+ and were just OK with it?

I've seen a lot of people discuss the tropey-ness of the books being published these days. Marketing relies so much on having specific tropes that it ends up lowering the quality of the writing. Tropes have become to matter more than plot, character depth, romance development, etc. I haven't come across many of these examples myself but this book felt like that at times. Particularly, Seth's constant use of "Good girl." I know everyone goes wild for the "Good girl" line but it just didn't feel like it fit here. It really seemed as if Torie just threw it in bc she knew people would love it (and I'm sure a lot of them did!).

The romance was just lacking. I couldn't get behind two people who heavily disliked each other suddenly confessing and saying they've actually been in love with each other from the beginning. Especially Maddie. On one hand, she can't resist sex with Seth bc of their soulmate bond, and yet at the same time I'm supposed to believe all that sex led her to realize she's in love with him? Has been in love with him? I can probably count on one hand the # of times they actually had a moment outside of sex before they both realize they're head over heels. And that's being generous.

It seems like we were simply reading about two characters who had no choice but to be in love bc their creator (Ellie) demanded it. Not bc they actually had much chemistry beyond their physical attraction. I couldn't even fully appreciate Seth taking care of Maddie bc it just felt like his feelings were disproportionate to what we've been seeing this entire time. And, the soulmate bond is mentioned again in reference to why he just can't leave Maddie alone when she's hurt. This would've been sort of romantic if their relationship was properly established. I just couldn't see how, again, only having sex with each other + the rare glimpse of the other person being more than they seem, can somehow become full-blown obsession. That is, outside of Ellie making it so.

Although I have Finding Gene Kelly on my shelf, I can't deny feeling more trepidation at picking it up now. This was written after it and although a full-length novel can be very different from a novella, I have doubts that the core issues will be resolved by mere length. I'll still give it a try but I am disappointed that this did not turn out to be the happy escape it promised.

(p.s. what was the point of Maddie being a tutor for Seth? It played nearly no role in the story and was barely mentioned. Maddie could've been just a classmate and this still would've worked)

[Elissssss. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honestly I can’t think of nothing better and this ship: the satanic barbie and her flannel wearing - romance books lover enemy (Seth Aarons is everything) 🤩
Plot is: two college students who hate each other cause they are poler opposite (she is a sorority mean girl and he a snarky and sarcastic chill guy) get sent to a ?parallel universe? - which is actually “written” by a matchmaking fairy lol 🧚🏼‍♀️- where she’s the nerdy tutor to his jock, hot-shot quarterback status. Seriously this novella has everything I want. Maddie has to make him fall in love with her to return to the “real” world but things get heated cause they are actually hot for each other (they were in the real world too) and soulmates.💕
Loved it. I want to read the other Torie Jean books cause she was able to write a believable enemies to lovers situations, has a beautiful writing style, portrait a good endometriosis representation and the smut scene where chef’s kiss.
In love. 🥰

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A magical time loop holiday novella

This was a great #ownvoices dual POV enemies to lovers redemption type story that sees Grinchy “mean girl” Maddie getting a second chance at life and love when a magical bookshop owner sends her down memory lane where she can try to repair her friendship with her former best friend and gets to give her nemesis Seth Aarons a real shot at her heart. I loved the endometriosis rep, especially the realistic depiction of the way Maddie has to have sex a bit differently because of her condition. Highly recommended for all the magical realism and Christmas magic lovers!

🔥Steam level: very open door

[Sara M · Rating 4 out of 5]

One more holiday read before I say goodbye to the holiday season - and it's been snowing outside, again, so this novella went quite well with the weather, too. ❄❄❄

Just Like Magic by Sarah Hogle and Once Upon a December by Amy E Reichert where among my favorite books in December and Love at Frost Sight goes beautifully with those two novels - there are spells and there is magic and there is just the perfect amount of holiday cheer. This novella gets a lot steamier, though, which isn't a bad thing in this frosty weather. 😉

[Dareen · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was a cute fun read that I didn’t expect to love so much 😭 at first I was a little confused and put off by the magic(?) but then I got it and this was so so so cute
loved how perfectly it worked out for seth and maddie and despite this being a novella, there was actual character development!!!! which I loved to see!!! plus some “4th” wall or like moments where they were actually aware of the story lol it was funny
super cuteee def recommend to anyone who wants a silly little holiday read with more depth than you would’ve expected!

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was super cute once you got 80 pages into it, the characters in the beginning were irritating & the first bit was quite slow for me.
Seth & Maddie despise each other but when they’re sent to an alternate universe by the local bookseller, a faerie, they get a chance to see where their lives went wrong.
Super cute holiday read, loved the atmosphere and the spice!!💗

[Myblogisgreat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay but wow was this such delight of a read!

Magic, second chances, defrosting hearts, loving yourself and the illness you live with, being vulnerable, deep romance cuts, humor.

Friends this one does it all.

[jess · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF. This was not for me unfortunately. I found it really hard to get into and didn’t understand the start at all it was so hard to follow. Also didn’t like the main character meal girl vibe this one had going on.

[‎⋰˚☆ alo ₊˚✧ · Rating 4 out of 5]

“We could live a thousand lives, and I’d find you in all of them.” a MAN <3

[Anna · Rating 1 out of 5]

If you don’t already have a headache, this book will give you one. If you have a headache, this book will make it worse.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Al principio me sentí un poco confusa, pero ya una vez que ocurre el traslado de los protagonistas las cosas se van entendiendo mejor. El libro es un romance navideño muy divertido con el trope de rivals to lovers, aunque creo que la relación ocurre muy rápido.

[Sydney Blondell · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75 rounded up

The only likable character was Seth, but the endometriosis representation was well done

[Josephine · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars.

This was a solid Christmas novella. It was practically made for me - the Endo rep, the Christmas vibes, all the tropes. I am forever a Torie Jean stan.

The *only* reason I deducted a star was simply because I was so confused by the magic system. I don't fault it for that, it just took me out of it a little bit.

Caretaking-trope candy right here.

[Laura VanZant]

DNF @ 35%

[Charlie - disableddaydreamer | itsbarbieparis (looking for mutuals) · Rating 2 out of 5]

endometriosis representation, light spice, holiday read, it has a lot of the right stuff but lacks a storyline that kept me engaged.

[Sierra (shesgotstories) · Rating 5 out of 5]

"And for the first time in forever, I know without a doubt that I am enough, as I am now."

Imagine if the Hallmark Channel added a bit of well, spice, to their content. I'm talking not only spice in the romance novel sense (which this novella certainly has), but spin it to where the main female main character is called "Darth Blair Waldorf" because she's become a mean girl. Where there's not so much of a love triangle, but a love square. Where magic is from faeries and not just the cheesy "magic of Christmas" and coincidences. Hallmark channel execs simply wouldn't know what to do with themselves with a Christmas novella like this!

I loved that the main female main character is a mean girl and that she's self-aware as such and uses it as a protective mechanism against the outside world. Sometimes it just feels like the view would be better from the top, you know? Madeline wants the perfect life, and who could blame her after the neglectful upbringing she had? I loved how her ice-cold heart melts over the course of the book and with a little faerie magic she recognizes what kind of life would truly make her happy and make her feel comfortable in letting her guard down. Even if it means coming to terms with her enemy Seth. I also love that Torie continues to bless us endo warriors with heartwarming and charming stories of love that remind us that everyone deserves to be loved and that a lifetime of pain can still come with some sunshine.

Seth was such a charming love interest. I love that we get his POV as well since there is nothing I love more than getting to watch two characters fall for each other from each perspective. It makes my Madeline-esque cold soul thaw. I love that he educates himself with Madeline's endo and that he's a romance book enthusiast all thanks to his mother's romance books he first acquainted himself in a desperate situation. Sure, Seth is cocky and loves to fuel the flames of Madeline and her spunk, but how could you not adore him and how that the moment he's with Madeline all that cockiness is at her complete mercy and she gets whatever she wants? From their first encounter in that fateful bookstore, to the compromising situation with the iconic Nar Wars shirt, to the course of events there at the end, I was hooked in. The tension was truly immaculate between them.

I loved that this novella had a great pace and a complete story arc, both difficult to balance in a shorter story. It had both lighthearted and vulnerable moments with the soulmate magic we all wish we had to put us on the right track in life. It's the type of novella that makes you believe in magic and love and all the soul-bearing things that make you unique. This quick and unique read is perfect for any romance lover and will leave you feeling cozy and content this holiday season!

[Holly · Rating 2 out of 5]

So, I did not put this down. But not because I loved it. Nope. I literally just wanted to add it to my yearly numbers - sad, right? Like if I'd read this earlier in the year, I would have DNF'd so damn fast. So why did I read this at all? Well, I'd heard good things about the author's previous books and had the book recommended in someone's holiday recs. I am sure that it has its fans out there, but this novella was Not For Me. Which makes me a little dubious about trying other books by this author, but they will get another shot. At least one.

What didn't work for me? The whole heavy handed "It's a Wonderful Life"/"A Christmas Carol" thread woven in, along with the "quirky" bookshop owner who's a fae and is arguing with Jack Frost (who never appears on page, btw, just in conversations she has with him about the MCs in front of the MCs). Also, she's a romance author and is rewriting their lives to teach them lessons about life and love? The short version? The MMC is in love with his best friend... who's in love with her ex-bestie's (our FMC) boyfriend. FMC is a Mean Girl who wasn't always one, but changed bc she's got some screwed up views of herself bc her parents are shits and she dates assholes. Oh, and she has endo, but doesn't want anyone to know that she's got a weakness - including her boyfriend - so lives to suffer.

I love the insane. I love a meddling character, hell, I love a redemption story... but this just wasn't it for me. Am I glad that they finally got their HEA? Yeah, but it was so convoluted - and the ripple effect that was created by changing one moment in their real lives was insane, but it ensured HEA's all around! (Imagine the Oprah GIF here. You get an HEA! And you get an HEA! And you get an HEA! 🙄)