An engaging little mystery set on the shores of Lake Champlain! A cozy winter tale to read on a quiet day in. The mystery was interesting without being super gruesome, and the developing romance very sweet.

I did find the book to be a little overwritten and thesaurus-y, and the dialogue clunky, but it didn't usually distract me from the plot.

I was recently made aware that 'cozy mystery' was a genre, and I feel betrayed by all of my friends who never told me this vital piece of information. I love whodunnit type stories, but I also love romance and family relationships being present, as well as a cozy ambiance in the story. This subgenre contains all of that, and I am looking forward to exploring it more.

This book is set at christmas time in a lakeside cabin in a small town. When someone is murdered, our main character, Declan, newcomer to the town, is cast as a main suspect. The local Public Safety Commissioner, Curtis, is put on the case and as they spend more time with each other, Declan and Curtis' chemistry grows.

In the Winter Woods is my third novel by Isabelle Adler, an author who I have loved reading in the past. This is quite different to the rest, the only main similarity being that an m/m romance is at the forefront. I was expecting more focus on the romantic relationship, and a bit more steaminess considering my experience with her works- so was a little let down in that regard. However, I can acknowledge that for some, that will be a positive!

The atmosphere was definitely well done. It felt distinctly like a small town, and the winter setting was also at the forefront. Considering I read this in the peak of summer here in the Southern Hemisphere, I am impressed the Adler got me to feel the snowy weather and setting as well as she did.

However, for a cozy mystery- I didn't really love the mystery that much. I didn't necessarily find it predictable, but I just wasn't engaged with it all that much. I found myself more invested with the characters than the plot. I also found some actions taken by the characters (*cough* Declan *cough*) to be plain stupid for no reason other than furthering the plot.

Overall, I was satisfied with the conclusion of the story and how all the elements came together. I adored the aesthetic, and felt that the book really shined in that respect. However I would have preferred to see more of the romance, and have a more well rounded mystery.

Thank you to NineStar Press for this ARC

Release Date: 14 December 2020

I thought this would be more romance than mystery but it was the opposite. That turned out to be what kept me reading because a focus on this romantic relationship wouldn’t have kept my interest. It tracked from strangers and some attraction to questioning if he should give up his life and move to the woods for a relationship that didn’t even exist.

If you’re looking for a quick and cozy small town mystery read, this might be for you!

I’m afraid that I DNF’d In the Winter Woods at 61%. Although I was enjoying the writing and the atmosphere, I was unconvinced by both the central mystery plot and the development of the romance. The former relied on several characters doing very foolish things that didn’t seem to otherwise fit with their personalities. The latter was both slow and insta, which I didn’t think was possible, and the chemistry between the two leads felt inconsistent. Overall, not for me. But I will certainly read more by Isabelle Adler, given how much I liked her style.

3.5 stars. For the most part I enjoyed the mystery and trying to figure who is trying to run Declan off. I never felt like he was in any real danger, even when a dead body shows up. I didn’t have the killer figured out and even after we find out who it was nothing jumped out at me that made me think I should have known it was them. I like the small town feel and how everyone is everyone else’s business. What I didn’t get, at all, was the romance. These two don’t really get together until the end. I would have liked more of the MC’s together, together. There were some sweet moments between the two, but it just wasn’t enough for me.

I liked this more as a cozy mystery than a romance.

It hits the mark as a cozy. You’ve got an amateur detective—in this case an author of mystery novels with a bad case of writer’s block—in a small town who becomes embroiled in a murder (two, actually) and decides to try to figure out who done it himself. Declan isn’t exactly a whiz at detection, but the author does a great job giving him reasonable suspects. I wasn’t sure who the murderer was until the big reveal at the end of the story.

While the mystery worked for me, the romance didn’t succeed as well. It’s not that I didn’t like Curtis the handsome (sort of) cop or that I didn’t buy them as a potential couple. They just didn’t spend enough time together that I really believed that they had the feelings they said they did by the end of the story. I kind of wish this was developed as a cozy series, where the relationship between the lead and the love interest grows over several books.

If you’re in the mood for a Christmas cozy, though, this would be a good choice.

A copy of this book was provided through NetGalley for review; all opinions expressed are my own.

I think this book had so much potential, I loved the setting and it was a perfect book to read these months. But, the plot and the development of the characters' relationship leaves much to be desired.

For me there is nothing more fun than having a policeman helping out in a small town, it's a cliché that I like. And although I loved the storytelling very much (seriously, the author writes very beautifully) I felt that this was insta-love and that is a no-no for me.

Declan and Curtis get off to a tense start, but when they do a "clean slate" out of nowhere they are drawn to each other. But not in a "that guy's handsome" sense, but in a "woah, I feel a legendary spiritual connection" sense. And nope, I don't usually like that.

But, if you don't mind insta-love, you shouldn't have a problem with the book because the crime case is entertaining anyway, the town very pretty, and the narrative engaging.

Does what it says on the tin. A cute romantic story about small town life, with a dash of who-dun-it thrown in for spice. I felt the relationship between Declan and Curtis was a little forced and I didn't have much stake in whether or not they made it, but the murder mystery kept my attention to see it through.

Romance with a dash of mystery (or is that mystery with a dash of romance - you decide). In the Winter Woods features writer Declan, who decides to head to his family's cabin in Vermont before Christmas to see if the change of scenery will inspire his next novel. Instead, he receives threatening letters stuck to his door with a knife, is embroiled in a murder mystery and develops feelings for handsome Officer Curtis Monroe.

The only thing to dislike about this book is that it's too short. I breezed through it in two days and now I need more Declan and Curtis in my life. But Declan was a likeable protagonist, Curtis had a protective nature that'll make anyone swoon, and there was plenty of intrigue that I didn't want to put this book down.

Thank you to NetGalley and NineStar Press for the ARC - all opinions are my own.

I have a few mixed feelings about this book. It was an easy and cozy read, an ok mystery with a hint of romance. All ingredients for a good read but it was missing something. I think the reason why I did not enjoy it as much as I wanted is that the story dosn't quite know what it wants to be. A mystery or a romance? There are books that manage to work both paths but with In the Winter Woods both parts felt neglected. I never had a sense of tension or curiosity for the mystery, nor did I feel the romance. There isn't much development between the two main characters which is sad, because it might have been so good. And for the mystery there are either no clues to follow and things are just revealed out of thin air or the clues are too easy to look through so they have no chance to build up.

It's not a bad book though and if you are looking for a quick and easy read this one might be right for you.

When searching for Christmas books, I stumbled upon this book and...well let’s be real, it was the cover that lured me in.
When I saw that it’s none of your usual cheesy, cute Christmas romance but in fact a queer Christmas murder mystery I was immediately hyped.
Dead body’s turning up instead of reading about people making romantic Christmas stuff: I am here for it.
It’s a rather short book with about 250 pages but it was absolutely enough to tell a gripping story about murder in a small village.
I really liked the protagonists, constantly procrastinating, so relatable. Afraid, but still so brave. And falling head over heels for the small town cop.
Up until about 70% in I had not a single clue who the killer was, but I suspected everybody in the meantime! I loved the ending, not too dramatic but still shocking.
The only thing that could have been better was a secret that was too obvious, because of a conversation right at the beginning of the book. So for me it sadly didn’t come as a surprise.
But all in all I really liked this, it was a quick and fun read and a cool twist for a Christmas story!

2.5 stars

Cozy mysteries aren't my go-to genre, so if they're something you normally seek out keep that in mind: 

I never got into this one, but it was solidly "fine" -- until the MC did something so ridiculously stupid at 37% that I would have DNF'd if I weren't reading this as an ARC! And he never got smarter. The man was just begging to be arrested or killed, and the only thing saving him from either was the fact that the love interest is so laid-back it crosses into unrealistic.

And I have no doubt that won't bother some readers, but it drove me insane!

The romance also managed to straddle both Glacial Slow-Burn and Insta-Commitment at the same time, and that's never a combo I can wrap my head around.

If none of those things bother you, and you're looking for a Christmas-themed cozy, go for it. If you require realism or intelligent MCs, I wouldn't recommend it.

Declan’s isn’t in the mood for Christmas let alone life. He decides to escape from reality and head to the family cabin in Maplewood Vermont to try and get rid of his writers block and com out with a new novel. His pastry’s book was a flop and his finances are now suffering.

The locals were kind and being a small town it wasn’t long before everyone knew he was there! Peace and quiet was what Declan thought he was getting. What he didn’t anticipate was death threats and a murder or two. The handsome public safety commissioner Curtis Monroe begins the investigation into Declan’s neighbours death and shockingly everything points to Declan as the murderer.

Declan decides it the perfect time to start writing a true crime novel and try not to end up in jail. Curtis pushes to try and solve the mystery and reduce the number of dead bodies piling up on this perfect little towns doorstep.

In The Winter Woods
By: Isabelle Adler

The first thing that caught my eye with this book is the cover. It is beautiful and so cozy, it immediately made me want to read this book. Adler is a new author for me and the story sounded like one I’d enjoy. I love mysteries and cozy mysteries are some of my favorites.

This story is set in a small, idealistic town in Vermont at Christmas. Declan is a writer with a bad case of writers block and a need for a new idea to help his career. He comes to Maplewood to stay at his family’s vacation cabin hoping to be struck with inspiration. What he encounters is more writers block and being wrapped up in a murder.

In the midst of all of this he meets the towns public safety commissioner, Curtis Monroe. When they first meet it starts off on the wrong foot and when Declan is a suspect in the murder it doesn’t endear him to Monroe. The more they get to know each other though a camaraderie of sorts forms as well as an attraction.

This has all the makings of a cozy mystery and it was well written. I enjoyed the story and the mystery as well as the relationship that developed. Being a cozy mystery the relationship takes a backseat to the murders but everything wraps up beautifully.

I will be looking into more of Isabelle Adler’s books. I thought this was such a great read and a wonderful introduction to her writing.

Declan is a down on his luck writer, escaping to his family’s Vermont cottage at Christmas to work past some writer’s block. He expects peace and quiet, but he gets a distractingly attractive small town Commissioner. And murder.

A fun and quick read. The solve of the mystery surprised me. And I was charmed by the wintery, small town New England setting and the people.

Characters are a bit flat, but have a lot of potential for development in any sequels. The dialogue felt oddly formal at times. And the relationship got too intense too quickly for me.

I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher NineStar Press, LLC in exchange for an honest review.
This is definitely on the cosier side of cosy mystery. In the Winter Woods is the story of Declan, a mystery writer who gets caught up in a real murder investigation when he goes to a wintery cabin in an attempt to write a new book. Soon he also starts to fall for the local commissioner but must clear his own name before they can date.

This book was a very easy and quick read, with some nice winter scenes and some good characters. I think its main flaw is that it commits to neither the mystery aspect nor the romance aspect. I would not mind at all if one ended up being neglected for the other, but unfortunately in this case neither is really developed and the book suffers for it. I never really had a sense of fear or tension, nor did I swoon over the characters getting to know each other. It's a shame because this has such potential and I loved the idea of it. But it was hard for me to see why the characters were actually falling for each other at all beyond initial attraction.

Having said that, if you're looking for some easy-going and queer to read over the holidays, this isn't a bad option. I would love to see more books like this and I did enjoy reading it, even if it might not stay in my mind for very long.

Overall Rating: 3/5 stars

"In the Winter Woods" is a cozy and christamas-y murder mystery with a touch of romance. I knew I was going to love as soon as I started it.
I adored the small-town setting and atmosphere, the wintertime vibes and the touch of romance made it the perfect book for this time of the year.
The murder mystery is well-orchestrated and the culprit remained hidden to me right until the end. I also loved Declan quite a bit: his amateur sleuthing skills definitely need some polishing but he was lovable and sweet and his insecurites and doubts resonated with me very much. I adored Curtis too: protective, respectful and lovely? Triple check.
Since I'm pretty much a romantic at heart, the only thing I could have asked for was a bit more of romance: I would have loved to see some additional scenes with them discovering more of their feelings and chemestry but, nevertheless, I'm satisfied with what I got.
Absolutely recommended if you're looking for a quick, holiday murder mystery with a lovely side of hope and romance.

Cozy, sweet, and simple. A delightful one-sitting read with a fun genre mash-up. Just what I needed to read on a cloudy day.

I have mixed feelings about this one. On the whole, it was a good mystery read with a side helping of romance. Unfortunately, there were just one or two elements that just stopped it from reaching the really good read level.
The main character, Declan, is a mystery writer. The number of times that he would comment that if he were writing this or if this was one of his books then... was just silly. If that wasn't enough, he also at least at one point (but I think that it was more than that) used the 'if this was a movie.' I get that we're trying to get a feeling for his character and what he does, but it was overdone. The other slight issue was that I didn't really buy his sudden solving of everything. It didn't quite work for me. The clues were there, but there was too much of a jump to suddenly solve it based on what he'd found out.
I do wonder if this is the start of a series. If so, it may well improve in future books. I certainly wouldn't write it off yet if that is the case.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Awwwww daym! I needed a break from lesfic and what better to do than to read a small town cozy gay murder mystery. This was such a cute and wonderfully awkward read with just the right amount of feels.

Declan is so cute and awkward and we are in his head the whole time and it is wonderful. I fell in love with him just as much as he fell hard for the cool yet OMG sexy Commissioner Curtis Monroe.

Fellow travelers, this book has it all. The whole small-town web of interlocking interests and scandals, tons of suspicious activity and fun red herrings, plus a really cute and sweet gay romance happening through all the murder and corruption.

Declan is awkward and super cute. The way he thinks about things is hard-hitting at times and heart wrenching at others. The angst is pretty much non-existent and gives a smooth, engaging read. As for the sexiness of this read, it’s
small and doesn’t go far. Still, I liked how the relationship unfolded. This story kept me guessing until the climax and had a satisfying and sweet resolution.

The only thing I can suggest to improve this is have an American editor scour this for Britishisms. The worst offenders are in the first few chapters, but there was a lot of Declan saying “Right” instead of “Yeah” or “Okay”
and the fact that the shovel used for removing snow and actually bludgeoning people to death are actually really different from each other.

Still, I really enjoyed this read and it hit all the happy buttons for both the mystery and romance novel lover in me. I kind of wish for a smutty epilogue with Declan and his favorite law-enforcement Commissioner, but I can only hope.

My rating: 4.9 stars