On the brink of her fortieth birthday dance instructor Gretchen decides to make her life the way she wants it. She’s done being let down by ridiculous Tinder dates and subliminal men. Gretchen is expanding her business and moving on her way. When she accepts an offer to be an instructor at a summer arts camp all Gretchen wants is to disconnect and enjoy herself at camp. As a musician in a popular rock band that has just broken up, Teddy is ready to escape into solitude and work on a new solo record. Even if that means teaching kids at camp. The two agree to a no strings attached relationship while they’re at camp. As Gretchen and Teddy gradually get to know each other and let down their walls deeper feelings develop that neither expect.

As usual Jenny Holiday delivers a showstopper of romance in the most thought-provoking and relatable way.

This is very much a romance for millennials. I promise I don't say it in a bad way- it's just who our characters are. Gretchen, a dance studio owner, is ready to leave men in her past and initiate her 'crone era.; She decides to kick it off at an artistic summer camp. Through her time there, she forms a unique connection with another artist and finds herself creatively inspired by the campers. One element of the romance I found particularly interesting about this book that is different from other romances is that while both romantic love interests are currently financially successful, they both grew up in households that weren't financially secure, and they talk about how that impacts their lives.

This reminded me a lot of That Summer Feeling in a really good way. I really enjoyed Into the Woods, and I'm so grateful for NetGalley and Forever for granting me access to an ARC!

Gretchen Miller is an owner of a dance studio who is having a midlife crisis. She’s about to turn 40 and she asks herself “is this enough?”. She decides to expand her business and focus give up on dating to be a “badass.” When she’s offered a chance to be a mentor at a summer arts camp, she takes the chance to rest and reset before she moves on with her plan.

Teddy was the bassist for a band that recently broke up. He takes a similar offer to be a mentor at the camp, while he works on his next project; a solo album.
They initially clash at the start of camp, but as they spend more time together, sparks fly.

I love the dynamic between these two characters. They support each other’s craft and respect each other’s need for time to work on their projects without much interference. Teddy also realizes that Gretchen has been burned romantically, so he gives her the time and space she needs to decide if she wants more.

The only thing that pulled me out of the story was how Gretchen’s character kept breaking the third wall by addressing the audience in an aside. It wasn’t so bad towards the end, but in the beginning, it was jarring that it kept skipping back and forth between her conversation with her friend and her commentary to the audience.

Everything about this just totally worked for me!
I loved Teddy and Gretchen separately and as a couple. I loved seeing them slowly grow closer and let down their walls, and that scene at the end was adorable and had me laughing out loud.
I thought the camp setting was perfect and I really enjoyed seeing both MCs working with the kids.
I was hooked from the start and had a great time from beginning to end while reading this!

This is also written in the same world as Canadian Boyfriend, which took me an embarrassingly long time to figure out, it can definitely be read as a standalone, but I did enjoy getting a glimpse into what's going on in their lives now.

I will definitely be reading more of Jenny Holiday's work!

Wow! This was my first Jenny Holiday book but now I know that it will not be! This book hooked me from the very beginning and kept me engaged! Teddy and Gretchen’s story is not so story book but allows for aspects of reality and how a small connection can help us to understand those around us.

I wanted to like this a lot more but I just didn’t buy the chemistry between the couple.

I did like the plot of an almost 40 year old still not knowing what she truly wants out of life. That felt believable to me. However, the way Gretchen acts at times towards the end got so annoying. 😅

I did like the plot line of Teddy and his sister. I honestly would have been okay without the romance part of this book.

Thank you NetGalley and Forever for the ARC in exchange of an honest review.

This book had me hooked from the very beginning. Reading about someone on their journey to becoming a crone? Count me in! Although, let's be real.... did we ever really believe they'd become a crone? Gretchen Miller is SO sick of the dating world. She just wants to focus on being the best and building her business. Enter the cronedom. Teddy Knight just lost his band- and he's in the tabloids for his not so stellar behavior when the news came to light. Enter Camp Wild Arts- where professionals have time to work on their art while helping kids with theirs. Did I mention Gretchen dances? This is where grumpy and anti-social Teddy meets sunshine-y and social Gretchen. Teddy doesn't know if Gretchen is sincere, Gretchen doesn't know why Teddy is even at a camp when he clearly hates the world. But somehow, a late night confession, and getting lost in the woods, leads to an unlikely friendship and maybe more.... if they would just be willing to reach out and take it. This book was fantastically written and had me snort-laughing out loud at a few parts. It's easy, fun, and (mostly) realistic.

Into the Woods is the sequel to My Canadian Boyfriend and I couldn't wait to read it. I loved Gretchen and Rory's characters in the first book in the series. After Rory and Mike's story had a happy ending, I really wanted to see what would happen with Gretchen. Even though I'm much older and have little in common with Gretchen, I completely identified with her dating app fatigue and negative experiences meeting people online. The situations and months (years?) of bad dates were totally relatable and written with authenticity. I also loved how Gretchen is a self-taught and driven businesswoman. She has achieved so much professionally, and I love characters like her. I'm also a reader who grew up with several great summers spent at camp, so this story had a lot of sentimental moments for me. I truly loved Gretchen and Teddy's characters and their slow build up to falling in love. When they meet, both are annoyed with the other, but their first impressions change dramatically as they spend more time together and get to know each other. They have a lot in common, and I loved seeing how they supported each other through some difficult emotional challenges. Wild Arts, the camp where they are working, ends up changing them personally and professionally. I loved how the camp staff, students and director all bonded and became important to each other. Gretchen and Teddy have intense chemistry and their banter is funny. The author builds their connection and I was rooting for them until the end of the book. Even though they part ways when their time together at camp ends, they find their happy ending. I can't imagine a better match for Gretchen's independent, fierce spirit than Teddy. Each book I read by Jenny Holiday makes me a bigger fan of hers. Her characters are compelling and the plot is emotionally satisfying and very entertaining. I could not put this book down and read it in a few days. Read Into the Woods, you will love it!
Thanks to Jenny Holiday, Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and NetGalley for an advance reader's copy in exchange for an unbiased review of this book.

As someone whose entry into Jenny Holiday books was Canadian Boyfriend, I was SO excited to get an e-ARC of Into the Woods, which is an interconnected standalone that includes Gretchen (Rory from Canadian Boyfriend's bestie) and takes us to some new settings (a arts summer camp) AND almost a whole new cast of characters! Into the Woods has a lot of complex emotions (grief, trauma, etc.) but also has scenes of chemistry and spice that make it feel like a rom-com with some more depth! For me, this book was really entertaining and kept me intrigued because I really didn't know exactly how everything was going to fall into place! The tropes for Into the Woods were kind of enemies to lovers-ish, temporary relationship vibes, and forced proximity. This book was really sweet BUT also spicy and I'm very thankful to Forever Books for an early copy of this book to review! 💖

Enjoyable book about artists in a summer camp setting. I love the main characters and their growth in the book. Took a sec to really get going but I enjoyed the ride. You get characters from her previous book so I really liked that.

I received an arc from Netgalley and the publisher.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the ARC.

2025 is starting out with some wonderful romance novels -- especially this beautiful book. I loved the chemistry between Teddy and Gretchen. This the third or fourth book I have read by Jenny Holiday and I must say that she is an amazing romance author. I just adored everything about this book, and I would recommend it to anyone who is a major fan of romance books.

Additionally, if you enjoy audiobooks, the audiobook version of this book is set to be narrated by Teddy Hamilton and Kit Swann.

I highly recommend adding this book to your TBR in 2025!

Thank you again to NetGalley and Forever for the ARC!

This was a terrific follow-up to Canadian Boyfriend. A love story about making decisions and then changing your mind, about thinking you have it all figured out and slowly realizing that maybe you don't, and finally about finding that right person to make what has failed before, work beautifully.

In my completely biased opinion, Jenny Holiday can do no wrong and her dual POV sequel to Canadian boyfriend was MASTERFUL!! I loved that this featured two older main characters dealing with midlife crises who meet at a summer arts camp where they are both guest instructors.

Anyone who enjoys a good Rockstar romance with a grumpy MMC and a girlboss FMC who is so over the toxic masculinity of the online dating scene will not want to miss this one. Great on audio narrated by Teddy Hamilton and Kit Swann, this is a must read book of 2025 and I'm so grateful to Hachette for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review.

Be prepared to laugh out loud and swoon as Teddy and Gretchen go from friends with benefits to something more. HIGHLY recommended for fans of Tessa Bailey and Emily Henry. This is definitely going to be a favorite read for me and has great mental health rep in the form of Teddy's sister who struggles with panic attacks and a form of agoraphobia.

Into the Woods // Jenny Holiday
Publishes Jan 7, 2025

Thank you to netgalley and Forever publishing for this ARC!

This is a sister book to my favorite Jenny Holiday novel, Canadian Boyfriend. This follows Rory’s best friend, Gretchen, who owns the local dance studio as she tries to redefine herself and what her life will look like after 40.

Gretchen is asked to fill in at a summer arts camp last minute and takes the chance. She will turn 40 at the end of the summer, is closing on a new dance space where she will expand into yoga and pilates, and biggest of all, she’s giving up men and the search for love.

While at camp, she meets Teddy, a former member of a rock band, also in a period of transition as his band literally just broke up.

While mentoring kids and making friends, the two of them realize they have a shared experience in their past and find a connection. Gretchen is just unsure of how far the connection should stretch and how strong it is. At the same time her personal goal of becoming a crone is challenged, her professional goal is as well.

I really enjoyed this book. Gretchen isn’t a type of character often featured in romance, and I think Holiday did a great job of really defining the differences between Rory, who is what I expect, and Gretchen.

What truly shines in this book is the relationships developed between the characters, both main and side. I adored Teddy’s relationship with his sister, and Gretchen discovering what “camp friends” are. I even loved the curmudgeon of the book, Jack.

Camp! Gretchen and Teddy are both at loose ends when they impulsively agree to be mentors at an arts camp for teens-in the Minnesota woods. She's a dancer, he's a musician and while they are opposite in personality, they share a past of poverty and a future of hard work inn their fields. Yes this is a bit of insta-love even though Gretchen, in particular, likes to think of it as a last fling camp love. They both tell the story and they both feel very real. And there's some spice. Thanks to Netgalley for the ArC. Holiday is an ace storyteller and this one will make you smile. A very good read.

I absolutely loved the first book I read by this author, Canadian Boyfriend (and thoroughly enjoyed the audiobook narrated by Joshua Jackson!), so I was really looking forward to reading this book, as several characters carry over into this story. The setting, as in the previous book, takes place in Minnesota (my home state!) and accurately portrays the beauty of Minnesota lakes and woods, as the characters get to know each other as artists-in-residence at a summer camp for artistically talented high schoolers. Both Gretchen (a dance studio owner) and Teddy (a musician/song writer) are at a crossroads in their careers and personal lives and both hope that some time in the woods focusing on their endeavors will be the inspiration they need to make the decisions needed to turn their lives in new directions. While seeking artistic inspiration, however, they stumble upon the need for friendship and companionship and realize that they both deserve more out of life than what they have settled for in the past. Their stories are hilarious, hopeful, endearing and inspirational. It is never too late to learn new things in life, make new connections or start a new path. I LOVED this book and look forward to the author's next one!

The main female character is from “Canadian Boyfriend” which I loved so I was quick to request this when I saw it, and I’m really glad I did. It’s got all the best things about romance books, but much more too. I loved that the characters were more mature. It was nice to have a story that felt “coming of age” for an older character. Like although it was a romance, it was about discovering yourself, and being able to find your purpose no matter what or when, and that really resonated with me.

💫 Enemies to lovers, forced proximity in a summer camp -- the MCs are both mentors in a summer art camp in Minnesota, they antagonize each other at the beginning BUT as they start talking to each other sincerely (*cough* lost in the forest during a hike *cough*), things.. take a turn

This was a gripping and wholesome read, I was smiling a lot through it. The vulnerable mental health talks were written amazingly, and really contribute to the emotional aspect of the book. Also the connection between the MCs was >>>>>

I also loved reading the individual growths of the MCs both in their profession and in their personal mindsets, the ending was so so satisfactory 💜

TWs - poverty, lack of food/shelter as a kid, abandonment by a parent

-- ty to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy!

When I read romance what I am ALWAYS looking for is true, internal growth of the MCs and this one DELIVERS!
Love an "older" FMC--Gretchen is nearly 40 and ready to swear off romance and become her inner crone (go off queen! I almost wish that had been your HEA), but in comes Teddy, a broody musician. Not enemies to lovers, but certainly unlikely allies to lovers. I just want more romances that let your MCs sit with what is broken in them and mend it before they come together.

Hoping to avoid a midlife crisis, Gretchen takes a job teaching dance at a summer camp for the arts. It's a chance for her to reset. Teddy takes a job there too, not realizing the camp is for kids. He was looking for a chance to hide from the fallout of being kicked out of his band and write his revenge album. while Gretchen and Teddy don't get off on the right foot, they soon find themselves becoming friends. And maybe something more. But is this only a camp thing?

Read if you like:
-Mature Romance
-Still figuring it out at 40
-Summer Camp
-Annoyance to Friends to Lovers

Into the Woods got off to a slow start for me, which meant that the emotions of this one crept up on me in the best way. I didn't realize how invested I was until I found myself suddenly hanging on every word. I loved that this was set at a summer camp. It allowed Gretchen and Teddy a chance to reset and rest while recapturing their joy. This was such a cute book.