In Into The Woods, two artistic types (a rock star whose band recently imploded and a dance studio owner) spend the summer at an artsy camp to regroup. Sparks fly and an adorable camp centered romcom is born. I really loved this book. It was just frothy fun with humor and sweetness and so much charm. Both characters were so inherently likable.

I enjoyed this story a lot, and I think a large part of that was the audiobook. It felt so conversational and like I was peeking into the characters minds. I really appreciated the dual perspectives and the way each of our main characters grew and developed throughout their time at camp. As someone whose summer job of 10+ years has essentially been filled with camp friends who have become real friends, I felt especially nostalgic and excited for summer, even though it’s the middle of winter right now.

Thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for this ARC!

"Once upon a time there was a girl named Gretchen. Gretchen grew up to be a badass. And then she went to the woods to become a crone."

This is the perfect summer camp read for adults who've been to summer camp or missed out during their childhood. Jenny Holiday just has a way of sucking the reader in and making you want more. This was definitely a page turner!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

The audiobook is incredible, It listens like if I was listening to a movie since the dialogue is both narrators!! We need all the audiobooks to be like this honestly!!

The book is cute! I liked our characters but I didn't enjoy them as a couple per say. The spice scenes were not for me I did cringe a couple of times. It's well written and I loved the time we spent at the summer camp and I wished we would have had more time there.

Overall it's really cute!! It is a bit more on the slower side for my liking but still a good read!

I could not have loved this more!! Enemies to lovers, found family, and redemption... all at summer camp!!

Gretchen is given the chance to be a dance instructor at a summer camp. She meets famous rockstar Teddy who is fresh off a breakup. He is a total grump and she is just learning to love some quiet..... but they start to get to know each other better and realize that they might get to have some fun this summer.

I LOVE how much they grow to love the kids and how they grow as people and it was awesome having main characters in their late 30s!!

Teddy Hamilton AS ALWAYS, is amazing. Kit Swann also did amazing in this dual narration. Perfection.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of the audiobook.

I absolutely loved the narration of this book. Teddy Hamilton is my favorite and he definitely pulls out all the stops for the duet.

I loved that this was a duet and made it more immersive and would highly recommend this book as an audiobook.

Now to the story. It was absolutely enjoyable with fun characters who have issues they are trying to face and get over while being at a camp.

Now this is the reason it is not a 5 ⭐. It kinda meanders at points and it is a little long. But even the longer dragging points were good.

This was one of the best narrated audiobooks I've ever heard! I loved how the narrators each played characters in the other's chapters. It was so good to hear female characters with female voices and vice versa. Also, these two were perfectly cast. She was spunky with some edge to her voice and he had a Keanu like chill, perfect for a hard rock star.

This book is Holiday's best one yet! I liked that a secondary character from Canadian Boyfriend got the spotlight. Her story was so layered and relatable, especially since I went through a turning 40 crisis, I felt this was spot on. It's nice to see age diversity in romance, so many are about women in their twenties or women in their 40s who sound like they are in their 20s. These characters were age appropriate. They acted maturely and spoke about their wants and feelings (as much as two people with their family trauma could.) As a therapist, I felt their backstories and how they manifested was so true to life. Holiday has a good understanding and realistic portrayal of how mental health is affected.

I also liked the secondary artists in this book, especially Maeve, Jack, and Teddy's protege. I appreciated how Teddy and Gretchen grew together, opened up, and met each other with so much grace and compassion. I would whole heartedly recommend this book. It is way more than a run of the mill romance. Also, I have to believe the material was made stronger by the narration, so get it as an audiobook if you can! 4.5 stars! That's to Net Galley, Forever, and Hachette for this advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Really good story. It dragged on a bit, but I loved Gretchen! How fun to go to camp again as an adult. Narrators were really good too!

I received a copy of this audiobook from netGalley for a honest review.

I love Jenny Holiday books, she is a must buy for me and when I heard of this one I automatically grabbed it. I got the audiobook from netGalley because I can listen so much easier then find time to read. I was so happy to find out that this one was Gretchen Millers story from Canadian Boyfriend. I loved her and how she helped Rory in that book and her dance studio sounded amazing for girls. Well her story didn't disappoint! I loved Teddy for her and the setting of the north woods summer arts camp was great. All the feels and greatness you expect from one of Jenny's books with the tough topics thrown in.

Into the Woods was a cozy yet reflective romance story. I found myself thinking about their situations and how I would have handled them. Both Miller and Knight had relatable qualities. Even though Knight is a rock star, you can see how down to earth he really is.

I don't think I would have picked this book up as a physical copy as the chapters are LONG, which isn't really my thing. I even found myself thinking. "Wow, this chapter is just still going." Even in audio book form.

Overall, I really enjoyed the book. It was a well written slow burn. I have seen some people call it a Enemy to lovers romance but I wouldn't agree.

𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐬

| Thank you so much partner @readforeverpub & @holymolyjennyholi or the free early copies! |

𝚆𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚗 𝚋𝚢: 𝙹𝚎𝚗𝚗𝚢 𝙷𝚘𝚕𝚒𝚍𝚊𝚢
𝙿𝚞𝚋 𝚍𝚊𝚢: 𝙾𝚞𝚝 𝚗𝚘𝚠!
𝙉𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙮: 𝙆𝙞𝙩 𝙎𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙣, 𝙏𝙚𝙙𝙙𝙮 𝙃𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙩𝙤𝙣

⛺️(𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘭𝘭 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥):
𝙝𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙯𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙡 𝙝𝙪𝙜𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙜 • 𝙨𝙪𝙣𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙚 𝙘𝙞𝙧𝙘𝙡𝙚𝙨 • 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙘𝙪𝙚 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙞𝙚𝙨 • 𝙨𝙪𝙢𝙢𝙚𝙧 𝙘𝙖𝙢𝙥 • 𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙢𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙨 • 𝙛𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙝 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙨 • 𝙙𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙧 𝙭 𝙧𝙤𝙘𝙠𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧 • 𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙖𝙢 • 𝙜𝙧𝙪𝙢𝙥𝙮 𝙭 𝙨𝙪𝙣𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙚 • 𝙜𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩 𝙗𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧 • 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙘𝙚𝙙 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙭𝙞𝙢𝙞𝙩𝙮 • 𝙢𝙖𝙣 𝙘𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙣𝙨𝙚𝙨 •

💭:
ItW is an enemies to lovers story with funny banter, dual PoV, and a great story. I ate it all up!

I knew I’d love this book after reading Canadian Boyfriend by Jenny Holiday.

The book starts off with the FMC, Gretchen, swearing off all men.

She’s a 40 year old dancer and business owner that has had her string of bad dates. No more online dating apps for her!

I will always love and appreciate a book where the characters are a little older.

I’m 40 👀 so reading about characters closer to my age makes them feel more relatable.

The interactions between the main characters felt authentic, their romance was organic.

I loved reading about their experiences in the woods, listening to some of their backstory.

The best part for me was the communication between them. I’m not a huge fan of the miscommunication trope, it can be frustrating!

💜:
𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙄 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙙:
-summer camp setting (for artists)
-cozy vibes
-the MCs emotionally connecting
-growth in characters
-Teddy’s connection with a musical camp kid (my heart)
-the humour (“tree decorating excursion” lol)

𝙄 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙙𝙚𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙮 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠, 𝙚𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙤𝙣 𝙖𝙪𝙙𝙞𝙤.

𝙄 𝙨𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙚𝙩𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙢𝙮 𝙥𝙝𝙮𝙨𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡 𝙘𝙤𝙥𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙖𝙪𝙙𝙞𝙤, 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝 𝙢𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩!

🎧:
𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘴 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘢 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘫𝘰𝘣 𝘰𝘧 𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵.

"Into the Woods" by Jenny Holiday is a fun rom-com, set within the idyllic confines of a summer arts camp. The story centers on two instructors/artists in residence, who find the serene setting an ideal backdrop to disconnect from their hectic lives (and their phones) and reevaluate their paths. The audiobook version was enjoyable, with male and female narrators effectively alternating to bring the narrative to life. I particularly appreciated the added depth stemming from the main characters being in their late thirties, which brings a more mature perspective to the romance. Overall, this was an enjoyable read. 3.5 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an advance copy of this title!

I was very excited to read this book after absolutely devouring "Canadian Boyfriend". I loved getting to learn more about Gabby while also getting to peek in on Rory.

The overall book was good and I enjoyed seeing how the characters were growing and changing. I just felt like some things moved too quickly (like the relationship) while others dragged (the back stories). I would have preferred they focus on building the new relationship rather than focusing on how they got there.

Thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for an advanced readers copy of this audiobook.

A strong, independent woman is pushing 40 and has decided to throw in the towel on men. (TBH, I don't remotely blame her.) A gruff rockstar has fallen out with his band and doesn't know where to take his life next. Both end up teaching at a summer camp for the arts. Big shock... life changes and love are on the horizon.

Into the Woods was a fun rom-com with decent banter, a bit of spice, and, although somewhat formulaic, the plot attempted to differ from the norm. I enjoyed the slightly older MCs and rustic setting. (Who doesn't enjoy getting lost in the woods and a good romp in the lake.) As expected, the narration did not disappoint. Teddy Hamilton gets 5 stars every time.

Overall, the perfect story for a quick listen with a happily ever after.

Trigger Warnings: Childhood trauma, poverty, and neglect (hippie and free-spirit parents)

📚Trope(s): Grumpy / Sunshine, Forced Proximity, (not quite) Enemies to Lovers
What you get: ⛺️👙🌲👯‍♀️🎸
⭐️Plot: 3/5
🔥Chemistry: 4/5
🌶️Spice: 3/5

Another pre publication date audio read from NetGalley. This was what I call ‘American trash’ but which I enjoyed listening to for the majority of the book. The narrators were perfectly fine and in keeping with what I felt the characters would be like although for some sections were annoying, it alternated between his and her viewpoints but was easy enough to follow. There was no earth shattering new story plot to this - boy meets girl, don’t like each other turning into friendship leading to more with trauma and baggage as expected injected in to make it slightly less straightforward. I won’t be raving about this book in weeks to come or remembering in a few years but for the duration of the time I’ve listened it was a perfectly easy and acceptable read, although perhaps would’ve been better with less graphic sex scenes.

INTO THE WOODS falls into the rather unfortunate string of mediocre, uninspired romcoms that have been published as of late. Everything felt exceedingly formulaic, and the chemistry between the romantic leads was missing completely.

I am new to Jenny Holiday books, but I will be checking out her back catalog after thoroughly enjoying this one! A character from one of her previous books appears, but as a new to her reader I didn't feel I needed to have read that first. I loved that the FMC, Gretchen, was on the edge of 40 with a slightly young MMC, Teddy. I also loved that she was ready to give up on romance and enter her "crone" stage. Honestly, same! Even though this is a romance novel so that didn't really happen for her. I liked the depth in what could have been a flippant rom-com. I especially appreciated that something that could have been considered a "big reveal" was handled maturely and with thoughtful conversation. There is a bit of a third act break-up, but even that was done better than I've read elsewhere. The spicy scenes were plenty of fun too ;)

The audiobook featured a dual narration from Kit Swann and Teddy Hamilton, which combined with the synopsis, was the reason I requested the audiobook. Kit Swann is always terrific and Teddy Hamilton is a top-tier male narrator!

Having previously read and enjoyed Holiday's Christmas in Eldovia series, I was elated when I received an advanced copy of the audio of her new book, "Into the Woods." I thoroughly enjoyed the dual narration by two of the best in the business and would recommend this book to romance lovers who want something a little edgier than a typical "fluffy" romcom without being too dark.

*♡Thank you to NetGalley and Jenny Holiday for the ARC of this audiobook in exchange for my honest opinion♡*

Jenny Holiday has written a funny, emotional and totally believable romcom. Kit Swann and Teddy Hamilton are an amazing combination as narrators and really helped me enjoy this audiobook!

Having the main characters in their Kate 30s was such a breathless of fresh air, they both have life experiences and make the story more relatable.

The FMC Gretchen was an independent, badass entrepreneur/dance teacher and I loved how she felt strong enough in herself to know that she didn't need a man to solve all her problems, and didn't swoon over sub oar attempts!
Teddy was a grumpy rockstar who had a secretly soft centre, his character arc was really enjoyable and relatable.

This is a perfect book if you are looking for a little later in life love story, where the characters fall in love as they get to know each other in an environment totally different than what they are used to.

I loved this book! I listened to it in two days, I loved the character development with Teddy. I was thinking he was a big a-hole and I was so pleasantly surprised at how much I loved him. Gretchen was also great but I really strongly disliked how many times the word "crone" was used. At the young age of 40 and giving up on love doesn't give much hope to readers that could be going through the same thing. I'm happy in the end she found her calling and discovered what she really wanted to do and opened her heart up for love. I also am happy that Scott got no extra book time, he SUCKED, I thought there was going to be a plot twist and Scott would end up Teddys ex's baby daddy, thank god that wasn't a thing.