This story felt oddly commiserating. Something about a midlife crisis and reinventing of oneself felt like coming home. I was utterly addicted to Teddy & Gretchen. Their carefree relationship, free of conflict was so refreshing. His grump to her sunshine made their connection work, they balanced each other. But also their individual personal growth made for a compelling story. What truly sold it though was their banter, the comraderie, it was just pure fun!

Audio: You can’t go wrong with Teddy Hamilton. He was so easy to listen to as Teddy. Exactly the rockstar you expect. I love the way Kit Swann as able to bounce between the many sides of Gretchen. The internal more sullen versions and the bubbly enigmatic sunshine version. She truly embodied the SourPlum Fairy vibes.

4.5 stars rounded up! This was an excellent audiobooks! Having Teddy narrate Teddy was genius and he fit the role perfectly. I really enjoyed the camp friends concept and how that played into the camp relationship idea that they settled on for what ends up being the start of their relationship. I also loved how all the different types of artists were connected through the camp and ultimately how they ended up as friends - even the more reluctant ones! I adored Gretchen as a character and Kitt Swann narrated her vibe beautifully. I really connected to her and thought journey of self discovery was enjoyable to follow along with.

FULL REVIEW
When I started listening to this and realized that Teddy Hamilton was narrating a rock star MC also named Teddy I was in! Teddy’s grumpy artist vibe and Gretchen’s determination to reinvent herself led to the perfect slow-burn romance. I really enjoyed the camp friends concept and how that played into the camp relationship idea that they settled on for what ends up being the start of their relationship. I also loved how all the different types of artists were connected through the camp and ultimately how they ended up becoming friends - even the more reluctant ones! I adored Gretchen as a character and Kitt Swann narrated her vibe beautifully. I really connected to her and thought her journey of self discovery was enjoyable to follow along with.

TROPES
😈Enemies to Lovers
🎤Celebrity Romance
🎸Rock Star x Dancer
🏕️Forced Proximity
🌤️Grumpy x Sunshine
💞Self Discovery

I absolutely loved this book. I added Jenny Holidays other books to my growing pile of TBR books. The comradery she created between the two main characters was hilarious and heartfelt. I listened to the audiobook. There were two narrators, who were perfect. The story was told between the two flawlessly, no weird pauses, or edit cuts. I listened to the audiobook in a matter of days. I enjoyed it & am hoping the author will continue stories for a few of the side characters.
I could relate to Gretchen in zero ways. I am not a dancer, I'm well into my 40's, and my hair isn't pink. I found myself thinking that the two of us would make great friends, though. When an author creates characters whom I want to be friends within real life, that's when I know without a doubt, I'm enjoying the story.

Just when Gretchen has pretty much resigned herself a life devoid of romance, fate throws her a curveball…by sending her to camp where she meets Teddy. While the two don’t exactly get off on the right foot, a friendship does begin to develop…and perhaps the promise of something more. While the story does have some dark moments and I found Teddy to be more dynamic over Gretchen, overall I still enjoyed this romance. Kit Swann and Teddy Hamilton do a spectacular job with the narration and truly bring these characters to life. I’d like to thank Hachette Audio | Forever, and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to and review an advanced copy of the audio version of Into the Woods by Jenny Holiday.

https://www.amazon.com/review/R2MSM6NRFOZN7J/ref=pe_123899240_1043597390_SRTC0204BT_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

Into the Woods by Jenny Holiday
Contemporary romance, romcom.
Gretchen is done with dating apps. Done with dating. Her 40th birthday is coming up and
she’s going to focus on her business. Become a crone. She agrees to spend two weeks mentoring dance at a summer camp. There she meets Teddy Knight, recently broken up with his band. He’s kinda hot but their sparks are more antagonistic than friendly. Gretchen is fine with that. She doesn’t care about men.
Until they have a good day together. Maybe they can scratch an itch. Just the one time….

Super fun. Dual narration by Kit Swann and Teddy Hamilton.
Don’t miss this one! Great romance as they both come to terms with life changes.

🎧 I alternated between an ebook and an audiobook. The audiobook is fully integrated so conversations are by both Kit Swann and Teddy Hamilton. They also do their own chapter POV but continue dual conversations. The best type of dual narration! You can’t help paying attention and staying involved. Plus, Teddy Hamilton! Both narrators also do a fantastic job with emotions.
One top of a great romance, the audiobook is a winner. I did speed up the playback to 1.5 to more closely match a Midwest conversation.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley and publisher HachetteAudio.

⭐️ 3/5 🎧 4/5

ೃ⁀➷ Audiobook Review
Narrators: Teddy Hamilton and Kit Swann

This was such a sweet story ♡ I'm very fussy about romances with characters above 30, but this one was a hit with me.

Everyone struggles with that unsettling feeling of 'what's next?' at least one in their lives, and that is exactly what Teddy and Gretchen are trying to navigate. Once they find each other, though, things must start to fall in to place.

The banter was so fun, I do love when my characters are having a good time, laughing or teasing each other.

☀️ Summer Contemporary Romance
⛱️ Grumpy / Sunshine
☀️ Forced Proximity
⛱️ MCs in late 30s
☀️ Starting Over
⛱️ Summer Camp Hookup

Audiobook Review (Duet narration by Teddy Hamilton and Kit Swann)

Gretchen Miller is a badass girlboss. But while her dance studio is on the rise, her dating life is failing miserably. What is a badass girlboss to do when her love life is in shambles? Swear off dating and become a crone. And what better way to do that than to take a job as the Dance Artist in Residence at a summer camp in the middle of nowhere Minnesota.

Enter fellow Artist in Residence, Teddy Knight, a Rock God, whose band and love life have both simultaneously fallen apart. He may be arrogant and get on Gretchen's last nerve, but could he be what she needs to get dating completely out of her system?

"Into the Woods" is Jenny Holiday's follow-up to "Canadian Boyfriend" and it definitely lives up to its predecessor. It's sweet, funny, emotional and the characters are well developed. The duet narration of the audiobook by Teddy Hamilton an Kit Swann really brought the characters to life. This is the perfect read for fans of Christina Lauren and Penny Reid.

Just shy of her 40th birthday, Gretchen has committed herself to a future free from dating! She has other things to focus on, like expanding her dance studio business, and spending the summer as a dance instructor at Camp Wild Arts. While the camp is lovely, one of the many pests of the forest is her fellow artist-in-residence, Teddy Knight. He is an arrogant rock star who is very hot, but also infuriating and grumpy, fresh from his band’s public breakup. When an unexpected friendship begins to bloom, Gretchen and Teddy realize they may have more in common than they first thought, and Gretchen considers if one last fling will help her swear off men forever.

This might be set in the summer, but it feels like such a great book to read at the new year! Full of resolutions and reflections on vocation and goals, Into the Woods reminds readers that even on the cusp of 40 there is still plenty of time to try something new. I am a sucker for anything set at camp, and the dual POV worked really well for this story! Sometimes predictable, this had some laugh out loud moments and tons of heart.

Thank you Forever Publishing for the gifted book, and NetGalley for the chance to listen to the audiobook!

This was such a wonderful story, full of your typical romance tropes (grumpy/sunshine, forced proximity) but it had so much more. There was a ton of character development in an idyllic setting: both characters are struggling with “what’s next” in their careers and learn so much more about themselves in the process. I loved the summer camp setting and the connections they were able to make based on their childhoods. This was the perfect escape when I wasn’t feeling well (though I would have loved it just as much if I was perfectly healthy that day). Highly recommended!

Teddy Knight is suffering from two breakups, one from his longtime girlfriend and the other his band, Concrete Temple. His sister suggests some time alone in a cabin in the woods. What he doesn't realize is that there's kids and mentoring involved. Wild Arts is a summer camp for students of the arts, totally not what he was expecting, but he can suffer through if it gets him some peace to write his own songs. If only he could ignore the infuriatingly, annoyingly cheerful dance next door.
Gretchen Miller runs a successful dance studio for children and is in the works to open a new location for adult classes. All while unsuccessfully dating in the real world. She's sick of all the swipe rights, dashed hopes, and absolute idiots she winds up with and has decided she's just done. Maybe just one last hurrah... but the guy. Scott, is the lead singer for a rock group and won't stop talking about himself the entire date. So done!! Her best friend suggests a month at Wild Arts to rest and take a break and she literally jumps at the chance. Until she finds out that a fellow mentor and her new neighbor for the summer is her disastrous date's bandmate! Ugh!
The banter between these two in the beginning was hilarious and then as they learned how much they actually had in common and became closer. I could see how perfect they were. It was such a cute story with some spice and I was looking up oldies songs mentioned in the book to add to the mood. I listened to the audiobook and the narrators were easy to listen to, and easy to follow along with. Their reactions to the writing added depth to the story.
I voluntarily listened to and reviewed an advance copy of this audiobook. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

𝐀𝐋𝐂 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰

🎧𝐃𝐮𝐞𝐭 𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧:
Teddy Hamilton & Kit Swann 🎙️

𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐇𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞 𝐀𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐨

⛺️𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐂𝐚𝐦𝐩
🏕️𝐄𝐧𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐞𝐬-𝐭𝐨-𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬
⛺️𝐆𝐫𝐮𝐦𝐩𝐲 𝐑𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫
🏕️𝐃𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐅𝐌𝐂

✨Thoughts✨
𝐀𝐭 nearly 40 years old, Gretchen was tired of terrible dates and feeling like something was missing in her life. When she took on a role at a summer camp, she met Teddy, a grumpy rock star who ended up becoming her friend and summer fling.

𝐈𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲, Gretchen and Teddy clashed, bringing out the worst in each other. But as time went on, they became each other's confidants and muses. Their fling was temporary, as Gretchen had to return to her busy life and plans to expand her business. Despite their inability to fully trust, they found solace in each other.

𝐓𝐞𝐝𝐝𝐲 𝐇𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐭𝐨𝐧 and 𝐊𝐢𝐭 𝐒𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐧’𝐬 duet narration made it easy to get into the story. Teddy is incredible as always. As for Kit Swann, she impressed me with her ability to encompass a range of voices. She particularly made Gretchen's inner dialogue very witty and entertaining.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 book delved into heavy themes like neglectful parents and poverty, adding depth and complexity to the characters. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the story and the exceptional narration.

Thank you, Jenny Holiday, Hachette Audio, and NetGalley for providing me with this ALC. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

★★★★☆
𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝟑/𝟓

Amazingly sweet, real and relatable even with the dancer and rockstar I still saw myself in these characters ! I need more from this author

The narration for this was really good. I liked the voices for both the FMC and MC. It was interesting to see how working at the camp and even working with each other, helped change the course of their future plans and made them better. Plus, they found each other. They were cute together even if they didn't really care much for one another in the beginning, not enemies in any way though.

Although I did like this book, it was still slow at times and then it moves into physical quicker than I would have liked but its not like there wasn't any buildup to it. I would say that they had good development up to it.

Overall, this was a good book.

This was fine overall, but nothing noteworthy and very forgettable. For these being characters in their late 30s, almost 40s, I feel like a lot their actions were very childish. Maybe this would have worked better if the characters actually were in their mid 20s or so.

The audio was well done though.

I wouldn't completely steer someone away from this, but I also wouldn't be likely to recommend it.

Into The Woods by Jenny Holiday is now the second book of hers that I've fallen in love with! I'm simply obsessed with her writing!

-enemies to lovers trope
-spice in all the right places
-dancer meets rock star
-mid-life crisis based (with self growth and wisdom only age can provide)
-self aware and sex positive
-summer camp meets Dirty Dancing vibes

Can I tell you how I ate up Gretchen's mid-life crisis!? It was incredibly refreshing to read all the truth nuggets for us readers also in our mid-life crisis era (here's looking at you 40's!)! Gretchen is a bad-ass! She's a self-aware, feminist that refuses to let societal norms define her! Her and Teddy's relationship developed so organically, and it was super refreshing to read!

This audiobook gets all the stars - Teddy Hamilton and Kit Swann nailed these characters perfectly! A swoony male voice rasped in my ear, while a sexy female voice took center stage, constantly demanding attention! Obviously this narration being performed in the best possible way was just the icing on the cake; no matter who's POV it was, that narrator voiced their character's dialog! (And I think Holiday is onto something with her audiobooks! Joshua Jackson narrated Mike for Canadian Boyfriend, and Teddy Hamilton narrated Teddy for Into The Woods!)

Holiday, you're now an auto-read author - five amazing stars all day long!!!

(This book is a standalone, but it takes place in the same universe as Canadian Boyfriend, with Rory from that book and Gretchen from this book being best friends! I loved the glimpse back into Rory and Mike's world and I love when authors allow readers to reconnect with their past characters!)

Thank you NetGalley, Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and Hachette Audio for the complimentary copies to read and review.

Summer camp is back and all the cool kids are jumping on board! Now, sometimes I feel like a lot of these romance, takes with adults, revisiting their summer camp memories to fall a little flat, but Into the Woods, Jenny Holiday’s newest releasing tomorrow hit right in the sweet spot!

This story features a grumpy/sunshine pairing between an upbeat, yet cynical dancing instructor, and a prickly metal musician who meet when they both agree to go to a teen summer camp and act as mentors to the kids and artists and residence for the camp.

It’s your classic opposite, attracts vacation romance and it works perfectly in this scenario. I loved how both Gretchen and Teddy find their renewed passion for their craft and a reinvigorated by their experience at the camp and by each other. As for being at camp, these adults are not there just to take care of kids or just to be campers, but they get to experience both and really take away a lot from it in a real and genuine way.

Have to say something about our MMC, Teddy who is a rockstar - sometimes this can feel forced or more fairytale like, but I felt that the scenario and how they come together as different artistic mentors at the camp brought a lot of sincerity to the pairing. It didn’t hurt they both had similar ups that made them easy to relate to each other.

I listened to the audiobook with narration provided by Kit Swann and Teddy Hamilton I’d really enjoyed the vocal pairing. Both of these narrators are old hat at narrating contemporary romance, and they do an excellent job. I felt like they added a lot of depth and feeling to the characters and helped bring this book alive.

Overall, I can easily say that Gretchen and Teddy need to be on your TBR and your next camp romance!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🌶️🌶️
💭My thoughts: This book was so wholesome, both Gretchen and Teddy were so easy to like. Teddy made me laugh, often thinking with the wrong head (if you know what i mean) but still being sensitive and sweet to Gretchen even though he’s usually a grump. The audiobook for this was amazing. It was so hard to put down, I just had to know how it ended. Definitely recommend this one if you love a good summer camp counselors romance!

Thank you to Jenny Holiday, Hatchette Audion / Forever and Netgalley for an advanced Listening copy in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

4.5/5 stars (rounded to 5)
3/5 steam

Gretchen is a badass #bossbabe who is on the verge of expanding her inclusive dance studio "empire" just as she turns 40. Done with mediocre men dimming her light she decides to start her next decade by becoming a badass business crone and to give up on romance. When she's asked to fill in as a dance instructor artist in residence she decides to take the opportunity to start her dating app and men cleanse. Of course things don't go as planned when she meets Teddy a grumpy teddy bear of a rockstar who is seeking to write his first solo album after his band broke up.

What to expect: Grumpy rockstar x cynical but sunny dance instructor, MC's in their mid to late 30s (FMC - 39 turning 40, MMC - 35), summer camp artists in residence, forced proximity, he secretly calls her Sugarplum/Sourplum Fairy, banter, bonding over similar childhood experiences, rediscovering oneself, "midlife crisis" and finding a new direction, getting lost in the woods, sharing body heat, 80s movie references

The duet narration was great — Teddy Hamilton is always a pleasure to listen to and while hearing Gretchen call the character Teddy when that's also the narrators name threw me for a loop a few times (clearly an issue only for people who spend too much time also listening to interviews with Teddy Hamilton...lol) he was phenomenal. Kit Swann did a great too, I felt that Gretchen was a little whinnier at certain points then I would have wanted her to be but I'm not sure if that was narration, writing or a combo of both. Still a very solid performance.

Trigger Warnings/Content Warning: off page mentioning of violence (MMC destroys a hotel room), childhood neglect, growing up in poverty, references to shitty, coercive and abusive retoric when dating.

*Into the Woods* is a lovely romcom about two artists coming together to rediscovered their love and passion for their art forms.

This book includes:
- girl bossery
- a teen summer camp and an artist retreat
- healing and camraderie
- hot rock star MMC
- dual POV

This is a very cute story. The romance felt very real and the chemistry was fantastic between the two main characters. I also felt that the message of the story was lovely. It's all about learning, growing, and finding love that complements your dreams and goals, rather than holding you back. I would recommend this book anyone looking for a lovely breath of fresh air.

I received this audiobook as an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley, Jenny Holiday, and RHachette Audio for the opportunity to review this book. This review has been posted across my socials under the username @tinynightingales, check out my GoodReads profile https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/62314863
my bookstagram account https://www.instagram.com/tinynightingales/
and booktok https://www.tiktok.com/@tinynightingales?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc

gretchen is giving up men. teddy is healing from his band breakup. the two of them end up at a summer camp as their artists-in-residence. he’s so grumpy, so she completely writes him off. but as they spend more time in each others orbit, they realize their tension could easily be helped with a low key friends-with-benefits set up.

teddy goes from a big grump to a completely down bad obsessed with her. gretchen is more commitment phobic and is on a no-men journey. but she didn’t expect teddy and she didn’t expect to love summer camp.

this one had great depth character development. I really enjoyed reading about both of the characters journey and their slow burn love story.

I loved the grand gesture at the end. teddy really is romantic (even if he wouldn’t say so).

what to expect
⟢ friends with benefits
⟢ just for the summer (camp)
⟢ slow burn
⟢ sneaking around