This one time, at band camp...etc. First of all, I did not know that this is a 'sequel' to My Canadian Boyfriend, but after a bit I kinda caught on, which is delightful because you get a glimpse of Rory's lift after getting married. But this is really about Gretchen & Teddy. Gretchen is at a midlife crisis and wondering what's next for her life. She decided that expanding her dance studio business is the way to go, as part of her journey to bad-ass-ness before she turns 40. Also, one more date and see if there's anything to it, of course that was an epic fail which confirms her believes of men, in general. Rory suggested her to lend her time at this Art Camp, as a break from life and break from the business as.a change of scenery. That's where she met the angsty rocker, Teddy.

At first, he was standoffish, coming off the breakup of his band, but she fascinated him in just a few minutes, I think simply because she's so different from him. Her outgoing personality, knowing that she's not like the resident artists who are here to run camp as well as flushing out their artistic needs. Teddy was there to hide, while Gretchen thought she was there to do someone else a favor. Thru their time as camp, teaching kids they found themselves and of course, they found each other. I think Teddy knew he fell for her by actions long before Gretchen did. She was so hell bend on her mission to rid of men, just needed a good time. Of course, feelings get tangled and all sorts of silliness ensues.

I really liked Gretchen & Teddy. However broken they each are, they are also very honest, and very vulnerable and very supportive. I love how positive they are. There were some 3rd act stuff in there, but glad that their camp-mates help them get their heads out of their asses to get them to see straight. Of course, we get our HEA.

I got the audio book version of Into the Woods. Love love love Teddy Hamilton, he portrays the angst well, but can also so the thoughtful and change of heart too. This is my first time having Kit Swann, and she can play flirty, to panic, to badass, which play up this book.. It was a good match.

Thank you NetGalley & Hachette Audio for the ARC.

This is my second novel by Jenny Holiday & I really enjoyed this one!

I really enjoyed the main characters, Teddy and Gretchen. They made a lot of sense together. I was happy that the big reveal didn't end up being ridiculous. The ending was very well done. I loved the setting of the art camp and all the "counsellors".

I'd love another story with more about Teddy's sister though!

Huge thanks to NetGalley & Hachette Audiofor an advance copy

Out of The Woods is a charming, humorous story that captures the struggles and self-reflection of a woman approaching 40, grappling with the age-old question: “Is this all there is?”

When Gretchen is unexpectedly invited to fill a last-minute spot as an Artist-in-Residence at a summer camp for creatively inclined youths, she starts to question more than just her summer plans (like her quest to become a single-for-life “crone”). She’s also reevaluating some of her bigger life choices, such as whether she’s still as passionate about growing her ultra-successful business.

Enter fellow artist-in-residence, Teddy, a talented but grumpy musician whose band recently split up. His only goal for the summer is channeling all of his bitterness into writing the perfect “revenge album.”
Despite his initially prickly exterior, there’s more to Teddy than meets the eye, and when he and Gretchen meet, sparks fly—both in humorous and heartfelt ways.

The chemistry between the Gretchen & Teddy is light and fun, and their dynamic is full of warmth and wit. I loved them together.

Out of The Woods is a delightful exploration of personal growth, second chances, and the unexpected twists life can throw at you when you least expect it.

4⭐️ 1🌶️

Into the Woods is a contemporary romance about two adults (FMC -40 & MMC - 35) who have a lot of self-work to do.

I love a good contemporary romance and Into the Woods did not disappoint! The story takes place in an arts camp called Wild Arts which gave me all the Camp ROck vibes! Except we follow two adult counselors instead of the students. Gretchen is a dance teacher and Teddy is a musician. They each attend the camp as counselors for their own objectives and they soon learn they have a lot in common.

I loved how vulnerable they became with each other. They each were able to talk and discuss some big moments in their childhood and reflect on how that trauma shaped them into the adults they are today. I loved these moments! It allowed their relationship to build not from lust, but from understanding and learning each other. I don’t often see this in romance books, and I find that I want more of it!

I listened to an ALC of the book and the narration was perfection! I loved the duet narration portrayed by Teddy Hamilton and Kit Swann. I will listen to anything with Teddy Hamilton so of course I LOVED IT! I thought they brought the characters to life! Narration: 5⭐️

✨Dance Instructor x Rockstar
✨Summer Romance
✨Banter
✨First Person & Dual POV
✨Bonding Campfires & Late Night Swim

Thank you to Forever Grand Central and NetGalley for the early copy!

I almost quit this within the first few minutes of listening. There is a jarring bit where Gretchen talks about herself in the third person and then switches back to first person narration. I found this to be quite frustrating. I ended up enjoying the story a lot more than I expected but that part really got to me.

Gretchen is a bad-ass. She grew up mainstream poor and opened a dance studio and is ready to expand her empire all before her 40th birthday. When the chance to work at an arts camp for a few weeks pops up, Gretchen takes it, not expecting to hit it off and on with grumpy rockstar Teddy Knight. She has sworn to use this time to become a crone, but she never got to squeeze in that chance to go out with a bang!

The romance is excellent and the story is interesting. There is no huge drama, and that makes for a nice read.

All in all, an enjoyable romance for those who love romance. Just grin and bear it through that first section.

The narrators were excellent and really enhanced the story.

Thank you to Hachette Audio, Forever, and Net Galley for the DRC! All opinions are my own.

Into the Woods by Jenny Holiday is a delightful follow-up to Canadian Boyfriend that stands beautifully on its own. Fans of the first book will love getting to hear Gretchen’s story, but you don’t need to have read Canadian Boyfriend to fully enjoy this charming romance.

The dual narration truly elevates the audiobook experience, with two narrators perfectly capturing the voices of the main leads. Their performances bring Gretchen and her love interest to life, adding depth to their chemistry and enhancing the emotional beats of the story.

Gretchen’s journey is filled with relatable challenges, personal growth, and a romance that balances humor, tenderness, and just the right amount of steam. The dynamic between the leads is compelling, making their love story one to root for from start to finish.

While a few plot points felt slightly predictable, the strength of the characters and their heartfelt connections shine through, making Into the Woods an engaging and enjoyable listen. If you love romance with dual perspectives and fantastic narration, this audiobook is a must!

Jenny holiday is such a comfort author for me. Much like her previous works this book was sooooo funny and the romance gave me all the butterflies. I couldn’t stop listening and I highly recommend

Gretchen is about to turn 40 and is swearing off of dating after so many failed dates. She fills in at an art camp for kids as the dance expert where she meets Teddy, a rockstar whose band just broke up. She decides she can do one last hurrah.

This book was really cute!! I loved the characters in this story. Gretchen is an independent woman who owns her own business and is expanding it in celebration of her 40th birthday. She works with the girls at the dance camp on girl power songs. Teddy is a grumpy rockstar whose band just broke up and he’s at this camp because he didn’t read the fine print and didn’t realize he would be working with children.

They form a friendship based on their similar upbringing and they also help one another realize and work through things they need help with.

I listened to the audiobook and loved the duet style narration. Teddy was narrated by Teddy Hamilton!

Narrators Kit Swann and Teddy Hamilton did a wonderful job here. I really liked how they voiced the characters and brought the story to life. I also find it funny how Teddy Hamilton narrators for a character named Teddy.

I enjoyed this story a lot. I'm not usually a camp love story person (perhaps because I never went to camp) but I thought the camp setting was fitting here. It made sense for the plot and the forced proximity romance. Think Camp Rock but the MCs are older.

Gretchen and Teddy are for the grumpy x sunshine lovers. These two do not get off to a good start but slowly form a friendship that's really sweet and heartwarming. I liked their connection and flirtation. They had good chemistry.

This book touches on serious topics like child neglect and poverty. I felt the author did a good job handling these topics. The way the characters delt with these issues felt realistic.

This book was the perfect combination of sweet and emotional. A wonderful contemporary romance!

I really enjoyed this read. I finished it quick because it was hard to put down. I related to the characters and the plot ran smooth. I laughed and felt all the romance vibes! I will be purchasing this for my shelf as soon as I possibly can!

This was such a cute listen! I really, really enjoyed it. I haven’t listened to a Jennifer Holiday book in the past, but this one makes me want to check out her other work. Kit Swann and Teddy Hamilton do an excellent job as the narrators.

Gretchen is having a mid-life crisis. After one too many bad tender dates, she has decided she is done with men. As a dance studio owner and teacher, she has a bit of free time and spends a couple weeks as a mentor at a summer camp for the arts in northern Minnesota. The fresh air might do get some good.

Teddy’s band just broke up. It could be Teddy’s fault. He is in a bad spot and needs to get himself into a better headspace. He joins Camp Wild Arts as a last minute add-on to mentor aspiring musicians.

Gretchen and Teddy have chemistry. Unfortunately, Gretchen has sworn off men.

In this super cute listen. I definitely recommend. I found myself smiling often.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for this advanced audio copy in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

didn't love this the same way i loved 'canadian boyfriend.' the romance between gretchen & teddy was fun, but the overall plot just didn't spark my interest after the first half.

This was such a fun book! I loved the characters and the setting made it even better. The narrators were also amazing and did a fantastic job at bringing this story to life.

Teddy and Gretchen are an unlikely couple since Gretchen is trying to enter cronehood after too many failed dates but they make it work. I love how they support each other through out the book and encourage one another to chase their dreams and be better people.

Overall, I thought this was a fun read and I would absolutely recommend listening tot he audiobook!

Now this is the kind of rom-com I’ve been missing! Love that we have mid to late 30s and early 40s characters. Love the setting at camp and all the lovely nature. Love the brooding rockstar, come on! Realistic, but fun, easy to understand character struggles and the story had believability. The details about song writing and dancing were interesting and different, so it didn’t seem like a story I’d read before. I enjoyed this one!

The narrators were excellent! I really felt like they took on the characters and their personalities so well which made this book a really fun listen.

Many thanks to Hachette Audio and Netgalley for this ARC!

This was such a fun and cute story.

Gretchen is going to a creative camp to quit dating and especially dating apps. She wants to come closer with herself and to figure out what she wants for her future. In the camp she meets the rock star Teddy, who didn't know that he will be a teacher in the camp. Gretchen and Teddy couldn't be more different from each other.

I really liked the camp setting. It gave a cozy vibe to the story. The book has all the typical tropes (grumpy x sunshine, insta "hate"/dislike) paired with getting lost in the woods (which is also kind of a typical trope?) but it all fitted really well together and created an interesting story. Both Gretchen and Teddy had difficult pasts through which they could connect with each other and understand each other better. Most of the story was predictable, but it was still a lot of fun to listen to the story and to see where it's going. I would have probably enjoyed the story more if something really unpredictable had happened.

The pacing of the story matched the topics really well. It didn't felt too rushed or as if something was missing.

The narrator style was a bit different to other audiobooks I listened to. When for example the story was told from Gretchens POV, the narrator for Teddy would say whatever Teddy was actually saying. It added a lot of dimensions to the story and I was pleasantly surprised. It took me a bit to get used to it. Kit Swann and Teddy Hamilton both did an amazing job narrating the book.

This will definitely not be my last Jenny Holiday book!

Thank you to Netgalley and Hachette Audio for this Audio-EARC!

Another great read from Jenny Holiday!

Adults at summer camp romances (as counselors, or specialty teachers as is the case here) seems to be a trending new plot idea, since there are several out now - but this is the best of them all!

Gretchen and Teddy have an interesting Six Degrees connection, but he isn’t aware of it, and part of why she takes the last-minute job covering the other dance teacher who backs out… after giving up on dating when yet another awful Tinder attempt winds up with a rockstar who is yet another terrible person, so she flees to the woods to start her transformation into an independent woman who is about to turn 40 (she’s got a funny idea about turning into a crone as a part of her midlife crisis), ready to swear off men for good.

Teddy has just endured a hugely publicized band breakup (with his longtime buddy who was Gretchen’s last Tinder date, but he doesn’t know this… nor does bandmate Scott’s wife!), so heading to teach the music students at the fine arts summer camp is a perfect escape.

When the pair gets past the grumpy-sunshine, instant dislike, after being lost in the woods when left behind on a group hike, a special benefits (horizontal hugging) arrangement for Gretchen and Teddy is made, before she is going to leave men behind forever, since it benefits them both… until it really doesn’t.

Narrated by Teddy (Teddy voicing Teddy!) Hamilton, one of the very best in the biz, and Kit Swann, both were just fantastic in this duet version. I wish more authors were able to splurge on duet style because it really makes a difference having it done this way.

Excellent story and quite unexpected twists coming up a few times. Definitely a recommended one from me! Jenny Holiday really knows how to write the perfect amount of steam and storylines with the perfect chemistry and all the banter.

Thanks to NetGalley, Forever (Grand Central Publishing), and Hachette Audio for the early read and listen copies. This is my honest opinion.

I am reviewing this book in exchange for a free copy from NetGalley. Do you ever feel like you want to go far away from technology and the noise of life and have a life reset? Gretchen and Teddy are the main characters and they both went looking for this very thing. “I went to the woods because I wanted to live deliberately” I love books that have a setting in the woods. Something about being in nature and the opportunity it provides for a life reset is always a good thing. This book was perfect to read at the end of a year going into a new year. This story examines the idea of being retired from love but love finding you anyways.

3.25 stars

Gretchen Miller is a self-denominated badass. She grew up poor so she worked hard to get to a place of comfort. She became a dancer and then a teacher, she opened a dance studio for kids and now, just a couple of months before turning forty she's about to expand on her life project. She bought a building for her business, no more renting. She has decided to swear off men forever. And she is happy with these decisions. Isn't she? Thing is, Gretchen is going through her midlife crisis and asking herself is this all there is? So, when her best friend "forces" her to go Camp Wild Art as a dance instructor for a few weeks before her new dance studio opens Gretchen finds herself removed from her every day life, reigniting her passion for dance and most importantly meeting Teddy Knight, a disgraced rockstar dealing with his own demons after his band's sudden breakup. These two will have a rocky start, but in this removed place they will fall in love with each other.

First thing I have to say, romance is not my genre. And though I always start a book with an open mind, this novel didn't wow me. It's well written, it gave both main characters depth and their moments together made me believe in this relationship. I also liked the setting of the Camp Wild Arts, it made it more unique. However, there were issues with the pacing. Mostly, we pretty much skipped the whole first week of camp, just like the last week was summarised in a few sentences like 'we were together every night'. Also, the last 15% of the book, after the Camp was over, was a rushed mess. So yeah, the pacing could have worked better. Other negative for me was Gretchen. She as a whole is a very contradicting character. I understand the appeal of quirky heroines in this genre, but Gretchen, though is about to be forty, reads so much younger. Her childishness, bubbliness and the way she interacts with others feels like a character in her late twenties, at most very early thirties. Though she has wise moments around Teddy, I wish I could've read a more realistic woman of forty. Also, the whole 'I'll become a crone project' was too silly for me, a quirky joke that never stopped.

As a whole, I enjoyed this book. But there were a bunch of times I was rolling my eyes. The smut was okay, nothing great, nothing risky. The love relationship was believable but rushed. I wish the Camp elements, what was what actually caught my attention when reading the synopsis, would have been more important. It felt like the author often forgot there were a bunch of other characters and activities surrounding the main couple and just remembered there was a lake for them to swim and ogle each other. The students and colleagues felt like background noise most of the novel and it felt like a wasted opportunity.

All in all, I think If you enjoy this genre you will like this book. It's lighthearted and the relationship is believable and well-established. The Camp setting makes them see each other every day and develop their relationship in a bubble. It's easy to read. The audiobook is also the best way to enjoy this story. The fact that there are two narrators for our couple is the perfect choice to enjoy the story. Kit Swann brings Gretchen's energy to life so well, just as Teddy Hamilton really shines performing Teddy's sarcastic tone. Really recommend this version.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for this advanced copy of the audiobook.

3.5⭐️

if Teddy Hamilton narratoring in, ima read it. i love that man voice no matter what the vibes are! Kit’s voice was very much fitting for Gretchen but her emotion during the spicy scenes didn’t give appropriate emotion to me, but were perfect for all other scenes!

as for the book itself, it was so cute!! the whole idea of having a wilderness retreat / summer camp in which various artists are the counselors for artistically inclined was genius. i love a good “i’ve sworn this off but he is making me change my mind” plot. they had such a relationship that was perfect just like any couple of teenagers at summer camp would, but with adult emotions. i loved the emphasis on rediscovering your purpose in life or creating a new path for yourself no matter how late in life it may be. it was stressed that even if you think you “should” be doing something and it’s making you financially stable, doesn’t mean it’s your only path to a happy life.

This was a cute romance set at a summer camp. Teddy is a rock star and Gretchen is a dancer. They are artists in residence at creative camp and I enjoyed the concept of adults at summer camp. I listened to the audiobook and I really enjoyed how the narrators went back and forth no matter what POV you were in.