Into the Woods was a fun take on an adult camp situation while trying to rediscover yourself. Gretchen, a dancer and Teddy, an ex member of a rock band are two camp counselors at Camp Wild Arts for all different types of artists. After a slew of horrible dating experiences, Gretchen has decided to embrace her inner crone and stop dating. Teddy's band just broke up and he's feeling all different sorts of ways about that. This is the perfect storm for these two to have a summer fling.

I felt that the chemistry between Gretchen and Teddy was forced at times and I didn't get it. In the beginning of the book Gretchen talks about what a bad ass female she is but at times I thought she was just mean, especially to Teddy. I enjoyed the overall story of them being at camp and how Gretchen and Teddy bonded over their traumatic upbringings. I liked a lot of the side characters. Gretchen just seemed to be all over the place.

I really enjoyed the dual narration for Teddy and Gretchen and felt both narrators did a great job with the characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for my ARC of this book which publishes 1/7/25.

I was pleasantly surprised by this one! The characters were interesting and both went through a significant arc as well. I loved how they bonded over their upbringing and the challenges they overcame. This one feels like the love interests just compliment each other so well. I also appreciate the messages about contemporary dating along with empowering women. It just added more depth. I’m also a sucker for anything arts based!

The narrators did an excellent job of capturing the characters and story. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review!

(4.25/5) Into The Woods is EXACTLY what I needed in between fantasy worlds — this book was funny, charming, and sweet.

- eARC & ALC review -
Pub date: Jan 7, 2025

What to expect:
⛺️ Contemporary romance
⛺️ 1st person, dual POV
⛺️ Dance instructor x rockstar
⛺️ BANTER
⛺️ Self growth
⛺️ Grumpy x sunshine
⛺️ “Older” characters (FMC - 40, MMC - 35)

Gretchen, our FMC, is DONE with men after one too many failed dates. She’s having a bit of an (early) mid life crisis as she’s about to expand her dance studio. What better way to run away from life than escaping into the Minnesota woods as a counselor at an artsy camp. You know who’s also running away and joining Gretchen as a fellow counselor? Teddy, our grumpy rockstar whose band recently broke up. Maybe Gretchen hasn’t completely sworn off men… or maybe it’s just a summer fling.

This book is such a snack — it was lighthearted (even though it touches on serious topics like child neglect) and funny. I also loved the banter between these two characters, and I’m a SUCKER for a grumpy x sunshine dynamic.

The ALC (duet narration) was AMAZING — Teddy Hamilton and Kit Swann do a phenomenal job at bringing these characters to life. I highly, highly recommend the audiobook. The humor in this book may not resonate with some readers, especially given the characters’ ages, but I believe the audiobook is ultimately what sold me.

Into the woods is A cute but spicy enemies to lovers romance set at a summer camp.

Gretchen has all but given up on romance when an opportunity is given to her to help out at a camp where she meets Teddy who is there to try and get his inspiration back for his writing music after having a falling out with his bandmates.

I enjoyed this romance written by Jenny Holiday, it is my first book of hers and after this book will for sure be picking up some of her others .

I have always been a sucker for enemies to lovers and grumpy x sunshine characters which Jenny does a magnificent job of bringing to life in her characters Teddy and Gretchen.

Kit Swann and Teddy Hamilton did an amazing job at bringing the characters to life making for an enjoyable listen.

All in all I highly recommend this book especially if you enjoy enemies to lovers and grumpy x sunshine .

Thank you Netgalley and Hachette audio for the arc

Into the Woods is a great romance book that has everything I love in romance books. This should be a book that I loved, but for some reason, I just fell short of loving it.

As I write this, I am getting more confused about why I didn’t love this book. It has two great leads and an intriguing story, but I cannot pinpoint what stopped me from falling in love with it.

Gretchen is about to turn 40, and she continues to ask herself if this is all there is in life. She plans on giving up on dating and just focusing on the next stage of her business, which is expanding her dance studio and adding different classes.

Teddy just had a very public meltdown with his band's breakup. He is struggling to find his identity and wants to go solo but is having a hard time writing.

Both Teddy and Gretchen agree to work at a summer camp for arts. They both find new inspiration with the kids at the summer camp and also become friends, and we get to watch that quickly grow into more.

I wanted to see Gretchen drop her walls and fully let Teddy in, but it just took forever for that to happen. Gretchen and Teddy are both such great people that you couldn’t help but want the best for both of them.

The audiobook was amazing and the narrators did an amazing job. You can never go wrong with teddy Hamilton 💖 he is one of my favs !!

This is centered in a camp (adults) that a lot of artists (famous/ well known) people are attending . The FMC is excited for a fresh new start and the camp with help her get distracted from dating horrible men. The MMC is a rocker who is looking for an outlet to help write new songs since the bad he was involved with for seven year just broke up. Both characters grew up with nothing and made a successful life for themselves.

Overall I enjoyed the mmcs’ personalities and the banter. Some things were very related as well. If you’re looking for a grumpy X sunshine I would recommend this book💖

Cute spicy romance that is just as much about finding your life and passion as it is about falling in love. Quick read. Great characters. Narrator was engaging.

3.8
A little cutesy for me, but not in an obstructive or offensive way. I'm not wild about either of the romantic leads, but that's just a preference, they weren't inherently flawed or anything.

Jenny Holiday writes such fun contemporary romances. Into the Woods is a swoony, hilarious summer camp romance–featuring Gretchen (a badass ballet teacher) and Teddy (a grumpy rockstar bassist). They both find themselves as artists in residence at a summer camp for the arts–mentoring teenage dancers and musicians. Gretchen has decided she’s done with men, and she’s decided that spending the summer in the Minnesota woods is the perfect time to embrace her inner crone. But she didn’t expect the mutual attraction with Teddy. He offers to be her last hurrah–and if one last hurrah turns into multiple last hurrahs, then maybe a camp affair is exactly what they both need. With a firm end-date, Gretchen doesn’t have to worry about her heart getting involved, except that’s not how these things work.

Thank you so much to Hachette Audio for the advance listening copy. Teddy Hamilton is one of my favorite male narrators–his voice is an absolute dream–and I love how he captured the character’s grumpy charm. And Kit Swann’s narration is charming and energetic, a perfect match for Gretchen’s personality.

Thanks to Hachette Audio, Forever, and NetGalley for early access to the title in exchange for my honest opinion. Into the Woods follows Gretchen, one of the characters from Holiday’s previous book, Canadian Boyfriend. While I was disappointed that Joshua Jackson did not narrate this audiobook (as he did Canadian Boyfriend), Teddy Hamilton does a great job narrating with Kit Swann. This is a standalone, and you don’t need to have read Canadian Boyfriend to be able to enjoy Into the Woods.
Gretchen is professionally doing well as a dance studio owner who is in the midst of a large expansion. Personally, though, she is done with the apps and getting ready to give up on love. I completely understood her feelings! When a dancer/choreographer has to cancel on the summer arts camp, Gretchen takes the job as a last minute replacement, moving to live on site at the camp for a month. It takes place in the north woods of Minnesota (and I read it right after finishing another MN set book, Four Weekends and a Funeral), and the setting made me long for my old days working at summer camp in the midwest.
Into the Woods combines some of my favorite things to read about: summer camp, dance, and a fun summer fling! But the story deepens when the summer session ends and Gretchen returns to the life she put on hold. Is she actually happy with things the way they are or should she make some big changes? I think readers will understand this dilemma, too, and connect with Gretchen. I can’t wait to hear what others think when this book publishes in early 2025!

Rating 3.5 stars

Pleasant, well intentioned book failed to deliver an emotional punch. The setting was interesting, but I never became invested in the characters. A bit two dimensional. The author kept telling us her main character, Gretchen, was a “bad ass”, but there wasn't enough bad assery to convince me. The premise of women not appeasing men in a relationship against their own interests was promising, although the idea was repeated enough to come across as a bit too much of a crusade, instead of being more organically integrated into the story. Although the main character was turning 40, it felt almost like a young adult book rather than written for an older audience.

The narration was well done and added to the books appeal.

I would read more by the author in the future.

Good romance book I found myself laughing out Loud a few times and it was sweet just 3rd act break ups annoy me so much but everything else I loved

Into the Woods
by Jenny Holiday
Narrated by Kit Swann; Teddy Hamilton

I received an ARC of this audiobook through Netgalley

Narration: *****
Plot: *****
World-building: *****
Character Development: *****
Romance: *****

Instead of going into what I liked about this book, I am going to pivot away from my usual M.O. and tell you what I took away from my time listening to this book. These are going to be my thoughts and might be a bit spoiler-esque.

As humans we go through life learning who we are and we create boundaries against things we know have hurt us. For example: Say you’ve had 3 significant others with green eyes and all broke your heart, you might choose to avoid green-eyed partners in the future. It is something we all do.

We create barriers (walls, boundaries, stop gaps) that are meant to protect ourselves emotionally.

What we usually forget to do is to remember that just because this barrier works for a time, be it days, weeks, or years, it doesn’t mean the barrier needs to stay.

Oftentimes the very thing we build to protect ourselves finds its way from helpful into being hurtful.

We become our own worst enemies. We use these barriers to get in our own way. And, sometimes it takes damn near a miracle to rid ourselves of a now useless barrier.

I definitely recommend this book! It has helped me and maybe it will help you too.

Gretchen Miller is almost 40 and she has decided to give dating, focus on her dance studio, and buying a new building to house a yoga and pilates. When Grecthen gets a last minute invitation to work at a summer camp with other artist and kids can't say no. There she meets Teddy Knight a member in a popular band. Unlike Gretchen's bubbly personality, Teddy is totally the opposite with his grumpyness. This was such a cute and funny audio book that had me laughing out loud. I really enjoyed the way that the audio book was done with the voice actors. I wish more audio books were like that. I would like to thank both NEtGalley and Forever Publishing for letting me listen to the advanced copy of this audio book.

I loved Canadian Boyfriend! So I was excited to see Jenny Holiday was coming out with a new book! Into the Woods is a stand alone, but I enjoyed the crossover characters from Canadian Boyfriend making an appearance! I really enjoyed this fun summer camp romance! It brought back the nostalgia of summer love.

All of the Tinder references reminded me why I’m still single and anxious about meeting someone on an app. The trauma and drama is real! Gretchen met some real losers. I thought all of those references made the story more relatable!

Teddy and Gretchen were cute together. I enjoyed their banter and chemistry. Teddy was such a great guy. I liked how he helped Gretchen work through some things from her past.

Overall, I really enjoyed this sweet summer camp romance. I highly recommend the audiobook! Teddy Hamilton is such a fantastic narrator!

This audio could not have been better! Teddy Hamilton is my favorite male narrator and was so perfect for Teddy! And Kit Swann matched Gretchen so well. Both the characters and story were brought to life and my listening experience was so enjoyable. Thank you!

Hmm some mixed feelings here on this one. I love an audiobook when it's read in duet and this one was done really well. With that though, Teddy definitely stole the show, Teddy the character and Teddy the narrator.

Gretchen was a little to whiny for me, she leaned a little too hard into becoming a crone. Teddy was warm and welcoming and so much more open minded. They certainly balanced each other out, but Gretchen almost made me DNF this one. I stuck it out, more invested in Teddy’s story and I’m glad I did- his journey was so fulfilling and I loved it.

Overall, the story was a fun romp in the woods with takes on aging, finding yourself and finding your person.

Into the Woods is a fun and relaxing read. I loved the premise of Gretchen’s ‘crone era’, a second chance after giving up on love.

The characters felt more mature, which was refreshing. Both brought their own baggage as they grappled with relationships, aging, purpose and experiences of early life. I really appreciated the way they supported and gently nudged each other through personal growth. The concept of the summer camp was so fun, and I loved that the story played on the idea of summer camp as a coming of age experience (but in this case much older than usual!)

The duet narration was so snappy and really enhanced the experience of reading. The narrators played off each other so well, enhancing the banter and emphasising the emotional experience of the characters. I’d strongly recommend enjoying this in audio form.

Thank you Hachette Audio for a copy of this audiobook. Opinions expressed are my own.

Thank you NetGalley and the Publisher for this ALC, in exchange for an honest review.

"Into the Woods" by Jenny Holiday is a super cute romance that focuses not just on love, but also on finding your true passions again. Set in a unique camp environment, the story brings together Gretchen and Teddy in a way that feels fresh and engaging. Gretchen is a strong, independent woman, especially as she nears 40, and her character is both inspiring and relatable. Teddy, a talented Rockstar, is dealing with deep insecurities and painful memories from his past. Their connection is special, helping them both grow as individuals, and they support each other in overcoming personal struggles.

The supporting characters, added a lot of fun and depth to the story. Both Gretchen and Teddy have tough pasts, and the story explores how those childhood experiences shaped who they became as adults. The book also touches on the challenge of finding creative inspiration, something both characters struggle with throughout the story. In the end, the romance wraps up with a heartfelt gesture, and both characters find peace with their creative journeys in a way that's imperfect but satisfying.
The narrators were fantastic and brought the characters to life.
4.25 Stars!

A not-so meet cute between Teddy & Gretchen turns into an unexpected friendship and connection that blooms in a cute art camp setting ❤️🏕️

Teddy is a down and out rockstar looking for a place to write his revenge album. Gretchen is a woman having a mid-life crisis who is looking for an escape from dating men. The two clash from the start and the spark a fly 🔥

This novel is dual POV and dual narrators (Kit Swann and Teddy Hamilton) who did an incredible job bringing the characters to life. I found this to be a quick and light contemporary romance with medium spice (🔥🔥🔥/5)

Thank you Hachette Audio for the ALC