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In the Winter Woods

Isabelle Adler (Goodreads Author)

3.71 · Rating details · 65 ratings · 44 reviews

Declan Kensington isn’t really in the mood for Christmas. His latest mystery book sales are tanking, his finances are in a dismal state, and his spirits are anything but festive. Perhaps spending the holidays alone at his family lakeside cabin in the small village of Maplewood, Vermont, will provide him much-needed peace and quiet. Then he might finally get to work on a ne ...more

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Published December 14th 2020 by NineStar Press

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December 2020 MM Releases

96 books — 152 voters

MM Christmas Romance 2020

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· 65 ratings · 44 reviews

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Dec 16, 2020 sarah xoxo rated it liked it

Shelves: my-reviews, adult-romance, read-2020, mystery-thriller, arcs

christmas + murder + m/m romance = a festive cozy mystery

I was recently made aware that 'cozy mystery' was a genre, and I feel betrayed by all of my friends who never told me this vital piece of information. I love whodunnit type stories, but I also love romance and family relationships being present, as well as a cozy ambiance in the story. This subgenre contains all of that, and I am looking forward to exploring it more.

This book is set at christmas time in a lakeside cabin in a small town. ...more

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Nov 24, 2020 A.E. Bross rated it it was amazing

Shelves: adult, bi-rep, favorites, feel-good, fiction, gay-rep, lgbtqia, mlm, romance

Note: I was given a complimentary ARC of this work in exchange for an honest review.

All right, I'll admit it, I was absolutely overjoyed when I was offered the opportunity for an ARC of this book. I am a big fan of Isabelle Adler's work, and when someone puts the words "cozy mystery" and "Christmas-themed M/M romance" together, I am there in a flash. So, as soon as the file could download to my Kindle, I nestled in beside the fire with a cup of tea (and once I finished that, a glass of wine) and Note: I was given a complimentary ARC of this work in exchange for an honest review.

All right, I'll admit it, I was absolutely overjoyed when I was offered the opportunity for an ARC of this book. I am a big fan of Isabelle Adler's work, and when someone puts the words "cozy mystery" and "Christmas-themed M/M romance" together, I am there in a flash. So, as soon as the file could download to my Kindle, I nestled in beside the fire with a cup of tea (and once I finished that, a glass of wine) and slipped into the world that Adler had created.

Declan Kensington has a problem. Money is getting tight, his last book didn't do so well, and he needs a place to hole up and try to fix all of that in one fell swoop of a bestselling novel. He decides the cabin his parents owned, up on Lake Champlain, would be the perfect spot to do just that. It also helped that it's the only spot he can afford, as Manhattan is a smidge above the pay level of an author whose last book seems to have flopped.

One of the best things about Declan's adventure really winds up being the people in the small town of Maplewood, Vermont, is the depth of character they all seem to have. Most of the readers will be familiar with other holiday romance books and shows, with their menagerie of colorful but ultimately two-dimensional townspeople. Adler, however, has given the town depth and life, and each person met feels very much a character in their own right, not just another part of the background noise. In achieving this, Adler truly transports the reader. We are there with Declan as he gets his first doses of small town life and hospitality, and we feel the genuine interest (or lack thereof) that each character shows on our leading man.

Then, enter the handsome Public Safety Commissioner, Curtis Monroe. Small town grown, but with experience of the big city, Monroe is another part of Maplewood that really shines. In some ways, it feels like he represents the small town life he has come to love so much. He's slow to anger, welcoming to an extent, and doesn't always come off as inviting to those outside of the town. It's also interesting to note the absence of a "police force" in this town, a change that felt welcome in a time where police now take up a conflicted space in the public eye. It adds to the comfort, but in some instances the tension, of the story.

And, of course, we have to add a dead body. What's a comfy whodunit without a dead body to kick off the fun? As we all know from experience, once something exciting comes to a sleepy town, it certainly can't be let go, especially by an author looking for inspiration for his next novel. What follows are a few close calls, some electric moments of tension and romance between Declan and Curtis, and a whole lot of mystery that kept me engaged for the entire day. Once I started, I couldn't put it down until I had finished.

All in all, I really enjoyed this read. It has all the hallmarks of a warm, cozy mystery, with excitement and adventure, but at the same time the comfort of warm fires, hot beverages, and quiet romance. If you plan on cozying up with a good read this snowy season, I cannot recommend In the Winter Wood highly enough. ...more

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Dec 16, 2020 Anniek rated it liked it

Shelves: 2-adult, 3-romance, 1-2020-releases, lgbtq, mlm, 3-mystery-thriller

This was my first time trying a cosy mystery. I picked this book up on a whim because I wanted something Christmassy but also something out of my comfort zone, and I saw several very positive ARC reviews. I really enjoyed this book, and I think I may have to try some more books in the genre in 2021! I didn't feel as invested as I would have liked, though, especially in the romance. ...more

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Dec 15, 2020 Gabi marked it as dnf

Shelves: lgbt, mystery-crime, m-m-romance

dnf @53%
I tried and tried but It just couldn't hold my attention. Boring and too obvious small town mystery. I didn't care about the MC and his subtle pining after the town's deputy. :/ ...more

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Dec 15, 2020 Pam rated it it was ok

Shelves: christmas

2.5 stars

Cozy mysteries aren't my go-to genre, so if they're something you normally seek out keep that in mind:

I never got into this one, but it was solidly "fine" -- until the MC did something so ridiculously stupid at 37% that I would have DNF'd if I weren't reading this as an ARC! And he never got smarter. The man was just begging to be arrested or killed, and the only thing saving him from either was the fact that the love interest is so laid-back it crosses into unrealistic.

And I have no d ...more

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Dec 13, 2020 Mildred Digby rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 1stpov, holidays, nonexplicit, mm

Awwwww daym! I needed a break from lesfic and what better to do than to read a small town cozy gay murder mystery. This was such a cute and wonderfully awkward read with just the right amount of feels.

Declan is so cute and awkward and we are in his head the whole time and it is wonderful. I fell in love with him just as much as he fell hard for the cool yet OMG sexy Commissioner Curtis Monroe.

Fellow travelers, this book has it all. The whole small-town web of interlocking interests and scandal ...more

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Dec 14, 2020 suebee ~Always Reading~ rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc, new-to-me-authors, mystery-murder, cover-is-gorgeous, holiday, netgalley

In The Winter Woods
By: Isabelle Adler

The first thing that caught my eye with this book is the cover. It is beautiful and so cozy, it immediately made me want to read this book. Adler is a new author for me and the story sounded like one I’d enjoy. I love mysteries and cozy mysteries are some of my favorites.

This story is set in a small, idealistic town in Vermont at Christmas. Declan is a writer with a bad case of writers block and a need for a new idea to help his career. He comes to Maplewood ...more

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Dec 20, 2020 Liz rated it liked it

Shelves: lgbtqia, e-books-and-audiobooks, that-cover, christmas-reads

3.5 stars. Review to come

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Dec 02, 2020 Charlotte rated it it was amazing

Shelves: contemporary, fiction, grief, m-m-romance, violence, mystery, m-m-holiday, suspense, christmas, crime

I don't read a lot of holiday-themed books, but I couldn't pass this one up. I'm a fan of Isabelle Adler's writing and was thrilled to see this book!

Declan is a mystery writer, but he's come up against writer's block and a real lack of vision for his stories. His last book wasn't a success, and he heads out to his parent's old cabin for some rest, relaxation and a quiet environment to write. The small town he arrives in is just as he remembers, and Maplewood's residents are quirky and interestin I don't read a lot of holiday-themed books, but I couldn't pass this one up. I'm a fan of Isabelle Adler's writing and was thrilled to see this book!

Declan is a mystery writer, but he's come up against writer's block and a real lack of vision for his stories. His last book wasn't a success, and he heads out to his parent's old cabin for some rest, relaxation and a quiet environment to write. The small town he arrives in is just as he remembers, and Maplewood's residents are quirky and interesting.

Things don't go quite as Declan expects! First of all, he receives some threatening messages at the cabin telling him that he needs to go away "Or else". This leads the way for Declan to get engage the services of Public Safety Commissioner Curtis Monroe. As soon as there's a dead body involved, things get complicated for Declan ... and a little disturbing. He puts his mystery-writer skills to work to try and solve the case in Maplewood. Of course, he shouldn't be involved in the solving of any crimes at all and Curtis attempts to keep distance between them.

This isn't an in-your-face romance - and I loved that about it! Declan is interested in Curtis when he meets him, but this is a slow-burn romance with a reason! Because Curtis is working on a case, he vows to keep things professional between him and Declan. I enjoyed his sense of right or wrong and the fact that he wanted to keep Declan from even the perception of conflict of interest.

Declan is a very interesting character. He's still grieving the loss of his parents and Isabelle does a great job of exploring that. Declan's grief isn't just about the loss of his parents... it's about the loss of "family". He will never be part of a whole family again.... and he's on the run. He's honest about his shortcomings... at least, he's honest with himself. I liked spending some time in. his head.

Isabelle has hit a pitch-perfect balance of the elements in this book. There is some romance and there's an intriguing mystery with a bit of danger. The small town is full of interesting supporting characters, and the descriptions of the lovely winter landscape made me long for a snowy retreat.

This is definitely one to add to your list for the holidays! ...more

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Dec 17, 2020 Victoria (Eve's Alexandria) added it

Shelves: kindle, lgbt, review-copy, mystery

DNF @ 61%. I’m afraid I was unconvinced by both the mystery aspect and the romance aspect. The former relied on several characters being too stupid to live, while the latter was both slow and insta, which I didn’t think was possible. The writing was good though, so I might something else by this author if the premise grabbed me.

* I received an ARC from Netgalley.

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Nov 23, 2020 Isabelle Adler added it · (Review from the author)

Shelves: my-books

Cover Artist: Natasha Snow
Category: Romance
Genre: Contemporary (Holiday, Mystery)
Word Count: 61800
Sex Content: N/A
Pairing: MM
Orientation: Bisexual, Gay
Identity: Cisgender
Warning: Warnings for description of violence, physical injury, murders of secondary characters (off-page), deceased parents, dealing with grief

Available for purchase:
NSP: https://ninestarpress.com/product/in-...
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08PYTLK9W/
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/ww/en/ebook/in-t...
Smashwords: https://www.sma ...more

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Dec 16, 2020 Jane (whatjanereads) rated it really liked it

When searching for Christmas books, I stumbled upon this book and...well let’s be real, it was the cover that lured me in.
When I saw that it’s none of your usual cheesy, cute Christmas romance but in fact a queer Christmas murder mystery I was immediately hyped.
Dead body’s turning up instead of reading about people making romantic Christmas stuff: I am here for it.
It’s a rather short book with about 250 pages but it was absolutely enough to tell a gripping story about murder in a small village.
I ...more

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Jan 07, 2021 Marty Barok rated it it was amazing

It's been a while since I read a mystery book, and this was a great book to get back into the genre. Once the story picked up, I was unable to put the book down. It is a classic type of murder mystery that gives you enough clues to keep you guessing, but not enough to pick out the murderer right away.

I'm not a fan of stories written in first person, but this book executes it very well. Through the eyes of the protagonist, Declan, we see the reactions and suspicious actions of other characters wh ...more

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Dec 08, 2020 Lauren loves llamas rated it really liked it

Shelves: read-in-2020, romance, arc, contemporary, holiday, christmas, mystery, m-m

Content warnings: (view spoiler)

It’s a cozy mystery! It’s a m/m small town Christmas romance! It’s an absolutely delightful hug of a book!

Declan is a once successful mystery writer whose last books in his series haven’t been selling so well. He knows his writing mojo needs a reboot, and New York City is too expensive, so he decamps to his fa Content warnings: (view spoiler)

It’s a cozy mystery! It’s a m/m small town Christmas romance! It’s an absolutely delightful hug of a book!

Declan is a once successful mystery writer whose last books in his series haven’t been selling so well. He knows his writing mojo needs a reboot, and New York City is too expensive, so he decamps to his family’s summer cottage in the small village of Maplewood, Vermont. What he doesn’t expect is receiving a series of threatening messages capped off with a murder. What’s a man to do but pretend to be doing research for a true crime novel while he tries to clear himself of the crime? And if it means he gets to spend more time with Curtis, the handsome public safety commissioner, well, all the better. But will Declan’s snooping put him in the murderer’s crosshairs as well?

“Perhaps I should have been more apprehensive at the prospect of putting myself out there, especially considering we hadn’t actually been on a date yet. It had been just one kiss. We hadn’t even talked about our relationship in more than a few vague hints, but I knew I wasn’t imagining the mutual attraction and yearning that simmered beneath the surface, under the guise of polite interest. I could still taste it on my lips.”
The story was told from Declan’s first person POV. At the beginning of the story, Declan’s more worried about restarting his writing career – and his financial prospects – than getting along with his new neighbors. After all, socializing isn’t going to get a new book written. But the spark of attraction between him and Curtis, the public safety commissioner (the small town disbanded its police department, which I thought was a particularly nice touch), is a distraction, and the murder of his closest neighbor even more so. Being back at the cottage, where he has so many family memories, is also rough for him now that his parents have passed on, and there’s some interesting parallels in how Declan’s walled himself off from his sister and her family and how he attempts to avoid interacting with the townspeople.

“I’d craved this kiss, but I didn’t know just how much. The very scent of him, that understated smell of forest and snow, threatened to overwhelm my senses, and I clung to him desperately[.]”
The romance did feel secondary to the mystery, but it was well done and adorable. Declan was a bit of curmudgeon, but his attraction to Curtis slowly drug him out of his shell. For obvious reasons, their relationship can’t progress much while the investigation is ongoing, but there’s enough yearning and heated glances to make the slow burn worth it. There’s a particularly sweet scene on the village green during the Christmas festival, surrounded by fairy lights and snow, that I just loved.

The mystery portion of the book was excellent. There’s enough red herrings that I was kept guessing about the true murderer and their motives. There’s quite a cast of characters, but they were varied and multi-dimensional enough that I didn’t have any problems keeping them clear in my head.

Overall, this was a delightfully cozy book, and I’d definitely recommend this to anyone looking to curl up and escape into small-town at Christmas, preferably with a hot drink and some pancakes with maple syrup!

I received an advance review copy of this book from the author. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. ...more

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Dec 05, 2020 AMHH rated it it was amazing

Declan’s dwindling finances and diminishing literary career drive him from New York City to his family’s old cabin in a remote New England town. It’s full of picturesque local charm, but it’s also got some truly sinister undercurrents, and it’s not long before Declan’s caught up in a murder investigation. This isn’t all bad-- the Public Safety Commissioner, Curtis, is gorgeous and thoughtful and kind, but their chemistry is on hold until the mystery is resolved, and Declan himself is fluctuating ...more

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Dec 20, 2020 Rafaela Morgado rated it really liked it

In the Winter Woods by Isabelle Adler was quite a fun book to enjoy during this season. I received this e-ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book tells the story of Declan Kensington, who used to be a bestseller author, but whose books are selling less and less and money is getting tight, so he decides to move temporarily to his late parents' cabin in the woods up on Lake Champlain, in Vermont - the only place he could afford.

Once settled, he meets Maplewood's people, inclu ...more

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Dec 12, 2020 Kristel (hungryandhappy) rated it it was amazing

*ARC from Netgalley*

I've been really loving the queer murder mystery genre and this one was just really great. While I didn't guess the murderer, as usual, I had fun having theories. I practically had suspicions about every single inhabitant of the small town, everyone expect for Declan, of course, and the super cute commissioner Curtis. Curtis was just really cute! I loved how the cards were all out almost immediately, no miscommunication. There wasn't time for that when there was a killer on t ...more

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Dec 13, 2020 booking our new escape ♡ rated it liked it

Shelves: read-in-english, reviewed, arcs, lgbtqia, contemporary-romance, cozy-mystery

A sweet m/m romance in the cold and snowy Maplewood, a secluded village in Vermont, where everyone knows everyone and secrets have a short life. Declan is stuck in a rut and decides to travel to his family cabin in search of some inspiration for his new mystery book. He is also looking for some much-needed time of quiet, away from the big city. The beginning was a bit slow for me, but once the story started, I was into it. The cozy mystery kept me on the edge while I was waiting for the romance ...more

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Dec 25, 2020 Jessica Svajgert rated it liked it

Shelves: netgalley-arc

*Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. Pub date: December 14, 2020

I thought this would be more romance than mystery but it was the opposite. That turned out to be what kept me reading because a focus on this romantic relationship wouldn’t have kept my interest. In a matter of a chapter or two, it tracked from strangers and some attraction to questioning if he should give up his life and move to the woods for a relationship that d ...more

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Dec 23, 2020 katharina ✨ rated it liked it

Shelves: crime-mystery-thriller-etc, ebook, christmas-books, romance, lgbtq, adult

This was an okay thriller. I appreciated a lot that this was queer, but I wasn't really vibing with the mystery elements or the romance. Especially the romance. This book is with 220 pages quite short and I don't think the romance was described that well. I didn't feel any chemistry between the characters, because one moment they are starting of on the wrong foot and the next they are attracted to each other and want to start dating. I didn't really get where their feelings where coming from.
Th ...more

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Dec 17, 2020 Sameena Jehanzeb rated it liked it

Shelves: lgbt, romance, crime

I have a few mixed feelings about this book. It was an easy and cozy read, an ok mystery with a hint of romance. All ingredients for a good read but it was missing something. I think the reason why I did not enjoy it as much as I wanted is that the story dosn't quite know what it wants to be. A mystery or a romance? There are books that manage to work both paths but with In the Winter Woods both parts felt neglected. I never had a sense of tension or curiosity for the mystery, nor did I feel the ...more

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Dec 14, 2020 Laura rated it liked it

I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher NineStar Press, LLC in exchange for an honest review.
This is definitely on the cosier side of cosy mystery. In the Winter Woods is the story of Declan, a mystery writer who gets caught up in a real murder investigation when he goes to a wintery cabin in an attempt to write a new book. Soon he also starts to fall for the local commissioner but must clear his own name before they can date.

This book was a very easy and quick read, wit ...more

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Dec 29, 2020 CapesandCovers rated it it was ok

Shelves: read-in-2020, 2020-releases, read-instead-of-sleeping, reviewed, mystery, murder, meh, winter-holidays, netgalley, boring-main-character

TWs: blood, dead bodies, violence, verbal abuse, guns, police shown in a positive light

You know how they say not to judge a book by it's cover? This is one of those times. I requested this because I thought the cover was gorgeous and the idea of a holiday murder mystery romance sounded perfect for me. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case, partially due to me clowning (we'll get to that in a minute), partially due to the actual book itself. That's not to say that this book was awful, I just feel l TWs: blood, dead bodies, violence, verbal abuse, guns, police shown in a positive light

You know how they say not to judge a book by it's cover? This is one of those times. I requested this because I thought the cover was gorgeous and the idea of a holiday murder mystery romance sounded perfect for me. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case, partially due to me clowning (we'll get to that in a minute), partially due to the actual book itself. That's not to say that this book was awful, I just feel like it was a bit misleading and then fell short of what it had promised.

In the Winter Woods follows Declan, a broke and washed up author in desperate need of new inspiration for his now dying action series, as he returns to the small town where his family used to spend their summers when he was a child. Of course, like all writers, he manages to avoid writing altogether, distracted by the threatening letters he begins receiving and then the murder of his neighbor. As tensions rise in the town, so does his attraction to Curtis, the detective (??? law enforcer?? ex-cop?? We'll get to this later too) trying to solve the case.

To start off, I do want to say that I enjoyed the mystery aspect of this book. It was why I decided to finish reading it, and while it wasn't anything special, I liked the way the clues didn't make it super obvious who the culprit was until the ending. There was a nice long list of suspects for a book this length too, but it didn't feel overcrowded or distracting from the mystery itself. The characters did do a bunch of seriously stupid things to further the plot, but I think I've been watching so much b-grade horror lately that I expected it to be honest.

Now, onto the less enjoyable parts. I'm just going to put it bluntly: if you're looking for a romance novel, or a mystery with a side of romance, don't pick this up. Adler was going for the latter, but unfortunately it fell really flat and didn't work at all for me. Declan and Curtis never felt like they were fully developed, which made it almost impossible to connect well with either of them, let alone believe that they could see something in each other to end up in insta love. Literally, the two had barely interacted or known each other and only a few chapters in Declan was already fantasizing about their futures together. By the time they had known one another for six days (approximately 80% of the way into the book) Declan is trying to figure out if he should continue his (previously) massively successful career or move to the small murder town to date a man he barely knows and has mostly spoken to about death threats and murder being committed around him. It reminded me of the wonderful and very Tired™ man I met at a party last year who looked me dead in the eye and said that if I ever listen to advice to listen to this: 'Never, ever move to a small town in the middle of nowhere for a boy. It's never worth it.' In other words, the romance aspect which made up about half the novel was really underwhelming and unbelievable.

Now, there was one other thing that was really off-putting for me, which is that Curtis is a cop. I was a clown and didn't realize that that was the case when I requested it, so knowing that was on me, I tried to ignore it and not dock stars for it. However, I am so confused as to what his job actually was. It felt like Adler had written him as a cop and then decided to try to change it last minute to make it more "acceptable" after the large call for police reform and disbandment this past year. But since the story already evolved around him being an officer, she tried to give the town some sort of unknown law enforcement instead and called him a "public safety officer"(quoted from my e-arc). He was literally just a cop, he used to work as one in LA, he ran around investigating things and interrogating people, and then decided to carry around a gun, despite the fact that he wasn't authorized to shoot anyone since he isn't a real police officer. Which means he's carrying a personal firearm around to shoot people. I'd have much rather had Adler just call him a cop like he was instead of trying to force a change and come across as trying to be politically correct when it obviously was an afterthought.

Overall this isn't the worst thing I've read this year, the writing was accessible and the mystery was enough to pull me along. Unfortunately, the other parts of the book, romance and character development wise, were really lacking for me. Unless it's something you were dying to read, I'd skip this one. ...more

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Dec 28, 2020 Nancy rated it really liked it

Thank you to Net Galley for the ARC copy of In the Winter Woods. I had not read a book by the author Isabelle Adler before and I really enjoyed In the Winter Woods. It is the story of Curtis, a successful writer of a mystery series, who is in a writer's slump. His editor hints that the mystery series may have run its course and he should try a new genre. He escapes Manhattan to live in his family's cabin in Vermont. His parents have passed and no one has been to the cabin in years. The cabin is ...more

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Dec 13, 2020 Kelly-Jo Sweeney rated it liked it

I have mixed feelings about this one. On the whole, it was a good mystery read with a side helping of romance. Unfortunately, there were just one or two elements that just stopped it from reaching the really good read level.
The main character, Declan, is a mystery writer. The number of times that he would comment that if he were writing this or if this was one of his books then... was just silly. If that wasn't enough, he also at least at one point (but I think that it was more than that) used t ...more

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Dec 14, 2020 Iz rated it really liked it

Shelves: romance, english, soft, mystery, netgalley, lgbtqia

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

"In the Winter Woods" is a cozy and christamas-y murder mystery with a touch of romance. I knew I was going to love as soon as I started it.
I adored the small-town setting and atmosphere, the wintertime vibes and the touch of romance made it the perfect book for this time of the year.
The murder mystery is well-orchestrated and the culprit remained hidden to me right until the end. I also loved Declan quite a bit: his amateur sl ...more

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Dec 21, 2020 Sherry rated it liked it

I liked this more as a cozy mystery than a romance.

It hits the mark as a cozy. You’ve got an amateur detective—in this case an author of mystery novels with a bad case of writer’s block—in a small town who becomes embroiled in a murder (two, actually) and decides to try to figure out who done it himself. Declan isn’t exactly a whiz at detection, but the author does a great job giving him reasonable suspects. I wasn’t sure who the murderer was until the big reveal at the end of the story.

While t ...more

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Dec 29, 2020 A.L. rated it really liked it

I received an ARC copy of this book in exchange for a review. This review was not affected by receiving a free copy because, I fell in love with this book immediately, and would purchase this book and re-read it often.

While the story is set during Christmas time it's not really about Christmas. The holiday theme is just background compared to the murder mystery that takes center stage in this book. The romance comes slowly while Declan and Curtis Monroe spend time together following up on the l ...more

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Dec 17, 2020 Hayley Simpson rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc-netgalley

Romance with a dash of mystery (or is that mystery with a dash of romance - you decide). In the Winter Woods features writer Declan, who decides to head to his family's cabin in Vermont before Christmas to see if the change of scenery will inspire his next novel. Instead, he receives threatening letters stuck to his door with a knife, is embroiled in a murder mystery and develops feelings for handsome Officer Curtis Monroe.

The only thing to dislike about this book is that it's too short. I bree ...more

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Dec 18, 2020 R rated it really liked it

Shelves: christmas, action-mystery-detective, m-m, reviewed, military-police

Declan, a bestselling author with writer’s block comes to Vermont to try and kickstart his writing. Declan left his big city cop job for a quieter life. Which he had, till Declan arrived. Bringing threats and murder to the sleepy town.

I’m not sure where the term “cozy mystery” comes from but it’s apt for this book. Low key and sweet (except for the murders). There is lusting but no action other than kisses. Good supporting characters and their small town gossip filled in the story.

I have read so ...more

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About Isabelle Adler

Isabelle Adler

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Isabelle Adler writes M/M romance, sci-fi, adventure, and fantasy.
She has been a voracious reader from the age of five and always dreamed of one day putting her own stories into writing. She loves traveling, art, and science, and finds inspiration in all of these. Her favorite genres include sci-fi, fantasy, and historical adventure. She also firmly believes in the unlimited powers of imagination ...more