You know that feeling when a book just reaches in, grabs your heart, and refuses to let go? That’s exactly what happened with Out of the Woods by Hannah Bonam-Young. I swear, this woman writes stories that don’t just entertain—they heal. This book felt like a warm hug and a deep therapy session all rolled into one. It made me laugh, cry, and reflect in ways I wasn’t expecting.

We’re following Sarah and Caleb Linwood, high school sweethearts who seemed like they had it all figured out… until they didn’t. Seventeen years into marriage, Sarah starts asking herself the big, scary question: “Who am I without him?” Determined to prove her independence, she throws herself into organizing a fundraiser in memory of her late mother. But when things go south and Caleb swoops in to “save the day,” it cracks open years of unspoken grievances. Cue the tension, the tears, and the decision to sign up for a couples' wilderness retreat (because nothing says “facing your issues” like blisters and no cell service).

Hannah’s dual timeline approach is chef’s kiss. We get to see Sarah and Caleb as young, bright-eyed teens falling in love, and then as adults navigating the messy, complicated reality of staying in love. What I appreciated most was how real this felt. No overly dramatic, sweeping gestures here—just two people trying to figure out if love is enough when life gets hard.

Sarah Linwood, oh how I adore you. She’s confident, sarcastic, vulnerable, and painfully relatable. Her struggle with self-worth outside of her role as a wife hit me right in the feels. She’s been carrying the weight of expectations for so long, trying to be strong for everyone else, that she forgot to be kind to herself. Watching her unpack all that emotional baggage was both heartbreaking and inspiring.

And Caleb Linwood? Be still, my heart. He’s the nerdy, steady, quietly swoon-worthy type. The guy who’s always there, holding it all together… until he realizes he’s been holding in his own fears and insecurities too. Caleb isn’t just the “perfect husband” trope. He’s layered, flawed, and deeply human. Watching him fight for his marriage, not with grand gestures but with patience and understanding, made me fall for him over and over again.

Their relationship felt like real life. The kind of love story that isn’t just about the big moments, but the quiet ones—the knowing looks, the shared inside jokes, the hard conversations when it would be easier to walk away. Hannah captures all of that with such raw, honest beauty.

The side characters? Equally amazing. Bo, Win, Helen, Yvonne, Nina, Libby… each one brought depth, humor, and warmth to the story. It felt like being wrapped in a cozy blanket of found family, the kind that makes you feel less alone even when life gets messy.

And the epilogue? PURE PERFECTION. It left me with a big, goofy grin and that warm, satisfied feeling only the best books can give. (Bo and Win having their fourth kid? Stop. My heart can’t handle the cuteness.)

Out of the Woods isn’t just a romance—it’s a love letter to the idea that relationships take work, growth, and a whole lot of heart. It’s about finding your way back to each other, even when you get a little lost along the way.

Trust me, you’ll want to pack this one in your emotional survival kit. It’s that good.

Hannah has done it again, a homerun, straight out of the park (or out of the woods lol). I swear I am this woman's biggest fan. There is something really special about her writing that feels like a warm hug, or coming home and feeling that big sense of relief. Magic, healing, heartstring pulling and I cannot wait to see what she has in store for all of us in her future books.

I was really excited when this book was first announced. I think Caleb and Sarah have such an interesting story that I don't usually see written about in romance novels, especially in the capacity that Hannah wrote in Out of the Woods. There was a real rawness to it that definitely had me all over the emotional spectrum. (It's not a HBY book if I don't cry at least five times.)

I found myself relating to Sarah a lot and as someone who got married pretty young and who has grown exponentially as a person, those growing pains that Hannah wrote about felt super close to home and relatable. Sarah is a stubborn person and the way that she reacts and maneuvers through life, especially with Caleb, felt like I was reading my own story in a way and I just thought that was really special because no matter what - the love that they have for each other is so blatantly obvious that you can't help but be filled with hope.

I appreciated the fact that Hannah didn't shy away from the flaws of all of these characters, especially with Caleb. I think it would have been easy to put this light on him that would have him showing no faults but Hannah always makes her characters feel so real and human. I think my favorite aspect of the book was the progression and development of their communication skills with one another along the way.

I highly recommend this book to literally everyone but please be mindful of the content warnings. This one does feature some heavy topics like the loss of a parent and I would hate for anyone to be caught off guard by that. There are warnings within the book itself though so it'll be easy for you to find them!

Hannah, if you see this, I know that I tell you this pretty frequently but I love your brain and you are so talented at writing and I genuinely cannot wait to see what you come up with next!

- marriage in crisis
- he'd do anything for her
- they are high school sweethearts
- healing with humor
- flashbacks
- reader girl and geeky guy
- tent and outdoor spicy scenes
- bo and win cameo

Thank you Netgalley and RandomHouse Ballentine for the early copy in exchange for my honest feedback and review. I've never been more excited to receive an ARC. And my goodness -- I loved this book. Let's face it, Hannah Bonam-Young could write the phone book and I'd clamor to read it. I would probably also be puffy with tears by the time I flipped the final page. Her characters are so relatable and poignant and I always find myself falling in love with them.

The characters had me hooked. I too fell in love with my person when I was far too young and we've grown so much in the 12 years we've been together. I loved getting to peek into Caleb and Sarah's relationship -- one which seemed so perfect at the start of Out on a Limb. To see the parts that were cracked and broken and then watch them fight for their relationship too. The entire concept of shoving two non-outdoorsy folks into the woods to work on their relationship while being surrounded by other couples was so funny to me. I too would've tried to make it into a competition. Overall a great read and I give it 5 stars!!

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What.Nikki.Reads rated a book it was amazing
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Out of the Woods by Hannah Bonam-Young
Out of the Woods
by Hannah Bonam-Young (Goodreads Author)
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I knew this book was going to hit close to home but JESUS 😭😭😭😭😭.
The amount of crying was ridiculous.
Thank you to the ALC
#penguinaudiopartner #prhaudiopartner #prhparter

🥾 Camping/hiking retreat
💜 Marriage in crisis
🥾 Highschool sweethearts
💜 First love
🥾 Grief + loss
💜 Dual timeline
🥾 Loss of a parent
💜 Golden retriever mmc
🥾 1st person/ single pov

Just making these edits, writing this review is making me emotional all over again. This book was Nikki coded in so many ways that I was a blubbering mess most of the book. Lost my dad, and MIL in my 20s. While married and both going through an impossible loss and making our way through that together. I could see this not being super emotional for someone who hasn't experienced much loss, but for someone who has it squeezed my heart so tight.

While the relationship/romance side is about a beautiful marriage in crisis (which we will get into) I think this story is just as much about grief and not just living with it but blooming from it.

Caleb, oh sweet golden retriever Caleb. He just wants to do right. Sarah... Gosh she felt so authentic and real. Her self esteem struggles. Her struggles with grief.
EVERY single interaction they had I was either swooning or crying.

The dual timeline was beautifully done.
I could go on and on about this book but... Just read it instead.
It is book 2. You absolutely do no need to read book 1, but I think you should because that one is beautiful in its on way as well.

Thank you to Hannah, and Penguin Random house for this ALC. And netgalley for the earc.

As the great Taylor Swift once said "Are we out of the woods?"

Now that doesn't necessary make sense as a start to this review, but it felt appropriate to mention.

Hannah Bonham-Young, thank you for this book. As if you hadn't already cemented yourself as one of my favorite authors with Out On a Limb, this book put you on the wall of fame in my book.

I almost don't want to call this a marriage in crisis book because a crisis doesn't seem like an accurate term. More like a marriage at a turning point. But I never doubted that Sarah and Caleb would find their way back to each other, no matter what they had to go through.

The amount of times I cried at this book was uncountable. From the lovely way Caleb talked about Sarah, to the heartbreaking flashbacks to Sarah's mom, to the suspenseful ending, this book had me holding the tissues.

Caleb is a top tier book boyfriend (husband) and has raised my standards even higher than they already are. How wonderful it was to see these two characters grow more in love with each other.

This story felt the most mature of Hannah’s books, and I think that comes from the age of our main characters and where they are in life. The wonder and concern of Sarah and the stress and hopefulness of Caleb could be felt through the page. Watching them fall in love twice during the book was such a treat even through the hardships they faced.

The love, the growth, the honesty…my heart! There were so many feelings in this book.

I also loved that Sarah and Caleb are living their best life childfree and being an amazing aunt and uncle.

Please check Hannah’s content warnings as some of those moments with her mom and with Caleb at the end felt especially raw, and I do not know how I would have responded if I would have gone through the passing of a parent in a similar manner. I liked how it was done and unfolded in the book, but it is an important point to assess before you pick up this story.

This felt very raw and real.
I’ll be honest the first 50 pages I really did not like Caleb. He felt different than how I remembered him in out on a limb but in all fairness that was in a different setting. As the story goes on it all clicks together.
One turning point was on Page 104 (I won’t say because it will spoil a cute moment) but we love thoughtfulness!

‘What hill will you die on’ segment paired with my imagination was perfect

This book shows you how things can stick with you but you can always overcome it.
I got emotional… reading about such intimate and realistic moments really makes you think.
I loved this. Words that make you feel so deeply is always a good sign.

My heartbeat was at 108 at one point!

Hannah knows how to write a fabulous book and is of course another auto buy author of mine.
I was thrilled receiving the e-arc for this, thank you again netgallery!

(Not sure about the Jerry springer show being mentioned😬 I’d steer clear from that)

This book has so much heart!! This is such a beautiful story about growing and changing with someone you love but also it's also a closer look into Sarah and Win's friendship. The flashback chapters that show Sarah's relationship with her mom and growing up with Win were my personal favorite! Caleb and Sarah's relationship was so raw and real and as someone who got married at 19, I related to their story so much. If HBY wasn't one of my favorite authors ever already, OOTW would've made me a life long fan!

This book made me absolutely bawl my eyes out. The love these two have for each other is truly inspiring, and I love that the author shows that even the strongest couples can still go through rough patches. I really liked the fact that there were two timelines going throughout the book; the past timeline showing how they feel in love, and the present timeline with them working through their problems. The nature couples retreat was an aspect that I really enjoyed; I feel like it is something that really helped them since it got rid of all the distractions, and let them talk with strangers to get a different perspective. I feel like Caleb and Sarah had a very relatable relationship because they are learning how to grow together, without losing their connection. I just really loved their story and how realistic it felt!

What a beautiful book that ends up being so much more than just them fixing their relationship. HBY does it again! Out on A Limb is my favorite romance book and this such a wonderful companion. I loved Caleb & Sarah in OoAL so I was delighted to get to learn so much more about them. Stories in the past with Sarah’s mother are heart wrenching. Overall this book just made me want to hug the ones I love the most and never stop trying to do better and evolve as a person. 4.5 stars

This was actually my first read from this author, and I completely get all the hype! I love a second chance romance, and even though there wasn’t necessarily a “break” between these two, it was still full of hope and second chances! I can’t wait to recommend this to fellow romance readers!

okay so here are my thoughts.

the writing was phenomenal. this book is very character driven & i love this universe.

for me, this did not feel like a marriage in crisis romance book. it felt more like a finding yourself mixed with some women’s fiction. i just don’t think it was marketed correctly, & i was a bit let down. the beginning was good, but around the 60% mark, it started to drag for me :/

i would still recommend the book. & i still love HBY & her writing, but this one was not my favorit unfortunately.

thank you dell for the early e-arc <3

Achingly tender second chance romance of my dreams! HBY can do no wrong. I loved this couple from the jump in Out on a Limb and I would quite literally die for them now. HBY writes with so much heart and I can’t get enough

HBY does it again! I adored this book. Sarah and Caleb have my heart.

This is a romance book that leans more into women’s fiction and that elevates it so much. While Caleb plays an extremely important role, this is Sarah’s story and it’s beautiful. The heavy themes were handled with such care and I got emotional so many times while reading it.

It’s always amazing to be able to relate to a character, but sometimes it sucks when that character is absolutely GOING THROUGH IT like Sarah was. But this felt like chicken soup for my soul.

I loved getting to see Sarah and Caleb care for each other despite the distance in their marriage, try to make things better and be friends first even though they were on the brink of falling apart. And I loved getting to see these characters who were flawed do and say things they didn’t mean, understand the error of their ways, and mend themselves and each other.

There were so many beautiful and hard-hitting lines that I can’t even pick a favorite. All in all, this book was amazing and will be one of the best I read all year.

Thank you soooo much to Dell Romance for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

LOVED:
- Most romances involve couples BEFORE marriage, so I was pleasantly surprised to see a married couple as the main characters. WE get lots of history with the couple, lots of love with the couple, and lots of issues needing to be resolved.
- This is the MOST vulnerable romance book I have ever read. We were able to be right next to their hurts and their wins. Caleb and Sarah love with so much depth, but they also hurt from deep places.
- Cameos from Win, Bo, and Gus from "Out on a Limb" !!
- Yes, time does bring healing, but it's the intentional healing we do IN that time that matters

LIKED:
-The hiking trip was such a fun uncommon plot line! I love camping/hiking so seeing Sarah and Caleb being uncomfortable in it was hilarious
- Caleb, the acts of service KING bringing Sarah's Kindle on the trip so she doesn't mess up her reading streak :)
- Libby was such a realistic 10 year old haha. The conversation between her and Sarah about their mothers was so emotional, but really healing.

MEH:
- This is purely personal based on my beliefs, but Sarahʻs faith journey made me sad thinking that she was so close to True Peace but didnʻt choose it.

Some of my favorite quotes:
"If you give me the space to grow, I'll plant myself next to you. Always."
"My nana used to say that weirder people live longer."

I never thought I would eat up a marriage in crisis book, Hannah just has a beautiful way of writing romances with real issues this story is about a marriage in crisis you see the characters grow, heal from past wounds, grief and finding yourself again while being married. Hannah is the Queen of emotional romances that rip you and put you back together. Whatever she writes I’ll read it

oh my god?
and just like that, HBY does it again. she writes a book that is truly so authentically heartfelt and beautifully, in such a way that it takes her readers along for the journey, ripping our hearts out of our chests and putting them back together again better than she found them.
Sarah and Caleb hold a special place in my heart, and i love that HBY decided to feature the marriage in crisis trope because it shows us the reality of love and loving someone for a long time, and that you are bound to change. and in order to love, you need to grow. the vulnerability that HBY gives to her characters is top tear, and just has such a way of getting to me.

Hannah truly has an amazing gift of being able to blend these vulnerable, emotional moments with humor and acceptance, and GROWTH of her characters.

some quotes to take with you 💗

• “i brought it and a solar charger. i didn’t want you to lose your reading streak. downloaded a couple of extra books too.”✨
• “too tired? i would climb mountains for the chance to watch you come undone, baby.”🔥
• “if you give me the space to grow, i’ll plant myself next to you. always.” 🌱
• “you can go as far as you need to, but you’ll always be a part of me. you will always be the second voice in my head. the force that surrounds me. the source that i pull my inspiration from.”
• “i don’t want easy. i don’t want anyone else. i want you, sar. i want to be the only man ever lucky enough to be loved by you.” 😭
• “you have to shine on your own. and you will. baby. i know you will. because you shine brighter than anyone i’ve ever known.” 🌙

thank you to dell and netgalley for the eARC 😭

Thank you Random House and NetGalley for this ARC!

Such an intimate and heartwarming read that really hit close to home for me! We follow Sarah & Caleb in Bonam-Young’s latest book as they navigate a rift in their marriage prompted by an identity crisis and need for change on Sarah’s part. As high school sweethearts who have spent most of their life together, the two try out a week-long hiking trip as a way to reconnect.

As someone who also married their high school boyfriend, the themes of identity and growth were all too familiar and extremely validating! It’s impossible to not intertwine your identity with someone you have been with for ages, and equally as easy to fall into a rhythm of life that feels scary to change. I have to applaud Bonam-Young for writing such a realistic depiction of a marriage and not making this overly dramatic! I related to both Sarah and Caleb through the entire novel, finding both to be likable and complex characters. While this book was full of raw, emotional moments, we also got plenty of laugh out loud moments & intriguing side characters! Seriously, this book felt like therapy at some points for me- almost like the author was in my head! I cannot recommend this book enough!!

Review posted on Goodreads and StoryGraph on January 31, 2025.

Being married is a journey and reading about Sarah and Caleb’s love had me smiling, laughing, and sobbing at 2am. I adore reading Hannah Bonam-Young’s books because the way she writes makes you feel like the characters are friends in your own life. I rooted on Sarah and Caleb throughout reading and their growth chapter by chapter was spectacular. There were so many deep moments that made me relate being married, so many hilarious moments that made me laugh, and took me on such a beautiful journey. This was yet another 5 star read that is for sure one of my favorites. 💖💖

Where do I even begin? Hannah really gave us an absolute romantic work of art with this book. As someone who is very skeptical of high school sweethearts and their ability to maintain a happy, healthy marriage long term, I loved this book. Hannah never fails to give us a book that can resonate with her readers.

I loved getting to see Sarah and Caleb navigate through their hardships and work to have their marriage thrive. Their conflict was so relatable and its so refreshing to see a couple find their way back to each other instead of giving up when times get tough.

The new characters we met along the way were the perfect addition to this book. I also love how these characters each helped out in Sarah and Caleb finding their way back to each other in their own special way. I hope we get to see some of these characters again one day :)

The setting of being literally out in the woods added so much room for jokes and funny elements to the book. Seeing them work on their communication while also pushing themselves out of their comfort zone with being in the woods was great!

Also, the spice? Everything. Enough said.

I truly had a great time reading this and went through all the emotions, as Hannah often causes me to do.

Thank you Hannah Bonam-Young, Dell Romance, and Netgalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review!!