I was SO excited to get an ARC of Out of the Woods by Hannah Bonam-Young! This book broke my heart in the best way possible. I was so excited to read about Sarah and Caleb after Out on a Limb and was definitely expecting some laughs and cuteness and obviously some marriage troubles, but what I didn’t expect was a complex look at grief, young love as it grows up, and to be crying in my bed at 1am because of all the feels. Even though I don’t have a lot in common with the main characters, Hannah’s writing made their every emotion feel so real I couldn’t help but be pulled in and cheering them on as they rediscovered themselves and how much they truly loved each other and their life together. Also, it was so refreshing to read about a couple that had chosen to be childless and still had a full, amazing life - something we don’t see a ton of in the romance genre! Bottom line, Hannah Bonam-Young is an instant buy for me and I can’t wait to add this one to my shelf in January!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced reader’s copy.

This book was a just like a warm hug! I absolutely loved this story and thought it was a beautifully crafted story showing how love develops over time.

Sarah and Caleb fell in love young and started their lives way earlier than most, due to Sarah's past. Because of this, Sarah chose to support Caleb in his dreams to provide for their young family. However, years down the road, Sarah starts to get restless for her place in the world, and realizes that she's been stuck with Caleb always saving her. But who is she without Caleb?

First and foremost, Sarah is quite possibly one of my favorite female main characters I've ever read. She knows what's important to her, but she doesn't know where she fits as an individual, because of how others have caused her to view herself. Her growth is quite possibly so fulfilling to watch, because we had the best setup from Out on A Limb.

Caleb was well mastered throughout the story as someone who also has to learn what is important to him, outside of how he has been raised. His love for Sarah is so sweet and real, that I just love what it looks like.

Overall, I loved this story and thought it was a fantastic companion to follow Out on a Limb. I would, recommend, reading Out on a Limb first, to get a full depth of Sarah and Caleb! Bravo Hannah Bonam-Young!

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced reader copy of this book! I genuinely really enjoyed it, it was a sweet romance about high school sweethearts who are already married and rekindling their spark after a huge fight. I feel like that dynamic isn’t something you see a lot in the romance space so I appreciate the originality. The characters were extremely likable and reminded me a lot of my husband and myself. My one ehh moment was there was a sexy scene that immediately cut to a scene with the protagonist’s sick mom so that was a little jarring. But other than that it was a really sweet book with a cool premise and adorable characters.

I completely, utterly adored this book. Second chance/ marriage in trouble romances are usually too stressful for me, but the care, humor and love that permeated this book was so impressive and lovely. Hannah Bonam-Young is such a talented writer, and she wrote both main characters with so much empathy and heart. And their chemistry was through the roof! I can't wait to re-read it <3

A real work of romance and fiction!! Bonam-Young has such a way of creating realistic characters that latch onto your heart and make you say ‘wow, I’ve felt that way before too’. With themes of friendship, self identity, romance, grief, and so much more, this novel propels you through so many feelings and I’m happy I was able to experience them!

This book BROKE ME in the best way. Calling this a simple rom com does not do justice to the expert way Hannah has dealt with serious topics of marital issues, parental loss, childhood grief, losing one's purpose... I could go on. This story was a breath of fresh air (and not just because we were camping) and I flew through it in a matter of days. Literally couldn't put it down. The easiest five stars I've given all year - I NEED THE NEXT BOOK LIKE NOW

ugh i loved this and i love them so much. i eat up a hannah bonam-young every damn time. i love watching couples fall back in love i love saving a marriage. this is so great!

Once again, I am falling in love with Hannah Bonam-Young's characters. She managed to write about Sarah and Caleb as teenagers and adults and actually make them feel real and like they had grown up and matured, something I've found some authors can't quite accomplish. However because of how well written ALL of the characters in this book are–I genuinely cannot stress this enough, they're so good–I feel that the setting and plot gets pushed to the back a little. Part of this seems intentional, as the Out of the Woods is about Sarah and Caleb rekindling their romance and working through their issues, so you get a lot of sweet conversations, and a "no plot, just vibes" feeling. I do feel like they moved a little faster than I wanted, and I definitely would have enjoyed more group interaction during Reignite. Of course though, I'm certainly willing to move past this because of how masterfully Bonam-Young creates her characters. This is the first time I've genuinely loved reading about a married couple's romance, and it's because they both still had hopes and dreams and separate personalities. And of course, because I feel I must mention it, some amazing physical chemistry... Bonam-Young's writing skill certainly extends to spicy scenes, and I'm notoriously picky in that area. I'm so excited to read more of Bonam-Young's works in the future, and to finally read previously published books by her.

Review will be posted on Instagram and The Storygraph on Feb. 1st, 2025.

Thank you to NetGalley, Hannah Bonam-Young, Dell and Penguin Random House publishing for eARC.

Out of the Woods is a beautiful, emotional masterpiece. Every moment between Sarah and Caleb, from the flashbacks to the present day, was nothing short of spectacular. There’s so much heart in this story that I found myself tearing up more times than I can count.

What Caleb and Sarah have is rare, and the book acknowledges that in such a mesmerizing way. Finding your soulmate so young and then having to grow up, discovering who you are separately from this person, is something that will resonate deeply with many readers. The way this story shows that, no matter how well you think you know your partner—even if they are your best friend—things can still get rocky and confusing. But learning to accept the ever-changing nature of life and choosing to face it together is such a powerful and important message.

I was rooting for Sarah and Caleb every step of the way, completely immersed in their journey. The portrayal of grief, particularly the loss of a parent, resonated with me deeply. The pain never truly goes away, but we learn to build our lives around that hole—not to forget, but to keep moving forward.

And let me just say, Caleb is not just a green flag; he’s the damn forest. I am absolutely blown away by how much I loved this book. It’s one of those stories that will stay with me for a long time, and it has easily earned its place as one of my all-time favorite reads. Out of the Woods is a soul-stirring, heartwarming story that I cannot recommend enough.

Incredibly heartbreaking and yet, heartwarming. Loved every minute of reading this! It was emotional, well-written, inspiring, and just beautiful.

I love marriage in trouble romance books. This book was so relatable, everyone felt so human. I loved the writing.

HBY never ceases to amaze me with her writing and storytelling. Out of the Woods was not only funny but had such depth. She explained an experienced of getting married young and finding your soulmate earlier than most. And how you don’t need to be afraid to evolve as a person and have your relationships change. I was crying. I was laughing. And truly had the best time reading this one.

Words cannot express how good this was. I’m scared to even try because I might write my own novel trying to say everything I want to about the beauty of this book. I’m going to try and do some quick hits just to make it coherent.

- A key element in order for me to enjoy a marriage-in-trouble story book is that the couple has to still be very obviously in love and experiencing a rough patch, as so many couples together for years do. I need to know the relationship is worth fighting for. This book = perfection. There was never one single doubt in my mind that Caleb and Sarah loved each other and were each other’s person. At the same time, their struggles were so raw and real and honest that I believed in their worries about how to move forward. The two pieces combined had me rooting so desperately for them to find their way together because it would feel like a waste for that much love to not continue to be shared.

- The entire concept of the outdoorsy retreat to reconnect was so well done. The conversations that were had among the group, one on one, and between Caleb and Sarah provided so much depth and perspective. Caleb and Sarah’s breakthrough had me both in tears and feeling like my heart was bursting.

- The grief that Sarah felt and continued to feel was so real. Her time spent with Libby was another chapter that had me in tears.

- No spoilers but Hannah Bonam-Young takes readers on an absolute rollercoaster of emotions in a way that I was so not prepared for. She also gets to flex some of the best examples of friendship and found family in the most absolutely beautiful, truest way that again had my heart just ready to burst out of my chest.

Nothing about this is short and I still don’t feel like I’ve said everything I want to about this book. I loved it so much. Thank you to NetGalley and Dell for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Out of the Woods was spectacular. It was a raw and honest exploration of a marriage in crisis between two people who are in love but have evolved.

The parental illness was handled perfectly. It felt like where I’m at now. There’s lasting trauma, hurt, and pain but you’re at a point where remembering is the hardest and making sure you live to your potential as an honor to them.

When I say this story will stick with you, trust me. It’s beautifully written and a story I won’t forget.

I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Sarah and Caleb have been together since high school. Sarah has experienced so much with Caleb, and she begins to wonder who is she as a person, as opposed to being Sarah and Caleb. When she plans a fundraiser, and Caleb helps solve a big problem, Sarah blows up and wants to separate. They decide to go on a hike to work on their relationship. They reconnect and remember what they loved about the other!

This was a wonderful story focusing on a non-traditional way to fix your relationship!

Sarah & Caleb 🥹
This book. Wow.

♾️ all the stars.

Not sure anyone else could have me reading & loving a marriage in trouble novel, but here we are.

If you haven’t already, I HIGHLY recommend reading Out on a Limb before this one releases in January.
While this can definitely be read as a standalone, I think the impact is just so much greater when you already know & love Sarah & Caleb 🥰
+ we get Win, Bo & baby Gus too 🥹

ALSO - Out on a Limb is fantastic.

I’ll write a full review eventually, but just please add this to your TBR 💜

I really loved Out on a Limb so I was cautiously excited for Out of the Woods. I am not the biggest fan of second chance romance because it makes me sad that these couples thought they had their happy ever after and then they get to a point where that might not be true. Of course it works out in the end but in my head that shouldn’t happen. So when I found out this was about Sarah and Caleb, I was nervous. I will say that I am very happy that from the start the couple never seemed to want to break up, but figure out how to grow while still with each other. This book made me feel lots of things and I think it was very well done and am so happy I read it!

y'all... this is quite possibly one of my favorite reads ever!! this was my first book from the author and I absolutely devoured it, which I did not expect!

I loved Sarah and Caleb's relationship and their whole story/dynamic. While I didn't personally relate to their relationship, there were some aspects in the book that hit close to home for me.

I loved the non-traditional path of marriage/relationship counseling and that we got to see a couple working through their issues in real time. I liked that we got to see their relationship in the beginning stages, all the grief and sad times they went through, and how it all lead up to where they are now.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

oh brother this got me in my feels. I think Caleb and Sarahs situation is one most people can relate to whether that is relationships or friendships and it was just represented so well and made me so grateful to be on the other side of it. I cared so much about them and wanted everything in the world for them. Marriage in trouble is my absolute least favourite trope yet this was basically a 5 star read, someone explain? I agree with them in that keep me indoors with plumbing but I love watching them on their hikes and having real good convos to work stuff out and I was just rooting for them at every single step of their journey. The stuff with Sarahs mom in the past was hard to read about for sure, but bringing it back around to Libby just made such an emotional impact. Also love the Huntsville rep, I could picture everything so clearly and I will be selling the heck out of this one!!

As someone who also met their other half fairly young in life, I couldn’t wait to know more about Sarah and Caleb. After meeting them in Out on a Limb they appear to be a perfect couple, and you just wanna know how!? But objects in the mirror are not as they appear. Seeing them struggle and have their ups and downs was painful at times, because their hurt was so real. It’s hard to get through a HBY book and really take in that these characters (are unfortunately) not real, but the emotions and personalities and life obstacles are. People struggle, and you never know what’s going on behind closed doors. I felt so deeply connected to this story because of the feelings these characters experienced and how I could wholeheartedly relate them to my own feelings and my own relationship. It’s so surreal to see your thoughts put down on a page like that through the eyes of someone else. I teared up multiple times but at one point I was ugly crying so hard that I couldn’t even read the words anymore.

It was a huge bonus getting to see Bo, Win, and Gus again. The friend/family aspect they all have with one another is so beautiful, and I only want the best things for them all!