This companion novel to Out on a limb and the author's debut traditionally published romance is a wonderful marriage in trouble story that deals with some heavy topics as childhood sweethearts Caleb and Sarah find themselves struggling and embark on a weeklong counselling camping trip with a group of other couples.

Heartfelt and told with flashbacks from the years when the couple first meet, fall in love and are there for one another during the hardest time of Sarah's life when she loses her single mother to ALS. I really loved that we got to see the couple rekindle their relationship and learn to truly communicate better.

There was some great cameos from Bo and Win and their daughter Gus and this book does such a great job exploring toxic parental relationships, grief, loss and learning how to chase after your dreams to live the life you really want, even if it means starting over later in life.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review! Highly recommended for fans of books like Ever after you by Chloe Liese or Do I know you by Emily Wibberly and her writer partner husband, Austin Siegemund-Broka (other marriage in trouble second chance contemporary romances).
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Hannah Bonam-Young will never disappoint! I loved Sarah and Caleb in Out on a Limb, and I literally squealed when I saw they would be getting their own book.

Their story is so earnest. I love how introspective, articulate, and self-aware Sarah's POV is. This book handles some really uncomfortable feelings about doubting yourself, your relationship, and your life trajectory & does so with such eloquence.

I loved how the undercurrent of Sarah and Caleb's love never waivers. Their relationship was messy but the love never left and wasn't tainted.

I love the dual timeline, learning about how their relationship started and how it still played an active role in their relationship in current time. The evolution of their relationship was so fun to read about.

HBY just balances seriousness and levity perfectly. Her heavy topics were handled with the respect and reverence they deserve and the lighter moments didn't distract or take away from that. I really can't think of anything I would change.

Also Caleb is a dream. Sarah is hilarious. I cannot wait for my physical copy to come in in January! Thank you x100000 to Dell & PRH to the arc <33333

Even though I have more pressing reader copies, I started this one as soon as I got it because I couldn't wait. This book is a romance but its female protagonist's growth was the center of the novel for me. I enjoyed every aspect of the book and even thought the ending felt a bit too dramatic, it was perfect for Sarah and Caleb. The grief was very well written, and the small glimpses at Sarah and Caleb's teenage years made their love story more endearing. It was a great read.

This book is seriously ♾️⭐️. I loved Sarah and Caleb in Out on a Limb so I was so excited to hear they were getting their own book. This book was so beautifully written - it made me giddy, cry, laugh and so emotional. I relate to Sarah so much. Her grief over the death of her mother, the start of the breakdown of his relationship with Caleb and her questioning her identity was amazingly portrayed through these pages. I felt her pain and emphatized with her. It was so refreshing to read her POV and her inner monologues. She is funny, witty and so insightful. Caleb is the best too. I love how understanding and loving he is. He loves Sarah so much and it was pretty adamant throughout the book that that never changed no matter what they were going through in their marriage. The camp and the side characters there was so entertaining and funny as well. There were many great quotes and insights from their time camping and hiking about finding one self and giving yourself grace. I truly love Helen and Yvonne's conversations with Sarah. Lastly, I love reading about Bo, Win and Gus. Yes, this book is truly about Sarah and Caleb but I think this is a great book to highlight Sarah and Win's friendship as well. They truly are sisters for life!

I have pre-ordered this book last July and I cannot wait to reread it when it comes to me in late Jan/early Feb. Thank you to NetGalley, author Hannah Bonam Young (you are amazing! Ilysm) and her publisher for the early copy. It's truly been a pleasure reading this masterpiece.

Goodreads review:
I cannot even begin to describe how much I loved this book.

This book is such an interesting spin on contemporary romance because it’s what happens AFTER the honeymoon. When life gets predictable. When you are so comfortable with each other. When you hit a rut.

I laughed, I cried and oh gosh I related as a woman who so dearly loves her soulmate who has been with me for 10 years … AND we’ve been through some stuff.

I am such a HUGE fan of Hannah Bonam-Young and this book did not disappoint.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishing team for a copy of the ARC in exchange for an honest review and I cannot wait for you all to fall in love with this book in January as much as I did ❤️

This book is so so special, Hannah has a way with words that just gets me every single time. Sarah and Caleb's relationship is so so sweet, it makes me emotional, I loved how they navigated how they felt and how much they grew together. One of my favorite things about Hannah's books are the found family, I absolutely adore Win, Bo, Gus, Caleb and Sarah's little family and how much they love each other, I'll write a. more coherent review closer to release day but this story means EVERYTHING to me, thank you so so much to delromance and to netgalley for sending this my way, ill be forever grateful.

4.5⭐️
"When you're not near, you occupy every corner of my life. Half of my thoughts are about you. All of my dreams involve you. My hopes and fears and purpose revolve around you."

I wholeheartedly loved this. So soft, so adorable. This is a marriage in trouble, childhood sweethearts, camping trip romance! Hannah Bonham-Young really hit it out of the park.

Sarah and Caleb have been married for seventeen years- they started dating when they were 14, and have been going strong ever since. But now, Sarah finds herself questioning her purpose. She doesn't believe she has anything to be proud of, anything she's accomplished in her life. Her marriage is in a slump- her and Caleb love each other, but don't communicate. She doesn't know who she is outside of her marriage, without Caleb. So they decide to go on a camping trip, which is a sort of a week-long relationship counselling session.

The relationship between Sarah and Caleb is so good. You can feel the chemistry and love between them, they're right next to each other but still have so much longing to be closer. They begin to truly communicate on this trip, and are so understanding and accepting of each other. It's really so well done. The therapy sessions are so subtle as we see our characters grow and come to new realizations.

They're also just SO CUTE. Caleb is husband goals. The banter and enjoyment and just true friendship between him and Sarah are so much fun. The scene where he reads his hot takes to the group had me laughing out loud, with Sarah good-naturedly ribbing him the whole time. You can really tell just how well these two know each other.

I think the flashbacks here worked well. Not sure long chapters and not even all focused on Sarah and Caleb's relationship, but enough to give us an understanding of Sarah's early life and how she came to be who she is.

Thank you to Netgalley and publishing team for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Out of the Woods by Hannah Bonam - Young 🪵🐿️🏕️
🌲 Release date: January 28th, 2025 🌲

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Sarah and Caleb have been the picture perfect couple for what seems like forever. Married at 19 they’ve been together through all that life has thrown at them. Sarah’s mom develops ALS and tragically passes away which alters the course of Sarah’s life. Caleb becomes her support system and her rock which is exactly what she needs, until it becomes all she sees in their relationship. The damsel in distress and the hero. They decide to go on a camping trip designed for couples to reconnect. Throughout the trip they meet new friends, learn more about each other and ultimately go through something life changing.


This was one of the best books I’ve ever read. I related to Sarah so much throughout the whole book. The way she feels like she has accomplished little to nothing is something that I struggle with. It’s hard to see everyone around you making big strides in their career and financial goals while you “stand still” and don’t know what you want to do. The strength she found to pursue what she really wanted to do was so inspiring and makes me excited for my future when trying to decide what direction I want to go in. Each character in the story brought so much and I love it when you get to know the side characters. Overall this is a story that will stick with me forever and I am so grateful I got the chance to read it when I did.

First, thank you so much for the ARC and the opportunity to read this lovely book. I've been a fan of HBY for a while now and I've been eagerly awaiting this read, as is evidenced by how quickly I read it.

As someone who has been married and is currently divorced, I can't stress how lovely this book was to read. HBY does a masterful job of having this couple, who so clearly loves each other, but they're just missing each other. She does a wonderful job creating these ~uncomfy moments where you're reading and wincing because wrong things are being said or intentions aren't clear, but you can tell these people are trying to do right by each other. Their relationship feels so real and you are rooting for them from the get.

I should have known I'd be crying as Out on a Limb had me *sobbing*. Seeing these two characters find their communication stride and find their way back to each other, even though they didn't really go anywhere, was so beautiful to watch. Even as someone who is not married now, I found Sarah's character and journey so relatable. Finding yourself older and being lost or unsure of your next step or looking for some form of identity is a scary feeling. Watching her find her next steps and having Caleb at her side to support her as she took those steps was a joy.

I enjoyed reading this book so thoroughly. It had me crying. It had me laughing. It had me cheesin'. HBY's reads always feel like a warm blanket straight out of the dryer being wrapped around you. She just captures human relationships of all kinds in such a beautiful light.

I am feeling so thankful I got to read this already. It feels so special to be able to read a book you’ve been anticipating since the second it was announced a little early. I’m so grateful for this little life that I’ve created for myself and the cute little things I get to do because of it.

THIS IS THE BOOK! I have loved every single one of Hannah’s books, OOAL is one of my absolute favorites. But this one is so special. There is something SO GOOD about Hannah’s writing. She writes with so much love and hope and fun and is able to balance it all with not so shiny parts of life - feeling lost, grief, and not knowing what’s next. This was so beautifully written and I loved every single second.

I love Sarah and Caleb with my whole entire heart 🥹

I have tons more to say but I’ll come back later with more ramblings.

Thanks so much to Dell for this ARC in exchange for an honest review I am so eternally grateful 🥹

I really, really enjoyed this one. Hannah wrote such a real, wonderful story. I loved getting to know Sarah and Caleb more since I loved them in Out on a Limb. It was so special. I’m excited to talk more about it!

I would like to pull more stars down from the sky and give them to this book. HBY yanked my heart out and shoved it back in. I devoured it.

This is a book that simply checks all my boxes, and found me at the exact right time. I love a second chance romance, but I REALLY love a second chance romance about a couple that has known each other for forever. I knew I was in trouble before the author’s note even finished.

OOAL was always going to be a hard book to follow, but this book delivered on every account. For added enjoyment, would recommend reading OOAL first, but OOTW can definitely be read as a standalone.

PLEASE read this book, and then come talk to me about it. Thank you, HBY, for a perfect read

UTTER PERFECTION AN ABSOLUTE FUCKING MASTERPIECE 😭

am i married? no, did i ever have a high school sweetheart? absolutely not. HOWEVER I FEEL LIKE CALEB AND SARAH WERE A PERSONAL ATTACK ON MY EMOTIONS 😭

i cried so many times that i actually dont know how many times it happened, i laughed so hard that i cried and i may have had to put myself in front of a fan once or twice due to how HOT caleb and sarah were 😮‍💨

i truly dont know if i can really come up with actual coherent thoughts on just how much i loved this book but i binged it in less than 24 hours and quite literally would not put it down last night and instead fell asleep mid reading. this book was so incredible if i could give it an infinite amount of stars i would. i cant wait to shove this book down everyones throats and threaten them to like caleb and sarah or else 🤗😂

i am so deeply grateful to have sarah say and feel so many of the things i do, i may not have her life but i do put so much insane pressure on myself to be something yet so incapable of deciding or pushing for that something. this book will be on my mind for so many years to come and i cannot wait to revisit it every time i get the urge to see that things always work out how theyre supposed to.

HBY is one of, if not THE auto buy comfort authors. i will read anything she puts into the world and i am very lucky to have gotten to read this ahead of time 🩵

I’ve been reading Hannah’s books since book 1’s release. I love that she’s grown so much, yet has maintained her voice throughout. I love the way she writes her stories—always such a good balance of fun, steam, and emotions. This book did not lack in any department.

I didn't think it was possible for Hannah Bonam-Young to outdo herself again, but she blew me out of the water with Out of the Woods. Time and time again, Bonam-Young writes with a deep and meaningful voice while still being able to find the humor in tough times. Our main couple have hit a rough patch in their marriage and you can feel it from the pages to the inner workings of your soul. Specifically I felt so much from our main character, Sarah, as she felt herself floundering to find a purpose and almost finding her stride after treading water for years. It wasn't that her marriage with Caleb had lost their love or friendship; it was just that they had both changed without telling the other how they needed that change reflected in their relationship. There wasn't a page where I wasn't rooting for our couple, continuously laughing and crying with them during the highs and lows. The book has a wonderful ensemble cast, with some returning characters from the first book in this duology Out On a Limb. You would be remiss if you skipped out on the opportunity to read this book; it is chicken soup for the soul.

I enjoyed this!! I loved getting to see Win and Bo and August again 🥹 and I loved the premise of working on a marriage and finding yourself.

I feel like towards the end I got a bit bored and the past timeline was kinda random, but overall I had a good time reading it! I do think I enjoyed Out on a Limb more, but I think all HBY fans are gonna love this!

Laughing, weeping and fanning myself through it all!!! This book takes you on such a beautiful journey exploring grief, identity and what it really means to commit to loving someone through it all. Reading as these characters find themselves in this new phase of their life and marriage was both hilarious and heart wrenching. I believe so many women will relate to Sarah’s struggles and will contemplate what they need from a partner to navigate them. As a HBY fan, getting to know these characters on a deeper level and visit with previous characters we’ve come to love was such a treat!

I absolutely adored this one.

I am forever such a fan of Hannah's work. She continues to excel in writing such witty, beautiful, and heartbreaking language within her dialogue that resonates with everyone. This book was the perfect mix of sad and horny with incredible tension filled moments that kept me so invested in Caleb and Hannah's journey as a couple.

I thought that their conflict was incredibly relatable and I really loved this story of two people finding their way back to each other. Their communication grew as the novel progressed and I liked getting to see them work out their feelings and past grievances.

This book was just HOT. I was UNWELL a good amount of the time while reading and my jaw was ON THE FLOOR.

Now, there's truly nothing I love more than some quirky side characters to really fill a novel and Hannah absolutely delivered on that end. I loved getting to meet all of the couples at the wilderness retreat and how every single person led Caleb and Sarah on a path to healing.

This book is all about changing and adapting but still remaining faithful and loving no matter the timing or circumstances. It's a beautiful journey of not knowing what the future looks like and taking a chance on dreams that were never fulfilled.

I cackled, I cried, I sweated, and I truly had the time of my life reading this.

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

I was already looking forward to this book release since reading “Out On A Limb” but WOW, I was blown away by this story! I love love love Caleb and Sarah, and think they are the perfect complements to each other. 💕
I love how Hannah Bonam-Young writes about sensitive topics with such care, empathy, and understanding. This was so obvious after she poured her soul into “Out On A Limb”, but was on full display in “Out Of The Woods”.
In this story, you’ll encounter:
- Second chance (within a marriage, no divorce/breakups)
- Extroverted FMC x introverted MMC
- Forced proximity
- Healthy communication
I personally connected with this book so much. 🥰 As someone who found my soulmate before I truly found myself, I’ve never felt more seen on the pages with Caleb and Sarah’s journey.
Thank you to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for the ARC!!

HBY has cemented herself as a must buy author. I have never seen myself so vividly in a character as I did in Sarah. Her journey was so well done and so relatable to I think a lot of us who have been so driven by achievements and then lost ourselves along the way.
The flaws in their relationship I think are so real to people who love each other so much but don’t always know how to support their partner as they grown and chance. I loved Caleb so much—the rock scene oh baby!!!

And the background brought the story to life and the cast of characters was so lovable. I think the emotions of the characters is what really brought this story to life. And I cried probably the entire book, even though there were moments of heat, humor and more, it just made the emotions sarah is feeling all the more real.
4.5 stars on storygraph