Convinced Hannah is my soul sister 🫶🏻 I have loved these characters since reading OOAL, and they continued to jump off page and right into my heart. I love Sarah, Caleb, & their crew, and I loved getting to dive into their story. As someone who met their soulmate at 19, I related so heavily to so much that Sarah was grappling with. This book made me even more grateful to have all that extra time with my husband. 💞

Thank you to NetGalley & Dell Romance for letting me read this eARC!! ♥️

Marriage in crisis is not often my cup of tea in terms of tropes, so I was a bit wary going into this one. I enjoyed Sarah and Caleb a lot in OOAL, so I was definitely curious to see their relationship and how they manage to get through a hard period after being together for so long. I think this book will resonate deeply if you have a relationship/love story
similar to theirs.

I loved the back and forth dual timeline so we can understand their history and how they got to where they are today. It was also great to meet Sarah’s mom after what an impact she had in OOAL.

I always forget how SAD HBY books can be and damn, the last 20% of this book had me stressed.

If you’re a huge fan of HBY and her previous works, I think you’ll really like this one.

-I GOT AN ARC 😭💚

5 ⭐️ (first one of 2025!!)

Wow, where do I even begin? I was expecting to love Sarah and Calebs story but I wasn't expecting to find a new comfort read. This story is so beautiful, yet emotional and tender. I felt called out and comforted all at the same time. I wasn't expecting to relate to Sarah so much, but oh how I wish I could give this sweet girl a hug. I love seeing Win and Bo as well!

One of my new favorite books. It may only be January, but I know this will be one of my top reads for 2025 💜

Thank you NetGalley for the arc 💓

Hannah never disappoints. I am in awe of her writing and these characters. I laughed, I cried, and I'm in the biggest slump of my life because how can I possibly get Sarah and Caleb out of my head?

(4.5 Stars) Thank you, @netgalley @dellromance and @prhaudio for the #gifted advanced digital and audio copies! #prhaudioinfluencer #dellromance

Sarah and Caleb Linwood are that rare couple - they met and fell in love at fourteen and have been together, through the highs and lows ever since. But now, after seventeen years together, Sarah is beginning to question what she’s doing with her life. When she organizes an ALS fundraiser in her mother’s honor, she’s intent on making it a success she achieve on her own, until it tanks and Caleb once again swoops in as her safety net to save the day. What Caleb saw as kindness unleashes a torrent of pent-up frustrations that rock the core of their marriage. When their best friends Winn and Bo (!!!) are unable to attend a wilderness couples retreat, Winn suggests Sarah and Caleb take their place. Sarah and Caleb reluctantly agree, despite being two of the least outdoorsy people imaginable. What follows is a life-changing camping adventure with a quirky group of couples, all seeking to heal or strengthen their bonds. Told through dual timelines, we experience both the present and pivotal moments in Sarah and Caleb’s past - from their teenage love story to her mother’s passing.

This book will resonate differently depending on the reader’s life experiences. For me, it hit deeply. HBY captures the nuanced emotions of being grateful for the love of a devoted partner while grappling with feelings of personal stagnation - of being caught between past aspirations and present obligations. The growth both Sarah and Caleb achieve feels subtle yet monumental, embodying the reality of marriage. HBY beautifully illustrates the simultaneous complexity of deeply loving someone while yearning for change. Their raw honesty is wrapped in tenderness, rooted in years of respect and connection. It was also a joy to revisit Bo and Winn from Out on a Limb, one of my all-time favorite romance novels!

🎧 About the Audiobook 🎧 Victoria Connolly beautifully narrates the audiobook, bringing to life all of the humor and tenderness of this story. Her narration of chapter 13 brought me to tears. (10h)

This book is beautiful. It’s beautifully written, and it handles incredibly hard topics with such grace and care. It’s still deeply romantic and has moments of humor woven into it. Truly truly an amazing book.

however... I didn’t have fun reading it. and not all books need to be fun!!! I get that! But that is what I’m looking for in a book and this book hurt to read. It’s so heavy, and to be honest, while I still loved Sarah, reading from her point of view, she came off rather entitled and ungrateful. I know that’s one of the main themes throughout the book and maybe its my own life experiences that are sharply skewing my opinions, but my gosh if I had a man who loved me that much and took care of me I wouldn’t be that rude.

I still wept throughout the book. How could you not, its so filled with what feels like a desperate yet inevitable kind of love.

Out of the Woods by Hannah Bonam-Young is the follow up book to Out on a Limb, where we get to focus on Sarah and Caleb! I was so excited to get an early review copy of this book and couldn't put it down! I have fallen head over heals for Hannah Bonam-Young's work and can't wait to see what she has in store for us next! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance reader copy of this title in exchange for my honest review.

Enjoyed this, but it didn't live up to Out on a Limb for me. That book just has my heart and is a total comfort read. I know I'll always love it, which is why I was so excited to read this follow up about Sarah and Caleb. I think maybe my expectations were just a little too high, though.

I did love the fact that Sarah and Caleb had been together since they were young teens. I met my husband at the same age and phew, you certainly go through a lot when you grow up together. I could totally relate to a lot of their struggles and Sarah's concerns with herself, her life and their marriage. I also enjoyed the setting in the majority of the book, but I feel like I didn't get enough of their romance. It was very reflective and focused on growth, which I like, but I wish I had more of the two of them and their romance. Overall, an enjoyable read and I'll still be looking forward to Hannah's next book!

5⭐️

I’ve always been a fan of Hannah’s writing and after reading Out on a Limb, I was so intrigued by Sarah and Caleb, and I JUST KNEW I wouldn’t be disappointed.

Out of the Woods follows a dual timeline where we see Sarah & Caleb fall in love as teens while Sarah is going through the most challenging phase of her life: her mother’s passing. On the other hand, in the present day, Sarah and Caleb are reaching over a decade of being married, but Sarah is finding herself in her early thirties and has a feeling that she hasn’t accomplished anything worth while in her personal life. She struggles to find her purpose and wonders if getting married so young, to someone as textbook perfect as Caleb, was worth it.

To save their marriage, Sarah and Caleb embark on a week long camping trip that doubles as couples therapy. In the middle of nature, they reflect on their marriage, open up to each other about their goals and plan for their future.. all while in the companionship of other (funny as hell) couples seeking guidance too.

Both Sarah and Caleb are such complex characters, I found myself just FEELING for both of them. All you want to do from chapter 1, is root for them. You’ll feel joy for them, and also sadness, and at one point, even anger. But you’ll ultimately, feel the love behind all else and it’s so so beautiful. These are the types of characters/couples you read about and have no doubt that they’ll end up together till the end of time.

And bonus! We get more Win & Bo and their daughter Gus, so my heart was just FULL & by the epilogue, it burst. These stories are so wonderfully real. I love this little world.

This book is out a week from today, so go preorder a copy! Thank you so much to NetGalley & Dell for the ARC, in exchange for my honest review :)

DNF 5% in. Thank you to Dell for providing me with an arc.

I really want to love Hannah Bonam-Young's books but I just don't think they are for me. I really hated Out on a limb but did like the writing so I wanted to give her another chance but this one didn't work for me either. I read the first chapter pretty much and I could tell that I wasn't going to vibe with the book, the conflict wasn't what I was expecting for a marriage in trouble and It felt too women's fiction for me personally.

While I found the last 100 pages of this read entertaining, this book (and perhaps genre) just wasn’t for me - and that’s okay. It veered a little too far down the “hallmark” spectrum for my liking.

“I begin wondering what is worse: being overly familiar with one another or fading into strangers who USED to know it all. I think it’s definitely the latter.”

Caleb and Sarah have been together since they were teenagers. They essentially grew up together and have done so much living with one another.
As Sarah is heading a fundraiser in honor of her late mother and it’s wrapping up, she realizes it’s not going to raise the money she needs and chalks it up as a fail (even though that’s a huge disappointment).
In steps Caleb to save the day, but instead of feelings of gratitude, it causes a riff of doubts to surface.
Who is Sarah without her other half? She convinces Caleb to go on a week long hiking retreat to reconnect and rediscover themselves- not just as a couple, but as individuals too.
Are they still the same couple they were when they married? Perhaps they’re not supposed to be.

Talk about a relatable read! Like Sarah and Caleb, my husband and I have been together since we were teens. I think any marriage goes through rough patches and it’s always important to check in with one another; we can get so caught up in our day to day that we forget to stay connected to the one who we choose to do life with. While a week long outdoor retreat may not be the right answer for everyone, stepping out of your comfort zone could be the ray of sunshine you need ☀️

“If you give me the space to grow, I’ll plant myself next to you. Always.”

Out of the Woods by Hannah Bonam-Young follows high school sweethearts Sarah and Caleb Linwood. After loving Out on a Limb, one of my all-time favorite books, I was eagerly anticipating Sarah and Caleb’s story—and it did not disappoint.

What can you expect?
❤️ High school sweethearts
💍 Married couple
🏞️ Hiking as foreplay
🌲 Outdoor spicy scenes
🤓 MMC with glasses
📚 Hot, tall nerd
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Found family
🚪 Forced proximity
⏳ Flashbacks

4.5⭐ | 2🌶️

“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.”

Synopsis:
Sarah and Caleb Linwood, high school sweethearts, face a marriage crisis when Sarah’s solo fundraising project fails and Caleb steps in uninvited, unearthing years of unresolved tension. Hoping to rekindle their connection, they join a grueling couples’ hiking retreat. Amid misadventures in the wilderness, they rediscover themselves and their love.

My thoughts:
Sarah and Caleb have been together for 17 years, starting their relationship at just 14 years old. Now, Sarah is struggling with an identity crisis, questioning what she has to be proud of as an individual. After organizing a fundraiser for ALS in honor of her late mother, who passed from the disease when Sarah was 19, she falls short of her goal. Her frustration leads to a heated argument with Caleb, exposing years of unresolved issues in their marriage.

With encouragement from her best friend Wyn, Sarah agrees to a couples’ hiking retreat, hoping it will help them reconnect. While Caleb and Sarah are financially stable, Sarah feels stagnant and unsure of what she truly wants or who she is outside of their marriage.
Sarah’s dream of becoming a writer was crushed years ago when, after winning a contest, an author she admired discouraged her. Ever since, she believed she wasn’t good enough—a feeling that added so much depth to her story. Her grief, compounded by these long-standing doubts, looms heavily over her. Though everyone handles loss differently, Sarah’s struggles have gone unaddressed for years. Flashbacks of their younger years, particularly Caleb supporting her through her mother’s illness and passing, add emotional weight to their journey.

During the retreat, Sarah and Caleb confront their issues and gain new perspectives on each other’s needs. Caleb’s instinct to always protect and support Sarah—like stepping in during the fundraiser—comes from love but has unintentionally contributed to their disconnect. Being in the outdoors, away from distractions, allows them to rebuild their bond in ways they haven’t in years.

I related to Sarah’s aversion to the outdoors (camping without showers—no thank you!), but their shared abstinence-breaking moment felt both inevitable and rewarding. The spicy scenes revealed a different, bolder side of Caleb, contrasting perfectly with his sweet, nerdy personality.

I loved how they fought for their marriage, communicated their needs, and worked toward individual growth. Sarah rediscovered her passions, while Caleb stepped back from his father’s workaholic tendencies. Their mutual commitment to building a more balanced life was heartwarming.

Seeing cameos from Wyn, Bo, and Gus was such a treat! Their found family dynamic is so heartwarming, and it’s clear they’re each other’s safe haven. While this can be read as a standalone, I highly recommend reading Out on a Limb first for a richer understanding of the characters and their relationships.

The emotional depth of this story, especially around themes of feeling lost and directionless, is something many readers will relate to. While I wish the mental health aspects had been explored more deeply, this was still a fantastic read.

Trigger Warnings: Please check them before diving in.
Thank you, NetGalley, for the advance copy!

Caleb and Sarah have hit a rough patch in their marriage, which makes total sense because they're been together since high school. Seventeen years is a LONG time, and Sarah feels trapped in the roles they've been in for their entire relationship. Caleb is afraid of change, but agrees to jump-start their healing, and join Reignite, a couples' retreat meat to help people reconnect with their partners. Caleb and Sarah will have to reflect on their own behavior and learn to grow together through their growing pains.

I really, really love Hannah Bonam-Young, and I was so excited to receive an ARC of Into the Woods. This was such a lovely, emotional story, where it's so clear that Caleb and Sarah deeply love each other, but have forgotten that people can and should change over the course of seventeen years. Seeing their relationship through flashbacks gave great insight into their relationship and the patterns they kept repeating. Their relationship is honestly something to truly admire and aspire to.

I've been a fan of Hannah's since the early, indie days of "Next of Kin", and even when I think she's at her best, she gets better!

Caleb and Sarah have such a sweet relationship. Even though this is technically a "marriage in trouble" book, what I appreciated the most was that it wasn't just a blame game between the two of them. They were quick to be honest with each other and desired to move forward together in a healthy way. With that, Sarah was able to see that a lot of her frustration had to do with some things from her own past that she needed to work through, and not solely the fault of Caleb. And Caleb had some things to work through too. Hannah wrote these characters in a way that felt so relatable (and I'm single!) - characters in their 30s who are just trying to figure out what they want the next chapter of their lives to look like.

I adore this book and I know I will re-read it. And if you haven't read Out on a Limb, I recommend reading that first :)

I am not okay.

I am undone. Unraveled. I can't go on.

This book... it's not just a story. It's an experience. It's a visceral, raw, gut-wrenching plunge into the deepest parts of grief, trauma, and the complexities of love. It's the kind of book that consumes you, that burrows under your skin, and refuses to let go long after you've turned the final page. I'm left with this gaping hole in my chest, an ache that echoes. I feel like I've lived a lifetime in the span of this novel, felt every heartbreak, every fear, every glimmer of hope. How can I go back to my ordinary life after this? How can I face the mundane when witnessing such profound beauty and devastation? I am not okay. And honestly, I don't want to be. I want to stay in this shattered state, to hold onto the intensity of what I've just read. Because even though it hurts, it's also the most alive I've felt in a long time. This book has broken me, but maybe, just maybe, it's also broken me open.

Childhood sweethearts are still married 13 years later and are going through some life changes, as I imagine happens when you reach 30. In order to reconnect the geek and the reader head into nature with a group called Reignite in order to reconnect with each other.

I absolutely loved this book! This is my first book by Hannah Bonam-Young, but she has been on my TBR for close to a year and a half, and I am not disappointed. I feel like often we in romance books we don't see the couple already married and I loved that aspect. They already had so much chemistry, the characters were so loveable. Caleb is a total geeky sweetheart that clearly has no much love for Sarah. And Sarah is a motivated reader who is looking for her drive.

All in all, an incredible read, 10/10 would recommend. I would say you don't have to read Out on a Limb to enjoy this book, but I do think it would have added a little to the read. So, I guess I know which book of hers will be read next on my TBR.

Thank you Random House Publishing for the ARC copy of this book. This review is my own personal opinion and honest review.

I am a fan of Hannah and this book just cements that thought for me!!

From the flashbacks of their relationship to the friendship of Sarah & Caleb with Win & Bo just had my heart!!

This book was a great reflection on long relationship and how they may feel like you have hit a standstill but that is not the case.
Sometimes all you are lacking is communications and some alone time in a tent.

I absolutely loved the premise of this book and also the fact that there were so many thoughts in Sarah's pov that I could connect to!

The writing style flowed in an ease for me and I just was vibing with the book just fine.

“Out of the Woods” by Hannah Bonam-Young is such a beautiful, emotional ride that hit all the right notes for me. It’s about Sarah and Caleb Linwood, high school sweethearts who’ve been married for a long time but are starting to feel a little lost in their relationship. To get back on track, they go on a week-long wilderness trip to reconnect and, honestly, it’s such a heartfelt journey.

The story dives deep into what it means to grow with someone over time, and it totally pulls at your heartstrings. It’s not just about falling in love but staying in love, which makes the romance even more meaningful.

It’s a curious fact that I read this right now and I’ll be getting married in less than two weeks now. I cried, reflected and felt SO proud of these characters. This made my head going into marriage with a newfound appreciation for the little things, for choosing a kind person as a husband and being truly understood. And a lot of what I read will for sure be imprinted in my brain for a long time, the one quote that struck the most to me being: “If you give me the space to grow, I’ll plant myself next to you. Always.” It’s a book I’ll make sure to read again as a reminder of that. Thank you so much for Netgalley for allowing me to read this ARC, the publisher and Hannah Bonam-Young, for such an incredible story. All thoughts are my own.

Read nearly a quarter of this book and gave up. Sarah was a brat and Caleb didn't want to talk. Also felt like the author couldn't get her mind out of the gutter long enough to create and actual storyline for me to get invested in.