Hannah has done it again folks!

I’ve only read a few ‘marriage in crisis’ books but I’ve loved every single one of them. I think this one takes the cake though.

After 17 years together Sarah and Caleb have settled into their relationship, but sometimes that’s not a good thing.

I loved the back and forth timeline. It really gave us insight into what they’ve been through, both together and apart (while also being together, if that makes sense?) All relationships have their ups and downs, but they seemed to always be on the up… until they weren’t.

Caleb, like most men, never knew there was something wrong until it blew up in his face. He struggles to understand and fix it, but it’s Sarah (via Win) that takes initiative. They go on a week long hike to save their marriage, and boy do things get shaken up!

The connection these two have is something I think everyone would aspire to have in their own relationships. They absolutely belong together. Them loving each other was never the issue.

“We have the rest of our lives to fuck each other’s brains out. I’m here to get your heart back first.” He lays his palm over my chest, right above my rapidly beating organ. “I know that your body is always mine but this, this is what I want most.”

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

What a beautiful pleasant surprise this book was! I feel so so lucky to receive an early copy of this book from NetGalley and Random House Publishing because I have now found a new favorite romance writer in Hannah Bonam-Young.

I think this may be the first romance book i’ve read with an established couple. Sarah and Caleb were high school sweet hearts who got married very young. Present day, they’ve hit a bump in their marriage and go on a couples wilderness retreat to work on themselves and their marriage. There are some laugh out loud moments while two self proclaimed anti outdoors people try their hand at hiking and camping and some tear inducing, heart breaking moments through Sarah reflecting on her mom, who sadly passed away not too long after Sarah and Caleb married due to ALS. I’ve never cheered or wanted a couple to succeed more than Caleb and Sarah and was not disappointed.

This is my first book by Hannah Bonam-Young. From what I see online, the author has some serious fans. This is the second book in a series, and not having read the first, perhaps I am missing something.

While the premise for this book was a fresh take on relationships, there was one big reason I didn't LOVE this book: Sarah.

Personally, there was nothing great about this character. She was spoiled, whiny, and quite frankly, incredibly immature. The author tries to create a deeply flawed character that has had to deal with big issues at a young age, but instead it just read to me as a spoiled brat.

Aside from that, I did enjoy the storyline and the psychology behind a potential week in the woods/therapy workshop this could be.

Fans are - and will be - fangirling over this book. Not having read the first, I didn't feel left out or that anything was missing, and will work as a stand alone novel.

This book felt so incredibly relatable to my current life. It was almost hard to read because I just kept getting hit in the face with real feelings and emotions. I loved every part of this book. (full review coming soon)

I absolutely positively loved loved LOVED this book! It highlighted so perfectly how as we get older our minds may change and grow and that’s ok and it’s better when you do it with your heart aligned with another!

I love a marriage in trouble trope but this one is by far my favorite one. I finished this book in one day I couldn’t stop once I started. 5 stars

3.5 ⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!
I was really looking forward to this because Out on a Limb was one of my favorite romances I read in 2024.
This was an inter-connected, but stand alone novel about Sarah and Caleb from Out on a Limb.

I didn’t feel as connected to Sarah and Caleb as I did to Win and Bo. I did really appreciate the fact that they are a long-time married couple and the focus on how it can be hard to grow and change individually while in a long-term relationship. They also touched on loss and grief in this book in a great way.
Overall, I enjoyed it, but felt the story was a bit rushed. It was supposed to be a couple expecting issues going on a wilderness retreat. I was expecting there to be a big thing for them to overcome, but it felt like that piece was rushed and they spent most of the time totally fine with each other and happy and horny 😅

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

Pretty sure I will now be getting a paper airplane tattoo.

This book was so so beautiful. I found Caleb and Sarah’s young love and their relationship dynamics incredibly relatable. I just love my hot nerd who loves to take care of me 😂

Hannah really captures what it’s like to grow up with your partner. It’s an odd thing to meet your person so early. But when you’re able to learn and grow closer rather than drift apart during life changes, it’s absolutely amazing.

Sarah is reflecting on her life and realizing it’s not what she pictured. It’s time for some big changes and a shift in how she views the world. But navigating those things with a partner who doesn’t want change is no easy feat.

Caleb is just Ken. He’s stuck in his ways and not sure how to do things differently. But oh boy is he obsessed with his wife. Throughout any disagreements through the book, that much is crystal clear. These two love each other deeply.

Thank you HBY for writing yet another beautiful masterpiece that I’ll be recommending to others for years to come.

This was another fantasy book from Hannah Bonam-Young. I am normally not the biggest fan of second-chance romances but this was done beautifully. Given the heavy subjects of the novel HBY managed to create an equally swoon worthy and emotional romance novel.

I love them I love them I love them.

Sarah and Caleb may have just become my new comfort characters. Maybe it’s because I’ve been with my husband since I was 16 and can understand where Sarah is coming from in some aspects, or maybe it’s just the whole hearted, amazingly funny and sweet romance that is Sarah and Caleb Linwood.

Also… that tent scene will FOREVER live with me. (Iykyk)

Marriage in crisis is my favorite trope of all time and I can be a *little* picky when it comes to them but this exceeded my expectations and THEN raised the bar!!


YOU NEED THIS BOOK.

Now I need it to officially be published so I can get my hands on a physical copy 😂😭


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

Sarah and Caleb have been together since high school. While Sarah was dealing with her mother's illness, Caleb helped her to keep a semblance of normalcy. To be sure her mom could see her get married, they said their nuptials at 19. Now, Sarah is trying to figure out who she is, her purpose in life. Caleb is successful and is fine to continue on as always. This change in Sarah causes her to really look at their relationship, especially their roles.
When the opportunity comes to do a couples retreat, Sarah is all for it. Caleb agrees, but both are hesitant when the realize it's 100% outdoors- hiking, camping, cooking over fire. Neither are outdoorsy, but realize this may be just what they need to secure their relationship.

Do yourself a favor and read the trigger warnings!

Sarah and Caleb met as young teens and married when they were only 19, as they wanted her terminally ill mother to be present at their wedding. Now in their early 30s, Sarah feels stuck. When the fundraiser she plans is tanking and is bailed out by Caleb (without checking with her first), things explode. When Sarah hears about a relationship-reigniting outdoor trip, she convinces Caleb to go with her in hopes of discovering herself and saving their marriage.

The scenes alternate with the present and the past, starting when they met. Win and Bo, the AMAZING couple from Out on a Limb are also featured in this novel. There are some steamy scenes.

I loved this book but I could not have read it at a worse time. Today, when I read about 70% of the book is the three-year anniversary of my dad's death. I was in my 30s when I lost my dad to cancer but I miss him every day, much like Sarah misses her mom. I know the helpless feeling of watching someone you love succumb to illness. I also lost a man I loved, who I was supposed to spend the rest of my life with, to ALS, which is what took Marcie, Sarah's mom. To read this today of all days in the year made it that much more emotional and harder. And yet, if you think that you can handle reading parts of a book about such a hard period in a character's life, I recommend this book. It is so good.

Thank you to Net Galley, Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine, and Dell for the DRC. All opinions are my own and are heavily influenced by my own experiences.

♾️ ⭐️

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

“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.”

I truly loved Out on a Limb by Hannah Bonam-Young, so when I received this ARC I literally screamed. Win and Bo’s story was absolute perfection, so I knew Sarah and Caleb’s story would be as well.

Sarah and Caleb have been together for 17 years, Caleb helped Sarah through some of the most difficult times. Sarah wants to find her way back to herself, having something that’s hers to be proud of. She doesn’t want to depend solely on Caleb for everything, or for him to always save her. Win tells Sarah about a couples retreat called Reignite, what better way for Sarah and Caleb to reconnect?

This book was so emotional, it’s real and it’s raw. The struggles in marriage that aren’t talked about enough, the uncomfortable conversations that need to be had. How scared and vulnerable they were with each other, it was a beautiful thing to see. I cried several times while reading this, I just love these characters so so much. I also loved seeing Win and Bo, oh and of course August. The character growth in this book was phenomenal, a true journey of self discovery.

I could go on and on, I HIGHLY recommend this book. Although it can be read as a stand alone, I also highly recommend reading Out on a Limb first. You’ll fall in love with every single one of these characters, it’s impossible not to 🥹🩵

Thank you Hannah, Netgalley and Random House for the ARC!

Sarah and Caleb have been inseparable since they first crossed paths when they were fourteen and their love has never wavered, even through Sarah's mother's ALS diagnosis and death. Caleb has always been Sarah's rock and protector, supporting through all of life's challenges. However, as the dust settles and Sarah starts to take stock of her life as an adult, she finds herself lacking, and resentful of Caleb always being there to help, even when he isn't asked to. Something's gotta give, and when Sarah finds out about a couple's wilderness retreat, she jumps at the chance for her and Caleb to spend some uninterrupted time together to see if what they have can be saved.

This book really tugged at my heartstrings and I teared up multiple times. Sarah has been through the ringer and feels so lost, I really felt for her and her struggle to find something was was truly hers. Caleb was the ultimate book husband, and I loved seeing him come out of his shell emotionally and deliver the most swoon-worthy lines! The hill the two of them had to climb wasn't easy, but seeing them work through their issues and be vulnerable was so touching. This book was emotional, humorous, and so sweet! I really connected with Sarah especially and loved seeing more of her story after loving her in Out on a Limb. I'm also glad we got to see more of Win and Bo! Overall, this book was so good and definitely worth a read.

TW: Mention of death of a parent, mention of chronic terminal illness, accident with blood, hospital stay

As a huge fan of Out On A Limb, I was beyond excited to read this book. I got to know Sarah and Caleb from reading OOAL and definitely learned more about their relationship in this installment.

Sarah and Caleb got married at the ripe young age of nineteen and never looked back. They've been together for most of their lives and know each other the best. But sometimes, being settled isn't enough for Sarah and she needs to do something about it. On a whim, Sarah decides that her and Caleb should go to a couple's retreat rather than therapy and the great outdoors will do wonders for them. Through some interesting twists and turns, being out in the woods prove to be just as challenging as it is satisfying to overcome the hills they've set themselves up on. There's still so much that Sarah learns about her husband that she's just not ready to wave a white flag of defeat yet.

I'm always a fan of the marriage-in-crisis trope, because it's always so interesting to see how authors give their own take on it. Sarah was very relatable in many ways and her ability to express her exact feelings and emotions was heartwarming. I really enjoyed her openness with Yvonne and Helen during the retreats, and how she bonded with Libby over their losses. The flashback excerpts were tender moments I appreciated so much. Can't forget about my absolute favorites Win and Bo. I loved their cameos and even little August when she had her moments. Caleb was an easy to love type of MMC, but I didn't find myself pulled to his character as much. He was complimentary to Sarah in the perfect way, always putting her well being first. I did enjoy the overall growth and development in this one.

The ending made things feel more endearing and tied up well, in a realistic manner of sorts. I'm glad Sarah and Caleb got their own book to show us that long time lovers can still be ones that venture to change and grow together, if they're willing to.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group/Ballantine/Dell for providing me with an electronic copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts and opinions.

I have its prequel “Out on a Limb” and I really wish I had read that one first because it would have helped me get to know and understand Caleb and Sarah a little bit more before I met them in this book. They’re best friends with the main characters in that book, actually, Win and Sarah were raised like sisters by their single moms in a joint household. So, the story in this book is that Sarah is definitely still stuck in mourning and should have been in counselling long before things got bad enough, and the only way forward for her and Caleb was marital boot camp in the woods. Because neither she nor Caleb saw that earlier than they did, Sarah comes off looking really bad in the early part of the book. That’s why it’s only a 4-star for me. Because that early part of the book was a bit dragging.

The wilderness retreat portion of the story was really well done and Sarah and Caleb both made great strides individually and as a couple. The last portion of the book got a little weird in terms of the situation with Caleb in the hospital. But it did give Sarah a chance to stand up for herself against both of Caleb’s parents, which also ended up helping his mother stand up for herself finally so that was a cool moment of character growth all around.

I’ve never really read an established couple romance like this before so it was really interesting to see the dynamics in play here. It’s not really an “after the happily ever after” situation which the partial dual timeline of the book will explain. That dual timeline ended up being super helpful in understanding Sarah in the present. I liked that it ended showing us how their 10-year plan actually worked out for them.

This was a 4.5 for me

I want to start by saying reading out on a limb helps so much to know who the characters are. This story is about Sarah and Caleb and how love is not always enough in a relationship. These two have been together since high school and got married very young. Within that time people change and grow and sometimes not in the same direction. This is a story of finding yourself but also helping one another grow as a couple. With also learning how to deal with a hurtful past. I felt this story deeply and enjoyed it whole heartedly.

HBY does it again! OOTW is such a beautiful story. One of my favorite things about this author is how well she combines humor with emotional and deep elements without it feeling insensitive. We see Sara and Caleb question their purpose in life and try to figure out how to become the person they want to be. It emphases the importance of never losing your own self and to keep working towards your dreams and goals even if you are in a committed relationship. I loved that even if they had troubles in their couple, their love and commitment towards each other was never in question. You could feel how deeply they love each other, it was so heartwarming. What I learned from this is that no matter at what stage of life you are, it is never to late to work on yourself, start the project you always dreamed about, try to achieve your dreams.

Thank you to the publisher for an advanced copy!

My review is now posted on goodreads and my bookstagram @yasreadss!

What an absolutely sweet and beautiful story!

Out of the Woods follow Caleb and Sarah as they go to a camping retreat to fix their marriage. The first half of the book was gut-wrenching sad as we learn how unhappy Sarah really is and how her revelation affects Caleb. The second half of the book was full of giddy feet kicking laughter as the two communicate their wants and wishes. I absolutely loved how real this book was, anyone could go through what Caleb and Sarah went through. The emotional rollercoaster it took me in was absolutely amazing as the author took me through the ups and downs of a marriage.

I think I found a favorite romance author!

Thank you Netgalley and Dell for a ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book was delightful! Sarah and Caleb are high school
sweethearts and have loved each other most of their lives. But, Sarah feels like she lost her identity in their marriage, so they go on a couple camping trip to improve their marriage.

This isn’t a traditional marriage in crisis book though. Like all of Hannah’s books, it’s filled with emotions and a lot of self identity. Sarah lost her mom at a young age and has been trying to see where her place in the world is, after losing the person who helped her orbit. I think the way Hannah touched on grief and the reality of how it always stays there, even as the years pass was beautiful.

I also loved how this couple talked through their issues. The love they have for each other is so deep and you could that they just needed some fine tuning after all those years. I loved getting to see more about Sarah and Caleb after seeing glimpse of them in the previous book.

If you loved Out on a Limb, you are going to be so happy with this book! Seeing this found family all get their happy endings was so lovely.

Favorite quote: “Failure is simply an opportunity for those who have time.”