5 ⭐️ Starting 2025 out with a BANG(ER)!

WHAT TO EXPECT:
✨ contemporary romance
✨ high school sweethearts
✨ marriage in crisis
✨ camping couples retreat
✨ forced proximity
✨ "who am I without you?"
✨ 30 year old MCs
✨ flashbacks
✨ playful banter
✨ 2.5/5 spice
✨ "good boy", "good wife", switches
✨ found family
✨ lots of Win and Bo cameos 💕
✨ HEA
✨ TW: death of parent, grief, mentions of ALS, absent father


My Thoughts:

A soul book is one that resonates with you on a profound level, leaving a lasting mark on your heart and mind. It's the kind of book where the characters' journeys feel like your own, where their struggles and triumphs mirror your own experiences. Out of the Woods is one of those rare books for me. While certain elements of this story are different from my own, there are so many similarities that I couldn't help but stop (more than a few times) and think, "This is me" or "This is totally my husband and I." It's as if Hannah Bonam-Young somehow saw into my life, captured my story and translated it onto the page in a beautifully nuanced way. I feel an undeniable connection to Sarah and Caleb; their journey mirrors my own in ways that are deeply meaningful. I know their story will stay with me, quietly echoing in the background of my own for a long time to come. 🫶

So what did I love?

Everything. But more specifically . . .

Sarah is such a complex character, and I’ve said it a million times, but I truly connected with her. Like Sarah, I’m in my early 30s, navigating the process of finding myself, or perhaps, more accurately, going through a bit of an existential crisis. While her trauma stems from the loss of her mother and mine comes from a different place, the way those events shaped our lives felt strikingly similar. Both of us found loving, supportive partners early on, who provided comfort and stability during tough times. But over time, those relationships became a lifeline we held onto instead of learning to navigate life independently. It became a "we" instead of a "me," and with that came the question: Who am I without you?

The real question, though, was always: Who am I? Period. After a lot of therapy and self-reflection, I’ve worked through most of the hard stuff, and come out stronger on the other side. But reading Sarah’s journey was almost like therapy in itself. It was a reminder that I’m not alone in this struggle to understand who I am, separate from anyone else, and it honestly was healing to see that reflected in her story.

The relationship between Sarah and Caleb felt incredibly real and relatable. These two clearly love each other. But like any relationship, it's the small, seemingly insignificant issues that can quietly build up into larger problems before anyone even realizes it. What makes their connection so strong, though, is the solid foundation they’ve built on love and trust. Because of that, they’re able to work through their challenges in a way that feels authentic.

What I really appreciated was seeing them navigate these tough moments. In many romance books, conflicts can feel forced or get resolved too easily, but Sarah and Caleb put in the real work. They take the time to do the introspective self-reflection needed before even addressing the problems in their relationship. Ultimately, a relationship can only thrive if both people are willing to grow together, and Sarah and Caleb clearly love each other enough to do just that.

I also just really enjoyed Sarah and Caleb's interactions. They didn't really banter, but instead would have playful conversations. It's as if they're best friends who find joy and amusement with life and they want to share it with each other. I just got such a sense of peace whenever they were happy together.

The spice was HOT. Sarah and Caleb have incredible sexual chemistry from the start, but once they work through the deeper issues in their relationship, they’re able to truly connect on a more intimate level. Since this book takes place during an outdoor camping retreat, you can expect some really fun and steamy moments in interesting places - including a natural pool with a waterfall, the lush forest, and a cozy tent. Also, Sarah and Caleb are both switches, so we get to see both of them take control in one way or another throughout these scenes.

I absolutely adored the bond between Sarah and Win. These two women embody the very essence of true friendship and are sisters in every way that matters. The love, understanding, and support they share with each other is truly beautiful. From childhood to now, they've been each other's constant, always there through life's ups and downs. In moments of struggle, they’re each other’s lifeline, and in times of joy, they celebrate together with pure happiness. Every interaction between them radiates warmth and affection. They are friendship goals. 🫶

The flashbacks absolutely wrecked me. I was not prepared to experience the pain and grief Sarah goes through while losing her mom to ALS. I 100% burst into tears. It wasn’t a dramatic or overly intense scene, but rather a quiet, tender moment that made the loss all the more devastating. (Honestly, I’m tearing up just thinking about it.) The bond between Sarah and her mother was so beautiful, and walking through that loss with Sarah was absolutely heartbreaking. It felt raw and real, and it broke my heart.

This story was truly beautiful, resonating deeply with my heart and leaving a lasting impression. I have no doubt that many others will feel the same way. Hannah Bonam-Young's ability to craft such powerful, moving narratives is unmatched and once again proves why she’s an automatic buy for me.

4.25 ⭐️
I was so excited for this one and it didn’t disappoint, Iloved Sarah and Caleb so much! The marriage in crisis trope is new to me I haven’t really read any until this one but I really enjoyed it. I liked seeing them go through real struggles and I loved seeing Win and Bo again.
Thank you so much NetGalley and the publisher for the free eARC!

ARC Review: Thank you NetGalley & Ballantine!
Publish Date: 1/28/2025

I am completely and utterly obsessed with this book and I wouldn’t have put it down if my life depended on it.
It was absolutely refreshing to read a book that was about a couple in their 30s navigating their lives as individuals and fighting to save their marriage instead of another “enemies to lovers” romance and miscommunication trope. Hannah Bonam-Young’s writing is a true breath of fresh air in this genre as she yet again tackles complex topics all while making you laugh, swoon, and cry and begging for more. As someone married to my high school sweetheart, Sarah and Caleb’s story resonated so deeply with me. I loved how accurately HBY captured the nuance of emotions between two people wanting each other and different things at once. Brava!
What to Expect:
🧡Highschool sweethearts
🧡Grief representation
🧡Spice

“Out of the Woods is my love letter to all of us who met their soulmate before they had the chance to fully meet themselves. I wanted to write a story that reflected the delicate dance of being madly, deeply in love with your significant other but desperately seeking independence, evolution, and change. It’s also for all of us who, following a traumatic event, felt frozen in time.”

It’d be difficult to separate my own story from this one after Hannah’s author's note!

Married at 19, lost my FIL to cancer soon after, had our first baby by 22, and so much more when we were barely more than kids.

A LOT of life lived over the next 20+ yrs, and in ‘21-22, we went through a very challenging parenting season, and then both lost our moms within a matter of months. Hardest season of my life to date.

I never doubted my love and commitment to my husband, even while emotionally feeling like I was drowning. But it would also be dishonest to pretend that the drowning didn’t take its toll.

Hannah Bonam-Young wrote not so much a marriage in crisis story but more of a wife’s crisis and how it affected her marriage story. AND I AM HERE FOR THIS.

Sarah and Caleb have loved each other since their early teens. They’ve lived through it all over their 17 years- loved together, lost together, celebrated, and mourned together.

Sarah has found herself unsettled lately and desperate to feel accomplishment all her own. When she puts on a fundraising event, she thinks this is HER moment. All her worries, fears, and frustrations come to a head when the fundraiser isn’t the success she wanted it to be, and Caleb swoops in to rescue her.

This is it. Caleb’s problem-solving and lack of understanding of her emotional needs is her breaking point. Not a realization she no longer loves him. A realization she loves him, but something has to change if she wants to salvage this marriage.

A week-long marriage counseling intensive camping retreat is sure to do the trick, right?

Adorable, light-hearted story of a couple working through not-so-light-hearted trials to save their marriage.

I really loved this book. It was so great to read about a couple who have been in love for a while and go through normal couple issues. This book had the depth that I was looking for and I highly recommend this book. Looking forward to reading much more from this author.

THIS BOOK.
ALL THE STARS.
I LOVED IT.
Sarah and Caleb, their journey and their love.
The way Hannah Bonam-Young told their story was perfect. This book was more than a cute rom-com for me, it dealt with grief.. I saw myself in Sarah. Married “high school sweetheart”, grieving my parents. This was an emotional read for me.

“I MISS FEELING LIKE TGERE WAS SO MUCH THAT WAS STILL TO COME, AND NOT ALREADY PASSED.” 💔💔

On a lighter note-

“I am a simple creature, at my core. Give me books, sunlight, water, and a handsome man looking at me like I'm some rare jewel, and I'm all set.” ME TOO Sarah 🙃

Interconnected standalone. Win, Bo, Gus are back.
High school sweethearts; soulmates
Found family

Caleb. His love for is his wife is everything. I wish we got a chapter in his POV. Maybe a bonus? I didn’t want this book to end, I didn’t want to put this book down. I just loved it.
A FAVORITE OF 2024.
Caleb needs to be on people’s top MMC’s list.
This book is one of those I wish I could read for the first time again.

I am obsessed with this book! Easily my new favorite book I've read in over a year. Infinity stars. It was amazing! I loved reading about a couple who has been in love for years and have normal issues that the rest of the world also can resonate with. It wasn't just a fluffy falling in love romance like every other book. This book has depth and is absolutely amazing!

Hannah Bonam-Young knows how to absolutely devastate a reader and then build them back up. This book is incredibly special to me, as it beautifully captures the complexities of marriage, following a young couple as they fall in love but also drift apart. It’s one of the most delightful books I’ve ever read—full of hope, growth, and tender yet heart-wrenching moments.

This book left me crying so hard one night that I honestly didn’t think I’d recover. I experienced something I never had before; I almost wanted to stop reading it. Not because I didn’t want to finish, but because I was desperate to slow time down. I wanted to savor every word, let each sentence sink in, and just cry. It’s that incredible—truly one of the best books I’ve ever read.

I related so much to Sarah, in a different way. The beginning of my own book reawakening happened because I felt exactly like her. I have a young child. I love being a mother, but I lost myself in that role. I dedicated 2024 to rediscovering who I am, rebuilding myself, and hearing the words Sarah tells herself (so similar to ones I told myself as a stay-at-home mom) hit so close to home.

Being in a long-term relationship is HARD but worth it. Watching Sarah and Caleb come back together—for themselves and their relationship—made me swoon, sob, and giggle.

If you’ve made it this far, just know: this book is absolute perfection. It will change you. You’ll feel every emotion intensely, a mark will be left on your heart, and you’ll treasure this book forever.

Thank you to the publisher (Dell) for giving me the opportunity for the egalley of this novel.

This is the first time reading Hannah’s novels (I have heard of others by her) and I see why her stories are loved so much. Her character development is fantastic and seeing how her characters grow is lovely to see.

This story follows both Sarah and Caleb from teenagers into adulthood. The flashbacks give the reader a better understanding of where these two were and why they are going. With them going out on this hiking adventure to help with their relationship you get the sense of adventure as well as the difficult issues they are trying to overcome as a couple.
I highly recommend this story if enjoy adventure, relationship building, family and friend relationships, and character development. This books release date is 01/28/2025.

The first 70% of this book was so strong! I thought the end was fine, but I wish the internal conflict would have been wrung out a little more.

Sarah and Caleb have been together since they were 14 years old. They've been through highs and lows, but at 31 Sarah is struggling with her role in their marriage. They decide to escape to the woods to see if they can rebuild their relationship at a wilderness marriage retreat.

I adored the first part of this book. I can relate to being a young bride, falling into roles in marriage, and waking up one day and being unsure of how you got there. I loved the story line with her mother passing away and the trauma that event caused. There's two things that kept this book from being 5 stars for me. 1) I didn't ever feel like this couple was actually in danger of splitting up. Because of that, I think it lacked a bit of emotional impact that it could have had. 2) At 70% the book pretty much wraps up the marriage in trouble part of the story, and then we get this overly dramatic event. I thought the book lost some momentum when that happened. I wish the book had stayed focused on their marriage instead of going to outside conflicts. I think adding in Caleb's POV would have been impactful and also given us the extra angst that I was craving.

As a whole I enjoyed this book. I thought the writing was great and the story was compelling, but I wanted just a bit more from the internal conflicts of the main characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dell for the e-book in exchange for my honest review.

This was soooooo good. I really liked it. I loved real it felt with what the characters went through. The spice was really good, it was pretty funny. Definately recommend!

I love this book! Out of the Woods made me laugh and cry which is always a good thing. I love the dual timeline of Sarah and Caleb when they were young and now. Caleb is the handsome nerdy guy and Sarah is a strong outgoing woman. Great story line of marriage crisis with a camp couples retreat.

There was more Win and Bo which was amazing I love them. I have read three other books Hannah Bonam-Young has written and have thoroughly enjoyed all of them. Every time I read one of her books it makes me look at life a little differently. I am so thankful that I got an arc of this book.

Remember Sarah and Caleb from Out on a Limb? Sarah is Win's best friend, and has been married to her high school sweetheart, Caleb, for her whole adult life. When a rift begins to threaten their relationship, Sarah and Caleb spontaneously decide to embark on a group-therapy-style hiking trip. Out of the Woods brings together beloved characters, a "marriage in crisis" trope, heartfelt moments, and some laugh-out-loud comedy.

Hannah's writing style comes across as genuine, emotional, and authentic. She knows how to captivate an audience, and write characters that feel super relatable and real.

Out of the Woods is out on January 28th, and you do not want to miss it.

Thank you Netgalley and Dell for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy of this book!

This book was an utter delight. After hearing nothing but wonderful things about Out on a Limb (still waiting for my hold to come in!), I was delighted to have the opportunity to read Out of the Woods. Sarah and Caleb's relationship was so real and full of love. I enjoyed the journey they both went on, together and separately, and how ReIgnite changed their marriage. As someone who also lost a parent to terminal illness in their teen years, Sarah's experiences with her mother's death and illness hit all the right places. It was poignant and gave me a lot to think about, both in terms of grief and relationships with loved ones. Plus, I loved that the book took place in Ontario! Overall a great read and one that I know will be popular with readers!

“All of me is and will always be yours.”

🥹🥲🫠 excuse me while I remain in a puddle on the floor from this beautiful second chance romance

This is unique for second chance - it follows a couple that is already married and is just going through a rough patch! So second chance 🫱🏻‍🫲🏼 marriage in crisis. Think lack of communication, internal doubts on achievements, feeling limited to what you’ve done in life, etc. PERFECT for anyone who has ever been or is in a long term relationship - you may just relate to some of the growing pains that come with being with the love of your life for over a decade already.

The only qualms I really had for this book was that I wish we would’ve gotten more of nerdy Caleb! You’re telling me this man has been hiding his confidence and sexy thoughts from his wife for this long 🧐

I also thought the last part of the book was weird and honestly not even needed - Caleb and Sarah had both reached a good point in their relationship, communication, and commitment to each other that I was just like… what is going on

I adored all the Win & Bo content that was in this book - forever my favorite HBY couple 🥹🫶🏼

All in all, this was a wonderful book that hit all the emotions and marks that I expect from a second chance romance.

p.s. if you LOVED this book and want to read something with similar vibes… check out Our Final Love Song by N.S. Perkins 🤭

Hannah Bonam-Young can write anything and I will simply just buy it immediately with no questions asked.

Sarah and Caleb Linwood have been high school sweethearts for seventeen years, but when Sarah tries to prove she can succeed on her own, things start to unravel. After a failed gala and some major marital tension, the couple decides to try something completely out of their comfort zone: a week-long wilderness expedition designed to help couples reconnect.

What follows is a hilarious, heartfelt adventure as Sarah and Caleb fumble their way through the woods. This book is a perfect balance of humor and heart. The idea of a couple facing relationship struggles by venturing into the wild is both funny and relatable, and the banter between Sarah and Caleb adds a lightness to the deeper themes of identity and love. It’s a journey of rediscovery, both of each other and themselves, that will have you laughing out loud one minute and tearing up the next. If you’re looking for a charming, feel-good read that proves love—like camping—can be messy, unpredictable, but ultimately worth the effort, Out of the Woods is a must-read. Just maybe don’t take it as marriage advice... unless you're really into hiking LMAO.

I’m so excited to have this book in my hands.!

5 stars! Obsessed with a story including a married couple. The first at trauma is talked about and handled in all her books is refreshing. Out on a limb got me hooked on this author. I can’t wait to read every book she writes!

Out of the Woods by Hannah Bonam Young

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

My first 5 star rating of 2025!!! This stand alone sequel to Out on a Limb, was everything and more of what I dreamed it would be. The ability of the author to write such real and relatable characters is what really stood out to me during this read. The main characters were highschool sweethearts since age 14, and got married at 19. During this duel timeline book, you get to see how they grew together, and how they in other areas stayed stagnant until forced to evaluate their relationship from an adult perspective. Anyone who has been in a long term relationship/marriage will find ways to relate to one or both of these characters. Their love was never lost, but what fulfills them and their self identity was. To fix their personal and marriage struggles, they went to an outdoor camping/counseling retreat. Both, out of their natural element, were forced to choose honesty with themselves and with each other in hopes to build a new foundation for their relationship. I loved how real and raw the emotions, fights, and even spicy scenes were.

This is a must read!!
Out January 28th, 2025

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for sending me this ARC in exchange for a honest review 🤍🤍

Absolute and utter perfection. This book was wrapped around my little finger. There’s just something about HBY writing that just pulls you in. I read this book from start to finish within 24 hours. I know I know, I should’ve savored it, but I truly could not go on about my day until this book was finished.

Sarah and Caleb live inside my soul from here on out. As someone who’s been with their significant other for almost 8 years I feel like it was so eye opening reading a romance book where the characters get to fall in love for a SECOND time. A good marriage is not always sunshine and rainbows and this book is such an accurate representation of that.

I love how absolutely effortlessly in love Caleb is with Sarah. I love how Sarah feels so deeply for him and everyone in her life. These two were truly perfect for each other ever since they were young and in love in 10th grade. Adult life catches up to them and their marriage and they decide to go to a relationship retreat to work on their marriage and other aspects of their life to better understand each other.

ahhh this book. so many tears shed. 😭

i have never read a marriage in crisis but so many aspects of this book we relatable and realistic and i will definitely be seeking out more.

this book has such fun side characters - which can honestly make or break a book imo. and the camping aspect was so much fun!!

while i didn’t fully relate to caleb and sarah and their stories - their overall struggles just hit home.

there was one part and the end of the book that kind of ruined a good chunk of it for me 😅 but over all would still recommend!! ❤️