4.5 stars!

Hannah Bonam-Young has become a new favorite and an auto-buy author for me. I adored Out on a Limb, and this was a great sequel to that. I loved getting to see more of Caleb and Sarah's dynamic and getting to go inside their heads. I found Sarah to be relatable (maybe a little too much), and I thought her grief and self-doubt/anxiety was portrayed really well. I liked that every few chapters we'd get a flashback to young Sarah and Caleb, especially showing her family dynamic. It helped us understand her character better and made her grief for her mother hit harder.

I of course loved getting to see more of Win, Bo and August too. This author really knows how to write a MMC that the reader will fall in love with, and write a compelling romance that deals with real life issues that hooks you from page one. This will definitely become a book I'll read again and again. I adore this little found family group!

Huge thanks to Dell and Netgalley for the ARC!

I didn’t realize how much I needed this book at the time I read it. My husband and I just went through a funk that felt sososo similar to Sarah and Caleb’s story. This story gave me so much hope and also made me feel warm and fuzzy inside.

I loved reading about how the two found each other and the fact that it not only tells their story now but also when they met. Caleb is just the absolute sweetest and such an absolute tether for Sarah when her life is spiraling, even to her detriment at times. Sarah is finally ready to figure out who she is, and Caleb is afraid of the change.

This was so good. Highly recommend. Buy a copy for your friends, too.

Wow. WOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOW. Miss Hannah… I fear you have joined the ranks of auto-read authors!!!

After loving Out on a Limb I was SO OVERJOYED to read an ARC of Bonam-Young’s next novel. I love love LOVE that HBY writes things that aren’t commonplace in romance books: accidental pregnancy, physically disabled main characters, and NOW a romance book about high-school sweethearts that are ALREADY MARRIED!!!

Out of the Woods hit me hard from the jump. As you may know, my husband and I met and started dating in high school (although unlike Sarah and Caleb, we waited until our late 20’s to get married). Our marriage, and us as general people, are decently different than Sarah and Caleb but MAN…reading a book about high-school sweethearts really got me in the feels.

FOR YOU BOOK GORLS: Sarah is also an avid reader and Caleb doesn’t judge her for what she reads and the little kindle moments are SO ADORABLE!!!! Hehe also HBY slyly describes certain books Sarah is reading and I was able to guess every single one of them 😈😈

Anyways if you haven’t read anything by Hannah Bonam-Young…you know what to do. Also PREORDER OUT OF THE WOODS YOU WON’T REGRET IT. Toodles 🩵

Huge thanks to Hannah Bonam-Young, Dell Romance, and NetGalley for a copy of this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

📚 Out of the Woods
✍ Hannah Bonam-Young
📖 Contemporary Romance
⭐4/5
🌶️ 🌶️

➡ Sarah and Caleb may look like they're #marriagegoals on the outside but after spending more than half their lives together, Sarah is beginning to wonder if she has her own identify anymore or if everything about her life is truly tied to Caleb. After a fundraiser in her late mother's honor goes awry and Caleb swoops in to save the day, the cracks in their relationship become so apparent that Sarah decides to take drastic measures and suggests the two join a week-long hiking trip for couples in crisis. If rainy hikes, blistered feet and an abstinence rule don't break them, surely they can rebound...right?
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🙏 Thank you to Ballantine Books, NetGalley and the author. All opinions are my own.
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🎯 What I loved: For anyone who found their partner before fully finding themselves, this book is for you! There was so much to love about Caleb and Sarah's relationship: the way they remained committed to each other even when things were challenging, that they were able to find themselves and figure out how to grow together and that they pushed themselves out of their comfort zone to better their relationship. So many romances I read are about falling in love initially and I am cheering on behalf all the folks in the back that want to see more 'falling back in love' books because seriously, it doesn't end when you say 'I do.' I also really appreciated the representation of a couple that loves each other but doesn't see parenthood as part of their journey- not every book has to have a baby in the epilogue! If you loved Out on a Limb as much as I did, you'll appreciate all the Win and Bo (and Gus!) cameos and for anyone that is a HBY stan like me, rest assured that her magic remains very much in tact after transitioning fully to being trad. published.

🙅‍♀️ What I didn't: It felt like there was a section missing after the 'crisis' and before the epilogue and I didn't get quite as much closure from the trip as I wanted. But I really did enjoy this book!
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Read if you love:
*marriage in crisis
*forced proximity
*finding yourself AFTER finding love
*camping
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See also: Something Wilder, The Bromance Book Club, Do I Know You?

A beautifully written novel about what it’s like to meet your soulmate young. Growing together isn’t easy, and Hannah put those feelings so beautifully to paper. I laughed, I sobbed.

This book is truly a work of art, perfect in every way.

I found myself deeply relating to Sarah, having in common with her that I am in a long-term relationship with my high school sweetheart. I was worried that because of how much I related to her, I would have a hard time with the story but that was not the case at all! While reading, the first reaction I had was that it was clear how much care and love this story was written with. This is a unique love story in the sense that the couple is already together before the book begins, but this story isn't lacking in any character development, tension, and plot that you may think it would. Sarah and Caleb have a rare kind of love that truly only comes once in a lifetime, and I feel honored to have read about it. They're so cute and perfect for each other!! The impact that this book will leave on me as a partner and a person in general is one like no other.

The mental health representation (in all forms!) and vulnerability that these characters show was done so well, and I honestly couldn't have asked for more from this book. This series means the world to me, and I can't wait to recommend and rave about this book to anyone who's hands I can shove this book into :)

Ahhhhh I love when I can catch up with my "friends'" This book is an amazing story (filled with all the feels and laughs!) that touches on serious issues. Absolutely love it!

Out of the Woods
By Hannah Bonam-Young
4⭐️

This was such a wild and emotional journey! Sarah absolutely stole the show, all of her worries, emotions and struggles were so SO relatable! At times I found myself not liking her because I related a little too much to some of her struggles. This was a really intense and heavy read because Sarah’s grief journey in the past and present timelines were painfully relatable and real. Caleb was such a sweet bookish husband!! I absolutely love that he packed her e-reader and a solar charger so Sarah wouldn’t lose her reading streak while they were away.

At times it felt like the book was more centered on Sarah alone rather than Sarah and Caleb’s marriage which made it feel a little more like women's fiction. One of my only other issues is that Sarah’s problems felt a little forced…I was waiting for it to be explained why she didn’t try to make a change sooner and it never came. I totally get the explanations of how life got in the way immediately after high school and in the years after Caleb graduated but there was nothing stopping her at the start of the book or even in those 5 years before.

If I haven’t read Out on a Limb first…. I would have loved this a little more. Sarah and Caleb’s story was such a good read but Win and Bo remain unmatched, probably forever ❤️

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for this gifted arc!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6862683831
*will post IG @RasberryReads in December 2024* and then again in the days leading up to release

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.