RATING: 3/5 STARS

I'm in the minority on this one, but I didn't enjoy this latest novel by Hannah Bonam-Young. Maybe because the marriage-in-trouble trope is not my favorite. But I will definitely try her next book, as Out on a Limb was one of my top rom-coms.

If Hannah writes it I’m going to read this. You have outdone yourself again. This book was purely amazing. The characters were so relatable and the struggles were relative. Love the character development as well.

Thank you #netgalley for Out of the Woods by Hannah Bonam-Young. I love supporting Canadian authors and all authors. This was a relatable story about Caleb and Sarah who are trying to figure out if their relationship can go the distance. I loved Sarah and Caleb and rooted for them throughout the book!!

4 stars.

This is how you do second-chance/marriage-in-trouble romances! Hannah Bonam-Young's "Out of the Woods" is a realistic, raw, heartfelt, viscerally honest portrayal of what it's like to grow apart and grow together in a relationship. We follow childhood sweethearts Sarah and Caleb’s journey back to one another after years of marriage as unspoken resentments and years of love and frustrations come to a head. They decide to go to a one-week nature retreat to try and get back to what and who they were. Along the way, they find out that, while they have grown apart in some ways, they are stronger together in others and still want to move forward as a couple. Growth is the name of the game in this book, and Bonam-Young showcases that notion exceedingly well. Sarah and Caleb rediscover what made their relationship great via the wonderment of nature, reconnecting without technology, meeting other couples, doing exercises outside their wheelhouse and comfort zone, grounding together, learning apart, and becoming more intimate physically and mentally. These are not perfect characters, nor do they claim to be, and that's what makes them so compelling to read about. They are both messy and imperfect; they are both headstrong in some ways and pushovers in others. Many readers will dismiss Sarah as abrasive and unlikeable, but I found her relatable. I thoroughly enjoyed reading their story, and I have a hunch I will read this one again in time.

Thank you to NetGalley, Hannah Bonam-Young, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, and Dell for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.

Sarah and Kaleb were always perceived as the ideal couple. The kind of relationship that lasts a lifetime. But choosing each other as kids and becoming adults together made for some gruesome growing pains and, unbeknownst to them, they were growing in different directions. Complacency becomes their downfall as Sarah is stuck in her traumatic past while Kaleb is too comfortable in the life they've made to imagine something different being better. With Sarah desperately yearning for change and Kaleb completely fearful of it, these two drift apart to the point where they can't seem to have real discussions anymore, and their dissonance leads to silence. In an effort to rectify the distance, they go on an outdoor, completely unplugged couples retreat. Choosing to leave all their creature comforts behind them allowing for nothing else but each other and daily bouts of therapy. The journey is full of every emotion you can think of from sadness and grief to laughter and joy and even some undeniable sizzling chemistry! But no matter the journey, the most important part is that they are choosing to take the path to reconciliation together.

I don't think I've ever cried more when reading a book than I did with this one. I never could've imagined the reactions I had throughout this entire book. I literally cried through about 80% of it and I rarely ever get emotional when reading. I think it shocked me the most because I knew going into this that the main trope was a marriage of convenience and I'm personally not a relationship person, so I normally am able to remain pretty neutral when it comes to stories like these. But its so much more than that.

This story rattled me to my core. It made me see things in myself that I didn't know were there. It made me confront my past in a way a book has never done and it took me a long time to finish it, but I knew that I needed to see it through. Even though my journey with this story was fraught with pain and sorrow, I am grateful for it. The same way that Kaleb was forced to see his world in a new light and in turn accept change as a good thing, I was forced to do the same. The same way that Sarah was forced to learn to love herself and recognize that she was worthy of taking the steps that would truly make her happy, I was forced to do the same.

There are elements of this story that resurfaced some of my deepest traumas, and I had to grapple with that and take the time I needed to process those feelings, but I couldn't DNF this because I trusted that Hannah would see me through, so I kept reading. I allowed myself to feel everything and used that to help mend the cracks in my soul that became exposed. After a lot of reflection, I think this book was cathartic for me. As Hannah always does, she causes us to feel, contemplate and re-evaluate all the things that intertwine our lives more than we might think. From the journey of Winn and Bo and now with Sarah and Kaleb, Hannah has a gift of digging into the universal heart of us all. That as different as some of our experiences are, there are some things none of us can escape in this life, and those shared experiences are what truly allow us to empathize with one another.

Nobody knows how to gut you and rebuild you like Hannah Bonam-Young. This book was absolutely everything. There were so many complex pieces — the grief, the listlessness, the support and passion, and the built family. I am not often one to cry at a book, but this one brought me to tears. At the same time, there was a level of fun and levity that almost makes it a rom-com. I loved every minute of it.

5 stars

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I flew through this! The emotion, the familiarity, the sexual tension, the frustration, the hurt, the worry, the adoration. Jesus Christ I was sobbing for 70% of this thing

I absolutely LOVED this book! Out on a Limb was a favorite of mine and I was super excited for Out of the Woods—and it did not disappoint. I absolutely adored Sarah and Caleb’s relationship and I think the camping trip was such a fun experience as a reader!

Hannah Bonam-Young delivers a heartfelt and refreshingly honest second-chance romance in Out of the Woods. Sarah and Caleb, high school sweethearts, find themselves questioning whether love alone is enough to sustain a marriage. When their unspoken resentments come to a head, they embark on a wilderness retreat designed to mend relationships—despite being hilariously ill-suited for the great outdoors.

With Bonam-Young’s signature warmth, humor, and deeply relatable characters, this story beautifully explores identity, partnership, and the evolving nature of love. Equal parts emotional and uplifting, Out of the Woods is a reminder that sometimes, to find your way back to each other, you have to get a little lost first.

Sarah and Caleb, wow what a couple! I can truly say even though the book is fictional there are many similarities to real-life couples like them, going from Friends to Lovers which is a trope I also Love. Thank You Netgalley for this eBook, which I Loved, but before I started this one of course I had to read "Out on a Limb" first. You don't have to but if you want to know a little more about their best friends you have to. I Loved how in this Book they didn't give up, yes you can tell they were about it but I was happy they didn't. Please read both books, trust me you won't regret it!

DNF
I can’t stand Sarah, I dislike this character from the first couple of pages, made it to chapter 6 and just gave up, I started this January, It’s now March, I’ve put this book down so many times I just cannot stand this character and I don’t care to read further to see how the story unfolds I dislike the character that much.

We’re following married high school sweethearts Sarah and Caleb in the midst of a rough patch in their marriage. They embark on a couples camping retreat as an attempt to reconnect with each other and salvage their marriage.

I was a bit skeptical going into this read based on the premise. I wasn’t sure it’d be something I was interested in, but I had a great time with this book! I empathized a lot with Sarah and her feeling a lack of individuality because she’s been with Caleb longer than she’s been without him. Struggling with the illness and loss of her mother alongside getting married so young, her identity was so entwined in who and what she is to other people, that she’s never had the chance to fully get to know herself as an individual.

Caleb was also so understanding throughout their journey and it’s clear he loves Sarah deeply. Because Caleb comes from an extremely privileged family, I felt it was hard for him to fully understand Sarah and what she was dealing with. But he always showed up and supported Sarah. I would have loved to get Caleb’s POV - I think it would have added so much to the storyline.

I was also intrigued by how prayer/religion was used in the story. It wasn’t something I personally resonated with, but Sarah’s changes in her perspective on prayer (specifically her choice to walk away from a belief in prayer/religion/higher power) is one that people can relate to.

Overall, this was a sweet read by Hannah Bonam-Young and I can’t wait to read more by her! Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing - Ballantine for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I had to DNF this book. It was beautifully written, however I actually related *too* much to the FMC. As a married woman in the middle of a career shift, it was very authentic LOL. I've enjoyed every book Ms. HBY has put out though!

A good marriage in trouble story that felt realistic and honest about the need to grow together. It doesn’t read as your typical rom-com because of the amount of therapy that the characters go through.

𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁: OMG the book I didn’t know I needed but now think every married woman should read! I love this one so much I didn’t even know what to say, this book is just a so relatable on so many levels. Seriously run and add to tbr now it’s basically marriage counseling meets nature with spice and rekindling the flame while finding yourself. How can you go wrong!

𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬: Sarah fell in love with Caleb in high school, he has always been her rock. When her mom was diagnosis with ALS he was by her side. He proposed when they were 19 so her mom could see her walk down the aisle. When her mom passed away he was her everything. So she fell into the role of dutiful wife and skipped the future she once planned.

She has spent months planning a giant gala to fundraiser for ALS research and they were falling short of their goals. Sarah felt like a failure that she was in her 30s and nothing to show. To make it worse Caleb swept in and saved the Gala by giving a giant donation so they met their goal. That’s the problem Caleb always was there for her, he never let her fail. It lead to a giant fight the biggest they ever had!

So in order to save their marriage they agreed to branch out of their comfort zone and go on a week long nature inspired marriage retreat. Where they will have to hike, camp, reflect and spend time unplugged from the world. They will have to leave everything behind and see if they are still enough for each other or if it’s time to move on.

𝑭𝒂𝒗 𝑸𝒖𝒐𝒕𝒆: “If you give me the space to grow, I’ll plant myself next to you. Always.” - Sarah

𝑳𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒓𝒚 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒔 𝒀𝒐𝒖’𝒍𝒍 𝑭𝒊𝒏𝒅:

* Saving Their Marriage With a Week in Nature
* Right Person Wrong Time - Together Since 14
* Finding Yourself in Your 30s
* Rekindling Their Love
* Married at 19 Before Her Mom Passed
* FMC Failed Charity Fundraiser for ALS
* Thoughtful Acts & So Swoony
* Slow Burn as There is a No Sex Rule!
* Ontario, Canada Wilderness
* Then and Now Timeline
* Single POV

💚🏕️🥾🌄💚🌄🥾🏕️💚🏕️🥾🌄💚

The story of Sarah and Caleb was beautiful. Sarah has the perfect life but it doesn’t feel perfect anymore because she thinks she has not do anything to make her mom’s and her memory proud. I just love it. How it has communication between both MC’s and they work in themselves and each other to be better.

Out of the Woods by Hannah Bonam-Young is an emotionally charged journey that captivated me from the start. The story follows Sarah and Caleb, high school sweethearts who, years into their marriage, find themselves questioning their relationship. Through a couples' therapy retreat in the wilderness, they embark on a journey of self-discovery and reconnection.

What I loved most was the theme of growth. Sarah’s struggle to reclaim her sense of self after years of being defined by her roles as wife and daughter felt deeply relatable. Watching Sarah and Caleb rediscover each other, both emotionally and physically, was incredibly moving. Their journey of healing and rediscovery was heartfelt and beautifully written.

The spice between Sarah and Caleb is on fire. The chemistry between them is electric, especially as they navigate their issues and reconnect in the wilderness. It added a layer of intimacy that perfectly complemented the emotional depth of their story.

The theme of found family also shines, with Win and Bo providing unwavering support, and even the other couples on the retreat offering unexpected camaraderie. The grief Sarah experiences over losing her mother was portrayed with such depth and tenderness, making it all the more heartbreaking.

Hannah Bonam-Young has created another unforgettable book that blends emotional depth with intense passion. If you loved Out on a Limb, this sequel will not disappoint. Out of the Woods is a beautiful exploration of love, growth, and self-discovery. A solid 5 stars!

I will forever love anything Hannah writes, truly amazing every time.
We were once again given a full cast of deep and relatable characters who all go through significant changes and when combined with their love stories, it makes Hannah’s stories my favourites.

Alright. Out of the Woods sometimes felt like talking to a mirror. The story follows a married couple and the individual struggles as they grapple with their choices and the life they had hoped for all packaged with incisive, decisive story telling. Out of the Woods is clearly a story written from the heart and it itself is so human you can't help but relate.
It is well written, timely and with a cast of diverse characters with a HEA.

It is for those who appreciate Tess Bailey.

I’m not sure I’d be jumping to read a marriage in crisis storyline if it had been written by someone other than Hannah Bonam-Young, but I trust the woman implicitly so of course I devoured and loved this!

I will say the first bit of the book was a little depressing. It’s clear the couple loves each other deeply but they’re both hurting and then we’ve got the grief explored in the chapters set in the past that kind of hit me like a truck.

At the same time, this is a romance novel so while the couple is technically in “crisis” we all know things will work out for the best. Therefore, Caleb is still pretty much perfect and at times it felt like the book was more of a journey for Sarah to find herself. I doubt I would’ve wanted to read about more gutting marital problems but it also felt like things were pretty easily remedied.

All my gripes aside this was such a sweet book. I loved Caleb and once I got off my high horse, I found Sarah incredibly compelling and endearing. The side characters were fun and added a little oomph to the plot, but let’s be honest I spent a lot of time wishing for more Bo.

OUT OF THE WOODS can totally be read as a standalone but I have a feeling my full blown obsession with Win and Bo helped me enjoy this even more. I personally found it beneficial to already be familiar with Sarah and Caleb before reading their book and I wonder if I would have loved them as much immediately had I not read OUT ON A LIMB.

Thanks to the publisher for allowing me to be an early reader! All opinions are my own!