Hannah has done it again! Out of the Woods was an incredibly beautiful story about self-discovery, rekindling a marriage, and just enjoying what life has to offer. This book made me cry, laugh, and smile. Truly one of the best books I have read so far.

The premise was beautifully written and well-paced. The past and present timelines were nice, as it gave us snippets to Sarah’s relationship with Caleb from the beginning and her mother’s condition and death.

There were some sensitive topics throughout the story such as grief, which I thought were handled and written perfectly. There were definitely moments that made me tear up.

Sarah’s journey was realistic, heartbreaking, beautiful and inspiring. Caleb’s support and understanding of her journey was amazing as well. I will say though, I wished we would have gotten a bit more from Caleb and his journey/struggles. There were also a few subplots that could have been more developed.

The couples therapy retreat in the middle of the woods lead to some amusing, sweet and spicy moments. The rekindling their marriage aspect did have me a bit worried at first but there was truly nothing to fear. Sarah and Caleb’s marriage and love story was one filled with support, care, devotion and love. The understanding, compassion and trust they had in one another was beautiful.

There was no third act breakup/conflict but those last few chapters definitely had me nervous and tearing up. The conclusion and epilogue were perfect though. Overall, just another fantastic story filled with so much heart and love from Hannah.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and PRH Audio for the early access to the digital and audio copies of this new book. This was my first—though I’m going to be going back to read Winnie and Bo’s story. You can still definitely read this one without reading Bonam-Young’s first novel.

This book touched me deep in my soul. As someone who also met their spouse in high school and have been married for 16 years and together for 21 years—over half our lives…there were SO MANY TIMES I felt like the words Caleb and Sarah were saying were taken straight from my mouth, my soul, my journals. I felt seen. I had tears in my eyes so many times because I just resonated so much. A book hasn’t felt like therapy in awhile!

There is definitely some spice. And the trigger warnings at the start of the book for the touchy topics were good. But I laughed. I teared up. I smiled. So freaking much. This was a really beautiful book about relationships and making marriage work through the hard times. I loved it.

After reading and loving Out on a Limb by Hannah Bonam-Young, I was ecstatic when I was approved to read this ARC!!

This book follows Sarah and Caleb through so many hardships as young teens into a marriage at an early age. As many marriage experience up and downs they felt each other slipping away. I loved seeing them reclaim their independence and their love for one another. They had tough conversations that helped them grow closer and see the new and improved spouse. I was also glad we save a glimpse into Bo and Win’s relationship post Out on a Limb.

This book will be in my bookshelf once it’s released! Another must read by Hannah Bonn-Young. Thank you so much for allowing me the chance to experience this read and give my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley, Hannah Bonam-Young and Ballentine for the free ebook in exchange for an honest review.

This was so adorable. I loved every minute with these characters and their personalities. I haven’t read any of the authors other books but they are all a must read for me now. These characters felt like friends and it was so perfect.

I am beyond happy that we got a chance to see the inner workings of Caleb and Sarah’s relationship. Deep, deep in my millennial heart I feel this love. These two characters who were so supportive and loving in the first book just shined in their own story! True love isn’t perfect and it isn’t easy but it can be beautiful. I’m so thankful we got a chance to see the friendships in the family shine once again! There is something so beautiful and true about Hannah Bonham-Young’s writing and I’m just so grateful I got a chance to read this book early. I will literally read anything she writes.

Thank you #netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

Hannah Bonham-Young can literally do no wrong. Caleb and Sarah’s relationship was just the most beautiful thing to read. Meeting them in Out On a Limb, not knowing they were going to be getting a book made me so interested in their relationship as high school sweethearts and this book did not disappoint.

Another adorable love story from HBY 🥹

I continue to be in awe of the characters that she writes. I love how they are flawed, they have disagreements and face challenges like any couple, but these two, much like Bo and Win,(characters from Out on a Limb, who are also a part of this book)handle things with a level of maturity and respect you don’t always see in romance novels.

This is a story of a couple who have been together since high school, and during that time have faced challenges that many couples don’t face until they are much older. They’re in a phase of life where they’ve “made it”, as it would appear from the outside, but get lost in the day to day routine of it all and fall a bit out of sync.

As the couple realizes they may be in more trouble than they thought, they decide to embark on an adventure that is completely outside of their comfort zone: attending an outdoor camp for couples that focuses on improving connection and communication.

I loved this concept. It was so much fun to read about the different challenges, the dynamic of being around other couples, and how being in a new environment is sometimes all you need to rekindle that *spark* 😉

With hilarious banter, adorable wholesome moments, steamy spice, and some painful and emotional moments too, this was another heartfelt story that just further solidified my love for HBY.

Hannah Bonam-Young does it again! Sarah and Caleb's story is one I needed to read, and I have been recommending this book to everyone. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for this advanced copy in exchange for review.

hannah delivered an outstanding and deeply impactful novel that captured the raw, unfiltered reality of a marriage in crisis. she didn’t shy away from the challenges and complexities, presenting them with brutal honesty, which only made me love this book even more. often, when writing a marriage-in-crisis trope, authors tend to romanticize the situation, letting unresolved feelings overpower the narrative. but here, hannah gave equal attention to every aspect of caleb and sarah's relationship.


she showed the hardships sarah and caleb were facing and how a wilderness retreat for couples could serve as a catalyst for addressing those issues, offering them fresh perspectives through different couples and their situations and clarity about the lives they want to build together. everything was perfectly balanced, making this story an authentic and moving exploration of love, healing, growth and reconciliation.


hannah's narrative was effortlessly beautiful and engaging. she seamlessly blended all the elements of the story into a swoon-worthy and heartfelt tale that also captured the challenging and messy realities of life.

everything was balanced out so perfectly, including the side characters, who added a refreshing touch to the story with how each and every relationship was different. i loved the various situations the couples presented and the much-needed depth and authenticity they added to the story. hannah focused on the past, present, and future of sarah and caleb simultaneously to help them work through their problems, and it was emotionally profound to see how everything was connected in one way or another.

what caleb and sarah had is a once-in-a-lifetime kind of love. their chemistry was intense and raw, filled with heavy unresolved feelings and sexual tension, which only fueled it to another level. i loved how it was not just about their physical intimacy but how they established an understanding before moving on to that. it was adorable how they wanted and craved each other, and the longing between them was palpable, drawing them closer with every passing moment. i loved the emphasis on therapy and the sessions they had with helen and yvonne; it provided them with better clarity about their situation and how they could make it better. they are so perfect together and for each other. caleb and sarah will always be dear to me and close to my heart.

This is by far my favorite marriage in crisis book. Everything about it was just done so well. We got to see Sarah discover herself while trying her hardest to make it work in her marriage. I think the best part of the book was that they were never doubting their love for each other, no matter what scenario she played in her head it was still her and Caleb in the end.

I received an arc through netgalley.

HI HELLO I LOVED THIS SO MUCH.

I have truly never felt more seen or understood than by this book and by Sarah.

As someone who also got married at 18, had kids shortly after and never went to college or "made a name for herself", I really felt everything Sarah was going through. Every single thing she was saying is something ive either felt, gone through, or said out loud myself. Constantly feeling saved by my sweet, perfect husband, feeling like I have nothing to show for myself other than being a wife and a mom. It was all a little to close to the sun if you know what I mean.

Hannah Bonam-Young absolutely nailed the feelings of feeling lost, like you have nothing for yourself, like you're a person just existed alongside the people around you without a "purpose". Watching Sarah process all of her feelings, not knowing what exactly she wanted but knowing she wanted more for herself and knowing she wanted all that with Caleb still was so refreshing.

I loved that this book dove into the topic of couples who married young without making it all look bad. I loved that we got to see two people who have been in each others lives since they were kids, who got married still as kids basically, and still continued to choose each other and do everything in their power to continue to make things work TOGETHER. Getting married young comes with so much stigma and seeing such a beautiful and raw portrayal of it was refreshing.

I'll never get over this book truly. I loved everything about it and I'm so thankful to Hannah for writing such a beautiful book that will make so many of us feel seen and understood in a way we havent before.

The sheer talent and craft evident in this book and the storytelling is astounding. HBY understands how to tell a story! Further, the pacing and the emotional give and take were so beautiful, that I didn’t want the story to end; I would gladly read ten years worth of Caleb and Sarah stories.

4 Stars

I became a dedicated fan when I read Bonam-Young’s Out on a Limb last year, and this quasi sequel featuring BFF Sarah and her devoted hubby Caleb was a no brainer!

This is less a marriage on the rocks and more about processing grief, emerging from the safety net of your partner, and trying to find your identity and self worth, all along forging ahead to tackle life’s challenges together. Sarah has been in survival mode for the last decade, still deeply affected by her mother’s untimely chronic illness that took her too quickly and too soon. However, she’s trying to make some headway towards having more purpose and is determined to prove she can accomplish that.

Ever by her side is her wonderful husband Caleb, who is the epitome of support, but when does that become a crutch? Sarah thinks it’s high time she does some deep diving into her psyche instead of just coasting through life. Thus, she enrolls herself and Caleb into a couples boot camp to see if they can figure out individual and relationship goals.

Don’t worry. This isn’t all serious drama, but know that it is a thoughtful, emotional look at Sarah and Caleb’s dynamic, seeing them in flashbacks on how they met and fell in love, and how they are wholly committed to each other despite these uncomfortable issues they’re facing.

Bonam-Young doesn’t fail the reader on the vulnerability and the authentic range of growth these two go through. This author knows how to bring the humor (though a bit less than its predecessor in my opinion), the sexy, and the feels. She also doesn’t fail in regards to Caleb who embodies the devoted hot nerd very very well.

Overall, an uplifting and valid love story, warts and all, and for really sensitively paying homage to the memory of a beloved one who is no longer around. These two soulmates just needed some fine tuning on themselves so they could be fully present for each other and just know that Bonam-Young delivers!

Thank you to the author and Dell via NetGalley for a copy to review honestly

Really nice follow-up to out on a limb!
This couple is so adorable. I loved seeing them find each other yet again.

Definitely a book I will recommend!

This book was all heart and so freaking good. The love story does not end after marriage, and Out of the Woods is a unique and special book that looks at what happens after the happily ever after.

Sarah and Caleb have been together since high school, and while they love each other, it feels like they are stuck. Stuck in the same roles in the marriage and stuck in life. So on the suggestion of their friend, they sign up for an outdoors marriage course called Reignite.

Caleb and Sarah are special. I loved seeing how deep the love they had for each other was, to the point that they both felt comfortable leaning on each other and talking through their issues. We see both sides of their marriage; the goofy and loving side, but then the more difficult and flawed side. Caleb's struggle to understand what Sarah was saying without taking it personally, felt raw and real to me; just like their communication while discussing what they wanted from the marriage. Not only was I teary eyed while reading this book, I was also swooning at how adorable they were together.

There is nothing that Hannah Bonam-Young will write that I won’t love. The way that she depicts real life and real struggles is beautiful.

Caleb and Sarah!? I just love them. I love the banter, the tension, the love that pours out of them. They are so real and raw.

I can’t get over the glasssessss!! I love!! The friendship between Bo and Caleb?? The cutest😭 I loved seeing Win, Bo and Gus again 😭

10/10 again for HBY 🫶🏼

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC 🫶🏼🫶🏼

Read This Book If… you love a couple growing up together!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5
Out of the Woods by Hannah Bonam-Young

Genre: romance
Series: Out on a Limb # 2
Spice Level: 3/5🌶, 1-2 explicit scenes
Setting: Toronto and nearby wilde3rness
POV: single, 1st person, present tense
Tropes: marriage in crisis, hurt/comfort, slow burn

My Thoughts:
HBY has no misses and I loved this book so much!! She does such a good job of creating realistic characters that are stumbling through life, just like most of us.

As someone who is a stay-at-home wife and childfree-by-choice, I really identified with Sarah. I thought this book did a beautiful job discussing how to find meaning in adulthood beyond our jobs and relationships and how to be at peace with ourselves.

And Caleb had me swooning throughout! The tension between these two was so good and the slow burn was well-worth it. I loved the little flashbacks into their high school days, although a few of them made me cry.

I would suggest reading OOAL before this book to get the sense of Sarah and Caleb, as well as the backstory to their close friends, but it’s not necessary.

Memorable Quote: “We’ve opened our hearts, let the ugly out, and welcomed each other‘s darkness with kind regard.”

Thank you to the publisher for my advance copy!

“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”

If there’s something I know about HBY books when I open them up, I know I’m going to get romance with depth. The romance being the secondary part and the “life” being the centre.

This book is about grief and marriage. And the mess it creates when they become muddled up together. The FMC Sarah started the book with me feeling like she was ultra annoying. Picking on the smallest of things like their marriage being over when it really just felt like a big fight. She felt so immature and truly not like a woman who had been together with someone for decades.

But I should have known that it wasn’t really that, it was that she had confused her grief of losing her mother and the lack of dealing with it, with her marriage and the staleness that can happen over many years together.

Like a mid life (can you call it that at 30?) crisis of identity and then Sarah pulls away.
There are definitely some underlying issues with Sarah feeling “less than” to Caleb’s family with money. Carrying over from when she was a teen and manifesting still there almost 2 decades later. But it felt like the core of the novel was just grief and how it can manifest in other aspects of their life.

Honestly they needed the hike to just talk.
And Caleb, everyone should be a gentle Caleb.

Bottom line: like Happiness for Beginners but make it couples.

HBY can do no wrong; it's another stellar read from the author that brought us Out on a Limb.

OotW is an emotional read full of so much heart and soul. This book is for those who struggle with their place in this world, who may feel stuck, who don't know who they are, and how it bleeds into our relationships (especially marriage). HBY draws intimately at the ugly moments that are inherent in us all with raw authenticity, humor, and tension. I couldn't help but reflect on my own marriage and I think I may need a hiking trip too, to talk about ALL OF THE THINGS.

P.S. I also loved seeing moments with Win x Bo x Gus <3

This is a 12/10 and I can't wait to read more from HBY.

Had the privilege of receiving an ARC of “Out of the Woods” by Hannah Bonam-Young. “Out on a Limb” was one of my favorite 5-star reads I read last year and I couldn’t wait for the sequel. I related to Sarah’s struggles of wanting to be “extraordinary” & not having found her passion in life yet. There’s some great quotes in this book I can’t wait to share on pub day, January 28th!