4.5⭐️
Hannah bonam-young can do no wrong in my eyes!!
this was such a good book and I loved getting to dive into Sarah and Caleb and their relationship. And as always in HBY’s books, there’s always good messages and takeaways. Will definitely recommend!!

I don’t feel like I should put all the opinions I want to in here, so I will just leave it with a 2 star rating and move on

Hannah Bonam-Young is a fierce new author with a unique voice striving to reach new depths of readers and I am here for it!

I adore Hannah and adored this book. Be prepared this has characters from her previous books but if you haven't read them, it's absolutely ok to not have.

Hannah's unique voice is evident in her unique story telling abilities. Telling two stories simultaneously, both past and present, this tale of a long married couple realizing their lives aren't quite as rosy as thought is intense, beautiful, and incredibly emotional. Seeing their past selves and current lives, Sarah and Caleb find themselves having to grow together as they've grown apart. Steamy, fast paced, with great side characters, lots of humour, and the perfect amount of romance, this book is simply fantastic. Another win for sure but it made me smile, laugh, and tear up. Bravo.

I really liked Out of the Woods. Who doesnt love a huge (rich) nerd loving his highschool sweetheart????? If you like second chance romance and childhood sweethearts then this is the book for you. Hannah Bond-Young has done it again!!! Out on a limb is the bomb dot com. Out of the woods knocked it out of the park!! i really enjoyed reading this book. I will say personally it is more character driven than plot heavy. While that is fien for me, it did knock down the overall rating because sometime in the middle I was getting very bored. But other than that this book is a delight and enjoyed every bit of it!

Thank you netgalley for this ARC for this unbaised review!

have been torn apart & slowly, lovingly put back
together 😭 this is an overwhelmingly loving, beautiful, honest, exciting, perfect story. it so authentically shows the way love, grief, joy, fear, acceptance, & fun all coexist together in life & in relationships.
I simply adored everything about this story: the characters, the plot, the details to scenery & character development, the overwhelming love in all its beautiful imperfect forms. Caleb & Sarah go on such a journey together spanning years, heartbreaks, excitement, growth, and evolving relationships, always choosing to stay and love one another in every season of life. the way they open necessary but difficult conversations and keep showing up to love one another, both throughout their relationship and in their little trip into the woods, is so heartbreaking and heartwarming to read. they deserve all the happiness, joy, love, and peace with each other and seeing them live their happily ever after was the most special reading experience.
I am so happy I got to read this beautiful story as an are and look forward to many, many rereads
to come.
thank you so much for the arc :)

I literally want to unhinge my jaw and pour everything and anything Hannah writes directly into my body. I want to consume it, be it, be IN it.

There is such bone-deep, aching tenderness in every one of her characters. The full-hearted, all-encompassing affection they have for the people they love makes my chest feel like it is going to crack open. There were points where I was crying just because I love them so much??? Nothing sad was even happening. Sad stuff did happen though and I cried then too 10/10 would put myself through that again.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

I was already so in love with Caleb and Sarah from Out on a Limb, so I knew going into this one that I would continue to love them both no matter what struggles they had with each other. And boy howdy was I right.

The yearning, the apprehension, the hesitancy and love and fear and the sheer, wild-eyed desperation. The fact that their love for each other is apparent (at least to us) even when they’re unable to show it to each other. Them doubting each other only because they were doubting themselves.

Getting to watch them make their way back to each other while also watching them figure themselves out was so refreshing and heartwarming and also made me want to scream into the sky (in a good way obvi). Win and Bo being there to support them just as fully as they were in Out on a Limb. The open, earnest love they all share.

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

Now if you’ll excuse me I’m about to plant my face into my pillow to scream

My new favorite HBY book. This was so cute. Caleb and Sarah were adorable. It was low stakes, but the two still had issues to figure out and there were plenty of beautiful/emotional moments. Thankfully it focused on their issues and didn’t add any unnecessary OW/OM drama!

where do i even begin!!!! this book is utter perfection. i absolutely fell in love with sarah and caleb during the moments we saw of them in out on a limb, and was so excited for their story. this book is so beautiful and so is their story. caleb and sarah’s story truly is one of the most heart wrenching and just beautiful stories ive read. the way that we get to watch them fall back in love and learn to communicate with eachother was perfection. sarah is such a strong, badass fmc, and i loved her growth so much. caleb is such a sweet baby and ugh he’s perfection, and the way he loves sarah is beautiful. not only is this book showing them grow together, but on their own as well. watching sarah stand up for what she wants to accomplish, and learning to go after what she wants, even if it means failure, is so inspiring to see as a young woman. the way hannah bonam-young tackles grief is just breathtaking. i am truly in awe by this woman’s writing!! i loved caleb and sarah’s story so dearly.

thank you so much to netgalley, dell publishing, and hannah bonam-young for the arc copy of out of the woods!

So I’m a fairly new fan of Hannah Bonam-Young books. I read “Out on a Limb” earlier this year and freaking loved it. Like top romcom of 2024 loved this book. So when I heard on Hannah’s instagram that we were getting a companion novel following Caleb & Sarah I was pumped. Then when I got the email that I got approved for this arc I have never screamed so loud.

“Out of the Woods” is a fantastic companion novel that deals with the story of love, loss, and grief. This book also does a fantastic job of allowing our characters to re-find themselves as individuals but also as a healthy couples relationship.

I will admit It wasn’t as good as “Out on a Limb” but it was still really cute and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of reading it. I highly recommend this book it’s definitely not one to miss. Make sure to pick it up when it comes out on January 28th, 2025. Big thank you again to NetGalley & Dell Publishing for providing me an arc!

Blown away. Honestly. I wasn’t sure at first. There is a lot of pain and sadness in the first 50% of the book but the payoff by the end leads to a deep, thoughtful and touching story with just the right amount of spice.

I was sobbing at one point.

I like that the book had flashbacks, as this couple were high school sweethearts and having marriage struggles. I liked being able to see how they started and where they went.

Hannah’s books have all been amazing. Must read for sure.

Being back in an HBY book was like being wrapped up in a warm blanket. I was so torn between reading it in one day or trying to make it last! Caleb & Sarah’s story hit so close to home, and opened my eyes to things in my own marriage. Being married to my own high school sweetheart, being a stay at home mom for 5 years and suddenly having to find myself again after my daughter goes to kindergarten- there were SO many similarities. My gosh, what a beautiful story. It was so validating that these are all real things other people feel, and that I’m not alone. I laughed out loud, I cried, every emotion was pumping through my body. When they’re making their lists for where they want to see their life in 10 years, I was balling. Seeing them finally have conversations they put off for so long was just a breath of fresh air. The slow burn usually drives me nuts but holy moly seeing them reconnect on an emotional level with all their lust filled moments had me 100% invested. I didn’t even mind the wait! This book contained so many heavy topics that could have made it though to read, instead it was done so beautifully that I could reread it again immediately. I cannot wait for everyone to get their hands on this book. I love this series and it will forever be one of my favorites.

This quote at me rollllllling on the floor.
“I don’t even fight it this time. Because what the fuck? Who is this bodice ripper and what has he done with my soft-spoken, gentle, nerdy-ass husband.”

Perfection. The conflict between the married main characters felt so real that it made me squirm. The author handles this so well, and I can't wait for friends to read it so I can discuss. As always she handles tough issues with tact and care. Five stars for sure!

This was PHENOMENAL!!!! Out on a limb is one of my favorite books EVER, and seeing the announcement for this one had me giddy with joy! I am so grateful to have received an arc.

For all the gals with their high school sweethearts, I think this will hit you particularly hard. Growing with a person and never really on your own and how that may affect your person. There were so many parts in this book where I was like, mhm yes that's so true. Even when Sarah was being unfair. This is also for the gals who have gone through more than others at a young age. We are different because of how quickly we had to grow up. Sarah always felt like she was doing too little, being too little, or just wasn't enough. She, since her mom died young, had to grow up early. With traumatic life events, sometimes there's no room to "dream". No room to find yourself because all you're trying to do is survive.

Enter Caleb, Sarah's to-be comfort person, who she leans on codependently through her mother's death, and so on.

Let's just say that on a personal level I felt every aspect of this book. I too have struggled with finding myself and my "passion" when the privilege of having one was never available for me. As someone who's also been with someone since HS, I do find myself relying on that person for probably too much.

While it all sounds sad, there are wonderful moments in this book! Win and Bo make their reappearance which made me SO happy. Sarah and Caleb have some good banter here and there. The side characters (their hiking buddies) are also funny.

This story was handled with poise. With real emotions, real experiences, and real mental processes. It felt like looking through a mirror. I adored every single second of this and could hardly put it down.

hannah bonam young - you will always be famous.

out of the woods is going to be the book of 2025. i truly cannot get over how incredible sarah and caleb are. these two are the definitions of soulmates. these soft, gentle, sweet characters deserve everything and more.


this book will make you laugh and make you cry (many times), but boy is it worth it.

thank you hannah bonam young and dell for the early copy <3

Out of the Woods is a contemporary, marriage-in-crisis romance that follows Sarah and Caleb as they embark on a week-long hiking retreat designed to help couples reconnect. Given how much I loved Out on a Limb, which featured Sarah and Caleb as supporting characters, I had high expectations for this standalone sequel. Unfortunately, I have to say that I was quite disappointed with this book.

I think the main problem was that it was trying to do too much. The story begins with a blow-up fight between the couple at their ALS fundraiser about Sarah feeling like she has nothing to be proud of as a housewife and Caleb always trying to fix things for her. At first, this seems like the reason for the widening rift between them. However, as the novel progresses, the conflict gets more and more muddled by frequent flashbacks that highlight how young Sarah and Caleb were when they married, Sarah's shattered dreams of becoming a writer, and how difficult it was for Sarah to cope with her mother's death due to ALS. While this additional information did add context to the story, it also made the book feel overcrowded and its theme hard to decipher. Was the book about finding one's purpose? Was it about the consequences of marrying too young? Was it about the grief of losing a parent early? Instead of one of these themes taking precedence, it felt like all of them were competing for space.

Other things I want to mention:
- I wish we'd gotten Caleb's POV. It would have rounded out the story and served as a nice counterpoint to Sarah's POV
- The final act of the book pulled focus from the marriage-in-crisis plotline and made the book seem more about Sarah and her mom than Sarah and Caleb
- Though set way in the future, I couldn't help but feel that the epilogue undermined the story's message that marriage isn't easy and takes continuous work

Despite these critiques, I did enjoy the initial premise of the book. Sarah's reevaluation of her role as a housewife as the primary source of conflict was quite an original take on the marriage-in-crisis trope.

All things said and done, I'm still eager to give Hannah Bonam-Young another try and I'll be sure to check out her next release.

This review will be posted a couple days before the January 28, 2025 release date on Storygraph.

4.75/5 ⭐️
I can’t even begin to describe just how amazing this book is. I already loved Sarah and Caleb from Out on a Limb, so learning about their intricacies and meeting them in a new way was such a treat. This book was so unlike anything I’ve ever read before. The plot is unique and the hard topics are handled so beautifully. From a writing perspective, Hannah’s writing style is so beautiful and poignant, but also has the ability to make me literally laugh out loud. The perfect combination. Out of the Woods is everything and I cannot recommend it enough!

I LOVED this book so much!! It honestly blew me away and I wasn't expecting to adored it this much. It was emotional, delicate and beautifully human. I saw myself on both of these characters and I feel like that was the main reason why this book resonated so much with me.

Hannah Bonam-Young has DONE IT AGAIN!
I have never not loved a book that she has written and Sarah and Caleb’s story just further proves that Hannah’s stories, characters, and writing is top tier!

I loved reading about Win and Bo in Out On A Limb but reading Sarah and Caleb’s story both shattered my heart and put the pieces back together in the end. Not only is it obvious that the love they have for one another is so deep and impenetrable, no matter what rough patch life throws their way but the found family is so heartwarming that it is impossible not to love the them as a couple (and of course the four of them as a friend group).

The relationship between Win and Sarah is also something that I loved to see more of in this series. The way they are always there for each other like sisters is something that reminds me of my best friend and I. It is so special to read about them especially with the dual timeline that Hannah writes in this story, going from present time back to when Sarah’s mom was sick and where her love story with Caleb began.

Overall, I truly loved this book and felt that it is the perfect book to accompany Out On A Limb! I would absolutely recommend it (as well as all of Hannah’s other books)!

Absolute perfection but I expected nothing less from Hannah. If I could rate this higher, I absolutely would. Pure perfection.

i truly have no words and too many words on how perfect this book is. when i first read the synopsis i was scared. i didn’t want this perfect couple to have problems and possibly break-up. i’ve read books where the entire book is about the couple having struggles and then at the end they solve it and all i feel is sadness. BUT NOT THIS BOOK! there’s something about HBY and how she can take a trope that worries me (accidental pregnancy or marriage in crisis) and make a story that has you second guessing that opinion entirely!
✨
this is truly a story of found family. Win and Bo and Sarah and Caleb they are all a family even if they don’t share DNA.
✨
SARAH- i truly related to her more than i have with any other character. with the loss of a parent, how that affects someone and how it can change your views on religion. it was like i was reading my thoughts on paper!
✨
CALEB-he makes mistakes, he’s flawed, but he’s real. and he realizes his mistakes and makes up for it perfectly. his personality was written so well, i could really imagine him in my head.
✨
you can 100% feel the growth between these two. they go on a journey together and make changes for the better of their relationship and come on the other end in a positive way.
✨
this is the most flawless series ever. literally no notes. each book captivated me and had me wanting more and i never wanted it to end.