As a married woman who has had a rocky marriage this year, this book hit me in so many ways. Hannah's writing is lovely and really has a way of conveying the emotional, gut-wrenching side of a marriage in turmoil. While there are moments that focus on them as a couple, this story really got into the nitty gritty of focusing on yourself as well; one cannot be truly fulfilled in a relationship unless they're fulfilled on a personal level and happy with themselves.

I really enjoyed their journey whilst they were on the retreat, and it showed a lot of growth for both characters. Overall I really enjoyed the read and look forward to more from Hannah.

I really took my time with this read because I knew how emotional this one would be for me personally. But wow I really loved this book and the time I had reading it!

The characters and messages about grief, marriage and what it means to have a life together really brought tears to my eyes. Their journey as childhood lovers to grown up and married show a realistic portrayal of long term relationship / marriage struggles. As someone who has been in a long term relationship of 10 years and recently married I felt a lot of these topics hit home and probably why I felt so connected to both Sarah and Caleb. They both will hold a special place in my heart ❤️

I laughed, I cried throughout this novel. Hannah Bonam-Young really knows how to crack my heart open in my chest and put it back together with a bow.

Thank you to Net Galley and Random House Publishing for this ARC!

This was the first book in a while that made me truly emotional while reading. This non-traditional love story focuses on Caleb and Sarah, high school sweethearts who got married quickly due to Sarah's mom's terminal illness. Caleb and Sarah had been together through all of life's biggest ups and downs. However, this story really focuses on the individual inside the relationship. What makes the individual happy and fulfilled, outside of the daily life of their relationship. It was a beautiful love story that focuses on grief, loss, and personal growth. Watching them learn to communicate openly despite internal turmoil, set these two characters up for a deeply moving ending. I want to thank NetGalley and Dell for the ARC.

2.5 ⭐️Received this as an ARC and it unfortunately fell short. However, I did find the FMC, Sarah, to be very relatable. She was going through the grief of losing her mother and realizing that through that she lost herself. With that she it was negatively affecting her marriage with MMC Caleb and she suggested going to a week “Reignite” retreat to reconnect. Once that happens the story just fell apart. Very repetitive chapters with no real depth. This sounded like it was going to be a second chance romance but it really wasn’t. They never mentioned divorce, never separated, actually they both agreed to never leave each other. Just one bad fight and their marriage was in jeopardy?? It just didn’t add up for me. There was an accident that occurs at the end with Jacob that I just felt was over the top. I understand the author was trying to connect the fear of what Sarah went through with her mother to her husband being in the hospital but it was like trying to compare apples to oranges. Overall I was underwhelmed.

This book is perfect whether you read and loved Out on a Limb or not. Sarah and Caleb’s love story is one that I think will resonate with a lot of people. Plus, it has the added rarity of being a romance about an already married couple.

HBY can do no wrong when it comes to character development and growth. We first meet Caleb and Sarah in Out On A Limb, as Win’ and Bo’s best friends. In Out of the Woods, we learn more background about our favorite childhood sweethearts. They marry young and have now grown into adulthood. We get to learn about their background including the loss of Sarah’s mom and Caleb navigating his family’s WASP-like temperament. Sarah begins to feel restless in the life that they have built and both agree to go a marriage wilderness retreat with other couples . You will laugh, cry and fall more in love this duo as they journey through the retreat and back to each other.

I loved this book! Laughed Cried and felt all the emotions. This is the second book by the author I've read and her writing is really powerful and emotional but light at the same time. She makes you feel what the characters are feeling like you are the character she is writing about. I will be recommending this and her first. 4 stars

Couldn’t put it down. New favourite author! As someone with limb difference I loved the representation and getting a glimpse into Win and Bo again. Funny, heartfelt and reflective read. Don’t sweat the small stuff.

My ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This was a heavy subject with long-term consequences of grief following the death of a parent after an illness.

4.5 stars!

What I’ve previously not liked about the marriage in trouble trope in the past is that the marriage truly seems beyond saving, or I don’t see why the characters let issues last for so long. That was not the case with this story! You could see that Sarah and Caleb are soulmates who never stopped loving each other, they were just having trouble, and they addressed it pretty soon after realizing it. This was a more emotional than I expected; the flashbacks to Sarah losing her mom were pretty heavy for example. There was a lot in this book that resonated with me, as someone who’s been with my husband since I was 16 and married now for 13 years. I enjoyed watching Sarah realize some things she’s taken for granted and shifts to being more intentional about. I loved how much Sarah and Caleb loved each other, loved how solid Caleb was, loved that they were still hot after so many years, and loved seeing Bo and Win!

The way I laughed, cried, smiled, and swooned in this one book should be studied. I adored Out on a Limb so I was ecstatic to receive the eARC for Out of the Woods. The deep love Sarah and Caleb have for each other and their willingness to get uncomfortable, face their insecurities, and grief was just so beautifully written. This author has my heart with her books.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author, Hannah Bonam-Young for this digital ARC.

This book is beautiful, deeply important, and necessary. HBY understands humans at such a raw and real level & that fact shines in this book. I was a bit skeptical going in because marriage in crisis is a trope I’m absolutely afraid of — so if you’re like me, rest assured. Their relationship is not in major crisis. Just in need of a jump start. This book was cozy & endearing.

My only qualm is the 3rd act conflict (nothing to do either their relationship). It felt a little out of place and unnecessary & extreme. But, overall. Love these two & love this story.

I loved this! The love between Caleb and Sarah was so beautiful and real feeling. The grief they both experienced and how much they wanted each other to succeed was so sweet. Will definitely be buying for my store and recommending. 5/5

Hannah is back at it again with another incredible book. How does she do it? We will never truly know but she has MASTERED the art of writing fully formed characters, their hopes, dreams and fears. As with each of her couples these two step perfectly from side characters to the center stage because it truly feels as though no character in her books is a side character. I hope to continue to have the enjoyment of reading works from Hannah's heart for eons to come.

Out of the Woods is a poignant exploration of marriage, second chances, and the enduring power of love. This beautifully written novel follows Sarah and Caleb, a couple who married in their late teens, only to find themselves drifting apart over the years as the weight of unmet dreams and unspoken resentments strains their bond. Through its heartfelt storytelling, the book examines how love can survive—and thrive—amid life’s inevitable changes.

Wow! Another fantastic book by this author! I loved it so much and will be recommending it for sure!

Out Of The Woods - ARC Review
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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PUB DATE: January 28th
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FEATURES:
-Adult Contemporary Romance
-Highschool Sweethearts
-Marriage in Crisis
-Identity Crisis
-Loss of Parent at a young age
-Teens who had to grow up too fast
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WHY 5/5:
I am thoroughly convinced we need more romances about people in long-term relationships doing the messy, hard, beautiful work of re-connecting, communicating, and fighting FOR each other.
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HBY's depiction of this marriage gave me so much hope. Not because the marriage was perfect. But because despite all of their struggles and how hard it would be, these two committed to doing the work. They had hard conversations, got very vulnerable, asked for help from others, identified roles/patterns that weren't working, and tried to make changes.
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It should also be said that this book is really two journeys. Caleb and Sarah of course go on a journey to reconnect as a couple. But Sarah is also on a personal journey to discover who she is and wants to be.
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When her mother died right after high school, Sarah was forced to grow up quickly and got married right away…she didn't get the chance to explore herself or her dreams. But, now that her grief is not quite as heavy and her life is a bit more secure, she can finally go on that journey.
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These two journeys are deeply intertwined and oh-so-messy, but also deemed worth it by the characters, and that is so, so beautiful.
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Thank you, Hannah, for writing this gift of a book!
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Thank you @netgalley and @dellromance for my eARC copy. I was given this eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

thank u to netgalley + publishers for an e-arc ♡
as someone who also fell for their high school sweetheart, this put me thru nearly every emotion possible. was entertained the entire time! the spice sprinkled in HITTTT & caleb was hawt. didn’t expect it to get as deep as it did, def teared up, but i always know miss HBY will deliver!! honestly wish some scenes were longer and that we got more teenage flashbacks of sarah+caleb.
didn’t beat out on a limb but still totally recommend 💞
3.75⭐️ rounded up 😙

heartbreaking and soo relatable.. I don’t love second chance romances and this was just so beautifully written. This second chance romance follows the couple we meet in Out on a Limb, Sarah and Caleb who are high school sweethearts. We follow their journey into the woods to rekindle their marriage and find themselves 🫶🏻 cannot read out on a limb enough, and definitely adding this one to my stack because omg!! Comes out Jan 28!! Thank you to NetGalley and the Hannah Bonam-Young for this digital ARC

Having met Sarah and Caleb in “Out on a Limb” and thinking they had the perfect life, it was really fun reading about them and seeing their lives and struggles. There’s a good balance of struggle, relatable moments, and it’s broken up with good, cute humor. Overall it’s a quick read and light hearted. I felt some moments good have dug deeper emotionally but overall happy with the story and love getting to see Win, Bo and Gus again

Thank you NetGalley for a digital copy of this read in exchange for an honest review