I loved Sarah and Caleb in Out on a Limb so I was looking forward to this book so much. Sarah and Caleb are high school sweethearts, Sarah still grieving the loss of her mom years later and trying to find her purpose and Caleb thriving with his tech business while trying to fix everything for Sarah just because he wants her to be happy. Seeing Sarah and Caleb work through their journey together of self-discovery and healing was just perfection. The book made me emotional and it was so heartwarming, I loved seeing their love.

Hannah Bonam-Young can do no wrong, and Out of the Woods is no exception. Out on a Limb was one of my favorite books I read this year, and I was beyond excited to receive an ARC from NetGalley to get to read more about that universe of characters.

I fell in love with Sarah and Caleb in Out on A Limb, and loved getting to see more of them in their own story. Plus, I loved all of the friends we get to meet during their Reignite journey (and obviously getting to see more of Bo and Win and Gus!)

Out of the Woods is different than any book I’ve read before. It’s definitely not a cookie cutter romance.

It features Sarah and Caleb, high school sweethearts who have been in love for over half their lives. They’ve become a bit distant over the years and this story follows them as they go to a wilderness retreat to reconnect. It is a heartfelt story that makes you realize the work that’s required to keep romance alive over time.

I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to others. Thanks to Hannah Bonam-Young and Dell (Random House) for the opportunity to read this ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and Dell for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!
----------
High school sweethearts Sarah and Caleb Linwood have always been a sure thing. For the past seventeen years, they have had each other’s backs through all of life’s ups and downs.

But Sarah has begun to wonder . . . who is she without her other half?

When she decides to take on a project of her own, a fundraising gala in memory of her late mother, Sarah wants nothing more than to prove to herself—and to everyone else—that she doesn’t need Caleb’s help to succeed. She’s still her mother’s daughter after all, independent and capable.

That is, until the event fails and Caleb uninvitedly steps in to save the day.

The rift that follows unearths a decade of grievances and doubts. Are they truly the same people they were when they got married at nineteen? Are they supposed to be?

In a desperate attempt to fix what they fear is breaking, Sarah and Caleb make the spontaneous decision to get out of their comfort zones and join a grueling hiking trip intended to guide couples through rough patches.

What follows is a life-affirming comedy of errors as two nature-averse people fight their way out of the woods in order to find their way back to their roots.
----------
I was a HUGE fan of the book that preceded this one, Out on a Limb, so when I got the email letting me know I was approved to receive an advanced copy of Out of the Woods, I was BEYOND excited! Bo and Win's story was just so much fun, and I was so excited to hear more from Hannah Bonam-Young, who I know is going to be an auto-buy author for me. I started this book sometime this afternoon, and I basically sat on my couch reading it until it was done. Was it just as good as Out on a Limb? Maybe not. Was it still a solid five-star read for me that had me believing in the power of love and HEAs? Absolutely.

Something I loved in this book is the relationships among the minor characters in the book, almost to the point that there was a small ensemble cast of characters that lent a found family element to the book. Found family is one of my favorite book tropes, so I was all there for it, and anyone who has read Out of a Limb knows that found family is a major part of Sarah and Win's story. I loved learning more about their early years, and I loved seeing how people who have known each for so long can continue to grow in their relationships with one another.

I loved everything about this story and about Caleb and Sarah. If you’re looking for a love story that’s a little different and more about growth, rediscovering yourself, and filled with emotion, then this book is for you. This book is healing.

Link to Goodreads review posted on 12/16/2024: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6501043701?book_show_action=false

REVIEW:
Hannah... You wrote this with your whole heart, didn't you?
And right when I thought I couldn't love Sarah and Caleb any more.
CALEB'S LETTER...
Sobbing.
And you introduced me to Slyvia Plath?
Sobbing even more.


There was so much to love about Sarah and Caleb's story. I felt like they were my close friends by the end of the book! I really resonated with Sarah's perspective in particular, and I loved being a witness to her growth by the end. She went from feeling behind in life to finally present and content with life despite her past circumstances which I believe we can all learn from! This is an excellent supplement to read when you're going through a self development journey as well. The spice was spicing, and the chemistry was magical. This book deserves all of the accolades.


Overall, this book will have a special spot in my memory 🫶 Thank you to Random House Publishing Group for the ARC and to Hannah for sharing her life and perspective through amazing fiction stories.

Thank you Netgalley for my ARC!!!

Wow, wow, wow. This book embodies how grief and happiness can coexist! If you are familiar with Hannah’s banter from her other novels you are in for a treat with this one as well as it follows the story of Sarah and Caleb, two high school sweethearts. While on this camping retreat to hopefully reignite 😉 their love for each other, Sarah and Caleb do the hard word to piece back the life they originally created together.

I experiences so many emotions with this book from grief, love, and happiness. Dare I say this will be one of the best romance releases of 2025!!

THANK YOU THANK YOU DELL FOR AN ARC OF THIS!!

this book was literally so beautiful, the definition of self-care and self-growth is reading this book, it's a breath of fresh air, it's a belly-laugh, it's a warm hug from your person. it felt like such a call-out as someone who met their boyfriend at 18 and has every intention of growing right beside him. reading Caleb and Sarah's story was such a privilege, I love this little found family! HBY you are brilliant!

Such a beautiful, wholesome, and real depiction of love. I also help adore Hannah’s writing. She has such a way of connecting you to the characters. I related a lot to Sarah and the internal struggles she felt throughout the book. I lived how she not only found her way back to Caleb but also back to herself.

I loved all the little snippets that we got of Win & Bo. Forever my favs 🥹

I loved this author's writing style! It was such an enjoyable book and the characters were well developed. The story was also very well paced and sucked me in from the beginning.

If Out on a Limb is a perfect 5/5, this is a 4.5/5. I loved it so so much but Win and Bo just had that something extra!

Sarah and Caleb are high school sweethearts who have been together for 17 years. They have been through thick and thin but a fundraiser gala leads to the biggest fight they have ever had, bringing up grievances and doubts they have each been holding in. To help heal their marriage, they go on a week-long couples wilderness expedition/hike.

Just like Hannah's other books, this will make you laugh AND cry, maybe at the same time! I really enjoyed how real their problem's and communication felt, especially when things got rough. There is a good amount of spice but it takes a bit to get there because they aren't supposed to be getting touchy on this trip. But when it hits??? Good lord Caleb has a dirty mouth!!! and I love it.

There are great side characters and it was lovely to see Win and Bo again. Highly recommend.

I'm giving this 3.5 stars because, I'll admit, I've neither been married nor been in a long-term relationship, so I didn't feel a connection to Sarah and Caleb in that regard. I felt for the strains on their relationship and I definitely sympathized what they were each going through, but there wasn't a connection there for me. And maybe that's my fault since I haven't read <i>Out on a Limb</i>.

If anything, I felt most connected to Sarah and her questioning her existence and her purpose in life. That felt very real to me because it's something I've grappled with myself. I feel like everyone eventually does.

I did find the writing style to be compelling and I was engaged throughout. There wasn't ever a time I didn't want to pick up the book. Sarah and Caleb were a very sweet couple and a resounding endorsement that first loves can be forever with a little work as you change as individuals.

I do now want to read Bo and Win's story because I just adored them and Gus. I own all of HBY's other books, so I'll be partaking in those next year.

I love this universe so much. I think iv'e read/listened to Out on a Limb 7 times so it was so great to be back with these characters. I loved how we had the present timeline but also the flashbacks into the early days of Sarah and Caleb. It really helped introduce and get to know the characters you fell in love with in OOAL on a whole other level. I wanted to punch Caleb within the first two chapters so that went well lol. I liked the who retreat aspect but I wish there was more to their healing. I don't really know if a near death experience is what saved their relationship. I wish there was more in the real world after the retreat. I also would have loved more of Win, Bo and Gus. I know it's not their story but Sarah and Caleb were around so much in OOAL. It was all very emotional though. Overall i'd rate this a 4.7, rounded up to 5, because I cried like a baby at the end with just the friendship of Sarah and Win.

This book made my heart fall out of my chest so many times. It is pure emotional catharsis.

This has one of the most realistic portrayals of a marriage in crisis I have ever read. The little doubts that can compound and the familiarity/stasis that can be both comforting and suffocating is perfectly explored. Sarah recognizes that she and Caleb need help to navigate this stage of their marriage and the outdoor retreat is the necessary push outside of their comfort zones. Sarah and Caleb work hard to get back on the same page. At their core they love each other and know that they want to be together for whatever life throws at them next.

I have to also mention Sarah’s grief over her mother’s death from years earlier. It was palpable through the pages. My heart ached for her.

While I didn’t have crying over paper airplanes on my bingo card this year, I feel so lucky to have been able to read this book. I ADORE these characters; it is in short a beautiful story.

Okay, I don't want to delve too far into the actual plot of this book, as I want this review to remain as spoiler-free as possible. I will be delving a bit into Out on a Limb though, so if you haven't read that one and want to go in completely blind... what are you doing!? Go read the masterpiece that is Out on a Limb by Hannah Bonam-Young™ and then come back here.

Those who know me, know that I do NOT shut up about Out on a Limb. I'm disabled with an upper-limb nerve injury from birth. Win and Bo and their story mean everything to me, and always will.

With my love for OOAL, I was so, so, so incredibly excited for Sarah and Caleb Linwood's story. This book didn't disappoint one bit. This story bounces between Sarah and Caleb's past and their present, and I think the way everything weaves together really serves the storytelling.

Being in Sarah and Caleb's marriage is so different than the experience of having them as side characters in OOAL. Something that HBY is excellent at though, is realistic characters that feel grounded in reality. They almost feel tangible.

Though I didn't marry my high school sweetheart, I was in a relationship with my first boyfriend from the ages of 15-23. Hannah has talked about how her and her husband met when they were extremely young, and that they got married young. In OOAL, the personal connection go Hannah's own disability really serves to tell an authentic story. In this case, you can really sense the authenticity in the intricacies and subtleties of Sarah and Caleb's marriage. Things that would be hard to nail without lived experience.

Hannah's books have all been fantastic, and I think she's a stellar, extremely talented author. If you haven't preordered this book yet, I highly suggest reading Out on a Limb first, and then picking Out of the Woods up when it comes out! I'm so grateful to have received an advanced reader copy of this book. A special thank you to Hannah Bonam-Young (the legend, herself), to NetGalley, and to Random House Publishing Group. All opinions are my own and no AI was used in the generation of any part of this review.

P.S.
As much as I love Bo with all my heart, Caleb definitely tested me on that. Some dark curly hair, a beard, and glasses? Sign. Me. Up. HBY knew that if Bo were a brunette, he would have been unstoppable.

Okay wow! I absolutely loved this whole book! It got me right in the feelings and I was crying literally every other chapter. It was just so raw and real, two people going through a hard time in their marriage and figuring out how to move forward. The camping trip was super entertaining and the flash backs really flowed well.

5⭐️s UH!! I love @authorhannahby’s books. Couldn’t believe I got to read the arc of Out of the Woods. I’m so grateful to Hannah, @netgalley, and @dellromance for this opportunity.

Caleb and Sarah met and married young. They didn’t want anyone else. So, why wait? Now they’re older and accomplished. Well, Caleb is. Sarah feels like she hasn’t done anything with her life. Tonight is her night however. She set up the fundraising gala for ALS in honor of her mother. Sarah is mortified when the numbers aren’t as high as she planned. As usual, Caleb to the rescue. She just needed to fail or succeed on her own for once. The wedge in their marriage is even bigger now.

Caleb doesn’t fully understand what’s wrong and Sarah can’t explain it completely either. With the help of Wyn and Bo, they will take their place in a camping retreat. This will give Sarah and Caleb the tools to dig deep and truly see where they are going in their lives individually and together. Not to mention if they can even survive in the woods.

This has all the things I love about Hannah’s writing. Tension, banter, quirky characters, and emotional growth in the best ways. If you’ve read any of her other books, you will not be disappointed. Coming January 28th!! Plenty of time to read her other books if you haven’t. Highly recommend Out on a Limb since it ties into Out of the Woods. They are both interconnected stand alones.
#outofthewoods #outinalimb #hannahbonamyoung #advancedreadercopy #netgalley #dellromance #bookstagram #lovereading #booklover

First, let me just say Out on a Limb is one of my favorite books and I loved Sarah and Caleb in that so I was excited for their individual story!

This book was so sweet and the navigation of grief and self-discovery was written so well! Hannah truly has a way with words and being able to relate to her characters! This was sweet and emotional. Sarah and Caleb’s love for each other was so pure in just seeing how much they cared for each other and were willing to put in the work for their relationship! So good!🫶🏾

I'm so glad that Sarah got her story. This one was beautiful on so many levels. Who hasn't gone through life and wondered what their life purpose was?

Caleb is such a golden retriever, and I love that he was there for Sarah during some of the hardest times in her life.

This one gave me all the feels, and to see Sarah on the journey of finding herself was the story I didn't know I needed in my life.

Thank you to Net Galley and Random House Publishing for my advanced reader copy. I can't wait to see what else this author comes out with!

Out of the Woods follows Sarah and Caleb as they go on a relationship retreat in the great outdoors. Their week away is filled with ups and downs, friends made along the way, and lots of conversation to try and save their marriage after getting married young. Their relationship is sweet and I love that Win and Bo (the main characters in Out on a Limb) were still involved in this storyline. I teared up multiple times throughout the book and want all the best for everyone in this series!

One thing I didn't love was the use of "holding down the fort" as the phrase has an offensive origin, but the rest of the book does a great job at being inclusive and diverse with the characters.


Thanks NetGalley for the ARC!