ARC Copy of OUT OF THE WOODS!!! ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!!! AGHHHHH PERFECT!
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Thank you NetGalley and Dell Romance for the ARC and especially to Hannah Bonam-Young for being an amazing person and author! I had the loveliest time meeting her back in July and i wouldn’t change a thing!
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 Perfect Stars
Phenomenal! Hilarious, Swoon worthy and a Sob fest!
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Hannah Bonam-Young, as we know is one of my favourite authors. Has done it again! She’s written a phenomenal Marriage in turmoil, With spice, finding yourself apart from your partner, and Gorgeous found family with the other couples on the Retreat. Another 5⭐️ from me :)
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I sat with my own “Caleb” and devoured this in two days, between shifts at work and watching him work on his car, i felt entirely connected to Sarah and Caleb, as characters and as a couple. I can’t help but feel like a part of Hannah’s own story is written in alongside theirs. I think that made it so easy to devour! I love the snippets of Win and Bo, with their little family, as well as the flashbacks where we see Caleb and Sarah coming together with moments of mom & daughter as well. Marcie was such a wonderful soul to see us reflect on, and every chapter of this book had me tearing up, happily or downright sobbing. I think Hannah is an absolute master and I will continue to read anything and everything she writes.
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This is hopeful and endearing and everything i could’ve asked for.
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Out of the Woods is heartfelt, raw, and an absolute treasure, The characterization, tone, and voice really are bar none. Hannah Bonham-Young is easily one of the best romance writers today.

I hope she writes a million more books I will love and cherish each of them the way I did with this story.

I think marriage in trouble is a hard trope to do right and Hannah Bonam-Young truly nailed it in Out of the Woods. Sarah and Caleb are high school sweethearts that have been through a lot together, and sort of inadvertently grown into patterns that weren’t the greatest situation for their relationship.

I definitely had high hopes for OOTW because of how much I loved Out on a Limb (def my favorite of the two)! I like that OOTW gives us more backstory to not only Sarah/Caleb but also Sarah and Win’s friendship (really a sistership). While I do think you could read them as standalone books, you’ll definitely have a better time and appreciation if you read OOAL first.

The banter, the sadness, the pining/horniness and love were really well done. HBY’s writing is strong and she definitely cemented herself as an auto-buy author for me! Sarah and Caleb’s communication really grew in the story, through the fun times and horribly bad, which led to the ultimate HEA journey. OOTW is all about loving yourself, loving your journey, and navigating deep love for your partner at the same time as going through a struggle.

Thank you to Dell and NetGalley and advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest review.

“Having you in my arms like this. Feeling you . . . feeling you come around me. Being out in the open. I think I’m dead. I think heaven might be real. I think it’s you.”

Oh my god. I loved this book so much. Hannah’s words are just so real and personal and such a damn joy to read. This book is light, raw, funny, intimate, and shows how much this couple changed in their marriage, as they grew up.
There’s actually nothing better than knowing you’ll love a book but then end up loving it even more than you thought possible. That’s how I felt with this. As someone who’s been trying to find her place in life, I loved reading Sarah’s journey. I’ve felt like she did for a long time, starting projects or jobs and realizes that’s not what I wanted to do, or thinking I’m not good at anything just because I had a teacher tell me I wasn’t smart. Sometimes simply existing is hard, let alone figuring out who you are!!
And every scene with her mom was so special 🥲 I absolutely loved their relationship.

CALEB LINWOOD IS A GIFT TO THE BOOK BOYFRIEND MANUAL. Nerdy, soft, glasses-wearing men>>>
I wouldn’t change a thing about this book. I will miss these characters so much 😭😭

3.5
I was so excited to get this arc because I loved out on a limb so much. The nature/camping aspect was fun and I enjoyed the flashbacks to when they were younger. I love a good second chance romance, especially when the characters started dating so young. The Win and Bo moments were everything. Excited to see what the author does next!

3.25⭐️

This story follows Sarah and Caleb, high school sweethearts of seventeen years. Still grieving the loss of her mother Sarah struggles to find fulfillment in life and her marriage. To help fix their marriage Sarah and Caleb go on a couples retreat to reconnect.

I really connected with Sarah with how hard it was to lose her mother, as one of my parents is diagnosed with the same illness.

The way this couple was able to communicate and fix there problems together instead of working against each other proves that they are unbreakable.

A bit slow at times, I wish it had been a bit more engaging.

Overall I enjoyed reading this and will DEFINITELY be reading her other works.

*I will be posting my review to TikTok, Instagram & Goodreads on Jan/14/25.

I thought the concept for this book was really fresh. I liked they are married and finding their way back to one another.

The end was heavy but luckily there is a warning at the beginning! Thank you for that!

I will be a Hannah Bonham-Young fan until the day I die. She is one of the only authors who has never let me down-- I love everything she's written, and it all started when someone recommended I read Out on a Limb. I admit I was slow to reading her other works; I just read Next of Kin last month and have yet to read Next to You, but I swear every book of hers I read gets better, and this is no exception. God this book was rough- in the way that it was so raw and real and gut wrenching. Everything that Caleb and Sarah went through was a testament to their love and their ability to find themselves in the midst of what seemed to be their worlds crumbling. Staying strong and being a caregiver because it's the only thing you've ever known, feeling useless because you've always been the helped rather than the helper, not knowing where you want to go or even who you are because your entire identity has been tied to who you were before, during, and after the death of someone you loved so dearly. All of these things could've torn Caleb and Sarah apart. They each had so much built up inside of them, so much that needed to be explored, so much that was ready to burst out of them. Everything within was handled with such care, as Bonham-Young's books always are, and I will never stop recommending her books to anyone. I will shout my love for her books from every rooftop until I can no longer find a way up to those rooftops.

Thank you Dell and Random House Publishing for giving me the honor of reading this ARC by Hannah Bonam-Young. Like all of Hannah’s books this one was written beautifully and gave me all the feels. Sarah and Caleb are high school sweethearts who got married at 19 and have hit a bump in their marriage where Sarah’s trying to figure out who she is outside of just being Caleb’s wife. This book dives into loss of a parent and how it shapes a persons future and what they think of themselves and others. The way HBY wrote how honest Sarah was being with herself, what she wanted, and her relationship with Caleb made me feel like I got a free therapy session. This book made me write some personal notes down for myself, made me cry, and made me eager for more written by Hannah.

Deeply, utterly profound and beautiful. OUT OF THE WOODS is one of my favorite romance reads of the year, and I'm so in love with this book. The rawness, realness and emotional depth of the story and characters was so profound, that I felt more consumed by their story than I do of others. Just the small touches of their face, neck, or hands were all so intimate and held so much meaning that I felt the writing, the story, the characters' love on a whole other, deeper level. Sarah and Caleb's love is so deep and pure that it was a true honor and privilege to had read their story and witness their relationship.

Sarah and Caleb have been together more than half their lives. Caleb, being the supportive and provider husband he is, has always comes to Sarah's rescue that she has begun to question what it is she can really do on her own, not to mention, who is she as an individual? After a rift starts to form and willing to do everything to protect their marriage and relationship, they decide to brave and venture off into the outdoors for a hiking trip designated for couples to re-kindle their relationship (while kindling a fire in the woods), where they are forced to admit their fears to each other and to get clear on what is they want out of their lives.

I love everything this book gives... including Sarah and Caleb and their personalities, their chemistry, banter and love, the plot of them growing evolving while finding their back to each other, the intimacy and beauty of the writing, and the maturity, relatability and vulnerability of the characters. Knowing that I have the opportunity to go read three others book by this author makes me incredibly happy and incredibly thankful.

Much gratitude to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

Hannah’s brand really is ‘super horny and super sad’ and I loved every second of this!! I cried multiple times and found myself so absorbed in Sarah and Caleb’s story that I seriously couldn’t put this down!

I don’t typically gravitate towards second chance romance, but I do really enjoy a second chance where they’re trying to repair their marriage. It’s the fact that one or both of the characters acknowledges that theres room for needed improvement and they show up for each other. Sarah and Caleb sign up for a counseling camping retreat and they definitely have their ups and downs and I loved witnessing their journey throughout high school and present day.

I think adding the dual timeline was a perfect way to understand Sarah and Caleb’s relationship, but also read more about Sarah’s mom and Sarah’s grief over time. For me personally, the grieving over a family member WRECKED me but it felt so good to cry because they’re never really gone from our lives.

Hannah truly wrote such beautiful and tender moments that I’m just in awe with her. And where Sarah and Caleb are so sweet to each other, they are also so horny and fight for control that I kept saying out-loud “sir?? ma’am??”

Hannah Bonam-Young is one of my absolute favorite authors and if she writes it, I WILL read and buy it without hesitation. To be honest, I’d read her to-do lists and probably tear up. Thank you Random House/Dell and NetGalkey for an arc in exchange for my honest review!!

This is an immediate infinity star read for me. I knew I was going to fall in love with the book before it was even in my hands because Hannah is just that good!

I truly don’t even think I can succinctly formulate my thoughts and feelings about this book to write into a review because there are just so many, but I am going to try my damn best. So here we go.

I felt like I was in therapy the entire time reading Out of the Woods, and I mean that in the absolute best way possible. Typically, the only thing I dislike (I say this very loosely) about Hannah’s books is that they are in single person pov, but I actually loved it in this book. The story was so deep and so personal that it worked really well to hear primarily Sarah’s side of things because she was the one struggling the most.

Out of the Woods is a story about self-discovery, self-doubt, finding your purpose, cultivating happiness, effective communication, loving and accepting yourself and your partner through all of life’s changes, and navigating tough decisions (just to name a few, lol). I truly believe that anyone who is in, or has been in, a serious long term relationship can relate a ton to at least some facet of what Sarah and Caleb go through in this book.

I, for one, am not married and have never been married, but I felt like I was living vicariously through Sarah so many times. I thought I had my life figured out in my early 20s. I got my Bachelors in psychology, went on to get my Masters in counseling, and immediately started working what I thought would be my dream job for life. Well, jokes on me because I burned out 3 years in. Now, I’m working a job I don’t like because I thought it could be a stepping stone to something else and have 2 degrees that are “wasted” as a result. I also have no f’ing clue what I want to do now. It really is such an exhausting process that affects almost all facets of my life.

Getting to experience Sarah and Caleb’s vulnerabilities felt like a literal gift. There were so many instances where I would read a line and be like “that literally came from my head, there’s no way.” I cried too many times to count, I laughed, I got angry, and boy oh boy, did I SWOON (and sweat 😮‍💨). The spicy scenes we get between these 2 are HOT you guys. Both Caleb and Sarah are so dirty and have such filthy mouths and the amount of TENSION that builds throughout the story line was simply delicious. I already can’t wait to read this again when it officially releases!

Sarah's voice was so clear and so hilarious. I found her very relatable and charming if a bit self-deprecating. Overall a lovely look into a marriage and the grief that follows us into different parts of our lives.

"And I hope that if you have to rewrite your life, you won't erase my part in it, that you'll let me stay a part of your story."

This book, to put it simply, broke my heart, but I would do it all over again just to experience Caleb and Sarah's love story again. 'Out of the Woods' is a beautiful story about two people who were thrust into adulthood far too quickly and are now facing the repercussions. The way they both learnt how to communicate their feelings to each-other was so beautiful and I enjoyed every second of it (even if I did have tears streaming down my face half the time). The easiest five stars I've ever given.

Thank you to Dell/Random House Publishing and NetGalley for the advance reader copy of Out of the Woods by Hannah Bonam-Young.

Sarah and Caleb, our lovelies who we met in Out on a Limb are back with their own book! These two are high school sweethearts and have gone through so much in the past 17 years together. Hannah Bonam-Young has an incredible author’s note at the beginning highlighting how this is a “love letter to all of us who met their soulmate before they had the chance to fully meet themselves.” That is such a succinct way to describe this book and the important story it tells. Sarah and Caleb are nature-averse people (which I really appreciate because I am too!) but at Win’s encouragement, Sarah and Caleb attend a hiking trip that is designed to help couples reconnect. Sarah and Caleb’s journey over the week explores learning who you are independently, embracing change, and what the next steps in life look like together.

I absolutely fell in love with these two as supporting characters in Out on a Limb. They were such standouts, individually and together. For others who always hoped for more of them, this book gives us what came next as well as flashbacks to how they met and how their relationship progressed. Like other stories by Hannah Bonam-Young, this is once again a beautifully written book that explores very real aspects of life. It’s a story with love, humor, hardships, grief, and friendship.

Another HBY masterpiece. 🤌🏻✨ I laughed, I cried (from happiness, anxiety, sadness, everything in between) and my heart grew a few sizes. The smut was also hot as HELLLLLL

Thank you to Dell and NetGalley for the chance to read this eARC. You made my year, kids.

Out of the Woods, from conception was going to strike such a personal note with me that I was almost afraid to start it. Sarah and Caleb so clearly love one another but get lost, as so many of us do, in the day to day minutiae of life and wanting to Grow Up and Stay The Same Forever And Ever Amen that resentment builds towards their favorite person with no discernible outlet until a spark causes a big explosion.

Anyone who’s partnered knows how hard it is to walk back from those moments, especially anyone who’s been with their partner for more than half of their lives. (Dear reader: it’s me, hi)


This story not only crystal captures what that love can feel like - suffocating, liberating, painful, freeing, amazing - but also the ability to fall in love with every single version of your person as they change and age and the beauty and relief of being on the same page. Without exaggeration, this story is a gift straight from HBY to our hearts. Sarah and Caleb are incredible, and their found family with Win, Bo, and Gus continues to stoke a warm flame of familiarity in my heart that will not fade anytime soon. Simply, I couldn’t recommend this enough.

From loss, love and the ties that lead us back to one another.

Married at nineteen, Sarah and Caleb’s early love cradled lifelong challenges. When Sarah’s mom is diagnosed with ALS and passes away, their lives are turned upside down. Nearly a decade later, Sarah is overcome by this shift in their relationship—and if she’s always been the woman in need of saving. In an effort to reconnect, they embark on a camping trip tailored for couples. Will they make it out of the woods or does it set off in a forest fire?

I’m coming back for more, Hannah Bonam-Young!

5⭐️!!! Hannah Bonam-Young you’ve done it again!! I have never read a romance like this!

This follows Sarah and Caleb (if you have read out on a limb they are Win and Bo’s best friends). They have been in each others lives for 17 years and it was so interesting reading a romance book where the couple is married. They go on a hiking trip for couples because they fear they heading in a direction they don’t want in their marriage.

First I have to say, Sarah is so relatable. Her inner monologue is one of the most relatable things I have ever read. Her daydreaming random scenarios of her in fantasy novel is so me lol. I loved how vulnerable and real their romance felt. It is dual timeline and shows moments from Sarah’s past. Some of these moments were very emotional (yes I did cry a lot) and others involved the beginning of her relationship with Caleb.

I absolutely loved this book and cried so much at the end (especially in the epilogue) because these characters deserve the word! Also another round of applause for having characters with great communication skills.

Thank you Netgalley and Dell Romance for this ARC!

{Review posted to goodreads on 8/31/24}

This book is probably my favorite read of 2024. Hannah always hits it out of the park and this is now exception. We meet Caleb and Sarah in Out on a Limb and they have been together since high school and got married very young. They seem happy and like they have it all together. We learn that one of the downfalls of getting married at 19 is that you don't really have time to figure out who you are and Sarah is feeling stuck. They decide to go on a week long couples camping retreat to help bring them back together.
It is beautiful and heartbreaking. It is also spicy and romantic. There is no third act breakup and such good moments of communication as the book goes on. I cannot recommend this book more!