Hannah has very quickly become an auto-buy author from me, I was so excited to receive this arc in exchange for my review!

I think any couple in a long term relationship could relate to the themes that started out in this book when you meet Sarah and Caleb. The storyline of Sarah's mother was devastating, and the dynamic her illness played into Sarah and Calebs relationship was both so touching and complex. I loved how it explored and gave airtime to real relationship problems such as outgrowing old beliefs and growing UP in a relationship, becoming so intwined with one another those subtleties go unnoticed until something big happens. I related to this so much.

I felt the pace of the story was perfect, but I did expect a bit more around the conflict resolution between sarah and caleb, or more conversation, more discussion between themselves. Also I want to know how Caleb, being made out to be such a "nerd" in an almost amateur/not self-aware way was such a hot partner in bed and he and Sarah were so sexually confident/compatible?

I loved the epilogue, getting to Sarah live out her dreams after the sacrifices and years spent consumed with her mothers illness, her desire to finish school, was the perfect way to end her story. We all knew Caleb was a huge success but it was even better to see Sarah who came from so little get to live out her big dreams!

Highly recommend this book and I will be buying a book trophy when this releases!

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

“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 was advertised as a marriage in crisis but it felt more of an argument than a full blown crisis?? It felt more as though the “crisis” could have been a third act break up.

Since it was only from Sarah’s POV, I felt that I was missing a big portion of the crisis or how it ended up there; Caleb’s POV would have packed a little more emotional punch for me because it didn’t seem like he even know she was struggling so it didn’t feel like they were truly in crisis.

I did love the dual timelines and ALS representation. I didn’t read Out on a Limb because I hateeee a pregnancy trope, but I did love the friendship between the two FMC's. I have read Hannah’s other series and this book fell a little short, in terms of what I was expecting.

Major things to NetGalley & Random House for the early copy!

I'd like to send a huge thanks to the author, Hannah Bonam-Young, the publisher, and NetGalley for the awesome privilege of being able to read a digital copy of this advanced reader copy of Out of the Woods. I will share my review to Goodreads, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble upon release.

Out of the Woods was soooo good! Bonam-Young uses the characters of Sarah, Caleb, Win, Bo, and others to explore love, loss, grief, identity, marriage, resilience, and confidence in such a heartwarming and sweet way. The characters from Out on a Limb are back, and this time, we get more about Caleb and Sarah's story. Throughout the book are flashbacks to the beginning of their love story in high school, considering the two are high school sweethearts and years into their marriage. Their relationship has hit some snags due to some traumas and insecurities, but they both have enough love for each other to try coming together at a camping retreat. When all of their normal comforts and abilities to hide from each other are stripped away from them, the couple are forced to expose the most vulnerable parts of themselves in a new, more mature way than they are used to sharing. They've grown up together, and therefore are learning how to be adults together. Marriage is a constant craft, and their story is a lovely reminder of how much it means to work towards goals together with your chosen family.

I love the cover, which I think gives an overall tone of the book - Caleb and Sarah working together to accomplish feats to increase their confidence in their own identities and their confidence in their future. They love each other and belong together, but even couples who are perfect tend to go through times of strife. The moments of humor and sweet dialogue had me so giddy. I read this one so quickly because I loved the characters and the plot so much. I loved the idea of the retreat to force them into proximity. There's themes of flashbacks, nature, camping, therapy, marriage, relationship struggles, supportive side characters. I would recommend to anyone who enjoys those themes and Hannah Bonam-Young! Love isn't always easy, but it's worth the effort when it's good!

Absolute perfection! Sarah and Caleb were high school sweethearts now in their 30s and married. Sarah has an identity crisis and they hit a rough spot in their marriage. So they head into the woods in a hiking trip for some couples therapy. We get to see Sarah and Caleb as teenagers and as adults with the dual timeline. This book was so real and raw- full of emotion, struggle, grief, growth and love. I love these characters so much, I relate to them. So beautifully written. I cried and laughed multiple times. A MUST READ.

Review to be posted on Goodreads and Fable after book publication date.

I absolutely adored this book! This is a companion book to Out On A Limb. When I requested this ARC I didn’t realize that, so I made the point to read Out on the Limb before reading Out of the Woods, and I’m sooo glad I did! You get to know Sarah and Caleb a little bit so it makes it even easier to fall in love with them prior to reading.

Hannah does such a good job of capturing the characters emotions and personalities. I was rooting for Sarah and Caleb the whole time and felt all the emotions they did. Topics of grief, young love, changes in your marriage and finding yourself are all apart of their story and it was so beautifully written. I am a huge Hannah fan now and can’t wait to dive into another one of her books!

4.5 stars

Another fantastic book by HBY! Caleb and Sarah are a great example of two people who are meant to be together but have hit a bit of a rough patch. Even with all their arguing and tension at the beginning of the book you could feel how much they both loved each other and it was heartbreaking to watch them struggle to work through it. I loved the way they reconnected throughout their hiking trip and I especially liked how Hannah Bonam-Young showed the amount of work that it took. Even though there was so much love between Caleb and Sarah, they had a lot of work they needed to put in in order to get back on the same page and figure out how to move forward.
Throughout this book you also get to see Caleb and Sarah at the beginning of their relationship, when they were still in school. Young Caleb was such a sweetheart and I loved how he was there for Sarah throughout everything with her mom and how he loved her and supported her. This backstory also built the foundation for how they behaved as adults and helped to explain why they were having some of the issues they had in the present.
This book made me laugh, made me cry, and made me believe in love, even if it takes work. This was such a heartwarming, fun story and I absolutely loved it.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House, and Dell for the ARC!

I want to thank NetGalley, Random House Publishing, and Hannah for allowing me access to this Advanced Reader Copy; it was amazing!

Wow. I can’t explain how much this book touched me.
Let me start off by saying, this is my first “marriage hardship” trope. I walked in with a clean slate of opinion.

Caleb & Sarah are having a hardship in their marriage, and not only that but Sarah feels lost. They were gifted a “retreat” for couples, and let me just say it was a JOURNEY.

This book had me crying, laughing, crying again, and all together had me on my toes.
It switches back and forth between the past and the present, and both of those timelines had me gripped to the page.

There is a mix of grief, second guessing, optimism, the feeling of wanting change, anger, resilience, and other hardships that happen through the book, and it all ties together so melodically.

The realness of this novel, it allows you to resonate with what is happening into your own life as well, and it has you thinking that maybe your life isn’t so crazy.

I loved how there isn’t just one plot, and there are multiple focuses throughout the story.

There is not much that I have to complain, close to nothing, ONLY that Hannah the author will throw you for a spin towards the ending and your heart will have some anxiety for a moment (Not ultimately a complaint, just beware not everything is sunshine and meadows 😛) the best authors throw you for a spin ;)

Please please everyone read this book, you will NOT regret it! It was so beautiful and optimistic!

Wow! To be completely honest when I started this book and saw that the marriage was strained, I was hesitant about it. I kept thinking how depressing this would be to watch a marriage crumble. I was totally wrong.

A kind of dial timeline helps you see Caleb and Sarah’s journey from teens to the present and helps to explain the many feelings clouding their relationship. Are parts sad? Definitely. Are parts fun? Totally. Is it a really beautiful story that gives you hope for change and love? Absolutely.

Bonus points for Win and Bo (and baby August!) from Out On A Limb…the sisterly bond and friendship between Win and Sarah is utter perfection and Bo and Caleb play Dungeons and Dragons together…so you know they are amazing. The four of them together are just everything you could ever want in a friend group.

I have nothing but praise for this book. It was just downright lovely. ♥️♥️

I loved this book! Both Sarah and Caleb were great as individuals as well as them together as a unit. And while I wasn’t originally sure about a ‘marriage on the rocks’ trope, I enjoyed this because I wasn’t actually worried that they would break up.

I also appreciated the writing. I felt like I could feel Sarah’s pain, struggles, and anxiety. In capturing these emotions, I felt more empathy for Sarah. Similarly, the vivid and descriptive writing helped bring the entire story to life.

Two pieces are holding it back from a higher score in my mind:
(1) the last bit of the story wasn’t necessary and it didn’t add to the overall story (other than providing some closure for Sarah and her issues with Caleb’s family but even that didn’t seem necessary to me).
(2) Caleb was originally described as a nerd, but once they are on the retreat his entire personality revolves around sex. It was an odd dichotomy that I think could have been done more cohesively.

Thank you to NetGalley, Hannah Bonam-Young, and Random House for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I was so excited to recieve this ARC as I’ve been meaning to read Hannah Bonam-Young’s books and this got me hooked!
I think the style of writing and storytelling was similar to Abby Jimenez’s books and I absolutely adored all of these and i’m so glad i could add another author with similar type of books to my collection that i want to read over and over again.
But the story, it was very well written and not knowing any of their background as a well established couple, their dynamics were woven into the story beautifully and in every moment you just felt how these two really loved each other a lot, they just are going through a period where they questioned things. Which is totally valid, i think every 30smth does a little check with themselves at somepoint and takes audit if they are truly happy and what can they do different moving forward.
Overall it was a heartwarming and beautiful book about people who are finding their way again, together. And i truly loved it and i’m so thankful for the opportunity to recieve the ARC

First of all, thank you NetGalley and Random House publishing for an ARC of Out of the Woods in exchange for a honest review.

I was beyond excited to get an ARC of Out of the Woods! Hannah Bonam-Young is one of my favorite authors so I speed read anything of puts out. Out on a Limb is one of my favorite books, so I was excited to hear more about Sarah and Caleb’s story in Out of the Woods. The book follows Sarah and Caleb as they navigate the challenges of married life. Sarah feels she is missing something in her life and struggles to find her independence and identity that isn’t tied up in her marriage with Caleb. They decide to go on a couple’s retreat to learn how to grow together as a couple while also learning more about themselves along the way.

I loved the flashback scenes of Caleb and Sarah’s earliest moments in their relationships and how they dealt with the hardships thrown their way. One thing I was happy to see is that no matter what situation they were in, you could always tell how much they loved each other and wanted to work on their relationships. We got to see Caleb and Sarah grow as a couple and learn how to support each other through the changes that life throws at them. I’m also glad we got to see glimpses of Win, Bo and Gus as well!
Overall 5 stars and I can’t wait to see what Hannah Bonam-Young writes next!!

4.5⭐️ OMG this book was incredible. I felt every emotion!🩷😭 It took my soul and gave it the tightest hug imaginable!

Book Review: Out of the Woods by Hannah Bonam-Young

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Out of the Woods by Hannah Bonam-Young is a heartfelt journey that tackles the complexities of long-term relationships with humor, tenderness, and emotional depth. High school sweethearts Sarah and Caleb Linwood have been inseparable for nearly two decades, facing life’s challenges as a unit. But as Sarah grapples with a need for independence—fueled by her desire to honor her late mother’s memory through a solo project—a fissure begins to grow in their seemingly rock-solid marriage.

The book’s emotional core lies in Sarah’s quest for self-discovery and identity outside her role as Caleb’s other half. Her struggles to make her fundraiser a success without relying on Caleb’s help is relatable and nuanced, making readers feel deeply invested in her journey. When Caleb’s well-intentioned but unwelcome intervention causes their marriage to reach a breaking point, the couple faces long-buried frustrations and questions about whether they’ve evolved too differently over the years.

In a bid to reconnect, Sarah and Caleb embark on an arduous hiking retreat designed for couples, an experience that’s both physically and emotionally demanding. Bonam-Young skillfully blends moments of vulnerability and hilarity, as the couple faces mishaps in the great outdoors that reveal both their insecurities and enduring love. The setting—a wilderness hike that strips away modern comforts—becomes a metaphor for the raw and exposed state of their relationship.

With its mix of poignant reflections and light-hearted comedic relief, Out of the Woods is a compelling look at how love can change and endure through time, growth, and reinvention. This story reminds readers that rediscovering oneself doesn’t have to come at the cost of rediscovering each other. For anyone who has wondered what lies beyond the “happily ever after,” this book offers both a realistic and hopeful answer.

If HBY doesn’t have a fan club, I’m starting one right now. This author knows how to write some of the most heartfelt reads I’ve ever experienced.

As someone who also married their high school sweetheart, even the forward by her had me in tears. I really thought nothing could top Out on a Limb; but dang this one might have done it.

The growth of both Sarah and Caleb through the entire book was beautiful, and their true struggle to get back to each other felt like a honor to witness, even though they are fictional. I found myself forgetting that fact, because the characters felt so real.

I experienced laughing, crying, sobbing, and just enjoying the journey. It was so great, and I’d recommend it to anyone (keep in mind, there is spice, and it is goooood).

Thank you to Hannah Bonham-Young and Random House/Dell for an eARC copy via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Grab your red gingham blanket, put some hot coco in your favorite mug and get in your comfy spot to read this book because you will NOT get back up until you’ve read the entire thing. The marriage in crisis trope is one i don’t often read but this one had me hooked. I loved all the flash backs during the story to show how much love they had for each other in the beginning of the relationship. And loved the story on how they get it all back. This was such a healing book for me, i lost my mom when i was 19 and dealing with grief and relationships is always something i find hard. This book was a healing book for me.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Out of the Woods follows former high school sweet hearts turned spouses Sarah and Caleb, who originally appear in Bonam-Young's book Out on a Limb, as they attend a wilderness retreat in attempt to work on the issues of their marriage. And you know your marriage is having issues when you miscommunicate one whole time.

Bonam-Young presents an interesting take on a romance book, where we are not getting a meet cute or a second chance romance but a couple who has spent over a decade together dealing with the consequences of falling in love before they truly found out who they were as individuals. As a concept, this intrigued me, but I felt as though the story fell short of what it promises. Primarily focusing on Sarah's personal growth as she realizes she never fully processes losing her mother so young, this book almost would have read better as Women's Fiction. Sarah's relationship with her mother and struggle to find a sense of self are the most interesting parts of this story. Caleb felt a NPC, lacking even the mild characterization he had in Out on a Limb. He was there for Sarah to resent before confronting her own issues and then he was there for Sarah to flirt with in between realizing difficult truths about herself. The romance almost felt out of place. I also found myself dragging my feet with reading this despite my initial excitement. Once I was about a chapter in, I felt as though I knew exactly where this story was going, so there was no incentive to binge read it. I loved Out on a Limb and still plan on reading Next of Kin, but Out of the Woods fell short for me. 3 stars ⭐️ and they're all for my girl Sarah, even though sometimes she sounded like a bot spewing randomly generated Relatable Tweets.

Sarah and Caleb were married at 19, now at 31 Sarah feels lost, and their marriage is suffering. The embark on a week long relationship retreat in attempt to repair their marriage.

Sweet, wholesome, moving, filled with trauma - this would be a great book for someone who can relate to the struggles of married young and growing together.

What I loved…
- Bo + Win cameos
- as usual the author does not shy away from talking about the hard stuff - she handles the topics with care!
- themes of grief & loss
- overall feel good story
- diverse + inclusive
- relatable FMC

What I didn’t love…
- the flashbacks added very little to the story for me and mostly took me away from the present - with was disjointing!
- I did not enjoy the 3rd act conflict and felt like it did nothing to improve or propel the story.
- Sarah’s actions felt ridiculously immature for a 31 year old with more than 12 years of marriage under her belt. You’re telling me they’ve made it that far in their relationship with that poor of communication until now?
- As with, Out on a Limb I felt like it lacked the tension and angst I want in a romance - it felt so low stakes, despite being a high stakes situation.

Hannah crafts a tale of grief and self-discovery through the eyes of Sarah, a young woman who still grieves the loss of her mother. Struggling to reconnect with her husband and feeling trapped in their routine, Sarah reluctantly agrees to a week-long wilderness camp for couples at the urging of her best friend, Win. As she navigates the challenges of the outdoors, she embarks on a transformative journey that helps her reclaim her identity and rekindle her marriage. The return of Win, Bo and Gus adds depth and warmth to the narrative, making this a heartfelt exploration of love, loss, and the courage to embrace change.

“You are the only thing that matters to me, and I’m tired of pretending otherwise. "
•

this is such a beautiful story of two people who’ve been together so long, they’ve essentially fused into one. but what happens when one of them has an identity crisis? it’s a turning point, for sure: one that will define wether they move forward together or apart. statistically, the odds are against them, but this could be the opportunity to defy those odds.

I loved Sarah and Caleb’s story so much! it’s such a lovely illustration of two people choosing to put in the work, together and individually, to move out of a rut and continue to build a beautiful future of love and joy. it was filled with the warmth of a familiar marriage and partnership alongside moments of grief, discovery, and rediscovery.

Out of the Woods is my first experience with Hannah Bonham-Young, but it won’t be my last!
•

this and that:
♡ chosen family
♡ cinnamon roll mmc
♡ dreaming again
♡ flashbacks
♡ found family
♡ forest adventures
♡ high school sweethearts
♡ marriage in trouble
♡ marriage retreats in the woods
♡ men in glasses
♡ open door heat
♡ paper airplanes
♡ single pov
♡ tent seduction
♡ waterfalls and nature
•

triggers:
☞ challenging in-laws
☞ death of loved one
☞ physical injuries
☞ terminal illness

Thank you so much to Netgally for providing me with a copy of Out of the Woods!

The dedication to this book sums it up PERFECTLY! This book was written for the Amy March girls and I could not love it more for it! It perfectly encapsulates the feeling of wanting to be great or nothing at all!

I found this book so entertaining! I seriously do not remember the last book I read this fast! The author’s writing style is always so engaging and fast paced in a way that makes you want to constantly keep reading!

I also absolutely love love LOVED Sarah and Caleb! They were both absolutely so much fun to read and follow along with in their little journey! The appearance of Win and Bo from “Out on a Limb” was also an amazing touch!

I really truly loved this book, but I do think I should mention the only thing that bothered me was that they supposably had a marriage in danger, but they literally had one fight. After having their one and only fight we heard about their whole marriage they’re googling divorce rates and going on a marriage counseling retreat. The relationship did not seem fully developed or like the author really knew about a realist relationship at all which is odd since she based these characters after her own marriage.