I didn’t love Sarah and Caleb’s story as much as Bo and Win’s because how can you top Bo and Win. But I did really appreciate the journey Sarah went on and how much Caleb loves Sarah. There was never a doubt in Caleb’s mind that Sarah is his person and his life is only complete with Sarah by his side so when Sarah came to him with a plan for a reset and to go hiking in the woods he agrees.

What could go wrong when you put two non outdoorsy people out in the woods for seven days on a couple’s retreat? A few bumps and bruises, lots of rain, a broken compass and a lot of cathartic venting and releasing of all the feelings. Sarah did a lot of introspection and healing and was able to voice how she wanted to grow individually and with Caleb. Throughout the retreat, Caleb began to see Sarah’s need for change clearly after she shared what had been weighing her down and when he shared what he wanted as well.

I don’t really feel like this was a marriage in crisis story because you knew without a shadow of a doubt that they were never going to not be together so I felt like this was more of an individual crisis for Sarah (since it was only her POV). Yes, Sarah and Caleb were in a fight and needed to work through some things but it wasn’t something that was so drastic that it would break them apart. Overall this is a good read and is definitely better if read after Out on a Limb.


Thank you @authorhannahby publishers and @netgalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest feedback

After having met Caleb and Darah in Young’s Out on A Limb, I was so excited to learn that this feisty married couple would have their own story and particularly a marriage in crisis which is one of my most favorite romance tropes.

While there was so much I did enjoy about this story, I never did truly believe their marriage was in trouble - which is not a bad thing!- it’s just these characters married so young and had a lot of growing up to do both separately and together to make their love work as adults in the same way it had worked when they were young. This is a very easy to read story with beautiful side stories of friendship, death of a parent, found family, and unconditional love. I ultimately wanted more but I can see how this story will resonate with many readers.

1000000/10. As someone who has been with their husband for a very long time this book reached a part of my heart I didn't even know existed. Wow, easily a top 5 read the year. Both MC's were so relatable and beautifully flaws. I couldn't get over how well paced the book was at all. This is without a doubt an emotional read, even if there are times of laughter. A perfect journey of two people in love reminding themselves and falling in love with the new versions of each other.

Wish I read this earlier, bc I ended up loving it! Hannah Bonam-Young might be a new top favourite romance author, the way she wrote about the character’s past and current struggles was in the vein of Annabel Monaghan (but a bit more humor and open door 🫢, personally I would’ve been okay without the two scenes that occurred but that’s just me). I love books about married couples and overcoming issues together, and felt our MCs were able to help each other in a kind and gentle way 💕 I also have never read a story where the FMC had to become a caretaker for a parent at such a young age, and can only imagine the sacrifice and loss one would go through. It was refreshing to see three teens who were going through very painful real life struggles and have such maturity, instead of some of the melodrama you normally see in YA storylines. The ending was a little HEA (happily ever after) for me considering all the MCs went through in the main storyline, but I still enjoyed the book overall.

Definitely gotta go back and read Out on a Limb, especially bc I didn’t know this author is canadian ❤️🇨🇦

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25 (specific personal star rating)
🌶️🌶️ (personal spice rating)

i love this book. i love the story it told i love the characters and i love the vibes i got from it and ill definitely be reading again so i can annotate

this book was soooo cute. caleb and sarah are such a sweet couple and i was rooting for them the whole time. my heart. broke at the end when caleb was rushed to the hospital and the flashbacks to sarah’s mom were so :(. such a fun and easy read so heartwarming

Out of the Woods is a beautifully written romance with heartfelt characters and exceptional mental health representation. Hannah Bonham Young creates a tender, realistic journey of healing and love, making the story both comforting and impactful. If you enjoy romances that handle tough topics with care while still delivering swoon-worthy moments, this one is a must-read!

We (and our readers) are such big fans of Out on a Limb and so this was a popular preorder as it was one of our most anticipated reads. The romance and story in this book was so wonderfully done with an equal measure of humorousness and emotional. What a beautiful, beautiful story. I can't say that I have any criticism!

If you're in the mood to cry at increasingly prolific rates with each chapter until you’re a desiccated husk in your bedroom, THIS IS THE BOOK TO DO IT!!!! (In the BEST WAY!)

I knew Hannah Bonam-Young would be an auto-buy author me after the utter masterpiece that was Out On a Limb, but I genuinely think she outdid herself with this one. Where Out On a Limb was the most beautifully romantic, precious, sweet experience from start to finish, Out Of the Woods gets real, it gets raw, and it gets deep into the weeds of long-term relationships, growing together, and growing apart — on TOP of a hefty dose of Coping With Parent Loss.

It’s a book about grief, about change, about how to grow together with someone long-term while also growing differently, and how to honor all versions of yourself and your partner while you go. Prepare to weep endlessly into your own hands over two high school sweethearts in the midst of an intense marriage in peril trope. It hits like a gut punch, and makes for an unputdownable, deeply cathartic read.

Despite the heavier themes in this one, Hannah still manages to make you go from ugly crying into laughing crying in the space of a page, somehow making this feel comforting and joyous while also being utterly devastating. It’s nothing short of witchcraft, and Hannah, I worship at your altar!!!!!!

I'm OBSESSED, I loved every second of this, and I’m desperate to get my masochistic hands on whatever she writes next. I AM READY TO BE HURT AGAIN, HANNAH.

Pick this up if you’re in the mood to cry, if you married your high school sweetheart, or if you just love love and the exploration of it from a more delicate angle than just falling in love for the first time. It’s beautiful, it’s nuanced, and it’s touching — sometimes like a hot brand of agony!!! — but touching nonetheless.

And if you miss Win and Bo, fret not — there are plenty of precious cameos in this one to soothe your trail-weary spirit.

Here's what I'll say: Hannah Bonham-Young does not have a cringey bone in her writerly body. On paper, there should not be anything particularly engaging about a struggling couple going on a marriage retreat in the woods. AND YET. Sarah and Caleb were such a fun, relatable couple, and even in their really tough moments it was so refreshing to read about a marriage of people who genuinely like each other! I've never read a romance about a couple who is together for the duration of the story, and I loved it. This is a story about growing together when it would be easier to grow apart, and about how fun and delightful and sexy a healthy longterm relationship can be.

I absolutely loved this book. It was emotional yet funny! I adored Sarah and Caleb ::swoon::. This book hit on so many important parts of relationships and growing together. I loved this book!

I don't usually read the marriage in trouble romance and this was my first book from this author and safe to say, not gonna be my last!

I was hooked from the starting. I think that's part of the problem why I don't read this trope cause until i know the couple is good and happy together, I can't put my kindle down. That applied here too! This book was very realistic and touching and I loved how both of them had faults and they learn to accept it and move on happily! Definitely a must read!

I LOVED this book! If Hannah writes it, I will read it! From the beginning I loved the characters and plot. The blurb was the thing that brought me to this book & it did not disappoint.

Sarah (fmc) had lost her mom when she was in high school and has been with Caleb since high school. As she continues to grow up she realizes that she doesn't who she is without Caleb. As she tries to make a project of her own, it fails and it causes her to question everything with herself and her marriage. With these events they decide to on a grueling hiking trip to help guide them through these issues. On that trip, Sarah finds that she hasn't truly grieved her life on how it was supposed to go, the things that Caleb do for her to ensure happiness, and that she needs to fully focus on herself and her future. Reading through these stages of what they are going was so bittersweet.

This book seriously resonated what I have gone through in my life. I had lost my father to cancer when I was 15 and I was dating my husband then too. I solely relied on him to get through the hardships of my life and have continued to be my best friend to today. I've always done the right thing but never fully considered what I truly wanted in life. Not only that but we have gone through the hardships of marriage like this boo. It might've been a story but I know that Hannah Bonam-Young resonates with this story as well as it felt so real to what I have been through. Hannah you have seriously done it again and I loved every bit of this story. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC to review.

Out of the Woods was one of my most anticipated reads of 2025. It did not disappoint! Caleb and Sarah learned so much from their adventure together. I felt like I was going on their hiking/camping journey with them. The story had so many hidden meanings sprinkled throughout. It was a breath of fresh air to read this book. It was filled with emotion, love, adventure, and comedy. It was perfect! Please read as you will not regret it!

Out of the Woods is a heartfelt exploration of love, identity, and the complicated reality of long-term relationships, and the work required to maintain a meaningful connection over time. This book is so much more than a love story—it’s stunning, emotional, and a deeply relatable story that had me completely captivated.

This book follows Sarah and Caleb Linwood, high school sweethearts who, after seventeen years of marriage, find themselves questioning their individual identities and the state of their marriage.

When life, doubts, and unspoken struggles begin to pull them apart, they embark on a week-long wilderness retreat designed for couples facing challenges trying to reconnect and rediscover themselves. And what follows is a raw and beautiful journey of self-discovery, healing, and rediscovering what made them fall in love in the first place.

The wilderness setting adds an extra layer of symbolism: sometimes, to find your way back to each other, you have to get a little lost first. And love isn’t always easy but is always worth fighting for because love isn’t just about finding each other—it’s about choosing each other, over and over again

This book had me feeling everything—from laughter to heartbreak to hope. From the witty banter to the gut-wrenching emotional moments. If you love stories with deep emotional connections, second-chance romance, characters who feel real, and stories that make you reflect on love and commitment, this one’s a must-read!

Sarah and Caleb are high school sweethearts who married very young, mostly because they were in love, but partially because they each needed a family. This book explores what a rut in that relationship looks like many years later. I do think this book had a lot of interesting insights about long-term relationships and alternative types of therapy, however I found the stakes to be pretty low which made it hard for me to get invested.

So I originally got this book on NetGalley and was so excited because I have loved the few books that I read from Hannah Bonam-Young and this one has already been pretty popular from what I have seen on "bookstagram". I wasn't too much a fan of the premise of this book, though. The main couple is already together and for me, that makes it a bit more predictable. You don't get many books like that, though, where the main couple is already together. So I started reading in December 2024 and got about 11% into it when I decided that I simply wasn't invested enough or enjoying it like I was other books and I would put it on pause until I was able to get the audiobook when it came out in January. I don't know what it is, but sometimes audiobooks make the books more enjoyable or even easier to read, too. So I finally picked the book back up February 2024. Yikes. BUT, some simple notes are that I thought this one was okay, not as good as the first one "Out Of The Woods".
I liked that Caleb brought her ereader on their "vacation" so she would not lose her reading streak! Thats so sweet, and would be so me, too.
How Hannah Bonam-Young writes her characters and how they talk to each other is so perfect. They speak with such kindness and great communication.
But for some reason, I just didn't feel so attached to these characters. I felt like the premise was relatable in a way but at the same time the female main character was looking for problems constantly, so that was off-putting to me. I don't know, I don't have a ton of notes but it was a good book for the most part, I just wasn't pulled to it personally and it definitely wasn't a favorite. There was at least some character development, as they developed and grew together as a couple.

Out of the Woods was everything that I was hoping for and so much more. I love how you still get glimpses of Caleb and Sarah from Out on Limb. The characters are written so well that it makes you want to care for them. A special thank you to Netgalley, Hannah Bonam-Young, and Random House Publishing Group for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

Absolutely love every thing Hannah writes, with this being included. She makes you deeply care about her characters and how their plot lines progress. Loved this!