WOW! This is probably the best book I've read in a minute. I adored Out on a Limb. I absolutely loved every snippet of Sarah and Caleb I could get and was so excited to be getting a book all about them. This book was a beautiful letter to the way love can heal and persevere. Through all of the hardship and scary life things, their love was always there. It was such a comfort to them, and to me too, because Caleb and Sarah love so hard and so deep. The way their love extends to the people in their lives makes them the kind of characters you cannot put down or walk away from. Above all else these two loved each other so completely. Their story was built on such a solid foundation that even with a few shakes, they ended up okay. May a love like theirs find everyone who wishes for it. I also haven't laughed out loud reading a book in a while and this book had me genuinely laughing. I needed that this week.



This review is available now on Goodreads and will be available on my Instagram @kays.reads_ before the publishing date.

First and foremost, I want to thank the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for accepting my request to read and review Out of the Woods!

This is my first Hannah Bonam-Young book (but not by choice - the library waitlist for Out on a Limb is a million people long. Good for HBY! Not so good for me, lol), and I fell in love.

This story drew me in from the get-go. The second chance marriage trope is a favorite and this one did it so incredibly well. That sweater analogy is one that will stick with me.

I felt that the author did an amazing job on characters! For one, I could FEEL the tension, love, fear, and hope between Sarah and Caleb throughout the story, and it kept hitting me right in the gut and making me feel things. There were definitely watery eyes a time or two. Second, I thought the relationship between Sarah and Win was incredibly well done. Again, I could FEEL their friendship. The author did a good job of writing their relationship without trying too hard. There was just an ease to it, and their dynamic worked really well. And lastly, Sarah had a quirkiness to her that I loved - it was super relatable. It's nice knowing other people have weird, quirky thoughts bouncing around their heads, too (she reminded me a bit of Sarah Adams's quirky characters).

My only reason for not giving it 5 stars is that there was something about the ending (the third act) that left me unsatisfied. I felt it wasn't needed, and I'm not sure how it added to the story. I can't exactly put my finger on the reason, but it threw me off.

But overall, I really enjoyed this book, and I'm looking forward to reading more of this author's work!

Thank you to the author Hannah Bonam Young, NetGalley, & RHP for this ARC of Out of the Woods!!!

I absolutely adored this novel. I read Out on a Limb earlier this year and loved it, so I was incredibly excited to revisit Win & Bo as well as explore the marriage between Sarah & Caleb.

I related so much to Sarah. I love how the author portrayed her and expressed her feelings about how she was feeling in her life. I also related to a few things she mentioned (in terms of age) because we are the same age hahaha so it made me giggle quite a few times!

Sarah and Caleb were too cute. I found their relationship to be great even before the wilderness trip but during it only created a stronger bond. They truly were always meant to be together, and I can see how Caleb is a lil cinnamon roll MMC.

Overall, this book showcases a beautiful relationship, friendships, and necessary spice 🥵
While also teaching you a few lessons about life and how important it can be to put yourself first. Highly recommend!!

Took off a star because I felt like it may have needed a little more conflict? Overall it was so realistic but I would have loved just a little bit more oomph to get me going!!

P.s whenever Caleb says baby I swoon

Out of the Woods is a simply beautiful book with real feeling, real conversations, and a real approach to how a young couple who married out of high school might feel in their 30s and how to overcome the what ifs and mid life crisis that might come up in their marriage.

Sarah and Caleb had been together since they were in high school, always supporting and having each others backs. Caleb supporting Sarah more with the illness that swept her mother away. Now, Sarah questions who she would be if Caleb had never been there, is she her own person? The two embark on a hiking trip for couples and see if they can get out of these woods they are stuck in.

This book has a lot of heavy topics, marriage in trouble and grief. I don't think I was prepared for the emotions around her mom in addition to their own issues which caught me off guard, making this more serious and gloomy than I was expecting. It was really beautiful and I thought it was honest, how they worked through their issues. More realistic than other marriage in trouble books I've read.

Thank you NetGalley and Dell for an eARC of this book in exchange for my opinion.

This book was absolutely amazing!!! I’m happy I got the chance to read this book and I loved it from beginning to end. The characters development and their love story was the best I’ve read in a while. I definitely recommend that anyone who is wondering if they should read this book DO IT you won’t regret it.

You never know what a couple is going through behind closed doors. Sarah and Caleb are picturesque in Out on a Limb. Relationship issues come to light in Out of the Woods when Sarah realizes she has felt complacent and unaccomplished since her mother's death over a decade prior.

This book was a beautiful journey of a couple reconnecting with each other both within and out of their comfort zones. The emotions both main characters go through are so real and raw.

Sarah has a hilarious inner (and sometimes outer) monologue that keeps the story feeling light and refreshing, even when dealing with heavier topics. I might even love her now more than Win...

Honestly this book couldn't have come at a more perfect time in my life (thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!), as similar to Sarah, with marriage and motherhood, it is so easy get lost in everything relating to our kids & husband that we forget to make time for ourselves. We sometimes lose what makes us, us.

This can be read as a stand-alone, but the story is much better having read Out on a Limb first.

... Oh and Miss Hannah, I caught the extra subtle Taylor Swift reference in that of Sarah's e-reading streak, and my little millennial heart adores the NSYNC line.

High school sweethearts Sarah and Caleb have hit a rough patch in their 17 year marriage and make the spontaneous decision to get out of their comfort zones and join a grueling hiking trip intended to guide couples through rough patches. It's unusual to have a romance novel about an already established couple and I was a bit skeptical, but Bonam-Young won me over. Told from a single POV, it has a dual timeline with flashbacks of the couple's origin story. Also, I loved that Sarah and Caleb are childfree by choice.

Although this can be read as a standalone, I highly recommend reading Out on a Limb first, not only because it's an excellent book but also because of the cameo appearances you'll get of Bo and Win in Out of the Woods.

This was another really great read from Bonam-Young. I love her quirky characters, humorous dialogue, and the realistic yet feel-good growth arcs they experience across the storyline.

I was first introduced to Sarah & Caleb in Out on a Limb, and was excited to read about a happily married couple going on a camping/hiking retreat to address some underlying issues that crop up after 10 years of wedded bliss. These two decidedly not outdoorsy people find themselves connecting with other group members while also reconnecting with each other (with a few bumps along the way). Interspersed with the current-day chapters are scenes from their past, the history of their relationship and the loss of Sarah's mother, which plays a significant role in the plot.

A key moment in the plot is when the protagonists develop a 10-year vision/plan to help them focus on a shared goal moving forward, and the book wraps up with an epilogue ten years into the future that shows which elements of their plan worked out and how it all impacted their life together, making for an extra special HEA.

Sweet, nostalgic, and memorable, OUT OF THE WOODS was such a beautiful novel. I am such a sucker for this trope, and Bonam-Young executed it so well. I had so many moments where my heart hurt for these two lovers only to have my heart soar with happy emotions after. This is Bonam-Young’s best novel so far.

This was a gorgeously written, tender, soft hug of a book.

We met Sarah and Caleb in Out On A Limb, where they appeared to be a perfect happy couple. They were childhood sweethearts who got married as teens, and now in her 30s, Sarah is questioning her life and whether she has anything to show for herself outside of being Caleb’s wife and has grown to resent her situation. Her best friend recommends a marriage retreat in the form of a hiking expedition with a group of strangers, and Sarah is just desperate enough to take her up on it.

Sarah is a great character, it’s a single POV from her so we get to learn all about her and what shaped her into the person she is today. She’s a bit lost and adrift, not sure what she wants from life but she knows she can’t stay stagnant where she is.

It’s technically a “marriage in crisis” story but that’s really only from Sarah. Caleb, sweet Caleb, loves his life and his wife and will do anything to keep her even if it means a week long hiking trip with strangers. I just really, really, loved him and his big heart.

I really enjoyed their journey and all the quirky characters they were on the trip with. I also especially loved that this couple was childfree by choice, which was reaffirmed multiple times throughout the book. Their HEA looked different than we normally see in romance and I LOVED it.

Since this is really one woman’s journey to self acceptance, I think this was more women’s fiction rather than romance, but nonetheless I swooned, I cried, I laughed.

What an excellent book, and what a gift the author gives us in sharing her tender heart with us all.

This book has truly left me speechless. It struck the perfect balance of emotions—joy, sorrow, love, and resilience. Sarah and Caleb feel like my best friends; their struggles, triumphs, and deep connection resonated with me in such a personal way. The way their relationships are portrayed—authentic, complicated, and tender—felt so real, and I could see myself in them.

Though I haven't experienced the same loss as Sarah, I relate deeply to the emotional journey she navigates. My own mother had a massive stroke while I was pregnant with my first child, and reading Sarah’s story of learning to cope with a life she never expected made me feel understood in ways I didn’t know I needed.

What struck me most about Sarah and Caleb's relationship is how rare and beautiful it is to find a soulmate at such a young age. Their commitment to one another, through the good and bad, was so touching. They were truly all in—no hesitation, no reservations—and that kind of love is so incredibly rare.

I adore this book and its characters, and it hit home for me in such a profound way. I’m beyond grateful for the chance to read this ARC. Thank you so much for this incredible gift. Hannah, your writing is exceptional. You've created something special that will stay with me long after I’ve finished reading.

Love love love. She does it again. I did not want to put this book down. You definitely don’t have to read Out On a Limb first, but I would highly recommend it. Seeing Win and Bo again was a treat.

Hearing Sarah and Caleb’s story in both the current timeline with flashbacks to their beginning was perfect. As with all her books, the pacing was perfect. The story keeps moving but nothing felt rushed. Their story is one of young love and how time changes relationships. Both main characters have to face their own insecurities and how to deal with them. I appreciated how none of the issues ever felt childish or forced, they were well explained and valid. A very healing book!

Their love is a great one and their story is worthwhile read.

Thank you to Random House and Hannah for this amazing ARC.

This was fantastic! All HBY books are, but I loved it so much. She does such a good job exploring difficult topics in a beautiful and make me cry way. I can’t wait to have a copy on my shelf.

This is lighthearted romance that brings a bit of charm to the workplace romance genre. The characters are likable, and the storyline is engaging, but it doesn’t quite reach its full potential. The chemistry between the protagonists is enjoyable, but there are moments when the pacing feels uneven, which affects the flow of the story.

While there are several funny and heartwarming scenes, some of the plot points feel predictable, and the character development could have been deeper. Despite these minor issues, Its still enjoyable read for anyone looking for a feel-good romance with a few laughs along the way.

Rating: 3/5

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!