This story was great! I wasn’t sure quite what to expect since it’s a “romance” with a married couple. But watching Sarah and Caleb realize they need a change and choose to grow with each other was beautiful! I honestly cried through most of the book - happy, sad, funny, everything! It was so touching to see Sarah being ready to move forward and Caleb supporting her as they got on the same page. Definitely one of my favorite reads of 2025!

Rating - 4.5/5

This book was a wonderful representation of grief and how it can strain beautiful relationships.

I loved Caleb and Sarah both individually throughout this book, but I loved them even more as a whole - together they were perfect! My favorite thing about this book was how solid their marriage felt, even in times of uncertainty. I didn't doubt them staying together because of their genuine love connection making this a comforting and heartwarming read.

Thank you Random House Publishing for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review! ❤

<b>4.25 ⭐</b>

oh my gosh. wow.... i went through the five stages of grief in this book. i love caleb and sarah both individually, but even more as a whole.

that being said, i loved this book. was the book perfect? no. did i still eat it up? yes.

marriage in crisis is the trope for this book but i didn't feel as if there was ever actually a time they might leave each other, even in the depths of there arguments. there entire marriage could have been solved by a few conversations of them sitting down and explaining there feelings to each other.

the last part of the book was completely pointless, but i still liked it even though there was absolutely no reason for it to be included in the book.

even though this book CAN be read as a standalone, i 100% recommend reading out on a limb first! we had so much win and bo content in this one which i absolutely adored!

my only other issue with this book is i felt caleb wasn't portrayed right. he's a nerd who plays dungeons and dragons just like bo but they were written very differently. caleb turns into a whole sex god and wasn't nerdy barely at all.

i'd definitely say that i enjoyed this book a lot, but i found a few issues that didn't make it a five star read for me.

here's my taylor swift lyrics that describe this book:

looking at it now
last December
we were built to fall apart
then fall back together

<i>thank you to random house publishing for providing me with this arc in exchange for my honest review!</i>

4.5 stars
2/5 spice - a few open door scenes

Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the advanced e-book.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Such an encouraging story about self discovery, healing from grief, and fighting for your marriage. Highschool sweethearts, Sarah and Caleb find themselves in a rut with their marriage. Sarah full of self doubt and Caleb always wanting to be her hero, decide to attend a marriage retreat to reconnect and do a little self discovery.

The story is told from Sarah's perspective and we get glimpses of their past and how their relationship started. Sarah still grieving her mother’s loss begins to reflect on where she is in life and wanting to learn to deal with things without Caleb's help. A truly inspiring story about how a little self reflection and quality time with our partner is so important.

Very well written!

4.5/5
Out of the Woods by Hannah Bonam-Young is a remarkable novel that transcends the typical romance narrative, offering a profound exploration of identity and the internal conflicts faced by its protagonist, Sarah. I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for providing me with an advanced reader’s copy.

The story follows Sarah and Caleb, a couple who, after years of marriage, confront the uncertainty of their future together. They embark on a hiking expedition to reconnect, which becomes both a physical and emotional journey. Through this adventure, the book delves into Sarah's struggles as she grapples with her identity outside of her relationship and seeks to find her own path following the loss of her mother.

Bonam-Young captures the essence of these conflicts with poignant prose and relatable characters. The narrative goes beyond romance by addressing themes such as independence, self-exploration, and personal growth. The moments of humor and unexpected twists make the reading experience even more engaging, allowing readers to deeply connect with Sarah and Caleb’s dilemmas.

I gotta say i LOVED it, this book is an enriching read that not only entertains but also invites reflection on relationships and the journey of self discovery amidst life's challenges.

Sarah and Caleb, such a beautiful love story. This book had spice, love and grief. Their marriage was in crisis but through this book, you saw them fall in love all of again. The inside jokes, the history they shared it was so sweet. Beautiful ending would recommend

Beautiful story about young love turned forever soul mates! What started as a love that had grown apart, finished with a love just as strong, if not stronger when they first got together! Really enjoyed this one! Highly recommend!

OMG, this book was beautiful! This is my first HBY book and will not be my last! I'll be going to read Out On A Limb in 5 minutes!

Dare I say, this is one of my top reads of 2024! ♥️ it was the perfect mix of love, grief, spice, and just overall such a great story. I related so much with Sarah and the grief that she experienced losing a parent. She was lost and needed to find a way to move forward. We all grieve differently, and this book was a great example of that.

Oh, Caleb. You stole my heart during the camping trip and made me teary-eyed on a few occasions! I absolutely adored this couple, and I'm sad that the book is over! I want more of them now!

This was the first book I’ve read by Hannah Bonham-Young and I will absolutely be reading her previously published novels soon. I was such a fan! Out on a Limb is the first book in this duology, but I was able to read Out of the Woods without having read it and followed the plot and background well.

Sarah and Caleb had me laughing, crying, swooning, hoping, yearning…literally all the feels. I highlighted passages A LOT and that’s not something I typically do while reading, but I knew there were portions of this book I’d want to add to my physical book journal so I could revisit them.

As someone who has been with the same partner for 10+ years, their growing pains and challenges felt familiar. The ways they worked through things was earnest and full of hope: two people who continuously wanted to choose each other and working toward a future of doing so. But also recognizing their own desires and how they could support each other as they learn and develop themselves. Yes please, more of this!

This is an absolute gem of a book! The story of Sarah and Caleb is beautifully written, capturing the essence of love, loss, and personal growth. The dual timelines of their past and present add depth to their characters and make their journey even more compelling. I found myself rooting for them from start to finish. Hannah's portrayal of Sarah's inner dialogue is so relatable, especially for those of us who tend to overthink. The themes of grief and found family are handled with grace and sensitivity, making the story both heartwarming and thought-provoking. Caleb is the perfect book boyfriend, setting a high standard with his unwavering support and love for Sarah. The book's exploration of a long-term marriage is refreshing and offers a realistic look at the challenges and beauty of enduring love.

If Hannah Bonam-Young writes it, I’m going to read it!! I fell in love with Sarah and Caleb in Out on a Limb and fell even more in love with them in Out of the Woods. I could relate so so much to Sarah as someone who got married young, has no college degree, and is a 30 something year old stay at home mom and questioning who I am. I felt personally attacked so many times while reading and I just loved that Sarah wanted to figure out who she was and what she wanted for herself out of life. Out of the Woods was such an emotional but heartwarming read. Reading about Sarah losing her mom and dealing with the long lasting grief from that made me tear up quite a few times. Sarah is so strong. And CALEB!! What a man. He really really really loves his wife and would do anything to save their marriage and I loved that Sarah recommended the camping trip and he didn’t put up a fight about it. I just love love love them both so much and had a great time reading this even though the last 20% gave me quite a scare!!! I can’t wait for everyone to read this and fall even more in love with the Linwoods. And the cover is perfection!

Thank you Random House Publishing, Dell Romance, and Net Galley for the eARC. I absolutely loved Sarah and Caleb’s story. From having read Out on a Limb, I was always very drawn to their characters and dynamics, and now having read their story, I love them dearly and find so much of myself in their characteristics.

Sarah’s nature of wanting to show up and do everything for everyone else just to make sure they feel heard and seen while simultaneously feeling so out of place because she’s struggling with her identity and purpose is almost too relatable. Although I’m younger than Sarah, it was refreshing to read about someone in their 30s navigating the same thing as me because it limits the isolation that comes with these feelings. There’s so much pressure as young adults to find out what to be and what to make of your life when you’re freshly 18, but for the people who’ve emotionally had to grow up and mature faster than their peers, we never actually had the time to explore interests or discover passions because we had to take care of ourselves or someone else before being able to live like a normal kid. And the system that is imposed on us was never designed to consider that, and can easily be used as tangible proof that we somehow “failed” in life, which isn’t true. I identify so much with Sarah and feel for her.

Caleb is literally the sweetest guy, and he does everything in his power to protect the ones he loves deeply. He’s so so caring and gentle. In comparison to Sarah though, he owns his own successful company, has passion for analytics, and has drive everyday to work and be hands on with his company. Caleb never judges Sarah or bats an eye for being a stay at home wife, but Sarah definitely gets caught up in the web of comparing herself to her husband. Because Sarah struggles with voicing her true emotions and feelings about what she’s going through, when she starts a fundraiser in honor of her mom and it doesn’t meet the expectations she had in place, Caleb goes into fixer mode to make the situation better in his eyes. This action causes a tipping point in the relationship with a flood of new emotions, buried feelings, new self discoveries that land both Sarah and Caleb in a dire position. Their marriage isn’t feeling all that it used to be as high school sweethearts. Deciding to go on a guided nature retreat as a last resort, it leaves them both having to confront their own issues with themselves and each other.

I loved watching their own growth, independently and as a couple, unfold. Learning about different sides to them as the story progressed was a beautiful process. This was the first romance book I read with a married couple as the main characters, and it did not disappoint. I can’t wait to share this review and talk about this book with others. I truly believe we can all find a part of ourselves in this book.

I’ve read all of Hannah’s books, but this one takes the cake for making me tear up.

The duality between Sarah and Caleb, going between the storylines of their “thens” and “nows” as well as the way they take up space in their own lives is beautifully written.

HBY goes into the multi-faceted sides of loss, whether that was death, an unwelcome shifting of a relationship, or even a positive change within yourself.

Even though sometimes I wished I could grip Sarah by the shoulders and tell her to tell Caleb everything she’s thinking in her head, I saw a lot of myself in Sarah in the way of overthinking and my mind drifting away during conversations.

The way Hannah wrote Sarah’s inner dialogue felt frustrating at times, part because it felt a bit disconnected from the storyline, but also that’s kinda the beauty of it too. My mind talks to me and creates worst-case scenarios, thinks about how things could go differently, or replays a bad interaction in my head. It doesn’t wait for me to be in a better head space, it just happens.

I typically read romance books where the main characters establish their relationship over time and not ones where they have such an in-depth history with each other. That’s why I didn’t know what to expect going in, but HBY made this type of relationship a stand out with how she wrote Sarah and Caleb.

This was such a great book! I breezed right through it. It was such a comfort read for me. I was rooting for Sarah and Caleb the whole time. I loved seeing Sarah come more into herself. Caleb sets a new standard for book boyfriends. Grief and found family are major topics in this book and they were done gracefully. I recommend to any romance reader who craves the outdoors by reading indoors…

My goodness. I don't think I have ever devoured a book so quickly. After reading and loving Out on a Limb, HBY became one of my favorite authors! I was so glad to get more of Sarah and Caleb with this interconnected book! What an adorable story with just the right amount of humor, spice, and adversity. It's not as common to get romance books about couples who are already married, and it was such a breath of fresh air. The plot was perfection, and I loved how we got to see the inner workings of a long term marriage and what it takes to make it work. I need more HBY!

I am now firmly more convinced than ever that HBY can do no wrong. My gosh, Hannah has left my heart tender, in a puddle of feels, but I am so full of hope and love after reading Sarah and Caleb’s story.

Like a multitude of others, I fell in love with Sarah and Caleb while read OOAL and was ecstatic when Hannah announced they were getting their own book. This marriage in trouble (a personal favorite trope) had me feeling ALL the feels and what a privilege it was to journey alongside Sarah and Caleb and bear witness to their healing and growth. I love a marriage in trouble story because it doesn’t hold back in exploring miscommunication, hurt, and brokenness… BUT because we get into the gritty, we also get to see the BEAUTY in the moments where the couple fights for each other and there is reconciliation and healing.

Hannah’s gently reminders throughout were so encouraging and liberating. We’re all doing our best, stumbling through life, and making mistakes along the way and while on some level we know this to be a universal truth, it’s always nice to have that reminder, especially when social media presents perfectly curated snapshots.

I adored everything about this book and cannot wait to reread it!

This book was simply perfect.

Sarah was an incredible character with so much depth, and her relationship with herself and her growth was my absolute favorite. Her relationship with Caleb is so accurately portrayed and I couldn't help but love him!

This book was heartbreaking, hopeful, heartwarming, and just perfect. It will make you feel, but I think that's the point, isn't it? I couldn't believe how much I loved this book and am so thankful for the ARC from Netgalley!

As someone whose bookstagram is basically a Hannah Bonam-Young fanpage, it's no surprise that her fourth novel, Out of the Woods, was my most anticipated release of 2025. If I were being dramatic, I’d say it was probably my most anticipated release ever. Full disclosure: I’m generally going to be biased towards anything HBY writes—that’s just how it is. I’ve never claimed to be an impartial reviewer.

Anyway

It’s such a special experience to be incredibly excited for something (like a book) and still have it blow you away and connect with you on a soul-deep level. That was Out of the Woods for me. It’s a testament to Bonam-Young’s growth as an author, filled with new little flairs that speak to her evolving style while maintaining the quirks that are so uniquely her.

Out of the Woods such an intentional story, from the writing to the strong themes, and well-crafted character arcs. I love when a romance novel’s foundation is built on deeply studying the characters, stripping them down to their core and examining their past and how it affects their relationships in the present, and this book does exactly that. It’s technically dual timeline, but calling them vignettes feels more fitting . They may seem inconsequential at first but as the story progresses, they accumulate into a vivid portrait of teenage Sarah and Caleb and explain why they’re in a tough spot in their marriage now.

Yes , it’s a marriage in crisis book but it largely explores grief too . I don’t typically read for relatability, but Sarah’s grief journey hit so close to home that I had to take multiple breaks.. she is me , I am her , we are the same , Hannah bonam actually crawled into my brain and wrote my thoughts on paper . I literally rationed my reading into 10% increments over two months. My favourite part was how mirroring utilised from the very first chapter , it was a such a clever tool to connect those vignettes to the present as well as drive home the themes presented .It really tied everything together.

Since Out On A Limb s Bonam-Young’s most popular book, I think it’s important to set expectations for fans of it : Out of the Woods is not Out On A Limb 2.0 . The best analogy I have uses light as an example: Out On A Limb is soft, hazy light that warms you down to your bones . There's a lot of pining , with mostly external conflicts. In contrast, Out of the Woods is this cold , harsh, interrogation room light. . There is a lot of introspection and the conflicts are solely internal. It’s angsty, but don’t get me wrong - it's still funny, lighthearted (and hot), yet centered around reckoning with your past.

Tonally, it leans closer to Next to You, but with a more mature edge and a sprinkle of the religious trauma as seen in Set the Record Straight. There were so many passages where I thought, "Damn , This is the writing of someone who has been hurt (by religion).” and as someone who has this brand of religious trauma , I was repeatedly stabbed in the chest (in a good and bad way)

I remember watching an instagram live where the author mentioned readers’ concerns about “ruining” Sarah and Caleb. but in my eyes , this book did them justice and then some . Ultimately, it’s a very hopeful story . It. has a piece of my heart .This is corny , but it inspires to brave and try again.

also , WIN , MY BABY GUS, BO , SARAH AND CALEB ARE MY FAMILY!!!!

BIG BIG BIG Thanks to Dell romance and the author for the e-ARC <3

Hannah Bonam-Young has quickly become my favorite author. Her characters all have depth and are real, and OOTW is no different.
I fell so in love with Caleb and Sarah. They have my whole heart. Going along with them on this journey was so rewarding. But, of course, as with any HBY book, there were many tears.
Counting the days until my preorder arrives to join her family on my shelf.

Buckle up buttercups, HYB takes you on an emotional journey with this one!! I honestly stretched this book out as ling as I could!

We got to see Sarah and Caleb from Out on a Limb be the start of the show this time…and thankfully we saw a bit of Bo and Win! #foundfamily ❤️

Marriage in Crisis might be one of my favorite things to read about because there is so much depth to a story with it. The inside jokes, the knowledge of each other, but also the journey of trying to be your own person. Hannah eloquently walks the line of having joy, grief, and humor on page! ❤️

Marriage and love are worth fighting for. ❤️

I cannot wait to hold the phyiscal copy in my hands! Thank you @authorhannahby and @dellromance for the copy via @netgalley