Wow, I loved this book so much. Such an incredible follow up to Out On a Limb, but it stands on its own so beautifully. Sarah and Caleb love each other and that’s never lost on us as readers, but when you’ve been couple as long as they have you have to grow together and sometimes you need help learning how to do that. I felt everything so close to my heart. The communication, the vulnerability, the steam!! A perfect wholesome romance.

This was so good!! It was really interesting reading a rom-com from the standpoint that our 2 main characters were already married. But I loved it - read this in a few hours. Our characters were real, raw, messy, imperfect and that is what made this story. I was moved to tears multiple times throughout this book! Perfectly paced, nothing felt silly or out of place - so so good! 4/5

This was a unique second chance romance that was so much deeper than a tropey romcom. I enjoyed it very much, and I will be recommending this to my reader pals.

Out of the Woods | Hannah Bonam-Young
4.75⭐️

_____

Oof. I ate this up in less than 48 hours and was on the verge of tears for about 36 of them. After reading Out on a Limb, I was expecting a sweet, hopeful, butterfly inducing romance. Instead, I sort of feel like my heart got wrenched out, stomped on a bit, and put through an emotional wash cycle. I LOVED it.

The realness of Caleb and Sarah was so relatable. Growing up is messy. But then BEING grown up is messy too. Communicating can be hard. Figuring out who you are at different points of life is confusing. The dialogue in this book is so realistic, and when I finished it I felt like I'd gone to therapy - a little emotionally worn out but with a fresh outlook on life.

“A love letter to all of us who met their soulmate before they had the chance to fully meet themselves.” —> this one gave me allllll the feels!

THINGS TO LOVE:
+ second chance
+ high school love
+ marriage in crisis
+ forced proximity
+ camping life
+ learning to communicate
+ softie mmc
+ a supportive partner
+ self-discovery
+ honesty


~ favorite quotes ~

“A lot of people will say relationships are fifty-fifty, but I think that’s a load of rubbish. We all have seasons and periods where we require more from our partner. The trick to a long, lasting relationship in my professional experience is not getting stuck at a set percentage.”

"I am sorry if it’s too late. Sorry for myself that I’ll have to go on as half of a whole. 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.”

"I think I’m dead. I think heaven might be real. I think it’s you.”

_____

{a gigantic thank you to Hannah, Penguin Random House, and NetGalley for the advanced copy!! Out 1/28/25}

Adored being with Sarah, Caleb, Bo and Win again! This is a beautiful story about rediscovering yourself and each other in marriage. I enjoyed Sarah and Caleb's story, although I did miss a bit more of the humor and banter that was present in Out on a Limb. This story is a great reminder that we can continue to change and strive for new things, and reconnect with the loves of our lives. Love all the modern storytelling that Hannah does within her books. This was an enjoyable read that has you reflecting along the way.

The plot of this book follows high school sweethearts, Caleb and Sarah, who have been married for 17 years. After an argument, they hit a rough patch in their marriage, and despite not being “outdoorsy people,” they attend a weeklong couples counseling camping retreat. The novel mainly follows their journey at the retreat, with flashbacks to the past for context. Trust me when I say Hannah Bonam-Young even knows how to turn a camping retreat into an engaging and enjoyable read! 🫶🏻

I absolutely adore this book. It made me feel so many emotions—I cried, laughed, smiled, and blushed. I really enjoyed Hannah’s writing style; she effortlessly puts me in a state of reading where I don’t notice the time passing. Her words truly paint a picture, and the comically accurate descriptions had me cracking up.

I was thrilled to read the book when I saw I was selected for the ARC! I already loved Sarah and Caleb from Out on a Limb (OOAL) and was so happy to see their story unfold. I also adored all of the cameos of characters from OOAL!

Sarah and Caleb are such beautifully complex and realistic characters, and this shines through on every page. I also want to express my appreciation for Caleb because I love how thoughtful, caring, and supportive he is, and how unconditionally he and Sarah love one another. Some books make you think, “There is no way these characters would last in real life,” but Sarah and Caleb are different—they have a depth and authenticity that makes their relationship feel truly lasting. There was so much healing in this book, and it really warmed my heart. I would definitely read this book over and over again.

I was in love with Sarah and Caleb through all of “Out on a limb”, and I was hopeful I would see them again. I am so glad that they have their own book now. Two years after the events of “Out on a limb” Sarah is throwing a fundraiser in memory of her Mom. While she is in agreement with Win that it didn’t go well, she is very upset about Caleb coming to her rescue and donating the money. And then after another prolonged argument they decide to go on a week long retreat in nature to reconnect. I absolutely loved this book, and being able to see the start of Sarah and Caleb, as well as more of Sarah’s Mom was so great to read. I laughed, cried, and everything in between.

I wish this book wasn’t a part of the same story as Out on a Limb just because OOAL is one of my favorite books and I don’t think we needed to add on to those characters; however, I do love Hannah’s writing and the characters she builds. I enjoyed this book and the premise.

This author has me in stitches one minute and emotional the next! This book was perfection! I try was atmospheric and s perfect fit for this time of year! An outdoorsy romance with such great plot and characters !

OMG OMG OMG ABSOLUTELY OBSESSED WITH SARAH AND CALEB I LOVE THEM SO MUCH

Honestly still in tears after finishing this one 😭😭😭😭😭😭 It was everything I wanted and more: deep, meaningful friendships, found family, pseudo second-chance romance (rekindling a long-term marriage), the great outdoors, hot, steamy wilderness spice, and a not-to-be-named incident that left be bawling through many, many chapters.

This book put me in my feels in every which way—I loved it!!!! And it also felt a little too close to home as someone who has been in a long-term relationship for 12 years AND also named Sarah… but I digress.

Out of the Woods has quickly become, hands down, my favorite Hannah Bonam-Young book to date. Couldn’t recommend it more!!! 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and 4/5 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

(Thank you, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and NetGalley, for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.)

The book was wonderful. I love all of her books and Out of the Woods is just as excellent! Sarah and Caleb are great characters that feel like realistic, complicated people. Their story was a great blend of like emotional damage and the trauma of the past, but also moments of joy and love and healing.
The plot of the book is that Sarah and Caleb are high school sweethearts and have been married for seventeen years. Their marriage is in a rough patch following an argument that led to years of things that had been swept under the rug coming out. They sign up for a couples camping counseling retreat to unplug and reconnect. The bulk of the book takes place in the woods on that trip. You get a whole range of emotions from them on that trip, they’re happy, sad, hurt, angry, tense, and definitely horny lol.
Some random thoughts… There are some great side characters we meet, and of course our beloved Win and Bo from Out on a Limb that we get to see again. I related to Caleb and Sarah so hard as indoorsy people struggling camping. Hard pass. I was deeply unprepared for the third act conflict but it was also really well done. I won’t say more because I’m not trying to give anyone spoilers.
Obviously would recommend this and any of her books, I’m a big fan and will continue to read her future releases!

4.5 ⭐️ wow such a beautiful representation of grief & finding yourself. Sarah my beautiful girl! I wasn’t expecting to relate so much to her - I felt so seen with the way she handled her grief. I loved the snippets included of Bo & Win! The epilogue was beautiful!! 🤎

Oh I’m gonna have a hard time with this review because in ways I loved it because I think she had great metaphors and writing. But, it pains me to say that this was more of a miss than a recommendation for me. I think if marketed different as a book about sarah coming to find herself it would feel different, because it didn’t really feel at all like a marriage in crisis but more that sarah needed to work through some things. Also, admittedly she was hard to relate to, and felt very rich girl stay at home wife is bored and needs find herself. Ugh I’m sorry I will always love her books but this just didn’t fit for me!

I absolutely loved this book, even though it left me on the verge of heartbreak more than once. Sarah and Caleb are the sweetest couple, and their story completely drew me in. They are high school sweethearts who have drifted apart, so they join a couples' hiking trip in hopes of reconnecting. Along the way, with the support of others on the trip, they slowly open up and begin to communicate again. Despite all they’ve been through as a young couple, they’ve always had each other. If you're in the mood for a heartwarming, emotional read that will tug at your heartstrings, this book is a must read!

I don’t dislike the marriage in trouble trope by any means, but I’ve never really connected with a book that has that trope in it before this one. I’m a huge fan of Hannah Bonam-Young so I had no doubts that I would love this one, but I’m truly blown away by how much I loved it.
I adored Sarah and Caleb in Out On a Limb and despite their relationship troubles, I grew to love them even more in Out of the Woods.
I felt so much for Sarah specifically, especially as a person with a dead parent who also wanted to be a writer once upon a time. Seeing Sarah go through tough things and come out stronger and more confident and independent (AND not losing her husband) was inspiring. I loved the tenderness in which the author chose to write about Sarah’s mom and grief journey.
Caleb was a nerdy dream come true, and his dirty talk?? Yes, forever.
Anyway, I can’t wait for this to release and hold a physical copy in my hands.

Wow, this was just amazing! The backstories, the character growth, and the journey of finding yourself alongside the person you’ve always wanted to be with – it all really resonated with me. I was there laughing, crying, and reflecting on my relationship, thinking about how I can be the best partner possible.

I can’t thank Hannah enough for writing this book. I’ve been with my husband since high school, and it really touched my heart. It reminded me that even if you’ve been together forever, things can get tough. But if you’re both willing to put in the effort, you can achieve so much together. Yes, it’s going to be a challenge, but love makes you want to overcome anything.

I love how most books show the beginnings of relationships and then skip ahead to the happily ever after. But what I really appreciate is getting a peek into the reality of long-term relationships and how marriage isn’t always a walk in the park. It takes continuous effort, and you have to keep things exciting and fresh! I adored how she portrayed that in her writing. It makes me want to whisk my husband away on a fun retreat – it sounds like a blast, especially after that part!

Thank you NetGalley and Dell for the ARC!

Oh, be still my heart. Hannah Bonam-Young has mastered the perfect cocktail of heartbreak, humor, and horniness. The rom-com H trifecta, if you will.

Self-discovery in a marriage. Evolution of partnership. Sarah and Caleb have my heart.

From the second I read the author's forward, I knew I was in for a different reading experience. Unlike other so-called second chance romances, this wasn't a second chance for these high school sweethearts, it was a redirection. I think the novel did an incredible job of showcasing that two people can love each other and still not be on the same page, that the key is to be open and accept each new iterations of ourselves and each other. This book touches on romantic love, platonic love, and motherly love in such kind and thoughtful ways.

First I want to thank NetGalley for gifting me the opportunity to read this beauty months before its release. IM FOREVER GRATEFUL because this was yet another masterpiece. All of HBY’s books feel like a warm hug and this was no exception <3

Sarah and Calebs story was so well written and it made me feel all the feels. I didn’t know what to expect from their story and I loved them from “out on a limb” but nothing could prepare me for the way this book made me feel. This story was wrapped in love but also grief and the journey of finding yourself.

I love the writing of the story and the dual pov. I feel like the dual pop is necessary for further outlook on their love story. It added depth to their characters in my opinion and I loved it. Sarah was so real. I loved how she noticed herself slipping and took charge. I love how Caleb supported her through it all. I know their story was a bit messy but I loved how their love for each other never faltered no matter the obstacles.

So many words to describe my feelings for this book but it all sums up to PERFECTION. RUN DON’T WALK to purchase Out Of The Woods when it releases in January and in the mean time she has other great books that could be read if you haven’t already

Marriage in trouble romances are so hard to find, especially when they are well done. This one… was everything. I loved it so much.