Out of the Woods by Hannah Bonam-Young is a heartfelt sequel that shifts focus to a new couple, Sarah and Caleb, whose story is rooted in second chances and reconnection. Set against the backdrop of a wilderness outing, the novel explores both the beauty and challenges of being pushed out of one’s comfort zone. Through the ups and downs of their journey, Sarah and Caleb learn not only how to navigate the wild but also how to find their way back to each other. Bonam-Young delivers a tender, hopeful romance about standing by the people who matter most, even when the path forward isn’t always clear.

I didn't think Out of the Woods could be better than Out on a Limb, but it was! I'm a big fan of this series, and I hope Bonam-Young continues to write more!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Out of the Woods by Hannah Bonam-Young

This was just a remarkable book. It made me so happy. Sarah was a bit whiny but I overlooked that because, even though I knew it was going to be an HEA, the journey of getting there with Sarah and Caleb was both fun and beautiful. How Caleb was able to open up and realize what he needed to do was so moving! Sarah grew a lot as well but I just felt so drawn to Caleb.

Sarah and Caleb have been together since high school, married not long after and they’re in a rut. They embark on a journey to “reignite” their connection through a hiking/camping journey with other couples. Just like her other books, this book gave me all the feels. Hannah has such a witty way of writing - her books are just smooth and fun! I was rooting so hard for Sarah and Caleb to find their way back to each other. Their story is very much like mine in that I met my husband at fifteen. So this book spoke to me and even encouraged me to talk with my husband about what the next ten years should look like.

Win and Bo are key characters in this book!! The additional hiking couples, and one kid, were great side characters. The spice, and the wait to get there, was sensational.

Hannah Bonam-Young has quickly become an author that I will read without reading the blurb. She could write a step by step guide of getting a colonoscopy and I would read it and it would probably be five stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this title for review.

Out on a Limb is one of my favorite romance books to date and I was so excited to see we were going to be getting the best friend’s story. These two had me rooting for them so hard all the way to the end. I loved how they worked so hard for each other. And I love the unconditional love they have. Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for the opportunity to read in exchange for a review.

Out of the woods is the standout second chance romance this year! I wasn’t expecting to relate so deeply to the characters. Their journey through a rocky spot in their relationship really hit close to home and actually helped me navigate my own relationship. I’m grateful to the way the author Hannah Bonam-Young handled such tender topics with care. I will definitely be suggesting this book to many people I know will also relate to it!

A marriage-in-crisis, romance novel following high school sweethearts, Sara and Caleb, as they embark on a therapeutic, wilderness retreat to fix their marriage before it is too late. I personally love second-chance romances and Out of the Woods is a standout for this trope. Whereas many second-chance romances follow a breakup, Out of the Wood doesn’t have a breakup. Rather the couple in question are on rocky grounds (anyone who has been in a long-term relationship knows this feeling) and as they change as people, so too must their marriage to account for their growth. Hannah Bonam-Young is deeply empathetic towards her characters and this empathy cultivated an emotional connection to Sara and Caleb. Theirs is a charming love story with a hard won conclusion. I highly recommend this and her previous book, Out on a Limb, to anyone who loves romance.

This story hit me right in the feels in the most unexpectedly relatable way. While the relationship part between Sarah and Caleb wasn’t super relatable to me personally, the feeling of being stuck in the same routine or day-to-day things definitely was. Sarah’s character felt so real, like she could be any of us who’ve ever felt that way. I loved the “then & now” format because it let me experience both the spark of her and Caleb’s beginning and the depth of where they are now.

The therapy conversations were thoughtful, the emotional growth was beautiful, and the connection between Sarah and Caleb was everything. After more than a decade together, they’re still absolutely gone for each other, and it was such a reminder that love can (and should) keep growing.

Oh, and let me just say… reading this at 1 a.m. had me ugly crying 😭😭. Why do the late-night reads always hit the hardest? And that SLOWWW burn? Hannah had me waiting so long for the payoff, and when the spice finally arrived… chef’s kiss. Worth every second of anticipation. 🔥

Huge thanks to Hannah Bonam-Young and NetGalley for the ARC. I’m sharing my honest review in exchange for the advanced copy, and my heart is still camped out inside this book.

Out of the Woods by Hannah Bonam-Young is a warm and honest romance about healing, love, and second chances. The characters feel real and easy to connect with, and their relationship builds in a natural, heartfelt way. The story touches on some serious topics, but it does so with care and hope. While the plot is a bit predictable at times, the emotions and connection between the characters make it a really enjoyable read. A solid four stars.

Thank you to Random House Publishing and NetGalley for an eARC of this book!

I DEVOURED this book. Sarah and Caleb are not the couple I expected them to be, they are 100x better. They were real, and raw, and broken, and so HUMAN. Hannah does an incredible job at writing characters that feel as if I was sitting across a table from them talking to them.

Sarah and Caleb are married with no kids (BY CHOICE YAS) who are struggling with their marriage. They end up going on a week long hiking trip run by two therapists, the catch is, they cannot be physical with each other at all. Oh, and there are other couples with them working on their own relationships.

Hannah beautifully explores the idea of how to be who you are, while also being connected to someone else. There are flashbacks the whole book, which I personally loved, to give you a big picture of what is going on with both characters. While the book is written from Sarah's perspective I found myself loving Caleb just as much.

As someone who is single, I though I might not connect with the characters in the same way since they were marries, and had been together since their teens. Hannah writes in such a way that ANYONE can recognize the deep fear of not knowing who you are, and trying to find out who that person is.

EVERYONE should read this book.

HBY is becoming one of my favorite romance authors out there. After reading Out On A Limb, I was hooked. Hearing that Sarah and Caleb got their own book? I was so in. In many romance novels, the overreliance on the miscommunication trope makes me wanna throw the book at the nearest wall and take a lap around the house. What I love about this book was the fact that while there were things the characters withheld, it never felt like they weren’t communicating. It felt like they were working up to it, showing little pieces of their hearts to each other until they felt ready to unload all the ugly things they had inside. Add on the humor, the tenderness, and the endearing side characters? I was so very along for the ride. Beautifully done, highly recommend! 4⭐

*Thank you again to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

I absolutely LOVED this book! Out on a Limb was a favorite of mine and I was super excited for Out of the Woods, and it did not disappoint.

I absolutely adored Sarah and Caleb’s relationship and their chemistry and I think the camping trip was such a fun experience as a reader. I appreciated the trope of a marriage being in trouble and how they were able to come back together.

Thank you to the publisher and Hannah Bonam-Young for a copy of this ARC!

I really enjoy this authors writing style and the characters she creates generally speak to me. This story is one of those “you either relate or you don’t” and I struggled to relate to Sarah. I think I would personally enjoy this story with less spice because it felt misplaced at times.

Hannah Bonam-Young is an author that is an automatic read for me. I love the depth of her characters and the pacing of her novels. While I did not enjoy this one as much as her previous books, it still held my interest.

"High school sweethearts Sarah and Caleb Linwood have always been a sure thing. For the past seventeen years, they have had each other’s backs through all of life’s ups and downs, achievements, losses, stages, and phases.
But Sarah has begun to wonder... Who is she without her other half?
When she decides to take on a project of her own, a fundraising gala in memoriam of her late mother, Sarah wants nothing more than to prove to herself—and to everyone else—that she doesn’t need Caleb’s help to succeed. She’s still her mother’s daughter, after all. Independent and capable.
That is until the event fails and Caleb uninvitedly steps in to save the day.
The rift that follows unearths a decade of grievances between them and doubts begin to grow. Are they truly the same people they were when they got married at nineteen? Are they supposed to be?
In a desperate attempt to fix what they fear is near breaking, Sarah and Caleb make the spontaneous decision to join a grueling hiking trip intended to guide couples through rough patches.
What follows is a life-affirming comedy of errors as two nature-averse people fight their way out of the woods in order to find their way back to their roots." -Goodreads

Oh how I love Hannah Bonam-Young. 😍
She has quickly become one of my favorite authors. This book was so sweet and heartfelt. I highly recommend this one, and all of her others. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Out of the Woods started out a slow for me, but I'm glad I stuck with it! I'll be honest, I tend to shy away from "romance" books where the characters are already married, because, let's face it, the thrill of the chase is sometimes the best part! Sarah and Caleb have been married for 17 years but their story is filled with beautiful messages of growing together and accepting each others' changes even if it means shifting the dynamics of their relationship in the process. I love how Hannah Bonam-Young can hone in on the struggles that so many women face... losing themselves in relationships, not recognizing the people they've become, and longing for the "old" version of themselves. She writes with humility, honesty, and a palpable hope. Out of the Woods is the story of Sarah and Caleb, but also the story of Sarah without Caleb.

Another HBY book that I will highly recommend! Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Dell for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Out of the Woods by Hannah Woods is a raw, moving, and refreshingly honest memoir about navigating trauma, burnout, and the messy, non-linear path to healing. Woods' writing is sharp and emotionally grounded... never veering into melodrama, but instead offering a clear-eyed, compassionate look at what it means to fall apart and begin again.

Her journey through nature and mental health recovery is deeply personal yet incredibly relatable. I especially appreciated how she wove her connection to the natural world into her healing process. It didn’t feel forced or idealized, but grounded and real. The mix of memoir and nature writing worked beautifully and added a calming, introspective tone throughout.

This book doesn’t offer easy answers, but that’s exactly what makes it so powerful. It’s a quiet but resonant reminder that healing is complicated, courageous, and absolutely worth it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. I’m so glad I had the chance to read this one.

I wasn’t sure if I was going to enjoy this book going into it since it’s about a married couple going through a rough patch. I’ve never been married and didn’t think I’d fully understand their feelings.

However, I’m so thankful I gave it a shot! Sarah and Caleb’s relationship grows so much stronger in this book and I love their dynamic! I also related to who Sarah is so much! She feels as though she never succeeds in doing anything by herself and kind of gives up and her dreams. It’s so refreshing to see someone else go through that and navigate it!

This is a reminder to read books that you think you won’t relate to!!

This was a great book! This is my new favorite author. I’ve read every book now and can’t wait to read more. 🥰

Once again Hannah Bonam-Young has written another great romance novel! Sarah and Caleb were introduced in Out on a Limb as Win’s married friends. They are both going through some tough marriage troubles and decided to go on a therapy camping retreat with other couples to try and resolve those issues. It was so great to read about their past and how they met as teenagers. Also, how Sarah was impacted by her Mother’s death. It was emotional, funny, romantic and steamy! I really love Hannah’s writing and how she is able to write characters that have insane chemistry through the page!

Really enjoyed this take on a “romance” novel! The couple starts already together, and stays together, but is a very realistic insight into finding your person before you’ve learned who you are yourself. 4.5 stars!