'Out of the Woods' by Hannah Bonam-Young is a romantic comedy, following a married couple who is trying to relearn how to be a couple after realizing that their long standing pattern isn't serving them anymore. They go on a wilderness retreat to try rekindle their relationship.

I loved that this book was a romance focused on a married c0uple. I think there are too few options in the romance genre revolving around currently married people. Bonam-Young is a recent favorite of mine for her ability to create realistic, likeable characters and I have always appreciated the representation of diverse experiences in her work. Bonam-Young manages to expand that world in 'Out of the Woods.'

Thank you to Hannah Bonam-Young and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for the ARC in exchange for a honest review of 'Out of the Woods.'

5 🌟

I don’t ever really read marriage in crisis books but this one was phenomenal.

As per usual HBY delivered with a gut wrenching story with HBY wit and humor.

Sarah and Caleb’s story is so beautiful and these two are everything.

I loved that Sarah recognized that she needed to find herself without Caleb fixing everything for her. Caleb has been by her side since she was 14 and now in her 30s she feels lost. In order to find their groove back Sarah and Caleb head out on a week long retreat in the woods with other couples.

HBY gives a raw look into marriage and how in all honesty shit is rough and the importance of communication when it comes to expressing your feelings.

I fear I also ate up every Bo, Win, and Gus cameo 🫶🏼🥹.

Also Sarah crashing out on the phone to Caleb’s dad was probably my favorite thing 🤣.

Live Long And Prosper 🖖.

Thank you so much to PRH (dell) and HBY for the opportunity to read this early!

Wow—this book was such a refreshing take on romance! It broke away from the usual formulas, skipping the predictable "meet-cute, fall in love, third-act breakup" structure, and instead, delivered something raw, heartfelt, and deeply real. It wasn’t just about love; it was about staying in love.

Sarah and Caleb’s story felt incredibly authentic, exploring the complexities of long-term relationships in a way that will resonate with so many readers. Their journey—both emotionally and literally—was filled with moments of heartbreak, healing, and hope. The off-the-grid hiking trip provided the perfect backdrop for them to confront their struggles, reflect on their past, and fight for their future. And while this book was undeniably emotional (cue the tears and Kindle breaks), it never felt overwhelmingly heavy. It balanced those raw, gut-wrenching moments with wit, warmth, and tension-filled scenes that kept me completely invested.

Hannah Bonam-Young has such a gift for crafting beautiful, evocative dialogue that hits right in the feels. She perfectly captured the bittersweet journey of navigating love, loss, and self-discovery, making this an emotional rollercoaster in the best way possible.

If you love stories that dig deep into relationships and explore what it truly means to choose love every day, this book is for you.

"We have the rest of our lives to fuck each other‘s brains out. I’m here to get your heart back first.”


Man, I had such high hopes for this book unfortunately, it let me down. I think the main fact was that I didn’t realize that this was a marriage in crisis romance. That is not my go to trope and it’s one that I normally try to avoid. That being said, I did find that trope done very well in this book. I think the reason was that we do see the love and chemistry between Sarah and Caleb. I loved how much Caleb loved Sarah and his character was so sweet. I struggled big time with Sarah’s character as I found her annoying a lot of the time. The book is told from her point of view and for most of the book she’s struggling to find a purpose in life. I also think that she was dealing with depression as well. What drove me nuts was the fact that she never tried to do anything with her life and blamed Caleb for that. I wish she would’ve communicated with him her feelings and try to find a way to find her purpose in life without having to ruin her marriage. OK, that’s the end of my rant about Sarah lol. Once the two of them were finally on the same page and communicating, their romance was actually really sweet, and I loved those scenes! Then there was a little bit of a plot twist that I hated and honestly it had me going back to not liking this book. The ending was a happy one, but unfortunately after reading the entire book, it just didn’t leave me satisfied.

Read if you like:
Dual POVs
Marriage in crisis
Forced proximity
Swoony hero
Childhood lovers
Outdoorsy romance
Slow burn
All the feels

Received as an ARC.

🏕️ High school sweethearts
🏕️ Camping trip
🏕️ Forced proximity
🏕️ Marriage in crisis
🏕️ Dual timeline

Well this one took me through the wringer emotionally. I love it when an author approaches a book with a couple that are already established and together, especially when it’s done as well as this.

This book had more ups and downs than a rollercoaster, and I was buckled in for the ride. I laughed, I swooned and I cried like there was no tomorrow. Seeing a couple learn to love each other all over again was beautiful.

Just give this one a chance, you won’t be disappointed.

This is a beautiful story of healing, love, grief, growing individually as well as together. I love Hannah’s writing and always enjoy being immersed in one of her stories.

I related to Sarah so much regarding the grief of losing a parent. How you feel like you’re drowning in grief, you lose yourself a little bit, flounder around. Her journey in healing and finding herself again was inspiring. 

Caleb was so steady. I know this is a relationship in trouble story, but there was never a point I questioned if these two were meant to be or not. It’s obvious they are. Sarah just needed time, direction, understanding… and Caleb was there for her the whole way.

HBY how could you do this to me?! I've talked about this book in therapy an alarming number of times.... 5 stars obviously.

4/5 This story was a delight. I loved the romance and thought the wilderness experience was a fun way to break down barriers between this couple. One issue I have is the way this book is marketed. It feels a lot like a women's fiction book, rather than a romance. It was obvious Sarah was the primary person who needed to work things out in order to feel comfortable in this relationship. Caleb almost felt secondary to the story and was a way to simply support Sarah, as he had most of their life. By the time I got to the end of the book, I felt it was almost too short and really wanted more from the relationship. Despite these things, I did have a good time with this and will absolutely read more Hannah Bonam-Young in the future.

Ignore any typos - I'm writing this with teary eyes 😭

This is a beautiful, raw, grounded romcom that had me in my feels just as much as it had me grinning. HBY balances humor and lightheartedness in a delicate and talented way, which is even more impressive when the MMC and FMC are at a week-long therapy retreat. Both Caleb and Sarah are flawed, which is an amazing thing to see. It's also special that the love is between a married couple. So often these romances are at the beginning of a relationship, which is beautiful and wonderful in it's own right, but it's refreshing to see a long-term commited relationship be at the heart of the story.

I just loved this so much. I was choked up most of the time reading it for all of the heart, emotion, evolutions, and revelations - and I laughed a lot too! I love Sarah's girlhood with Win, I love her history with Caleb, and I loved getting to know her mother through her memories.

Thank you, HBY, for this gratifying and moving story ❤️ and thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to get to read this ARC

I've never read a romance between a married couple and I loved it! I loved that they were going through a rough patch and the process of them working through their issues solo and together. This book was super cute and a great sequel to Out on a Limb.

Excited to read more books by Bonam-Young!

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book!

*I received a free eARC through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.*

I read a lot of romance, on reflection. Typically, I'm a Regency or Regency-style reader, but recently I've been reading more contemporary just so I have something to discuss (I'm trying to read more widely anyway, but this an extremely popular genre, soooo...). Hannah's writing is my sweet spot for this, I think: a touch of smut involving a lot of pretty normal people having weird times. This book has less sex than its companion novel, but a really gratifying amount of good relationship building. I relate to Sarah on the level of losing my mother and dealing with the grief of that loss after an extended illness (I cried five or six times while reading this, is what I mean). Her grief, like mine, messed with her sense of self and her direction in life, and it can be hard to reset yourself with that gaping hole in the path you thought you had. Caleb's combination of concern and lust is...endearing? I dunno, I liked him. He really wanted his wife to be okay, and he really thought he was okay, and sometimes you can deceive yourself in those situations -- his willingness to change after finding out he was wrong about the state of things in their life was one of the best things about him (tbf, it's a long list of good things). The side characters were not overly explored, but offered good texture to the story. Adding in Win and Bo (and August) was a nice bonus. My highest praise for this book? I would be happy to hang out in this world.

Absolutely incredible! I would give it six stars if I could! Every aspect of this book captivated me, from the stunning cover art that instantly draws you in, to the synopsis that introduces a refreshing and original idea within the romance genre. The characters are wonderfully distinct, each bringing their own flair, and I enjoyed witnessing their journey toward unity through the thrilling and passionate scenes that kept me on the edge of my seat. However, what truly resonated with me was their rediscovery of love, emerging stronger than ever before. The emotional and poignant moments added depth to the story, enhancing the overall experience. I eagerly look forward to diving into more works by this talented author!

i really loved this book, as always HBY's writing is so beautiful and her characters are so lovable. i loved getting to see more of win & sarah's relationship and sarah and caleb getting to know eachother again was really so sweet.

This was a delightful follow-up to Out on a Limb, which was among my favorite reads of 2024. Mining the truths of after the 'happily ever after' is not an easy task and Hannah Bonam-Young offers the an unflinching but undeniably heartfelt picture of Caleb and Sarah's relationship.

The ending of the book (with Caleb's hospitalization) felt a bit like a forced final act conflict. I also felt that many of the secondary characters/couples on the retreat were given very interesting introductions and were crucial in the progression of Caleb and Sarah's relationship but were then abandoned toward the end of the book. I would have enjoyed getting more insight into how those individual couples ended up and their relationship with Sarah and Caleb outside of the retreat (even if only in the epilogue).

Nonetheless, this was a great addition to Bonam-Young's catalog with a beautiful depiction of grief and loss. Sarah's outward confidence and extroversion seen in the previous book take on a new dimension as we see her grapple with her dependence on Caleb, her feelings of stagnation and her continued feelings of loss. Similarly, Caleb shifts from a lovable caretaker and protective husband to a man desperate to feel like he's enough and equally desperate to save his marriage from years of unspoken resentments. The unvarnished result is deeply satisfying and keeps you rooting for its leads.

“𝘐 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘤𝘭𝘪𝘮𝘣 𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘯𝘦, 𝘣𝘢𝘣𝘺.”

4/⭐️
2/🌶️

I love a good marriage in crisis story, and what made this one SO GOOD was that you could feel the love and passion between these two!! Sarah just needed to find who she was herself outside of the marriage, and I loved how patient and loving Caleb was! This was so adorable, and I loved the relatability there was to this story!

I really loved how this was more than just a romance story. It had me reflecting on myself and my own life, and where I’m at in my own individual self and with my partner. There was so much emotion packed into this story, and I thoroughly enjoyed it!

🏕️ marriage in crisis
💛 high school sweethearts
🏕️ finding yourself
💛 forced proximity

✨ 𝗔𝗥𝗖 𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪 ✨

𝗢𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗼𝗼𝗱𝘀 𝗯𝘆 𝗛𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗮𝗵 𝗕𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗺-𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗴
𝚁𝚎𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚎 𝙳𝚊𝚝𝚎: 𝙹𝚊𝚗. 𝟸𝟾𝚝𝚑, 𝟸𝟶𝟸𝟻 — 𝙾𝚞𝚝 𝙽𝚘𝚠!

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲:
🌲 marriage in trouble
⛺️ high school sweethearts
🌲 FMC self-discovery
⛺️ acts of service
🌲 flashbacks
⛺️ MMC with glasses
🌲 spicy tent & outdoor scenes
⛺️ open door romance
🌲 one POV

𝗠𝗬 𝗧𝗛𝗢𝗨𝗚𝗛𝗧𝗦: I loved the real, raw, & genuine emotion that this book entailed! Sarah is struggling to find meaning in life. Her mother has passed away, her husband Caleb has a successful business of his own, & her best friends Win & Bo have created their own little family. Sarah feels stuck & lost so she decides to sign her & Caleb up for a couple’s hiking retreat. While there, Sarah & Caleb work on reigniting their intimacy, their communication skills, & their own personal growth. I loved how realistic this one was & how it highlighted real conflicts that occur in life!

As with other Hannah Bonam-Young books, I enjoyed the humor embedded in this book. Though there were also moments of grief and sadness, there was a nice human touch to the story that made it feel balanced.

I debate whether or not the accident was necessary for the plot, but I recognize it pushed both Caleb and Sarah to move toward their goals.

I enjoyed this book and identified with the couple that had been together for a very long time.

You know that feeling when a book just reaches in, grabs your heart, and refuses to let go? That’s exactly what happened with Out of the Woods by Hannah Bonam-Young. I swear, this woman writes stories that don’t just entertain—they heal. This book felt like a warm hug and a deep therapy session all rolled into one. It made me laugh, cry, and reflect in ways I wasn’t expecting.

We’re following Sarah and Caleb Linwood, high school sweethearts who seemed like they had it all figured out… until they didn’t. Seventeen years into marriage, Sarah starts asking herself the big, scary question: “Who am I without him?” Determined to prove her independence, she throws herself into organizing a fundraiser in memory of her late mother. But when things go south and Caleb swoops in to “save the day,” it cracks open years of unspoken grievances. Cue the tension, the tears, and the decision to sign up for a couples' wilderness retreat (because nothing says “facing your issues” like blisters and no cell service).

Hannah’s dual timeline approach is chef’s kiss. We get to see Sarah and Caleb as young, bright-eyed teens falling in love, and then as adults navigating the messy, complicated reality of staying in love. What I appreciated most was how real this felt. No overly dramatic, sweeping gestures here—just two people trying to figure out if love is enough when life gets hard.

Sarah Linwood, oh how I adore you. She’s confident, sarcastic, vulnerable, and painfully relatable. Her struggle with self-worth outside of her role as a wife hit me right in the feels. She’s been carrying the weight of expectations for so long, trying to be strong for everyone else, that she forgot to be kind to herself. Watching her unpack all that emotional baggage was both heartbreaking and inspiring.

And Caleb Linwood? Be still, my heart. He’s the nerdy, steady, quietly swoon-worthy type. The guy who’s always there, holding it all together… until he realizes he’s been holding in his own fears and insecurities too. Caleb isn’t just the “perfect husband” trope. He’s layered, flawed, and deeply human. Watching him fight for his marriage, not with grand gestures but with patience and understanding, made me fall for him over and over again.

Their relationship felt like real life. The kind of love story that isn’t just about the big moments, but the quiet ones—the knowing looks, the shared inside jokes, the hard conversations when it would be easier to walk away. Hannah captures all of that with such raw, honest beauty.

The side characters? Equally amazing. Bo, Win, Helen, Yvonne, Nina, Libby… each one brought depth, humor, and warmth to the story. It felt like being wrapped in a cozy blanket of found family, the kind that makes you feel less alone even when life gets messy.

And the epilogue? PURE PERFECTION. It left me with a big, goofy grin and that warm, satisfied feeling only the best books can give. (Bo and Win having their fourth kid? Stop. My heart can’t handle the cuteness.)

Out of the Woods isn’t just a romance—it’s a love letter to the idea that relationships take work, growth, and a whole lot of heart. It’s about finding your way back to each other, even when you get a little lost along the way.

Trust me, you’ll want to pack this one in your emotional survival kit. It’s that good.

Hannah has done it again, a homerun, straight out of the park (or out of the woods lol). I swear I am this woman's biggest fan. There is something really special about her writing that feels like a warm hug, or coming home and feeling that big sense of relief. Magic, healing, heartstring pulling and I cannot wait to see what she has in store for all of us in her future books.

I was really excited when this book was first announced. I think Caleb and Sarah have such an interesting story that I don't usually see written about in romance novels, especially in the capacity that Hannah wrote in Out of the Woods. There was a real rawness to it that definitely had me all over the emotional spectrum. (It's not a HBY book if I don't cry at least five times.)

I found myself relating to Sarah a lot and as someone who got married pretty young and who has grown exponentially as a person, those growing pains that Hannah wrote about felt super close to home and relatable. Sarah is a stubborn person and the way that she reacts and maneuvers through life, especially with Caleb, felt like I was reading my own story in a way and I just thought that was really special because no matter what - the love that they have for each other is so blatantly obvious that you can't help but be filled with hope.

I appreciated the fact that Hannah didn't shy away from the flaws of all of these characters, especially with Caleb. I think it would have been easy to put this light on him that would have him showing no faults but Hannah always makes her characters feel so real and human. I think my favorite aspect of the book was the progression and development of their communication skills with one another along the way.

I highly recommend this book to literally everyone but please be mindful of the content warnings. This one does feature some heavy topics like the loss of a parent and I would hate for anyone to be caught off guard by that. There are warnings within the book itself though so it'll be easy for you to find them!

Hannah, if you see this, I know that I tell you this pretty frequently but I love your brain and you are so talented at writing and I genuinely cannot wait to see what you come up with next!

- marriage in crisis
- he'd do anything for her
- they are high school sweethearts
- healing with humor
- flashbacks
- reader girl and geeky guy
- tent and outdoor spicy scenes
- bo and win cameo

Thank you Netgalley and RandomHouse Ballentine for the early copy in exchange for my honest feedback and review. I've never been more excited to receive an ARC. And my goodness -- I loved this book. Let's face it, Hannah Bonam-Young could write the phone book and I'd clamor to read it. I would probably also be puffy with tears by the time I flipped the final page. Her characters are so relatable and poignant and I always find myself falling in love with them.

The characters had me hooked. I too fell in love with my person when I was far too young and we've grown so much in the 12 years we've been together. I loved getting to peek into Caleb and Sarah's relationship -- one which seemed so perfect at the start of Out on a Limb. To see the parts that were cracked and broken and then watch them fight for their relationship too. The entire concept of shoving two non-outdoorsy folks into the woods to work on their relationship while being surrounded by other couples was so funny to me. I too would've tried to make it into a competition. Overall a great read and I give it 5 stars!!