3.5 stars

while this wasn’t my favorite hby book i still thoroughly enjoyed it. i do think it was marketed incorrectly as i wouldn’t label this a marriage in crisis more like a journey of self love and finding one’s purpose in life after marrying so young. not once did i question if sarah & caleb weren’t going to make it out on the other side. most of their turmoil came from sarah’s lack of communication for how she was feeling and her putting everyone else’s needs before her own.

this book deals with grief pretty heavily and i thought hannah did such a beautiful job writing a heavier topic like that one. it was clear how obsessed caleb is with sarah and how much he wants her to be happy but also needing to learn that he can’t fix all of her problems for her.

the plot of this one was enjoyable and i liked all the side characters a lot and thought the overall character development for everyone was a positive experience. i really enjoyed seeing sarah feel more like herself again and understanding/learning her self worth.

i do think there could’ve been more tension in this one and more honest communications involved but overall i really enjoyed it still just not as much as some of hby’s other books

If you are a fan of Out on a Limb, I think that you will love this one! It follows the story of Sarah and Caleb and catches up with them in a rough spot. This story has cozy romance written all over it. It however was not one of my favorites. I thought Out on a Limb was just so-so and wanted to give another one of Hannah Bonam Youngs books a try. This however didn't resonate with me and was too cutesy. If cozy romance is what you are looking for, I think you will love it!

Fortunate enough to get an ARC for this great story. Caleb & Sarah were fun and this was a great spin on a second chance love. Sarah’s processing of grief was beautifully written and I found myself crying in one moment, giggling in the next. I love Hannah's writing style and find myself eager to turn the page and get to the next moment with the characters. Caleb & Sarah are beautifully written and their love story is keeping Out of the Woods at the top of my best of 2025 list.

Out of the Woods is such an emotional rollercoaster of a book, that hit a little too close to home. The story is highly relatable for anyone who has lost their own identity in a relationship.

Sarah and Caleb married too young, that they didn’t get to experience life without each other. Going into this book I wouldn’t say that their long term marriage was on the rocks mainly because they had so much love for each other the entire book. However, neither of them knew who they really were and were tired of the roles they each played.

Honestly, I had to put this book down a few times and take a break. At some points it was too much for me personally. I was not expecting such a gut-wrenching read.

It’s a deep story about finding yourself and discovering who you are and want to be, becoming more independent, and how important good communication is. All lessons that need to be learned.

If you want to feel every emotion that exists, this is a book for you!

This was not what I was expecting. This is about a couple in love, and always wanting, no matter what hiccups and bumps they hit in their relationship, to be with each other 100%. This book can be relatable for anyone in a long term relationship.

You love your person but what if all you know of yourself is being with that person. Sarah wants to be more independent in the sense of what she brings to the table and contributes to the world and to herself. She’s a stay at home wife and wants more but doesn’t know where to start. And in true couple fashion- she has conversations in her head that don’t make it to her husband and gets annoyed when he doesn’t understand what she wants. Flip side- Caleb has always been the safety net, the fixer. And though he will do anything for his wife, he wants the opportunity to not be the sound support and let go a little.

You never lose sight of their love in this story and follow on their journey of individual and their relationship growth.

This was a lighthearted story of remembering to communicate with your person, let go of your stubbornness a bit, say I love you and mean it, and know you are strong together but it’s okay if you need to grow and change in your years together. It doesn’t mean you don’t want to be together, you are just entering new chapters in your life together and it can be the best thing for you both.

Out of the Woods is a masterpiece in writing that I need everyone to read now, with tissues in tow. I definitely recommend reading Out On a Limb right before hand, yes it'll be an emotional rollercoaster but in the best (healing) way. OOTW is a love letter to those who have found their soulmates at a young age and later in life, feel like that's their whole identity. I cried and then immediately called my Mom wondering when we could make lasagna together (our specialty). Hannah writes the most serious topics with grace and love and I immediately know I am in safe emotional hands with her books.

Sarah and Caleb have been together since early high school years. They got married young and now, Sarah is trying to figure out who she truly is besides being a wife. Being married is great but that's all she feels she has done. Questioning everything, her best friend gives her a pamphlet to a couples camping retreat that is meant to help couples reconnect and communicate. She's hoping this'll get them "out of the woods" and give her who she is meant to be.

This book is perfect. Sarah and Caleb are everything to me. Hannah has a magical way of making you feel seen in her characters and always leaves you feeling so full. My emotions were at the surface the whole time I was reading and every time I read this book is as magical as the first time. Well done, HBY. You are a genuis.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story of Sarah finding herself while also finding the love that was always there within her relationship. Out of the Woods is a beautiful romance that tackles tough topics such as losing a parent at a young age & working through grief while having the love of your life by your side the whole way through. One of my favorite parts of this book was getting to see more of Sarah & Win's friendship & getting to know Sarah & Caleb as a couple! I loved Out on a Limb so very much, I was so excited to jump into reading this book & IT WAS BEAUTIFUL! I feel so much for Sarah & empathized with her heavily. I highly recommend this book & Out on a Limb. I'm so excited to recommend it to customers who come to shop at my bookstore!

Hannahhhhhhhh!!!! You have DONE. IT. AGAIN. Every time this author publishes a book I'm like ah yes. my new fav. and then she releases ANOTHER and That One becomes my favorite. Hannah Bonam-Young I would read your grocery lists. This was beautiful and heartbreaking and so so human I felt like crying almost the entire time. I love when characters find their way back to one another. Marriage-in-trouble can be difficult to read, but it is such a catharsis and so so worth it in the end.

“If you give me the space to grow, I’ll plant myself next to you. Always.”

Thank you for the free book Dell Romance. All opinions are my own.

A marriage in crisis, but make it a love story - is how I would pitch this book.

Sarah and Caleb fell in love in high school, during a time of heightened emotion, got married at nineteen and survived the death of Sarah’s mom soon after. Sarah doesn’t know what her life would be like without Caleb there to swoop in and save the day but she knows that she needs to do something to prove to him that she is ready to stand on her own two feet. Refusing to give up on their dream of forever, Caleb and Sarah embark on a couples retreat camping trip with the hope of getting out of their comfort zones and reconnecting with one another.

I first fell in love with Sarah and Caleb in Out on a Limb and was so excited to get a deeper glimpse into their lives. From the description, I knew that this one would be heavy but I was grateful for the care that Hannah Bonham Young took in her discussions of grief and healing. What I loved most about this book was the idea that, as people, we evolve throughout our lives so of course our needs change too. But how do we adjust and still hold on to each other? Communicating and being open to change is the only way a relationship can grow and yet still remain a permanent fixture in our lives.

I absolutely loved the way this book came together. If you are a fan of rom-coms with a deeper story, then this one's for you.

I read + listened to 𝘖𝘶𝘵 𝘖𝘧 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘰𝘰𝘥𝘴 and I finished it in under 12 hours! This was such a refreshing read, I loved how much Caleb and Sarah loved each other and beat the odds despite getting married right out of high school. Sarah is going through a difficult time feeling stagnant and needs her husband to acknowledge that she isn’t the same teenager grieving her mother’s death and ready to take on more. As many couples do, they find themselves in need of putting in the work and making their relationship a priority. I love the character developments throughout the book. The duel timelines in the book show us the horrible pain and grief Sarah experienced and how Caleb was always there for her, despite him being a teenager himself. I can’t express just how sweet their story and love is for each other, they would do anything for one another and that even means attending a relationship retreat camping in the woods for a week!

Ohhhh this was so good and unexpectedly very emotional!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Simply put, “Out of the Woods” follows Sarah and Caleb, two high school sweethearts, who venture on an outdoor wilderness trip to try and save their crumbling relationship.

This book tackles grief, loss, loneliness, self reflection, friendship, love, desperation, and change. It switches between past and present timelines. With this, we see how their relationship begins, how it becomes stagnant, and how they build it back up.

This writing style is very engaging. Every time I picked the book up, I struggled to put it down. I would not hesitate to recommend this, whether or not you have enjoyed a book from HBY in the past. This will especially work for fans of marriage in trouble/ turmoil, second chance, or childhood lovers tropes.

The only reason this book is not 5 stars for me is that I found myself wanting to skim through the past timelines to get back to the present. While the past perspective was necessary, it started to feel a little repetitive for me.

Ultimately, this book takes you on a tumultuous journey, but the ending is very satisfying and leaves you yearning for even more of Sarah and Caleb’s journey.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dell publishing for this advance copy of Out of the Woods by Hannah Bonam-Young. This one published this past week and is available for purchase today!

I’ve heard quite a bit about Hannah’s work from her other book taking place in this world (Win’s book), Out on a Limb, but I would argue you can absolutely read this one without having read Out on a Limb, although the events in this book take place after where our characters already have their happily ever after. This was my first book by this author, and I found her writing style to be so easy to read, and her characters were very developed. While this one was a romance, it was more about finding each other again and really working through differences - I wouldn’t call it second chance, more of an exploration of evolving into the people we’re meant to be. I really loved it.

Thank you again to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC. This one is out today for purchase!

'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.