I love a “marriage in trouble” romance when it’s done with heart, vulnerability, and real emotional stakes, and Out of the Woods nailed it.

Sarah and Caleb have been together since they were teenagers. First love, first everything. They got married young—partly out of love, partly out of grief, and partly out of fear that they wouldn’t have time. But now, after years of love blurred by caregiving, codependency, and unresolved trauma… they’re struggling. Bad. Silent treatment. Sexless. Spiraling.

Enter: a chaotic and surprisingly spicy couples’ camping retreat in the literal woods, complete with forced abstinence, mosquito bites, and deep emotional excavation. (Also, they totally break the no-sex rule in a scene that lives rent-free in my brain.)

Hannah Bonam-Young weaves in flashbacks to Sarah’s relationship with her late mother, their Catholic guilt and spiritual longing, and the ways chronic grief lingers and reshapes everything—even love. You feel how much Sarah and Caleb still care for each other, but also how lost they’ve both become. The vulnerability? Off the charts. The banter? Sharp and comforting. The found family? 10/10. And the sex? Tender and hot, with A+ consent and communication.

I especially loved how real the emotional work felt. They don’t just fall back in love—they fight for each other, unravel old patterns, and finally ask, “What do I want from this life, outside of just being someone else’s everything?”
Also: the epilogue made me CRY and then laugh and then want to high-five fictional Sarah for telling Cecilia where to shove it.

If you love emotional romance, stories about grief and healing, and watching a couple grow together, don’t miss this one.

I’ll be thinking about this book (and Caleb’s dirty talk) for a long, long time.

*Thank you to the author and net galley for a review copy (late review — because life)

Hannah Bonam-Young… are you my new favorite author?? Hands down, I think this is the best book I have read this year. I feel like it was so easy to judge Sarah in Out on a Limb, but oh do I feel terrible now
:( She’s just a sassy girl with a big heart who had to grow up too fast. And Caleb is so fantastic and understanding and willing to do ANYTHING for Sarah <3 This book made be feel A LOT, so I cried A LOT.

Also, yes I did finish this book in one day because it was THAT GOOD.

I enjoyed this one, not as much as the first book in the series, but I still would recommend it to anyone looking for an outdoorsy book.

Love everything she writes. A poignant, heart felt story about growth in love. It’s angsty and ugly and beautiful and scary and happy and everything all rolled into one. I really enjoyed out on a limb, but this story was just so magical in a. Different way. Through the fight of love. The sweet and spicy and sexy and everything in between. I loved every second!

I am a huge Hannah Bonam-Young fan, and have been waiting for this book for a long time--I'm so glad I was not disappointed! I laughed and cried throughout the whole book!

Rounding up for a 4.5 star book.

Out on a limb is one of my favorite books and I was so excited to get Sarah and Caleb’s story. This was such a great book and I loved seeing the growth of these characters and their love.

Bonam-Young masterfully delves into the complexities of long-term relationships, capturing the nuances of love, loss, and personal growth. The narrative seamlessly intertwines past and present, offering readers a deep understanding of Sarah and Caleb's journey. While the story is rich in emotional depth, some readers may find the pacing deliberate. However, the authentic portrayal of marital dynamics and the transformative power of vulnerability make this novel a compelling read.

Loved loved loved!! this book sang to my soul and gave me so much to think about when it comes to personal growth and relationships. I really enjoyed it being a sequel to Out on a Limb so we got even more depth.

If you’re looking for an emotional, Cute and fun story this is the one! I feel like Hannah is so underrated , her books are really good and I love her writing style. Very fast and easy to read. I find the story interesting and inspiring , also it’s in single pov which I find more compelling. I’ll definitely recommend this book to everyone!

I unfortunately DNFed this. Some "marriage in trouble" troped books work, but the nothingburger conflict in the beginning couldn't hook me enough to continue. I have loved all of Bonam-Young's books in the past, so this was a disappointment.

I really enjoyed this. I enjoyed their romance and how the book showed that love sometimes isn't enough and you have to put work into a relationship!

I did not end up finishing this book; it was a matter of timing. However, I thought it seemed fun and I still purchased it for my library. I will be recommending it to romance readers. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review it.

This book was everything I hoped for and more! Hannah Bonam-Young crafts believable characters you want to root for and takes us on a journey that isn’t the usual for romance novels. Yes, we get all the feels and happy endings, but I love that her characters are in a different stage of life than we usually see. These childhood lovers have been married for close to two decades (and we had already fallen in love with them in the first book of this series). This story was so relatable and watching them struggle to reconnect and rediscover themselves was beautifully done. I don’t see a lot of these types of books and Bonam-Young does it with ease. I cannot wait for her next book!!

Heart wrenching, tender and hopeful!! This book gripped me from the very first page! HBY never misses.

A wonderful book from Hannah Bonam-Young! It was great to watch Sarah and Caleb come back together and recognize what they needed to do to make their relationship stand the test of time.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review.

Beautifully written and truly just such a good read. The novel follows Sarah and Caleb Linwood, high school sweethearts who’ve been together for 17 years. When Sarah faces an existential crisis after the death of her mother, she realizes she’s lost a sense of herself and has spent most of her adult life defining herself through Caleb. In an effort to prove she can stand on her own, she organizes a charity event in her mother’s honors. When it fails, Caleb steps in to help, creating a rift that forces them to confront old wounds. To repair their strained marriage, they take on a grueling hiking trip meant to help couples work through their issues. What follows is a blend of humor and heartfelt moments as they try to find their way back to each other. The way the book explains a "marriage crisis" as there is no easy fix but with real depth and true love it is all possible.

Hannah Bonam-Young did it again! I loved Out on a Limb, and honestly I figured it would be hard for anything to live up to that. I was so, so wrong. Out on a Limb was absolutely incredible. The idea of a married couple rekindling their love and falling even deeper for each other is something I have actually never read before, but now I realize I am a huge fan. I love the idea that even when married for a long time and going through struggles, you can fall back in love with each other, even deeper. Hannah Bonam-Young will now be an author I know I will enjoy with every new release she comes out with!

Reading this book was like going to a therapy session on marriage counseling, but in a good way! I found myself identifying with the characters in their marital struggles and took advice from the resolutions that were presented in the book. Probably not the best way to get marital advice, but I'll take it! I didn't read the previous book involving these characters and didn't find that I was confused as the storyline and characters carry themselves. I found the premise to be believable and the characters to be charming in their own ways. My favorite scene by far was when there was a truth bomb dropped on Caleb's parents...hilarious and so very much deserved! I enjoyed this book so much that I will definitely be reading the others involving these characters and look forward to enjoying them just as much.

4.5 stars — Sweet, Soulful, and Uplifting

Out of the Woods is a beautifully written, slow-burn romance that balances heart, humor, and healing perfectly. Hannah Bonam-Young delivers characters that feel authentic and layered, with a love story that grows gently but meaningfully. I appreciated the emotional depth, the realistic dialogue, and the way mental health was handled with care and honesty. A comforting, hopeful read that stays with you.

If there is one thing I have come to expect from Hannah, it's that she is going to deliver a beautifully written heartfelt romance packed with every emotion under the sun.

I read the ARC for this beauty, and since then, I haven't been able to articulate properly how I feel.

Out of the Woods is a story about great love, binding friendships, loss, and rediscovery. Hannah manages to capture the beauty and fragility of human life; it's raw and real.

She was able to show how unfair life can be, sublime in its pain and joy that someone so kind and effervescent may still suffer. How two people can be so different, and still have their very essence meld together. Unable to identify where one soul begins and the other ends. This is two people who are madly in love, finding their way back to one another.

With the incorporation of flashbacks, we're really able to form a connection to the characters. To see the very beginning of their love story. To see Caleb come into Sarah's life and how he fit so effortlessly into their family dynamic.

Hannah proves she's a true talent and why she stands apart from the crowd. She crafts stories with her whole heart blending all life has to offer. She doesn't shy away from the realities of real life but rather embraces them.