I am truly blown away. This story was so beautifully unique, raw, and real. I know that I will be thinking about it for months if not years to come.

Out of the Woods follows Sarah and Caleb, high school sweethearts who got married at 19 and have loved each other over half of their lives. The story revolves around the conflict that arises from the lack of self identity and independence that can occur within a marriage, especially one that started at such a young age.

The characters were not perfect, and that was so incredibly necessary for this story. Just like every person to ever exist, they did not do or say the perfect things at every turn, and that was what made this book so relatable. Their conflicts were so realistic for a marriage between people who have grown and changed over time. Reading their conflict and conversations felt like I was peaking behind the curtains of couples across the world.

Sarah and Caleb go on a week long wilderness retreat to reconnect and regroup after a fight resulting from years of both of them not expressing their feelings to one another. Again, this just felt so realistic to me.

I loved that this book gave us a perspective of the romance that is rarely explored: what does it look like to fall back in love or reignite romance within an already existing marriage?

On top of all of these things, the topic of grief and how that impacts you as a person and as a partner was explored beautifully through Sarah's character.

If you are looking for the "perfect book boyfriend" or a fairytale love story this is not the book for you. But if you are looking for a story about fighting to find the spark again with the love of your life then look no further. This was such a unique story and will stay with me for a very long time.

This book put my emotions through the wringer! When I say I was sitting at my work desk sobbing reading this book, I am not exaggerating. I was apprehensive about this book before reading it as I usually prefer uplifting/funny romance reads and the description didn’t sound like that, but I loved the authors previous book so gave it a shot. The beginning was slow for me but I quickly began to root for the main characters and trying to read faster to see what happened next. The end of the book was unexpected! This was such a beautifully written and thought provoking book, I finished reading yesterday and was still thinking about the book today. The way the characters grew and became closer throughout the book makes you think about relationships with a different perspective. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book!

this was EVERYTHING!! i’ve been so excited to read this one ever since finding out sarah and caleb are getting a book and it did not disappoint!!

sarah and caleb being high school sweethearts who got married really young and have spent half of their lives together but suddenly are confronted with the fact that there are things both of them have been holding inside for so long AHHH this was just written so well and although their marriage was never fully in crisis, i really loved how their relationship developed throughout the book!!

i’m gonna keep this review spoiler-free so i won’t get too much into it but sarah’s feelings about who she is and her identity crisis about what she’s done with her life was written PHENOMENALLY and it was so relatable in some ways. and caleb I LOVE HIM the sweetest man in existence, and seeing how he had to be the stable, reliable one in the relationship and how that affected both him and sarah through the years GAH!!!

one of the main parts of this book that i really enjoyed was how it showed the ups and downs of marriage and being in a relationship and how despite their problems, sarah and caleb truly did love each other through it all and AHHH i’m just so in love with this book!!!

thank you sm to netgalley and random house for the arc!!

Are we out of the woods? I caught myself singing that wayyyy too much while reading this book, but that’s what happens when a Swiftie reads a book that has a Taylor Swift inspired title. This book was definitely worthy that because holy cow I feel forever changed after reading Sarah and Caleb’s marriage in trouble story.

Out of The Woods deals with a lot of significant topics since as grief, spousal issues and the struggles of feeling like you don’t know who you’re anymore, wanting to do something for yourself and not being so dependent on someone else all the time. It also deals with the reality of what could happen when you marry very young. But all of this is written incredibly and Hannah explores these things on a very truthful manner and it leaves you feeling like you just went through what the main characters experienced.

It’s no surprise nor secret that I have been dying to read Sarah and Caleb’s story even since they got introduced in Out on a Limb. Their dynamic always intrigued me and getting to further explore what went on when they were teenagers and the effects of it over a decade later was really fulfilling to read about. The whole wilderness marriage counseling environment was an interesting take on the marriage in trouble trope and I enjoyed getting to see them work on their marriage and relationship this way so much because it was very fascinating and it kept me on my toes all the way through.

The heart of the book was definitely Sarah and Caleb and their decade long relationship and even though they had their struggles they always found their way back to each other. The flashbacks with Sarah’s mom was devastating but it also gave the book even more heart and the depth it deserved. The sisterhood between Sarah and Win also made me feel all warm inside and how supportive all of the characters was, especially all the people they went n the wilderness excursion with, the definition of found family all of this together.

In Hannah Bonam-Young's newest novel, Out of the Woods, we get Sarah and Caleb's story. We first met them in "Out on a Limb" and I loved them (especially Sarah!!) then! Now it's a few years later and Sarah is restless. She loves Caleb but she doesn't know who SHE is and doesn't know how to figure that out. Her entire adult life has been Caleb. So she decides to enroll them in an outdoorsy/counseling/couples therapy session to reignite their relationship and discover who she is and how they fit together.

I loved this book so much. Sarah and Win's friendship is so perfect and I also loved the flashbacks to Sarah and Caleb's beginnings to show just how deep their relationship goes. I could have gone without the accident at the end, but I also ultimately think it served to move forward a major plot point with Caleb's family that needed to happen.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC.

Caleb and Sarah were highschool sweethearts that had been married for more than a decade. Caleb is a successful business owner and Sarah is a stay at home wife. Caleb is happy the way their life and marriage are but Sarah feels worthless and stuck. It feels like they are growing into two different directions so Caleb and Sarah decided to attend a camping couples therapy to help re-ignite their marriage. Will they find their way back to each other?

I love this book! It gives you 2 different perspective of a relationship that’s built out of love but taken for granted. As somebody who’s been in a relationship since highschool to now in my 30s with the same man, most of the story resonates with me. It’s about healing and growing. This book is emotional yet funny with a little spice. This is a great read! ❤️

Thank you Netgalley and Random House publishing for an ARC of this book. 💕

Thank you to netgalley and Random House for the ARC!

Hannah Bonam-Young is my auto-buy, auto-read, WHATEVER I have to do do read her books, I will do it. I'm absolutely awed that I even got an ARC, but I'm so thankful I did.

I loved Out on a Limb, the book where we first see Sarah and Caleb, who seem exceedingly happily married, but as we find out in this book, its not quite so. There is no questioning their love for each other, but love isn't always enough, and they can't seem to get past a particularly gnarly marital hurdle. Winn (our heroine from OuaL) suggests a hiking trip led by a therapist and her wife called Reignite, meant to do just that in struggling relationships. Caleb hopes it will knock the hurdle out of the way and they can get back to how they were but...Sarah is battling something bigger within herself.

She feels aimless, helpless, like she's been living her life with no purpose. She doesn't see what she brings to the people she loves. She's wrestling with the roles she and Caleb placed on themselves and each other at such a young age. Necessary at first, but feeling like the damsel to Caleb's Knight in Shining Armor isn't working anymore and it's creating a rift. She hopes Reignite can help her with these feelings, and help her be able to express them to Caleb.

Like I said in the beginning of the review, there is absolutely no question how much Sarah and Caleb love each other, and that's one of the things I loved so much about it. The story is about them figuring out how to grow within themselves, finding their own identity that isn't "Caleb's wife" or "Sarah's husband."

The switches in perspective, from present day to when Sarah and Caleb were teenagers were perfection, utter heartbreak, and further explained how they got to this point in their lives. I loved that the "third-act breakup" was at the beginning so all we expected for the rest of the book was the mending. And god was that good. It was so much deeper than I expected. Sarah deals with a lot of her grief from the loss of her mother when she was young, and that helps her in trying to find herself and where she belongs in the world.

Yes, there is a lot of introspection and a lot of hard looks at themselves, but there is also so much humor. The side characters almost really didn't feel like side characters, but as part of the story, and they were so fun!

I can't wait for this book to come out so I can get my paws on a copy!

This was my first marriage in crisis book and it was so freaking good. This story was full of emotion, grief, and depth. You really watched as these characters rediscovered themself while trying to save their marriage. You could tell they were in love and they didn’t want to let each other go.

While it was a little harder to get into at first, the story slowly started to blossom in front of me. Caleb doesn’t have a POV so we are witnessing everything through Sarah. I also do wish there was more tension that we did get in her previous books. I do wish the ending was a wee bit different because I don’t think it was ended or had impact on the story.

BYE EXCUSE ME I NEED 3-5 DAYS TO RECOVER

*takes deep breath and tries not to cry* GOD I LOVED THIS BOOK

I cannot properly put into words how much I loved this book. I laughed, I cried, i swooned.
This one hit every single emotion possible. I saw so much of myself in Sarah and her feelings it felt sometimes like looking in a mirror. As someone who got lucky enough to find their person at 15 this one really struck a cord with me

At the age of thirty-one Sarah Linwood seemingly has the perfect life from an outsiders perspective. Nice house, handsome husband which a cushy job and supportive friends. But recently Sarah has been grappling with the fact that she doesn't really who she is as person without her husband Caleb. Sarah decides she needs a change and she needs it fast.

In an effort to save their marriage, Sarah and Caleb decide to embark on a hiking retreat intended to help couples "reignite" their lives.
What comes to follow is a heartwarming, inspiring and hilarious story full of self discovery, healing. While this story is about a marriage in crisis also depicts living with loss and how that loss can change your entire worldview.

This book contains and then and now timeline in which we get to see Caleb and Sarahs relationship begin from a budding highschool crush. This part of the story also entagles with the story of Sarahs mom who has since passed (not a spoiler- its in the blurb, i promise). Sarahs relationship with her mother made me need to go hug my own mother more than once.

As someone who also found their person at the age of 15 and knows the struggles that come along, it was moving to watch this couple navigate growing together while also being able to grow as individual people. These two were so flirty and fun and you can tell that they are truely eachothers best friends and isn't that what we all want?

"If you give me the space to grow I'll plant myself next to you, always"

Dont get me wrong, while this book made me cry my eyes out I also laughed my arse off. Sarah is a girl who just gets it. Her and Caleb and not outdoorsy people AT ALL and watching them navigate a 9 mile hike and pooping in the woods along with the amazing cast of side characters was hilarious and filled this book with many light hearted moments.

"Did you just . . . fawn? Isn’t that how they describe it in your books? Or wait, no, it’s— Swoon,”

Although I am a dual POV girl until my dying day I will always make an exception for Hannah, her writing flows easily makes me want to live inside the pages of the story.

A HUGE thank you to Dell Romance and Random House for approving my Netgalley eARC when I had a 0% feedback rate! I love you forever besties 🤍🤍🤍

Tropes
💍marriage in crisis
🪵hiking retreat
🧠mental health rep
🩷highschool sweethearts
⛺️A spicy tent scene

3.5⭐

this story was so sweet! i really enjoyed the self reflection in sarah and how she came to find what she wanted most in life. however, i thought there would be more romance and i had different expectations for this book and super high expectations because i absolutely loved bo and win (and it was so good to see them in this book as well 🤭). i really enjoyed the grief aspect but truly wish there was just more! the ending felt a bit rushed and honestly could've had at least a few more chapters to really make it feel like a solid ending. but i think that's a me thing since this was one of my anticipated releases.

I AM CONVINCED THAT HANNAH BONAM-YOUNG CAN DO NO WRONG! It's always perfect, and this is no different. They are completely adorable and have my whole heart. One of my favorite tropes is win back your spouse and this might be at the top of the list of favorites! All the hearts, all the stars, ALL THE PRAISE!!

Out of the Woods focuses on Sarah and Caleb who were first introduced in Out on a Limb. You COULD read this book without reading the first one, but I don't break the rules and when the author suggests to read in order, I'm going to.

Sarah and Caleb are in a bit of a rut since they have been together more than half of their lives. Rather than having a midlife crisis and someone buying a convertible, they end up going on this nature retreat to focus on their relationship. Honestly, most of the things that they're struggling with are pretty relatable if you've been in a relationship before so there were times when I was just like "come on, communicate already". Overall though, I enjoyed the book, but not as much as Out on a Limb. I'd recommend to check it out if you enjoyed Hannah's first book or want to read something that you can relate to a bit (minus the hiking... I will not be hiking). I've rounded this up from a 3.75.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the advanced reader's copy!

My Caleb and Sarah <3 What a special read this was. Broke my heart and stitched it back together like 50 times over.
Marriage in crisis is one of my favorite tropes (that isn’t done often enough in my opinion) but! I am very aware how painful it can be and I was fully bracing for impact with this!! However!! I’m really glad that Hannah found a way to write a marriage in crisis book that didn’t make me sick to my stomach the entire time. I will say though… the Sarah x Her mom flashbacks though. That packed a PUNCH!!!!!!

I really loved how once we got over that initial bump, Caleb was so open to trying absolutely anything Sarah wanted to fix what was broken. I also adored that they both mutually wanted to be better for the other. I think a lot of times in a marriage in crisis story there is one character that is (at least seemingly) checked out and ready to GO but I loved seeing two people who love each other, that experienced some challenges together, but don’t want to just throw in the towel. I never for one second questioned if either of them loved the other and I think that’s what made this one so special.
See also: A man that packs your kindle for you so you can keep your reading streak going while in the woods even when you’re going through a rough patch???? I never doubted them!!!

The only thing I didn’t particularly love about this was the little situation during the last 20% of the book. It definitely served as a catalyst for a lot of growing and learning but it just felt a tad unnecessary after all they’d been through. BUT! Boy did I love seeing my Bo and Win (and Gus!!) show up when they were needed!! That’s my fictional family!!!!

I also, of course, have to touch on the Taylor Swift of it all briefly as a full time career swiftie. I really really love that in the age of authors using Taylor references whenever they possibly can (which most times just comes across as cringey, gimmicky, and a ploy to get more reads) I love that Hannah did NOT! go overboard!! even though the title would suggest otherwise!! The only references in here are ones that you’d have to be true swiftie tm to pick up on and I loved that!! Yayyy!!

4.5 stars!

I absolutely loved this story! Hannah's writing is so beautiful and she really gets you in the feels!
I loved out on a limb and knew I would love this one too!

This story follows Sarah and Caleb. After being together for so long, something feels off in their marriage. Each of them holding things in and not communicating as much as they should... Win sends them on a couples camping retreat and ... youll have to read and see!

I loved these characters! You can truly see how much they love each other and how much they want to better themselves for the relationship! Add in the scenes with Bo, Win and Gus and the AMAZING side characters, this was an emotional, swoony read!

Highly recommend!

Some of my favorites of my highlights below!
“Do you want your e-reader?” “I didn’t pack it. It would’ve only lasted a few days before the battery gave out anyways.” Caleb smiles knowingly, his face still tilted up to the ceiling. “I brought it and a solar charger. I didn’t want you to lose your reading streak. Downloaded a couple of extra books too.”

“I swooned,” I add excitedly, then shut my mouth tight before another giggle has the chance to fall out. It’s not my fault, dammit! There is a shirtless, hairy lumberjack carrying me through the woods who distinctly resembles my husband. It’s like seven of my favorite horny book scenes all rolled into one. I am wetter than the bottom of a canoe right now."

"You make everyone around you feel that way. Me, Win, Bo, August. You love so deeply, it’s hard for me to understand. It seems exhausting, but you do it anyways. You leave yourself open for anyone who needs a safe place to land, even near perfect strangers. That is all, uniquely, individually, perfectly you. Something to be proud of that is all yours.”

“You deserve good things.” Win lifts her chin on an exhale. “And I think you were right. I think we do. I think we have them. I think Marcie would be very, very proud of us.”

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

18 - one direction

being together since high school, it’s understandable sarah and caleb has reach a sort of standstill in their marriage so off to the woods they go, to not just figure what is going on with their marriage but to also figure out what is going on with themselves

a touching, emotional story about a marriage with realistic problems between high school sweethearts that have been together for so long as well as grieving the loss of a parent. this story felt so real and raw especially with the emotional flashbacks with sarah’s mom and the glimpses of young love between sarah and caleb. so emotionally vulnerable

I especially love the narrative writing! lively and you can hear sarah’s personality

sarah’s inner conflict where she felt like she hasn’t achieved much in life was very relatable. very giving this is me trying - "So I got wasted like all my potential” // “I was so ahead of the curve, the curve became a sphere”

I love caleb my acts of service king !!! And his love for sarah reminds me of those soft, calming types of love that sarah truly needed especially in high school.

taylor swift songs
soon you’ll get better
marjorie
cardigan
right where you left me
this is me trying
begin again

[ with that being said, this book is very slow pacing where it felt dragging and boring at times. Also, in terms of a marriage in crisis book, this felt very bland. Idk how to explain it like this felt lacking for me. 3.5 🌟

This story felt so close to home. High school sweethearts? Together for more than half their lives? I could totally relate.

In Out of the Limb, we see Sarah and Caleb's fun, loving side. But in this book, we get to see their vulnerabilities and struggles.

Sarah and Caleb Linwood have been together since high school. For seventeen years, they've been a team, but Sarah is starting to wonder who she is without Caleb. After a conflict at the fundraiser event Sarah organized, she is left feeling frustrated and full of self-doubt, causing them to drift apart. In an effort to save their marriage, they join a couples hiking trip called "Reignite," hoping to reconnect.

This story mainly focuses on rediscovering and rekindling their relationship. I love how the plot was written so maturely. It was so raw, real, and emotional. God! Caleb and Sarah are deeply in love throughout the book.

Caleb is such a sweet and gentle person. He's THE husband material, stable and consistent, always there for Sarah. He takes care of her like she's the most precious thing . Sarah, our girl, is like sunshine, Happy go lucky, yet with so many suppressed feelings beneath the surface. Also, girls! She likes reading just like us 🤭

This book also takes us through Sarah, Win, Sarah's mom, and Win's mom's past, and found it really sad and incredibly emotional to learn about their history. I truly appreciated how the book portrayed grief. Please check trigger warnings

I loved seeing their growth. how they learned to truly understand each other and adapted to the changes they thought were necessary. It was beautiful to watch them evolve, both as individuals and as a couple finding a way to grow together while still holding on to the love that first brought them together.

I also loved seeing Bo, Win, and all the new characters.

Favorite scene: Caleb brings Sarah's Kindle to the camping trip so she doesn’t lose her reading streak 🥹💗🤌

Rating - 4.25 ⭐️

Thank you, Netgalley and Random House for the eARC.

Release date - Jan 28 2025.

I genuinely cannot believe I got an arc of this!!! This book is beautiful, raw, and genuine. No spoilers of course, but a very poignant book for me in particular. Literally about to reread!!

High school sweethearts, marriage in trouble and watching two very non outdoorsy people backpack through the woods for a week, yes please! I listened to this author's earlier novels on audio book and so it was fun to branch out and read this one on kindle instead. (Although i am looking forward to listening to it once released!)

I loved getting to see Sarah and Caleb's story, I loved the new friends they met along the way as well as glimpses of Win and Bo. I would have loved a dual POV since this book felt very sarah focused but that aside, there were sweet moments and intentional moments and a little bit of spice making this, all in all, a great read!



Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Dell for the ARC in exchange for my review!

My excitement for this book was through the roof due to how much I loved Out on a Limb, so it had a hard shoes to fill. I enjoyed this romance, but not as much as the first. However, if Hannah Bonam Young writes it, I will read it.

Where a Marriage in Trouble Embarks on a Journey of Reigniting Love

| contemporary romance | marriage in trouble | man obsessed | finding yourself | couples therapy | couples retreat | spicy | nature | hiking | HEA | love takes work | patience | personal growth | communication | childhood sweethearts | death of a parent | dealing with grief | found family | single POV |

Do I recommend it? YES.
Is it sad? At times, but it does have a happily ever after.

I have become a huge fan of Hannah Bonam-Young. I read this story without first reading Out on a Limb. Although it is not necessary, I highly recommend reading Out on a Limb first because the characters and their personalities overlap. You may miss some of the jokes regarding Win and Bo if you choose to read this without having read the first book.

Something about Hannah Bonam-Youngs writing is that it is plot-driven. Yes, there is some spice and lots of tension, but there are always these deeply emotional elements that drive her stories right into your heart. I cannot tell you the depths at which this story will touch your heart. One moment you're crying because it is a bit sad, and within pages, you are happy again because the sadness turned into something beautiful.

The duality of happiness and sadness I attribute to who the characters are. Sara is dealing with a less-than-savory hand in life. She feels a little lost and very undeserving of her partner. Caleb loves Sara no matter what, and he hates to see her sad or upset. He loves her so wholly and so fully that he would do anything to keep her happy, even if he has to risk upsetting her. He is supportive, dedicated, and loving above all else. Sara is the center of his universe. For Sara, Caleb is always her knight in shining armor. He always comes through for her, and sometimes a girl just wants to be able to stand on her own two feet. She doesn't want to resent Caleb for the ways that he tries to be there for her, but she comes to a point in her life where she realizes that she is unhappy, most of all, with herself.

This couple embarks on a journey to reignite their love and find balance in their marriage. However, the journey also helps them both in personal ways that go beyond their love for each other and embrace their love of self.

Out of the Woods is a beautiful story with a heartbreaking past and a bright future. It's a story that I won't soon forget. I cried, I laughed, and most of all, I loved it. I highly recommend this story and any story written by Hannah Bonam-Young.

Happy Reading, Friends xx