-high school sweethearts x marriage in crisis, week long retreat 🏕️🪵🏞️
-thoroughly enjoyed Sarah and Caleb’s journey, this “second chance” genre has a special place for my shelf
-thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for this ARC ❤️

4.0⭐️

While you can read this book as a standalone, I highly recommend reading Out on a Limb first to get the whole overview and picture of this couple as they are first introduced there.

Sarah and Caleb are high school sweethearts that are going through a marriage crisis. They are together through the whole book, just doing lots of internal work together to have a healthier relationship and be on the same page.

A quote right at the beginning of the book I loved:
“I think maybe that’s the issue. We’ve been letting shit pile up for years, ignoring it like the bills on our moms’ kitchen table. But now they’re all past due and we’re too tired to deal with it all.”

As Sarah and Caleb embark on a weeklong, outdoor therapy adventure they learn things about each other and how to reconnect when things get a little dicey. I loved how realistic this book was, and I resonated a lot with Sarah and how she’s dealt with things. There is a HEA and I loved how it was wrapped up nicely.

This is one of those books that makes me wish there was an option higher than 5 stars available for ratings. I don’t quite know how to put into words the emotional connection I had with this book.

From the moment I read Out on a Limb and was introduced to Sarah and Caleb, I had a gut feeling their story was coming soon, and knew it would deeply resonate with my heart as someone in a going-on-12-years relationship with my first (and only) boyfriend, whom I started dating when I was 16 years old.

This story absolutely hurt my heart in such a GOOD way. It feels appropriate that this will be the last book I finish in 2024, as it’s shaping my mindset to be so appreciative of my own long time partner heading into a new year. Sarah and Caleb’s relationship is messy and understanding and difficult and simple and comfortable and fresh and so many things all at the same time that just make sense when you’ve been with one person for so long, particularly one person you’ve grown up with. The final portion of the book hit me so hard emotionally that at times I had to take a moment away from reading before returning to the story, but I trusted HBY wholeheartedly to do this story justice and I was not disappointed.

I will be rereading this book several times over and purchasing multiple physical copies for different annotations and notes to process my many feelings about these two.

I have been a fan of HBY for each of her books, but this is on another level 🤍

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for this eARC!

📖 Book Review: Out On A Limb by Hannah Bonam-Young

‘When our perceptions begin to shift it is usually because we’re ready for something new.’

My thoughts 💭

Please check for trigger warnings. ‼️

Wow, where to even begin. This book knocked my already high expectations out of the park. Sarah and Caleb have been together since high school and with that have experienced all of the ups and downs of life in your teens and twenties. It comes as no surprise that they both needed something to get the ‘spark’ back so they embark on a week long couples therapy hiking camp. Along the way they both end up healing not only their relationship but also their personal insecurities. At the beginning Sarah as a character really made me quite angry because Caleb is such a precious angel I didn’t understand how she could see anything wrong with him. But as the story progressed and you got more backstory on her upcoming and relationship with her mom it made sense. I also adored the multiple cameos of Win and Bo from ‘Out on a Limb’. They are both stand-alones that are interconnected however for the best reading experience I would highly recommend reading ‘Out on a Limb’ first! 6/5 ⭐️

HBY has become one of my auto buy authors and I have zero complaints.

OOTW lives up to the hype with the care that HBY puts into all of the characters she writes. I saw so much of myself in Sarah as she feels stuck and unsure of where to take her life and still dealing with the huge loss of her Mom.

The story hit all the emotions I want to feel while reading. I was sad for Sarah and Caleb as they struggle but fight to work on their marriage. I laughed with them and felt joy for the friendships they made that helped them work on themselves and find what they want. I also loved getting to see Win and Bo again.

I did find the ending crisis in this book to be very random and took me out of the story slightly but other than that it was a joy to read after a 2 month reading slump!

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for the ARC

I really loved Sarah and Caleb’s story as a whole! Obviously loved seeing Win and Bo too. Personally some of the spice felt out of place to me but it didn’t take away from the story as a whole. Would still highly recommend. I genuinely love HBY writing.

This is my second novel from Hannah Bonam-Young and so far she can do no wrong in my opinion.
If you've read Out on a Limb and liked/loved Win's best friend Sarah and her husband Caleb, this book is all about them. I loved it! I loved learning about Sarah's background. I loved the recognition of ALS as my own grandpa passed from the illness. I loved seeing Sarah's and Caleb's relationship improve.

Would defintely recommended.


Thank you to Netgalley for the early access to Out of the Woods in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Hannah Bonam-Young has the rare talent of being able to make me laugh out loud and want to cry all within the same page. Out on a Limb is one of my all time favorite books, and I loved seeing a good amount of Win & Bo (and Gus!) in this book, but Sarah & Caleb’s story is a very different vibe. Where Out on a Limb is painfully sweet, Out of the Woods is a lot more emotional, although no less good!

Sarah & Caleb got married at 19 years old, and this is their story more than a decade down the line, where they’re facing some growing pains and trying to figure out how they each fit into the relationship’s dynamic as things have changed over the years. It’s told in present day, with some flashbacks to various moments of their relationship in their teenage years, which also gives us some sweet/heartbreaking moments between Sarah and her mom.

It’s a little hard to read at times, because it gets very real and vulnerable. There’s a lot of discussion around grief and self-worth. There’s still plenty of humor, too, though! Overall, it’s another classic Hannah Bonam-Young novel, with lots of laughs, lots of feelings, and lots of lovable characters.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine / Dell for the ARC of this book!

4.75/5⭐️

“You can go as far as you need to, but you’ll always be a part of me. You will always need the second voice in my head. The force that surrounds me. The source I pull inspiration from.”

this story follows sarah and caleb, who have been married for the past seventeen years, and have gone through various ups and downs through life. however, one day after sarah organizes a fundraiser for her late mother, and failed to raise sufficient funds, until caleb, her husband, decides to step in with a generous anonymous donation to save the night, sarah feels like she’s been depending herself entirely caleb, and she realizes she doesn’t know who she is without him, and doesn’t appreciate this gesture. their argument stirs a lot of emotions for sarah, allowing her to question her trajectory of her life, and how unfulfilled she feels. to try to resolve and confront the challenges in their marriages that they’ve been avoiding, sarah and caleb go on a seven day hiking trip designed as a couples’ therapy retreat.

this book took me on a rollercoaster ride of emotions, but as always hannah-bonam young always delivers. i really loved reading about sarah and caleb’s journey, especially after reading out on a limb. i really loved the use of both the past and present timeline, to show both the growth and love both caleb and sarah have for one another. it also was really nice to read sarah rediscovering herself and who she wants to be, and caleb always supporting her journey. both caleb and sarah’s relationship felt so real, you could tell that even though this was a marriage in crisis book, that they never once didn’t love each other so deeply. also caleb is actually my MAN. he would do anything for his wife in a heartbeat and i love his for that.

What this book did to me emotionally should be categorized as a punishable by life felony in all 50 states tbh

I’m so happy Hannah Bonam-Young is getting the praise she deserves now! Out of the Woods is a beautifully unique romance, taking you through 14 years of relationship building. It’s complex, it’s not pretty, it’s tough but as you read you come out the other side of a loving, heartfelt story. Thank you for the ARC!! It was a joy reading Out of the Woods!

This same review will be available on my Goodreads upon the novel's publication, which is linked on my NetGalley profile, as I am unsure how much detail I am allowed to include in my review before the novel has been published.
Rating: 2.5/5 stars
I very much enjoyed Out on a Limb by Bonam-Young and was so excited to receive an ARC for Out of the Woods. I thought I would relate even more to the characters in this book than those in Out on a Limb, as someone who started dating my partner quite young and does not plan to ever have children. However, there was just something about this book that left me feeling disconnected from the characters and not really caring about their relationship. One aspect was definitely how much their problems revolved around them being rich. I understood Sarah's struggle of not knowing who she was outside her relationship, but personally it was so hard to care about her problems when they revolved around her feeling stationary as a rich stay-at-home wife (not that there's anything inherently wrong with that). Caleb also had a sort of epiphany about making his business better for all the people who work below him, but personally this just felt like a red flag that he'd been running his business any differently before then, and was also wildly unrelatable. Additionally, the ending felt quite random and thrown in to make the reader feel like the third act had something happening that wasn't the typical third act conflict. I did enjoy seeing younger Sarah and Caleb and the sections about Sarah's mother and Sarah's grief. Lastly, I was not the biggest fan of their dynamic, sexual and otherwise, and found myself cringing a lot more reading this than while reading Out on a Limb.
Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the digital ARC!

Out of the Woods
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“𝙰𝚕𝚕 𝚘𝚏 𝚖𝚎 𝚒𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚠𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝚊𝚕𝚠𝚊𝚢𝚜 𝚋𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛𝚜.”

Sarah & Caleb are everything. Hannah did it again. She created these characters that you cannot help but absolutely adore and cheer for. Out on a Limb is one of my absolute favourite romances and Out of the Woods has joined it.

Sarah wrestles with the internal WHO AM I struggle and who the hell can’t relate to that?? Caleb is such a sweet, loving man. As their own characters, I adore them both, but as a team they are truly just amazing. This story so accurately portrays marriage and life with your partner after the “honeymoon stage”.

I loved the flashbacks to young Sarah and Caleb. I loved seeing their relationship in both stages and seeing how each Sarah and Caleb worked through some of their own internal battles to become a stronger couple.

Seeing snippets of Bo & Win was such a treat as well. I love their friendships so much.

Thank you so much Random House Publishing & NetGalley for the ARC

Hannah did it again. Another 5 star read! In Out of the Woods we get to check in on Sarah and Caleb from Out on a Limb. After meeting when they were fourteen and marrying at nineteen everyone that knew them thought their lives were picture perfect. However they have hit a bump in their relationship and realize that they need to find a way to fix it. With a suggestion from Sarah's best friend Win they embark on a couples retreat set in the woods. Camping, hiking and pooping in the woods are definitely not something either one would normally choose. But sometimes you have to get out of your comfort zone to put things into perspective.

I loved reading about Sarah's journey and how much of her issue have been tied to her mother's passing. Her grasping at trying to be the perfect stay-at-home wife has left her feeling unfulfilled. This in turn has made Caleb reeling since he believed they had that perfect life. The anger and resentment they both struggle with is very relatable as someone that's been with the same person for a long time. With some reflection and forced nature activities though, they both find that their goals will always align as long as they work together

As someone who got Married to their high school sweetheart at 25, ten pages into this book i was thinking “oh my god, this play is about us.” This book defies romance genres a bit in that it isn’t a second chance, there’s no “breakup.” It’s really just about saving a marriage that’s changed a lot the same way people change from 19 to 29. I loved the hopefulness of it! Finding the love of your life at 16 is both a blessing and a curse-there’s so much growing up that happens between and you’re unlikely to be the same people for long, but i loved this books celebration of romance IN marriage.

HBY can do no wrong ever

It should come as no surprise that I absolutely ADORED this book. Win and Bo definitely left big shoes to fill and Sarah and Caleb absolutely filled them.

I loved Sarah so much in Out on a Limb and I loved that Out of the Woods gave her so much depth and heart. She’s not just the upbeat, goofy, loud side character and I’m so glad HBY gave us her story 😭

I love the angst of a marriage in trouble and left me tell you…I cried so many times. The journey for both Caleb and Sarah as a couple and individually was just so beautifully done. I thought the setting was SO fun and the therapy rep was absolute perfection (a lot of times authors miss the mark on writing therapy bits, but this was honestly just so well done!)

I was so glad we got to see bits of Win and Bo (and August!), but I’m also really glad that Sarah and Caleb got a book where they got to shine on their own. The alternating time lines with them as they began their relationship and Sarah’s experience with losing her mom gave me so much love and understanding for both of them.

I could truly go on forever about how much I loved this.

Thank you SO MUCH Hannah Bonam Young and the beautiful souls at Dell Romance for letting me read this early 😭 I’ll never be able to repay the kindness ❣️

I was compelled to finish OUT OF THE WOODS in a single day. After falling in love with Sarah and Caleb in "Out On a Limb", I needed to know they were going to be okay.

Sarah and Caleb's story is one of heartache and healing and friendship. HBY cleverly weaves their present marriage concerns with the story of two teenagers meeting, falling in love, and experiencing trauma at a very young age. We see Sarah and Caleb's coping mechanisms form in order to survive grief. It is fortunate they had each other then, but how well do their scripted relationship roles serve them in this new stage of life.

OUT OF THE WOODS Sarah has hit a low in her emotional spiral. Her identity has been supported by friends and family and love and grief to the point she doesn't see herself as an individual. It's not that she wants to be alone, she needs equal footing. There is hardship though when she struggles to communicate herself because Caleb isn't in step with her emotions. There is grace and patience to offer both partners as they adjust their emotional schedules.

That's my takeaway especially because I found myself relating to Sarah in so many ways - young love, being both the cared for and caretaker, balancing headspace for grief and hope. Grief isn't reserved for death, but for life interrupted or stalled dreams or a loss of identity. Sarah and Caleb model how love perseveres through emotional upheaval. Caleb isn't a villain as much as Sarah isn't a victim and vice-versa. Love holds space for for all of you and all of who you'll become.

OUT OF THE WOODS is another heartfelt masterpiece by Hannah Bonam-Young. It's refreshing to see low points of life treated with tenderness and care. I'm so in love with these teasing flirty nerds. Thank you for their story.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Dell for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Hby does it again.

This story is so rich and beautiful. If you struggle with miscommunication though, you might not feel the same way.

For me, as a person who was married at 19 and is now in their 30s, it feels like seeing an AU version of my life. Because yeah, getting married that young DOES tend to lead to problems later. There IS a lot of miscommunication simply because you get stuck in the version of yourself you were when you got married.

Anyway, enough rambles.

This book has some really good life lessons in it, just like other HBY books. The steam is 🥵🥵🥵 because Caleb is filthy mouthed. I’m not supposed to quote the ARC but y’all… the man is goooood when he gets the words out.

Oh and “Baby” gets said a bajillion times. I was WEAK for it.

I wouldn’t be honest if I didn’t mention there are heavy topics in here as well. Grief, loss of loved ones, marriage struggles, and more are all tightly woven together in this one.

Overall, I’d say this is worth the read. The Win and Bo appearances alone should make you want to, but Caleb and Sarah are just as important IMHO.

Thank you to Dell/Penguin Random House and Hannah for the opportunity to review. I got my copy through NetGalley after thinking there was no chance. I’m over the moon I get to say one of my most anticipated reads for 2025 is a hit! 🥳

Second chance romance is really not my thing but I whole heartedly love a married couple second chance romance. To be clear I don’t know if that’s how this book is being advertised but that’s essentially what it is. I feel like with second chance romance there’s usually a high possibility that something deeply hurtful happened/was said or there’s cheating but for this book that wasn’t the case. This book is very comforting in a way, it’s relatable and funny whilst also pulling at your heartstrings. Overall I think this is a well rounded book and I will continue picking up this authors books in the future.

Spoilers ahead:

Sarah and Caleb have been married for 10+ years but Sarah is not wholeheartedly happy. She is struggling with what she expected her life to be like versus what it actually is. Her husband is extremely successful and her best friend has recently had some big life changes and her own success by opening a camp for disabled youth. Sarah is having a hard time finding something she can be proud of; her husband has always supported her and been her savior but she has had enough of him white knighting. They decided to remove themselves from their normal lives, go on a camping retreat to reconnect, get to the bottom of their issues, and find a path forward.

Overall I really liked this book and I think this type of story needs to be more prevalent in publishing. I feel like the second chance romance genre needs more married couples and less teenage couples that didn’t work out of obvious reasons. Married couples loved each other and made it work initially so they just need to get realigned. Most of the time with regular second chance romances there’s a big and obvious reasons why they shouldn’t be together.

I thought Caleb and Sarah were great together and very sweet individually. I could totally understand Sarah’s struggle at the beginning of not feeling good enough and like life hadn’t turned out as she hoped because of the pressure she put on herself to live a great life.

I kind of wish that this was a dual POV because we never doubt Caleb’s love and devotion so it would have been nice to get his perspective. You never felt like Caleb was cruel or a bad husband. When Sarah asks him to name one thing she should be proud of and he doesn’t have a response, that moment felt like a gut punch. But he’s not being intentionally cruel or anything like that, he’s just not good under pressure as Win and Sarah thought.

From that moment forward we really start to see the love and devotion. You can tell even that Caleb’s quietness and reservation after their initial fight is about trying not to make the situation worse and panicking that their marriage is close to ending in his mind. His biggest concern was losing Sarah and you can really see that throughout the book. He wasn’t ever truly mad her, it was the situation upsetting him. He was shocked that she felt so awful and he was concerned for their future together. He was worried that he may not be able to make her happy and resolved to let her go if thats what she needed.

I really liked that the flashbacks were centered around Sarah’s mom and their time together. You can see the beginning of Caleb and Sarahs relationship and how they fell in love in the first place. Who they are at their core and how her mom’s illness affected their relationship.

The story started to lose me about halfway through but I’m really glad that they didn’t have one last big fight or anything like that. It would have ruined all the good communication and progress they made.

I was really surprised that Caleb was the one to get hurt since Sarah already had to deal with her mom being sick when she was young but it made total sense since he was always her savior after her mom passed and donated all that money for her fundraiser. She needed to be the strong one and take care of him. I also loved that we came full circle and Sarah was able to tell off Caleb’s parents. It seems a little unbelievable that after one ass chewing they’d change their ways but we didn’t really need to see any additional work. But it was still great that both sides of the family have realigned their focus.

Overall I really like this book and I think that second chance romance with married couples is an underrepresented genre and I would love to see more authors give it a go. I think this is a very comforting book in a way but not necessarily a page turner. Even if you haven’t been married young or had a parent die, I think a lot of people can relate to these characters. (And the side characters were a lot of fun too.) This books made me genuinely laugh out loud and tear up so I definitely recommend it for someone looking for a different type of romance novel.

5⭐️ 1.5🌶️

This book was everything I needed and MORE!

Sarah and Caleb are raw, real, and beautiful! They have been married for 17 years. They know each other inside out—or do they?

A couples retreat is just what the doctor ordered when Sarah realizes she doesn't know who she is without her husband Caleb. Change is good. Growth is good. And watching them open up about their hidden insecurities, struggles, and feelings was absolutely heartbreaking! I loved seeing them being raw and authentically themselves with each other. It takes a lot to be open and vulnerable, especially with a partner. Reading Sarah's perspective and her struggle to express her feelings was very insightful. And it helped me feel like I'm not alone in these feelings.

You don’t have to read Out on a Limb, but if you want to see them as a couple from Win’s pov, I highly suggest you do!


"You Have to shine on your own. And you will, baby. I know you will. Because you shine brighter than anyone I've ever known."

Tropes:
📚marriage in crisis
📚first love (high school sweethearts)
📚spicy outdoor time
📚 therapy/opening up to your partner
📚finding yourself with your partner

I want to thank Netgalley, Dell Romance, and Hannah Bonam-Young for the ARC!