hannah bonam-young refuses and can not write a bad book. this book made me feel every single emotion possible and made me instantly want to reread it and experience it all over again.

I will suggest this book to EVERY married person I know! I took my time with this book because I knew it was going to be good from chapter 3. I feel like books about saving your marriage are far and few these days. I truly LOVED this story! Thank you to Hannah for this story, she brought it to life! I loved every page. Thank you to Natgalley for the ARC in return for my unpaid opinion on this story!

A great story of a couple who married young reconnecting within their marriage after reaching a stagnant point in their lives. Sarah and Caleb work together to communicate and grow since they're still so in love after all this time. Really lovely story.

As soon as I started this book I knew it was going to be a new favorite. As someone who’s been with her high school sweet heart for 16 years and married for 13 this book hits close to home.

You have Sarah and Caleb who are high school sweethearts. A few years into their marriage, Sarah feels like she hasn’t accomplished anything. She feels like she’s been relying on her husband, Caleb so much. Which leads to them taking a getaway trip.

I felt like I could relate to Sarah in so many ways. Seeing her grief broke my heart. Caleb is literally a dream. The way he’s been there for Sarah through everything. Their relationship is so beautiful. It felt realistic. I just adored everything about them.

Seeing win & bo again made me so happy.

As soon as this hits the stores I’ll be adding a copy to my library.
Thank you netgalley for this arc.

I had been waiting for this one for a while, and it did not disappoint.

Sarah and Caleb are back from “Out on a Limb” and this time we get to hear their love story. After 17 years together, things are feeling off in their relationship as they both struggle to put into words what is missing or who they have become as individuals and a couple.

They attend a weeklong wilderness retreat to focus on rediscovering who they are.

As someone else who married the love of my life young, and has been married for 18 years, the way HBY depicted their relationship was so real and relatable. It was so nice to read a story that was more than just falling in love the first time, but how you can fall in love all over again nearly 2 decades later. Working through more complex and difficult obstacles, but with the end goal always being each other.

It was beautiful and emotional and real.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

Out Of The Woods by @authorhannahby

Oh boy… I absolutely devoured and loved this book so so much. Caleb and Sarah 😭 These sweet babies had some very real struggles and watching them communicate and work through their issues while having a grand adventure was a delight. I criedddd reading about Sarah’s mom and I laughed at parts as well. It was emotional and so beautiful. This was a perfect follow up to OOAL and definitely cements Hannah as a favorite author. I’m about to go catch up and read her older books as well.

Add this to your tbr friends because it was absolutely perfect and you don’t want to miss it!

Thank you to @netgalley and @dellromance @randomhouse for the arc!
Pub date: 1/28/2025

Oh my God. Hannah always has me in my feelings but this was NEXT LEVEL.

Thank you so much to Dell/Random House for the ARC. These are my honest thoughts.

I adored Sarah and Caleb in my favorite book of 2023, Out on a Limb, so when Hannah Bonam-Young announced Out of the Woods, I felt feral. I literally could not wait.

And this book? It did not disappoint.

I love marriage in trouble books, and the concept of a marriage retreat in the woods with no cell phones or work distractions?? Perfection.

Sarah is struggling with her own identity, in such a way that I felt deep in my bones. She's pondering the question, "Who am I if I'm not who I've always been? What if I don't want to be that girl anymore?" Married to a helper/fixer, Sarah decides to do this drastic outdoorsy thing with Caleb to save their marriage.

And Caleb, my God, is perfection, too. He's so sweet and sensitive and smart. He loves Sarah with his whole heart and is so scared by her desire to change because he loves their life together.

There's miscommunication (as there is in marriage). There's banter. There's hurt feelings. There's so much love, it consumes you in this story. There's tension. There's thoughtfulness. There's growth. There's sadness and grief and heartbreak and hope.

It's just... it's everything. If you've ever been in a serious relationship, you'll relate to this story. If you've ever experienced grief, hope, uncertainty, longing for something different, you'll love this story.

And there's so much other goodness in the pages from Sarah's perspective. Flashbacks to childhood moments she didn't know would be so defining in her life. Meeting her soulmate so young. Someone she looked up to letting her down. Watching her mom slowly fade away. Win. So many moments with Win. And Bo + Gus, too (pls read Out on a Limb before you read this one). Caleb's thoughtfulness since the moment they met and him proving HOW MUCH he sees Sarah for exactly who he is.

Just swoon. All of it. 5 perfect stars. Out in January 2025!

I've been patiently waiting for the story of Caleb and Sarah. I was excited when I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Was it a five star book, no, but it's nothing against the author. I think I just hyped it in my head too much. Was it a good book, yes, it had all the feels. Happiness, sadness, and everything in-between. The found family aspect that we have become accustomed to was well shown. It was a treat to see a book where the main characters don't want kids. I enjoyed the journey each of the characters faced.

The premise of this book is not the norm for a romance, we are used to getting the characters together, this stRtys with them already together.

Out of the Woods was such a beautiful story! It made me cry but also smile at all the ways Sarah and Caleb showed they loved one another. I am not married, but this book taught me lessons on comminucation I can use in all my current and future relationships. This book quickly became one of my favorites and I can't wait to see what story comes next from the author ❤️

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book.

The author deals with grief so sensitively. You really feel empathy for the FMC. So many mixed emotions yet the story never drags you down. It's very much interspersed with laugh out loud moments, especially the hiking/camping scenes. I love that we got to see so much of Win and Bo from Out on a Limb! I couldn't really connect with Sarah and thought she was fairly immature, given her age, and I never got the feel that the marriage was in crisis considering their issues were so quickly resolved. I liked Caleb a lot, and not that it matters, but didn't get a "nerd" vibe from him at all, although supposedly that was his thing. Excellent epilogue, great side characters.

This is one of my highest anticipated books of 2025. Thank you so much to Hannah Bonam-Young and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this early. Out on a Limb is one of my favorite books of 2024, having one of the tropes that I do not enjoy. However, Out on a Limb changed my mind; full of empathy and love that I couldn't resist. Out of the Woods follow Caleb and Sarah, side characters from Out on a Limb with another trope that I usually do not enjoy, Marriage in Crisis.

I LOVED THIS BOOK!

Hannah Bonam-Young has such a fantastic talent for writing stories full of empathy. I loved Caleb and Sarah learning to grow together after being together for 15+ years. Sarah's growth in particular hit me in ways I was not expecting going through the backstory of grief. I was so touched by her inner dialogue and self-reflection. Caleb is so attentive and knows his priorities in life but goes through a journey of refocus with Sarah. Hannah is now an auto-buy author for me. I highly recommend reading Out on a Limb prior to Out of the Woods, but it is not required. TW for death of a parent and long term illness. Thank you again for this opportunity. I look forward to reading this again really soon.

- [ ] Hannah’s trademark care for the sensitive topics is seen right off the bat
- [ ] Sarah and Caleb’s outdoor skills are deeply relatable and LOL funny
- [ ] THE BANTER “I fell” “oh? I thought you were taking an oddly placed rest”
- [ ] Loveable cast of side characters - I NEED TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THEM AND THEIR LIVES
- [ ] as someone who met their person early, Sarah is such a deeply relatable character that will stay with me for a long time. Her struggles felt like mine and I can’t thank Hannah enough for her.
- [ ] I lost my grandfather to ALS 13 years ago and the representation of this disease means so much because of the awareness it will bring.

More in depth review to come on socials

This story was such a true depiction of how easy it can be to lose sight of appreciating and understanding your spouse as the years go by. No matter what age you find your person, you still have to grow and change and love each other through all stages of life. This book showed the reality of that in a really careful and beautiful way. I always enjoy this authors writing.

Thank you Dell and Netgalley for the arc!

I really enjoy that this author weaves fun story lines with difficult topics. The book was much heavier than its companion novel and darker than I expected based off of the information I reviewed beforehand. Although, I think it was refreshing to see a book that tackles the struggles that can come with long term relationships. And to see the journey of a couple learning how to communicate with each other, for the goal of maintaining the love they already have for each other. Overall, it was a very enjoyable and poignant read.

I absolutely loved this book! It was so great to learn more about Caleb and Sarah from the first book. I really enjoyed the development of their feelings and relationship- it felt real and genuine and can picture this as a real life scenario. The ending had me holding my breath and hoping for the best for our characters! The only downside of the book is that it’s over! Looking forward to more books from this author!

This is a marriage in crisis contemporary romance where the main characters go on a retreat to work in their marriage after being with each other for over 17 years. I enjoyed both characters, i think they were very nuanced and complex and i don’t think anyone did anything wrong. I don’t think the marriage was really in crisis i just think the fmc wanted to find who she was outside of the relationship. I truly do believe a conversation would have helped them alot. I think the fmc’s journey and grief was real and relatable i just think 2 different stories were being told in this and the romance took a backseat. The romance was cute and i felt both characters i just didn’t feel like they were stakes in the crisis they had. I did love watching them rediscover themselves and make an effort into moving forward. Theres not alot of steam but there is some woods sexy time. There are flashbacks in this and i don’t know if all of them were necessary for the romance tbh. Overall this is cute thank you Dell for the arc!

When you cry in the first chapter & the last, & admittedly, a few places in between— you know it’s a well-written story. Out of the Woods was certainly that.

I think, in a way, I struggled to instantly fall in love with this book because of the FMC Sarah’s flaws. How selfish to have the cutest husband & be so taken care of yet feel like your life is falling apart. But I think it was hard because of how much I resonated with her personally.

I think the premise of this book is unique & refreshing. Capturing what it’s like to be with someone for so long, so well. & for that? Five stars.

This book will have you hugging your loved ones even tighter, & dreaming up possibilities for your own future.

I knew I’d love Out of the Woods simply because it shares a title with my favorite Taylor Swift song 🌲🌳

It wasn’t marketed as such, and maybe I’m wrong, but the TS Easter eggs are plentiful AND delightful 🪩

So TS and HBY’s signature writing? SOLD ✅

We join Sarah and Caleb as they figure out their relationship during a 5 day couples’ therapy in the woods. They’ve been together since high school and yet now years later, they’re full grown adults and not the same people they were 10+ years ago (Oh hi Hannah, did you come to my house and peek inside my own relationship? Cuz this hit real hard).

Marriage in crisis but add in childhood friends to lovers and this was heartbreaking and beautiful. A great example of choosing to love one another even as you change and grow.

The Vibes:

—marriage in trouble

—camping! but this time with outdoor sex!

—nerd in the streets/freak in the sheets with his favorite brat

—good boy (a very good boy)

Heat Index: 7.5/10.

The Basics:

Together since they were fifteen and married since they were nineteen, Caleb and Sarah have hit a major rough patch—one she's not sure they can come back from. At a friend's suggestion, they embark on a camping retreat together. The question is: Can Sarah find her true identity while staying with someone who's loved her since she was a teenager?

The Review:

THIS IS WHY I LOVE MARRIAGE IN TROUBLE.

We met Sarah and Caleb as Win's stable couple friends in Out on a Limb (also highly recommend, though I may love this even more). They're perfect for each other—apparently. When we meet them here, about twoish years after the events of OoaL, they're at a crossroads. Caleb is successful and well-meaning; Sarah feels directionless and smothered. Basically, she's a housewife; and no amount of Caleb supporting her takes away from the fact that she feels like she's nothing individually.

What's clear from the start is that it's not that these two don't love each other. It's not even that they aren't into each other (I mean, they very much are, and the tension is HOT). But have they outgrown each other? Sarah wonders at the beginning of the book if it's realistic for two people who've been together since high school to make it forever. And... the prospect of them breaking up feels real. Because, while they're not always perfectly rational, they aren't super mean to each other, either. They just—especially Sarah—feel out of sync in a "this spells trouble" way.

BUT. While this is a deeply emotional novel, it's also a remarkably uplifting one, and quite fun. I mean, you're taking two indoor people, plunking them in the woods, and telling them they can't have sex (For Therapy) when they clearly want to devour each other. Again, the issue with the marriage is NOT a lack of physical chemistry. I also really enjoyed the supporting characters, all bopping around and having their own camping couples therapy fun times (this would make a good movie, me thinks).

Woven into the story are flashbacks that center on Caleb and Sarah: The Early Years, naturally, but also a defining part of Sarah's life... which is to say, the loss of her mother to ALS. Just want to give people a heads up—while the details aren't graphic, it's still sad to read. Sarah's relationship with her mother is so well-characterized (and such a great contrast to Caleb's aloof relationship with his living parents) and really put me in that mindset of like... Where would I be in Sarah's shoes? Probably more of a wreck, to be honest.

And I want to make it clear: This is a Romance. Capital R. But Bonam-Young, in this book and in OoaL, truly understands what makes the genre so good. It's not that every moment in the characters' lives is perfect or without conflict. They don't always make the best decisions. But the emotion, dude. The love. That comes through in such a true, tangible way.

The Sex:

SO GOOD. There isn't a ton of sex on the page (a couple of fully explicit scenes, plus some largely off the page flashback stuff) but what we get is well-written, full of detail and heat and passion, and such a great payoff.

Plus, the sex scenes in this novel truly feel unique to Caleb and Sarah and their relationship, which is not a guarantee in romance. We get a lot of brattiness and good boy. Caleb is a voyeur. I SO approve.

I also really liked how much casual intimacy, sexy and otherwise, is in this book. Caleb and Sarah really read as a long-term couple. There's a moment where she's deep in thought for several paragraphs, and then it's like, cut to Caleb lifting his head from between her legs like "You good?" This is why I love marriage in trouble (and second chance, for that matter). CASUAL. INTIMACY.

This is just a really good feel your feelings book, and I read it over the course of a couple sittings, basically. More of this in contemporary romance, please.

Thanks to Dell and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Shout out to Netgalley for this e-arc! I was HYPE for a new Bonam-Young book! All of their past books have been a HUGE hit for me! This outdoor centered book should have been a homerun for me, but I'm not a huge fan of second chance romance (which this is the main trope). Overall, still a smashing success and I'll absolutely keep coming back for more books written by this author!