really beautiful heartfelt and feel good book that left me laughing and crying every page. Hannah has an amazing way of telling a story

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

Out of the Woods by Hannah Bonam-Young is a tender, second chance love story about what happens after happily ever after.

Sarah and Caleb, high school sweethearts and long time partners, always seemed like a sure thing. But after 17 years together, Sarah starts questioning who she is outside of their relationship. When a growing distance between them threatens everything they’ve built, the couple sign up for a wilderness retreat. Days of hiking, reflecting, and reconnecting in the middle of nowhere. Can they find their way out of the woods and back to each other?

I already knew Sarah and Caleb from Out on a Limb, but I wasn’t sure what to expect from their story. I really enjoyed it. Their journey felt honest and real, and I loved watching them falling even more in love and choosing each other again.

Hannah Bonam-Young’s writing is so easy to get in to. Her stories go beyond fluffy romance, there’s always real emotion and depth. And yes, it was so good to see Bo and Wyn again too!

If you love books about marriage, second chances, and fighting for your person, this one’s for you.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to netgalley for the advanced reader copy of this book. This was a great romance read. Loved the writing style.

Didn’t get a chance to read this early before it was archived, however as it after it was published and loved it so much! Was actually one of my highest rated books of that month and one of my highest rated books this year. Can’t wait to read People Watching!

Hannah Bonam-Young really knows how to grab your heart give it a good old shake and pop it back in. The emotions I feel in every book of hers is just incredible and you can really feel the connection between the characters off the page!

4.5 ⭐
Thank you to Hannah and her publishing team for helping me get this book as it just wasn’t showing as an option on my Netgalley. Hannah you’re the absolute sweetest!
I absolutely ate this book up.

Sarah and Caleb have been married since they were teenagers and as much as they are in love with each other, they have to learn to love and support each other in a new way now that they're grown and live different lives.

This book is written beautifully and around a subject that I feel as though you rarely see in books, a marriage in crisis. But you get to see them work through it and learn how to be themselves and to embrace what they want to do in life, not what they think they should do. And you also get to watch them learn to love each other in a new way.

But the scene. And if you've read the book, you know the scene I'm talking about with Caleb.
Hannah... you didn't need to hurt us like that.
I couldn't stop crying.

Caleb and Sarah have been together since High School and are now struggling slightly with a stagnant relationship. The story is all about them trying to fix everything that's broken by exploring everything that they still love about each other. It was a refreshing take on a love story, and one that many of us that have been married for a long time can relate to! My only minor criticism is that they repair a lot of problems in such a short period of time. I enjoyed this story though and now need to go back and read Out on a Limb.

I really liked this take on a romance! We usually get to see couples find each other & see their firsts, but with this one it was refreshing to watch a couple that’s been together for over a decade help themselves grow

I will continue to read everything that Hannah Bonam-Young writes. This was such a beautifully emotional read that had me tearing up multiple times. I loved how much focus there was on communication and making sure to focus on the importance of your feelings. It was refreshing to read a book about a couple with rich history who work on their relationship before it is too late with a feel focus on their love.

I seriously love Hannah Bonam-Young’s books—there’s just something about the way she writes that you don’t come across very often. That extra something is what makes her stories such a great experience every time.

Out of the Woods is no different. Going on the journey with Sarah and Caleb was such a fun, heartfelt ride. It felt like getting a glimpse of what happens after the happily ever after, with all the tough conversations and real growth they both go through. It was honest, emotional, and totally unique—definitely not your average romance.

Can’t recommend it enough. Read it now and thank me later.

Thank you for my earc of this book. I loved this story and often find friends to lovers, second chance, and love stories based on long-term, existing relationships so interesting and swoony. I love the history and the dynamics between a fully fleshed out relationship that has some wear and tear.
I loved reading about Sarah & Caleb and thought the dual timeline format worked really well for their relationship.
Overall, a really enjoyable romance.

Content warnings: death by complications to ALS (discussed quite frequently and a prominent plot point), abandonment by a parent, teenage pregnancy, money troubles, distant parents, sudden death of a parent, sex, pregnancy, medical detail (ICU), head injury, blood.

As someone who has been in a relationship since I was 16 (I’m now 32), this book hit me right in my soul!!!

“If you give me the space to grow, I’ll plant myself next to you. Always.” This quote made me absolutely sob.

The only plot point I found slightly odd was Caleb being hospitalised. It felt like it was only there for our female main character to have a reaction rather than it actually being ABOUT Caleb. It also felt a little OTT, the treatment he received for the injury/accident that actually occurred.

I will definitely read more from this author as I enjoyed it!

I absolutely loved Out of the Woods, it was a fantastic follow up to Out on a Limb

Hannah Bonam-Young had me choked up from the author’s note, so I knew I was going to be in a good ride and it didn’t disappoint 🙌

I loved the changes Sarah and Caleb went through, individually and as a couple. It’s not often you read romance books about a marriage in crisis, which gave it a point of difference and a freshness. I also felt like I could resonate a lot with Sarah, not just because we have the same name but because she was relatable as all hell - she was flawed, loving, thoughtful, strong and didn’t like that it felt as though others saw her as weak or in need of constant support and saving

I will be recommending it to my friends!

This was such a breath of fresh air. Truly a beautiful romance from a perspective that is not explored enough in the genre. I’m a big fan of the second chance trope, so I feel like this story of an established couple going through ups and downs is my next new favourite. Great writing and character development as always from this author.

My second Hannah Bonam-Young book and I really enjoyed this one! A lot of fun, cute moments and can't wait for her next

I was excited to get the ARC for this book but then felt like it was never top of my reading list. Something about a struggling marriage wasn’t the most appealing, especially during a difficult time personally, and so it took me a while to start reading but I’m so glad I did.

In the end, I did really enjoy the book but found it very emotional, I ended up blubbing in lots of places and in the final quarter, I was crying almost all the time. I think this was probably an overreaction based on my own personal circumstances, although Caleb and Sarah’s story is both beautiful and a little heartbreaking, before you even consider their circumstances following an incident on their hiking trip. A lot of my crying involved tears of happiness or in response to moments of sweetness, while some was quite cathartic – not everything was sad, or emotional!

What’s so nicely done here is the subtle touch that shows an incredibly realistic relationship. Caleb and Sarah have been together since they were teenagers, and that level of intimacy and knowledge of another person comes across so beautifully here, as does their real fear that they could lose each other due to poor communication, or a lack of understanding of each other’s needs.

For me, my favourite element of the book is something that is incredibly rare in a romance novel; that the couple are childfree by choice. It’s openly discussed and agreed upon by both, and it is something that has been checked in over the years of their marriage. It’s also something that doesn’t single them out as bad people - they love their niece and other children in the story, it’s really positive representation.

Was a 4.5 stars out of five for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bedford Square Publishers for the ARC, this is my honest opinion.

Not my fave of Hannahs books but I do love a lighthearted, easy romance read. There was so many feet kicking moments.

This romance novel is a tender and deeply emotional journey that captures the beauty of love, growth, and resilience. The author’s writing has grown, showcasing a refined balance of heartfelt storytelling and genuine emotion. The characters are richly developed, with remarkable depth that makes their struggles and triumphs feel incredibly real.

This is my first read by Hannah and it won’t be my last. This story was so raw, vulnerable and emotional. I feel like I have every emotion under the sun.

Sarah and Caleb were a joy to read. I had so much fun with their story. Having issues in their marriage they decide to go to a relationship hiking retreat in the woods. The entire group they joined on the hiking trip was hilarious. They helped them grow and learn so much about not only themselves but their relationship. You could tell Sarah and Caleb truly loved each other so much but as all relationships do they have some issues to work on. The reunion between them and finally working through the issues was just perfect.

Thank you so much to Hannah and NetGalley for allowing me to read this arc!

The first book in the Out series set the bar SO high, I was worried if I would love this one as much, but I was very very wrong to worry about that.

I absolutely adored Sarah and Caleb’s story with my whole heart. The exploration of grief, identity and the importance of communication, paired with the beautiful relationships between the main characters and the sisterhood between Sarah and Win, had me crying sooo many times.

I think the way that the characters open up their hearts to one another and push through their insecurities for the better of their future was such a wonderful sentiment and Hannah captured these moments so perfectly. I think we so often put aside our dreams for the sake of our loved ones, and the way the book turned out healed me in a million different ways.

I saw someone say this book broke their heart, then healed it again - and that is the perfect description of this work of art.

Also - Caleb🧎‍♀️🧎‍♀️🧎‍♀️the man you are.