Out of the Woods

4 Stars

I became a dedicated fan when I read Bonam-Young’s Out on a Limb last year, and this quasi sequel featuring BFF Sarah and her devoted hubby Caleb was a no brainer!

This is less a marriage on the rocks and more about processing grief, emerging from the safety net of your partner, and trying to find your identity and self worth, all along forging ahead to tackle life’s challenges together. Sarah has been in survival mode for the last decade, still deeply affected by her mother’s untimely chronic illness that took her too quickly and too soon. However, she’s trying to make some headway towards having more purpose and is determined to prove she can accomplish that.

Ever by her side is her wonderful husband Caleb, who is the show more epitome of support, but when does that become a crutch? Sarah thinks it’s high time she does some deep diving into her psyche instead of just coasting through life. Thus, she enrolls herself and Caleb into a couples boot camp to see if they can figure out individual and relationship goals.

Don’t worry. This isn’t all serious drama, but know that it is a thoughtful, emotional look at Sarah and Caleb’s dynamic, seeing them in flashbacks on how they met and fell in love, and how they are wholly committed to each other despite these uncomfortable issues they’re facing.

Bonam-Young doesn’t fail the reader on the vulnerability and the authentic range of growth these two go through. This author knows how to bring the humor (though a bit less than its predecessor in my opinion), the sexy, and the feels. She also doesn’t fail in regards to Caleb who embodies the devoted hot nerd very very well.

Overall, an uplifting and valid love story, warts and all, and for really sensitively paying homage to the memory of a beloved one who is no longer around. These two soulmates just needed some fine tuning on themselves so they could be fully present for each other and just know that Bonam-Young delivers!

Thank you to the author and Dell via NetGalley for a copy to review honestly show less

Add another auto-buy author to the list!

The Plot:
Sarah and Caleb Linwood are high school sweethearts that got married really young. After a fundraising event doesn't go as expected, they get into a severe fight that could cost them their marriage.
Luckily there's a guided hiking tour that Sarah gets free tickets to and Caleb reluctantly agrees to go.
During their hiking tour, Caleb and Sarah face their fears and weaknesses head on and put it all out on the table in order to get through their rough patch.

My Thoughts:
Hannah Bonam-Young is a terrific author. I love her characters and their depths. She doesn't write stereotypes. Each character is fleshed out and has strengths and flaws that don't exist just to further the plot. I admire the show more vulnerability she exposes in the start of the book. This is roughly based off her high school sweetheart marriage and all the judgement she got from that.

Caleb and Sarah were adorable characters. I loved their dynamics and their honesty throughout the story. Caleb is a great husband and he is very good at voicing what he wants. Watching the two characters experience their least favorite activity (anything in the wild) and yet still facing them with joy, curiosity, and love for each other was so refreshing to read. They are probably one of my favorite book couples now. show less

*3.5 hearts rounded up*
I flew through this tender, heartfelt and messy as a marriage romance ought to be story!

Didn’t know it is part of a series but never felt as if the backstory was missing. Sure would have enjoyed it even more if read in sequence with being that invested in the characters. Need to get my hands on Win’s Out #1 to hold while I wait for the next?!

Such a refreshing take on romance from FMC pov of a decade old marriage in crisis where the childhood sweethearts “reignite” to find each other again and grow! Enjoyed the pleasant surprise at being so emotionally moved to tears and definitely fire 🌶️🌶️🌶️ didn’t hurt!

Thanking Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for gifting me this ARC through show more NetGalley for my honest review. show less

Thank you to PRH Audio for an advance copy of the audiobook.

I really like Victoria Connolly as a narrator and enjoyed her work very much.

I didn’t quite click with this as much as I thought I would. I got where she was coming from since she’s an adult who hasn’t really ever stood on her own and needed to. I saw her and was like excellent, what’s she going to do about it. She didn’t start with herself first before she took out all of her emotions onto him so he was blindsided. She had a few moments where she was playing into childish reactions because she knew he wouldn’t push her on things then. It felt manipulative at the beginning.

I did get on board once they got to the camp because it was messy and honest and that’s show more where the story started shining. show less

A very sweet story of long-term relationships, the pain required to grow together rather than apart, and the value of assessing and reassessing your needs and priorities and being intentional about meeting your own goals rather than just chasing the accomplishment train. Sarah and Caleb (whom we met as side characters in Out on a Limb) are complicated and lovely characters. their relationship to one another, to family, and to Win and Bo (the main characters in Out on a Limb) is interesting and feels authentic. I wasn't always rapt, but I enjoyed my time with these people.