Hannah Bonam-Young has quickly become one of my favorite authors. After getting up-to-date on her books in 2024, I was incredibly hyped for Out of the Woods.
The one thing of note before talking about Out of the Woods is that it's best to read Out on a Limb first before picking it up. While the two aren't part of a series, you're introduced to the characters featured in this book in there.
Maybe it was the adorable cover or the clear reference to Taylor Swift, but I knew I was going to love this book as soon as I picked it up. Honestly, there is something so utterly adorable about the cover, and wondering how everything related back to "Out of the Woods."
With that being said, I'd like to thank Dell for sending me an ARC so I was able to read and review this one.
Out of the Woods is a new level for Hannah Bonam-Young.
If you've read Out on a Limb, you'll remember Sarah and Caleb, the couple who hosted the Halloween party where Win and Bo met. This time, we're getting their story which was something I never imagined we'd see. The two seemed like the perfect match but Hannah Bonam-Young planned the seed and from there, I was hooked.
We're following Sarah and Caleb as she's struggling during a fundraiser for her mother. Things aren't going well and she just needs a break. To try to smooth things over, Caleb decides to come in and save the day. While it seems like the right thing to do at first, that becomes the breaking point for Sarah as she's tired of having Caleb come in and save her when she wants to try to figure things out herself.
From there, the crux of the story begins as Sarah and Caleb are both questioning if their marriage was a good idea and what to do next. Things change when the two agree to go on a couples retreat in the woods to help them. It's basically a way for the two to try to reignite their sparks and come back to each other.
At first, the two are hesitant but eventually agree. This is where the real work starts as the two have to face the ugly things they'd rather not share or even, think about. Frankly, seeing how much work these two put in to be together was so realistic. Most people would be ready to throw the towel in but seeing Caleb and Sarah fix what was broken was beautiful.
Ultimately, this is a marriage-in-trouble story but it didn't feel that way the whole time. The author adds flashbacks to their early relationship and gives us even more backstory into Sarah and Caleb's characters. As incredible as this story is, it's also heartbreaking as the flashbacks show us the decline of Sarah's mother and her eventual passing. If that's something you're sensitive to, I'd take extra care in picking this book up.
This was one of the books I finished at the end of 2024 and it ended up being one of my favorites of the year. If you're thinking about picking it up, then don't wait as this release from Hannah Bonam-Young will cement her space on your bookshelf.
Out of the Woods by Hannah Bonam-Young is out now where books are sold.