Out of the Woods (Out #2) by Hannah Bonam-Young
But Sarah has begun to wonder . . . who is she without her other half?
When she decides to take on a project of her own, a fundraising gala in memory of her late mother, Sarah wants nothing more than to prove to herself—and to everyone else—that she doesn’t need Caleb’s help to succeed. She’s still her mother’s daughter after all, independent and capable.
That is, until the event fails and Caleb uninvitedly steps in to save the day.
The rift that follows unearths a decade of grievances and doubts. Are they truly the same people they were when they got married at nineteen? Are they supposed to be?
In a desperate attempt to fix what they fear is breaking, Sarah and Caleb make the spontaneous decision to get out of their comfort zones and join a grueling hiking trip intended to guide couples through rough patches.
What follows is a life-affirming comedy of errors as two nature-averse people fight their way out of the woods in order to find their way back to their roots.
Review: This was a sweet story about a married couple reconnecting and affirming their relationship after a rocky period of distance. I thought the focus on a long-term marriage felt unique and relatable in a sea of romances that focus more on new relationships. While it's maybe not as exciting to have the story be about fixing something that already works rather than discovering an entirely new love, the author does such a great job of making a long-term relationship feel fun and interesting.
I love that this is a companion novel to Out on a Limb. Whereas that book focuses on Win's love story, this one focuses on her best friend Sarah, who married her high school boyfriend at a young age. While they have a great relationship, Sarah is feeling disconnected but also, and perhaps more importantly, still struggling to find her role and purpose in life beyond her marriage. While either book can be read as standalones, it was so nice to see characters from the first book in this one.
I thought this was a cute story, but I just did not enjoy it nearly as well as the first book! This is not so much a dig at this book but just to say I loved Out on a Limb so much it was hard to top! Caleb is wonderful - I love how devoted he is to Sarah, and how much he supports her both in grief but in her goals and interests, whatever they may be. And I do love the way he and Sarah love each other. But I am sorry to say that I found Sarah a bit grating. I love that she takes the time in this book to think about what she wants to do with her life, but why did it take her a decade of marriage to think about this? I understand she was dealing with the loss of her mother, but it still seems like a lot of years to just drift with no job, no calling, etc. I did love that she was a huge reader and the many references to all the books she reads.
The whole hiking through the forest to reconnect plotline was a good premise to force the couple to reconnect, but it did feel a bit far-fetched. I just don't know how sexy two dirty and exhausted people in a tent surrounded by other people would actually be.
Finally, this book, just like the author's other title that I have read, is very sexually explicit and also very sex positive. Both Sarah and Caleb seem very secure in their bodies and their sexualities and very comfortable expressing their needs and wants to each other and I am here for that.
Stars: 3.5
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