Out of the Woods

Out of the Woods is a 2025 romance novel by Hannah Bonam-Young. It is the second in her Out series and a follow-up to 2024’s Out On A Limb, which features several of the same characters. The novel is Bonam-Young’s fifth, and several of her books have been USA Today bestsellers. Her novels explore the lives of a diverse cast of characters, and her next novel, People Watching, is slated for publication in September 2025. Out of the Woods takes a humorous tone while exploring serious themes, including The Power of Letting Go of Grief, The Tension Between Personal Growth and Marital Stability, and Creativity and Art as Key to Healing.

This guide is based on the Kindle e-book edition.

Content Warning: The source material and this guide feature depictions of cursing, sexual context, substance use, child death, death by suicide, illness, and death. 

Plot Summary

The novel opens with a flashback in which 14-year-old Sarah Green and her best friend, Win McNulty, discuss the arrival of a new boy at school. Win and Sarah live together with their mothers, who are both single parents and lifelong friends. The new boy, Caleb Linwood, is Sarah’s future husband. The narrative alternates between Sarah and Caleb’s young romance and their relationship in the present, when both characters are in their thirties.

In the present, Sarah, now married to Caleb for over a decade, is hosting a fundraiser for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) research. The event is in honor of her late mother Marcie, who died of the disease when Sarah was 19 years old. The event is only moderately financially successful, and Sarah feels as though she has betrayed her mother’s memory. She is quietly furious when she discovers that Caleb has made a large donation using their personal funds.

Sarah and Caleb argue after the event. She wanted the event to be successful because of her capabilities. Caleb resents her anger. Sarah demands that he tell her what she has accomplished with her life. When he does not answer, she breaks down in tears.

Weeks later, they are barely speaking, and Sarah openly ponders divorce. Win agrees that Caleb’s behavior at the fundraiser is discouraging, but insists Sarah not give up on her marriage. She suggests that Sarah and Caleb attend a wilderness retreat. The event, called Reignite, is a weeklong camping trip for couples with included counseling. Caleb reluctantly agrees to attend the retreat, responding to Sarah’s emotional urgency.

Sarah and Caleb arrive for the retreat in the pouring rain, both nervous about a week in the wilderness. Sarah’s feelings for Caleb remain strong, but she becomes irritated when he inadvertently suggests they are only on this trip because she demanded it. In flashback, Sarah remembers winning an essay contest and a meeting with her literary idol, Cecilia Floodgate.

At the retreat, Sarah and Caleb meet the other attendees and their retreat leaders, Helen and Yvonne. The couple introduces their granddaughter Libby, whom they are raising after her mother’s death. Sarah and Caleb commiserate about their anxiety and lack of experience while hiking. In a flashback, Sarah’s mother Marcie reveals her ALS diagnosis just before Sarah’s meeting with Cecilia Floodgate.

After a day in the woods, Sarah is completely exhausted. Caleb surprises her by presenting her with her e-reader and a solar charger. In a flashback, Caleb promises to connect Sarah’s mother to a prominent ALS doctor—the same one who appears at Sarah’s fundraiser in the present.

In the present, the retreat group splits into two, with everyone separated from their partners. Sarah confesses her entire history with Caleb to her group, embarrassed to reveal how young they were when they married. In a torrent of emotions, Sarah admits she resents being so reliant on him since Marcie’s death and that she has never found a career path.

In a flashback, Sarah meets with Cecilia Floodgate. The author is distracted and cruel, telling Sarah to find another career. Sarah is devastated and feels she has failed her mother. In the present, Sarah confesses to Helen that she has always resented that her romance with Caleb was so shaped by tragedy, but she admits that she cannot imagine choosing another partner. All the alternate futures she imagines simply involve meeting Caleb at a later stage in life. That night, Sarah and Caleb argue as he confesses that he is angry about her demands for change.

The next day, Sarah has counseling with Yvonne and admits that she has been struggling with her perfectionism and failure to find a path in life. Yvonne gently suggests that she has time to decide and tells her that Caleb may simply be afraid that she is moving forward without him. That night, Sarah and Caleb reconnect and commit to a future together. 

Over the remainder of the retreat, Sarah and Caleb discuss their career goals. Sarah decides to commit to writing, letting her memories of her mother’s support be more important than Cecilia’s censure. Sarah also bonds with Helen and Yvonne’s granddaughter Libby, who just lost her mother, sharing memories of her mother and advice about grief.

The retreat ends unexpectedly when Caleb is injured rescuing Libby from a creek. Sarah rushes to the hospital with him, fighting her memories of her mother’s illness. At the hospital, Sarah confronts Caleb’s father for ignoring his family. Caleb regains consciousness and declares that he is ready to downsize his role at his company and devote himself to Sarah’s dreams. In the Epilogue, 10 years later, Sarah is an accomplished novelist celebrating the opening night of her new play, a story honoring Marcie. She and Caleb remain committed and enthusiastic about the future.