chronicallybookish's Reviews (1.53k)

I lost count of the number of times this book made me tear up. There is something about marriage in crisis books that just absolutely destroy me in the best possible way.I was beyond excited to read this book from the moment it was announced, because I knew Hannah Bonam-Young would do the trope justice–and do it justice she did.

Out of the Woods is an exploration of love and marriage, of course, but also grief both as it occurs and its lasting impact. The story is told partially in flashbacks, giving some glimpses of the beginning of Sarah and Caleb’s relationship, but largely focusing on Sarah’s relationship with and loss of her mother in her teenage years. This loss is woven into the fabric of Sarah and Caleb’s love story, and as the story goes on, we see an unraveling of all of the ways this has affected their relationship and both of them as individuals. There was so much care given to the depictions of both grief and a struggling relationship. Sarah’s pain was visceral, and seeing her heal is a healing experience with the reader. There is so much heart in this book, it bleeds from the pages.

All of that said, there was something about the book that fell short of usurping Out on a Limb as my favorite of Hannah Bonam-Young’s works. Like all of Hannah’s books, it’s reaching to balance the humor and lightness of a romcom with these heavy, emotionally loaded topics. This one just doesn’t strike that balance quite as perfectly as Out on a Limb. I think it wasn’t sure where it settled, leaving moments where I didn’t quite know what I was supposed to expect or feel from the book. Don’t get me wrong, this was solidly a five star read, but I think having Out on a Limb as the first book in the series–which struck that balance with a precision I don’t think I have ever read before–left this one falling the slightest bit flat by comparison.

Out of the Woods has solidly cemented Hannah Bonam-Young as a favorite author, and I can’t wait to see where she goes from here. 

4.25 stars

Representation: autism, mixed connective tissue disorder, celiac disease

I love Chloe Liese. Every single book of hers is a blast, and Once Smitten, Twice Shy is no exception. The heart of this book is, as always, the chronic illness and disability representation. There is so much obvious thought and care put into the details of this story, and how Juliet’s connective tissue disorder affects every aspect of her day to day life. I could feel her pain–not only the physical pain, but all of the emotions that come alongside a new diagnosis and what it is like to suddenly become disabled. It was raw and real. Similarly, Will’s autism was portrayed in such a casual yet effective way. It’s simply a part of him that is woven into every aspect of his character, seamlessly. I especially love how these characters’ disabilities are woven into their love story, the way they love each other, and the care that they have for each other.

Chloe Liese is phenomenal at this.

While this was not my favorite of Chloe Liese’s books–the pacing was not quite there for me, and I didn’t connect quite as strongly with our characters on a personality level as I have with others from this author, I still highly recommend it. I am so excited to see what Chloe Liese does next, though I am a little sad to be saying goodbye to the Wilmot sisters trilogy!