Review: Out on a Limb - Hannah Bonam-Young

Review: Out on a Limb - Book #1 Out Series - Hannah Bonam-Young - July 2023

Okay, so here's the thing  I went into Out on a Limb already a little bit in love with Hannah Bonam-Young, because Out of the Woods absolutely wrecked me in the best possible way and cemented her as a firm favourite on my shelves. So the pressure was on. Did Book #1 in the series live up to that? Honestly? Yes and no, and I think that's perfectly okay.

Winnifred "Win" McNulty is the kind of character I wanted to be best friends with from the first page. Fiercely independent, a little stubborn, and absolutely not here for anyone's pity, Win has spent her whole life navigating the world on her own terms, limb difference and all. She's not looking for a hero, she's not looking for a relationship, and she is definitely not looking for a baby. And yet! One night with the outrageously charming Bo later, and here we are. Life, as always, has other plans.

What I loved most here was Win's arc around accepting help without it meaning she's lost her independence. That tension  between needing people and needing to prove you don't  felt really real and genuinely moving. Bo aka Robbie/Robert was also an absolute sweetheart. The friends-first slow burn while they're navigating an unplanned pregnancy? Warm, funny, and low-angst in that cosy Hannah Bonam-Young way I've come to adore.

That said, and I say this with love, it didn't quite hit me the way Out of the Woods did. That one had me in a chokehold. This one I enjoyed curled up on the couch on a rainy Tauranga afternoon, smiling to myself  but it didn't fully pull me under. There was something about the pacing in the middle that felt like it meandered just a little, and I wanted a bit more emotional complexity from the central conflict.

Still three Phantoms from me, and a warm recommendation if you want something heartfelt, inclusive, and genuinely lovely. Just maybe start with Book #2. 😅

Amazon: https://shorturl.at/xiC4I