Sometimes, you stumble upon a book that happens to be published in your country and language shortly afterwards. This was the case for me with Out on a Limb by Hannah Bonam-Young. From the moment I laid eyes on the blurb on several other book blogs, I knew it would be right up my alley and it went straight onto my TBR. However, despite seeing it on multiple occasions, I didn’t pick it up for months. The fact that it kind of fell under the radar here in the Netherlands didn’t help at all. But, it was on my TBR for October, so it finally was the right time to pick it up. Did this book meet my expectations?

About the book

Out on a Limb by Hannah Bonam-Young
Series: Out #1
Published by Dell on June 4, 22024
Pages: 391
ISBN: 9780593872147
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐,5

A hot one-night stand—and an unexpected pregnancy—leads a young woman to someone she can depend on, from the viral TikTok author of Next of Kin and Next to You.

Winnifred “Win” McNulty has always been wildly independent and not one to be coddled for her limb difference. Win has spent most of her life trying to prove that she can do it all on her own. With some minor adjustments, she’s done just fine.

Hooking up at a costume party with the incredibly charming Bo changes everything. Win finds herself pregnant—and decides to keep the baby. While Bo is surprisingly elated to step up to the plate, Win is unsure of whether she can handle this new challenge.

Together, Win and Bo decide to get to know one another as friends and nothing more while they embark on this parenting journey together. But, as they both should know by now, life rarely goes according to plan.

My review

As I’ve stated in the introductory paragraph, I expected this book to be right up my alley. I enjoy romance novels, but they have to contain depth and good character development. From what I’ve gathered from other reviews for this book, it has both. Moreover, the approach for this novel is atypical for a romance, as these stories mostly aren’t centered around pregnancies. These are often just mentioned on the side. My expectations therefore were pretty high. I was certain that this would be the emotional ride I was hoping for and that this book would prevent me from a reading slump. My expectations are partially met, because the slump came anyway.

Unlike many other romance novels, Bonam-Young has chosen to tell this story from just one point of view. We solely follow Win, but this doesn’t take away anything from the portrayal of both main characters Win and Bo. Even though the latter one only gets a voice through Win’s point of view, we get to know them equally as well. They both seem very confident end independent, and therefore come off as superficial at first. Gradually, we find out that their confidence is a facade, both carry their fair share of baggage which is still of influence years later. This creates insecurities, which provides deeper layers to these characters. Furthermore, it allows them to gorw. Neither Win nor Bo dares to fully open themselves to the other, afraid of being hurt. This feeling is stronger for one than for the other, but because the author allows space for these insecurities, they still manage to find common ground. These characters complement each other perfectly, making the chemistry palpable.

It’s not surprising that the plot of this novel is secondary to the characters. After all, it’s all about them and their development. This is connected to several themes the author explores. The most significant theme is pregnancy and the feelings it evokes. Win, in particular, seems very confident, but deep down, she carries scars from the past that make her insecure. She finds it difficult to face these, but by communicating clearly with Bo, they work through it together. Communication is therefore another key theme. Unlike many books within this genre, the communication between the characters is healthy. There are no miscommunications, which prevents the characters from pushing each other away. This creates a predictable yet beautiful relationship that shows that it doesn’t always have to be about attraction and repulsion, but rather about the characters accepting each other for who they are. All of this is wrapped in a smooth and accessible writing style, which unfortunately doesn’t stand out among other romances. Nevertheless, this book is captivating and easy to read.

Despite Out on a Limb by Hannah Bonam-Young being intriguing, it doesn’t really stick. I had an enjoyable reading experience, which I was desperately seeking for after a brick of a book I did not enjoy at all. The approach of this romance is quite uncommon, pregnancies usually don’t play a vital role in those storylines. Furthermore, the communication between the main characters is healthy, which is refreshing for a change. However, they don’t stand out and therefore stick. The same applies to the writing, it’s not standing out among other books within this genre. However, I still want to pick up other books by this author as I’m still curious for them.