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A review by aromanticreadsromance
Out On a Limb by Hannah Bonam-Young
5.0
Holy wow. I don't know where to start with this review. This book blew me away. Rating this just five stars doesn't seem appropriate, because it puts all my past five-star reads to shame. This was already my most anticipated book of the year, and now I can confidently say it will be my favorite book of 2023 (and of all time?). Hannah's writing is effortlessly funny but in a socially conscious way. It's no secret that Hannah Bonam-Young wrote one of my favorite book boyfriends (Matt, from Next to You), but she somehow was able to top Matt by giving us Bo. Bo is just the sweetest cinnamon roll, gentle giant male main character, and I might have fallen in love with him faster than Win, the female main character. I wanted to stay in this book world forever, wrapped in it like a cozy weighted blanket. I will probably never shut up about this book, about these characters, about their relationship, like, ever. I want to force feed it down everyone's throats (in a loving way, of course, and actually not that forcefully because they all will eat it up willingly, recognizing it for the true masterpiece that it is). I will be comparing every other book I read to this one for the rest of time (and they will definitely all fall short). For this reason, please be advised that you will probably fall into a reading slump that will hurt so good after finishing this book.
Our two leads, Win and Bo, meet at a Halloween party where they are both dressed as pirates, Win with a hook covering her tiny right hand and Bo with a "peg leg" in place of his prosthetic. Their shared inside joke playing on their limb differences sparks an instant connection, both emotional and physical, and mutual longing to be seen and desired. They have a one night stand, resulting in an accidental pregnancy. What follows is a delicious slow burn romance filled with plenty of punny banter (seeing as they have similar senses of humor) and a deepening emotional bond. Their relationship is so, so special because they both understand what it's like to live in a world that was not built for them, for their success, for their comfort. They don't see each other as deficient or incomplete.
I promise you, even if you do not like the accidental/surprise pregnancy trope, you will still love this book. Because this book is not just the pregnancy trope; it is so much more. Yes, the pregnancy might have brought them back together, but the depth and intensity of their relationship extends beyond the pregnancy and even their shared experience of living with limb differences. Witnessing how the baby gives them both a renewed sense of purpose, direction, and belief was just phenomenally beautiful. It definitely made me shed a few tears.
It's rare for me to love ALL the characters in a book, but in this one, I truly did love ALL the characters, both lead and side. I loved both Win's and Bo's friends. Bo's dad. I especially loved Win and Bo. This doesn't mean they weren't flawed and didn't have their own issues and insecurities to work through. Win, who has always been fiercely independent, really learned to lean on Bo, and I loved seeing her mindset change, realizing that depending on someone else isn't weak but just innately, naturally human. We all need somebody (or multiple somebodies). Bo and Win's belief in and support of each other was incredible. Even though I do not have a limb difference, I found this book so healing.
I am so grateful to Hannah for a) writing this book and b) gifting me an advanced copy. I loved this book so much that I needed a physical copy for my shelves, which is on its way to my house as I type.
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JDFALOSDJFODM I CAN'T FLIPPING WAIT all my fav tropes and such a unique use of the accidental pregnancy trope I AM STOKED
Our two leads, Win and Bo, meet at a Halloween party where they are both dressed as pirates, Win with a hook covering her tiny right hand and Bo with a "peg leg" in place of his prosthetic. Their shared inside joke playing on their limb differences sparks an instant connection, both emotional and physical, and mutual longing to be seen and desired. They have a one night stand, resulting in an accidental pregnancy. What follows is a delicious slow burn romance filled with plenty of punny banter (seeing as they have similar senses of humor) and a deepening emotional bond. Their relationship is so, so special because they both understand what it's like to live in a world that was not built for them, for their success, for their comfort. They don't see each other as deficient or incomplete.
I promise you, even if you do not like the accidental/surprise pregnancy trope, you will still love this book. Because this book is not just the pregnancy trope; it is so much more. Yes, the pregnancy might have brought them back together, but the depth and intensity of their relationship extends beyond the pregnancy and even their shared experience of living with limb differences. Witnessing how the baby gives them both a renewed sense of purpose, direction, and belief was just phenomenally beautiful. It definitely made me shed a few tears.
It's rare for me to love ALL the characters in a book, but in this one, I truly did love ALL the characters, both lead and side. I loved both Win's and Bo's friends. Bo's dad. I especially loved Win and Bo. This doesn't mean they weren't flawed and didn't have their own issues and insecurities to work through. Win, who has always been fiercely independent, really learned to lean on Bo, and I loved seeing her mindset change, realizing that depending on someone else isn't weak but just innately, naturally human. We all need somebody (or multiple somebodies). Bo and Win's belief in and support of each other was incredible. Even though I do not have a limb difference, I found this book so healing.
I am so grateful to Hannah for a) writing this book and b) gifting me an advanced copy. I loved this book so much that I needed a physical copy for my shelves, which is on its way to my house as I type.
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JDFALOSDJFODM I CAN'T FLIPPING WAIT all my fav tropes and such a unique use of the accidental pregnancy trope I AM STOKED