Out on a Limb

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. How do you feel about the surprise-baby trope in romance? Did it work for you in this book? Why or why not?

2. Have you had any experience with limb difference, or do you know someone who has experienced limb difference or limb loss? How realistically do you think Bonam-Young portrayed these elements in the novel?

3. Have you experienced a lifelong friendship like Win and Sarah’s? What are some of the benefits of having a friend as close as a sibling?

4. How did you react to the reveal that Bo experienced cancer and had his leg amputated?

5. Discuss the attitudes toward co-parenting that Win and Bo share. What values around parenting do they agree on that you find the most important?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. How well do you think the book addresses body positivity and acceptance of limb difference? Does the novel succeed in raising awareness about ableist attitudes and common perceptions about disabilities? 

2. What cultural perceptions of motherhood or pregnancy do you see Bonam-Young addressing in the book? Does it challenge any conventional expectations? If so, how?

3. How would you compare this romance to books that portray protagonists who experience other kinds of disabilities? You might consider The Kiss Quotient (2018) by Helen Hoang, which features a protagonist with autism; Archer’s Voice (2014) by Mia Sheridan, which has a protagonist who does not speak; or Get a Life, Chloe Brown (2019) by Talia Hibbert, whose heroine lives with fibromyalgia.

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. Discuss how the forced proximity of living together adds to the plot and conflict of the novel. Are there any romance genre conventions that Bonam-Young relies on throughout the novel?

2. Analyze the role that Bo’s and Win’s respective backstories and past heartbreaks play in the character arc of each protagonist. What are the different wounds that Bo and Win heal for each other?

3. What does the setting (e.g., the nearness of the lake and the hints at evolving seasons) add to the action, atmosphere, or imagery of the novel?

4. How do you see their respective parents playing a role in Win and Bo’s love affair? What do their parents offer as foils or role models?

5. Identify how Win and Bo represent and/or subvert conventional tropes about romantic heroes and heroines. What do you think Bonam-Young is saying through these subversions?