This was a masterpiece! I I loved how this was a second chance romance, but they were divorced and were hopeful to get back together. I thought all of the fun things Ellis planned for Wren were cute, the secret letters were interesting and I felt like they had a real connection. I have read all of Tarah DeWitt's books and this was by far my favorite

I don’t usually love a second chance romance, but I love Tara DeWitt so I thought I’d give it a shot anyways and boy, oh boy, was I surprised by how much I loved it. This book has yearning! Forced proximity! A scenic roadtrip! I loved it so much.

Infinity stars!!!

"When I round the corner, Ellis's eyes find me first, because of course they do. They always have and probably always will."

The longing, the banter, the emotional rollercoaster. I love this book, perfection. I cried 3 times.

"Don't talk about her like that, " I seethe. "Don't act like she's some abstract thing or idea to me. She's my wife."

https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/151795336-ashley

Okay, I’m officially 𝗼𝗯𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗱 with this one. We’re back in the quirky little town of Spunes, and this time it’s friends to lovers. Wren and Ellis… my 💜 . They are that perfect couple you root for from page one, even when they’re being stubborn and messy. This story gave me everything: a road trip, forced proximity, second chances, and slow burn done so well. Tarah’s funny writing had me laughing in between all the swoons. If you love a romance that makes you laugh, ache, and believe in love all over again, this one is the one.
Spunes, Wren, Ellis, Sam - you have my whole heart. “We have whatever’s left or forever, you and me.” 💜💕♥️ A 5 ⭐️ experience for me. So so good!! Thank you to the publisher and author for this eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I thought this was a really intriguing premise and loved the start of the book. The angst and letter-writing was excellent. I loved the male main character as well. Unfortunately, I found the pacing a bit slow and the spice a bit uncomfortable. I think some more angst would've been amazing. I still recommend for a second chance romance lover :)

𝑶𝒏𝒆 𝒅𝒂𝒚, 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒘𝒆’𝒓𝒆 𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒐𝒍𝒅 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒚, 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒖𝒔 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒏 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒆𝒚𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒂 𝒅𝒂𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒘𝒐𝒏’𝒕, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒘𝒆’𝒍𝒍 𝒔𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒆 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒇𝒖𝒍𝒍 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏, 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒘𝒆 𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓. 𝑬𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒍𝒆𝒇𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒊𝒕, 𝒕𝒐𝒈𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 (If I did quarter ratings, I'd give this a 3.75)
Spice: 🔥🔥
Relationship: MW
Tropes/content: Second chance, divorced couple, forced proximity, road trip, small town, found family, childhood friends to lovers
Series: Spunes, OR #2

⚠️Check triggers⚠️

Wren and Ellis got pregnant when they were teenagers and married young. They thought they'd be together forever, but when they experienced loss, their relationship suffered, and they ended up divorced. Although they got divorced, they never left each other's lives as they co-parented their son, Sam, together. When Sam is accepted into college and wants to move in early, Wren and Ellis decide to take a road trip together and rekindle their romance. It's on the road trip that they confront their past and decide if they can give their relationship one more chance.

This book was one of my most anticipated reads of 2025. I absolutely loved Savor It (I cried listening to the audiobook), and I was dying for Wren and Ellis to get back together. Overall, this story was okay, but it wasn't my favorite.

I liked the premise of a divorced couple trying to rekindle things through a road trip. It was so clear that Wren and Ellis weren't happy being alone, but they also weren't in the space to be together until they both made changes. I was very into Ellis' commitment to growth and earning Wren's trust back.

While I think these two have good chemistry and are in love, I had a hard time connecting with them as a couple. There were times that I really felt the tension between them and how much they still loved one another. But there were other times when they felt like strangers, and they didn't connect much. That might have been the point, since they had been divorced for a while, but I still struggled with that aspect.

I also struggled with fully understanding why they got divorced. It was explained from both perspectives, but I do wish we had gotten some flashback scenes to really understand how they were feeling as their marriage struggled. It was heavily emphasized how right for each other they were, so I think we needed to better understand how their marriage deteriorated.

I really didn't care for the third act break up. For one, it wasn't that long, which is fine with me, if it serves a purpose to the story. This one did serve a purpose, but it could've been a bit longer or more high stakes. But my biggest issues with the third act break up was Wren. I really didn't like her in this moment. I got that she was upset when she found something (trying to keep it spoiler free), but I kind of agreed with Ellis that it wasn't great that she was testing him to see if he'd share his secret.

I will say that I want to try this book again on audio. That's how I fell in love with Savor It and I feel like I might enjoy it more on audio. I also read this during a tough reading month (I only really liked one of the books I read), so I wonder if I'll like it more when I'm having a good reading month.

I love a second chance romance but Tara DeWitt raised the bar! I appreciate the depth she not only gives her characters, but their history and that of the scene she sets. Of course, you can’t not love a small town setting and truly, give us a Tom Selleck moustache any day!

Oh my goodness! I read this book this summer and didn’t realize I hadn’t posted about it!
I had ALL THE FEELINGS reading about Wren and Ellis. These high school sweethearts got pregnant and married young… and then it all fell apart. Years later they’re moving their son, Sam, to college and Ellis realizes this might be his last chance to win his first love back, this time for forever.

The mutual pining and emotions displayed by Wren and Ellis had me rooting for them the whole time. The growth and maturity displayed by both was a huge theme throughout the book. This is one I definitely will (and have) suggest to friends!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Tarah DeWitt for the ARC in exchange for honest feedback!

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This second chance love story is so beautiful. I could not recommend this author or this book more. Everything is written with such feeling and heart. You can't help but root for Wren and Ellis.

I enjoyed this book so much! The story was focused on a second chance storyline with two people who used to be married. They do a road trip to take their son to college - and find love again along the way.

This book was honest, raw, and emotional. It was a beautiful depiction of loving even when it’s hard, and being someone who loves unconditionally. Heavy topics of infertility were also discussed.

Absolutely recommend if you are looking for a romance book that is sweet, funny, and emotional.

Left of Forever gave me everything I want in a romance book and more. This one is for the second chance romance girlies who love to see a beautifully written story, that will make you cry at times but leave your heart so full.

I can’t wait for everyone to obsess over this book like I have! Wren and Ellis Byrd forever!!! 🧡

“I’ll give you my body, my heart, and my soul. I’ll cherish every bit of yours in return. I’ll fight with you. I’ll fight for you. I’ll love you for everything left of forever, in every lifetime we get.”

I hate to say it but this one wasn't my favorite.

I am a huge fan of Tarah and have been reading her books from the very beginning when she had Danielle early review Rootbound.

Unfortunately, this book contained a lot of tropes that I'm not a huge fan of. And while I still loved Tarah's writing and her beautiful storytelling, I just couldn't connect with the characters.

The beginning sucked me in and I loved the letters, but I couldn't understand why these two were divorced. Their problems really seemed like they could have been easily resolved with a few discussions. That was the most frustrating part for me.

Tarah will always be an autobuy author and I will read everything she writes but this one just missed the mark for me.

I had to sit with this one for a moment before I wrote my review. Tarah must have been on something because the emotional damage this caused me. I think throughout the book, there’s an underlying fear - especially when you are so truly madly deeply in love with your spouse. The fear that this book is too real and it could happen. That’s why I cried. I pictured an alternate timeline where this was me and my husband and it was so unbearably devastating. Plus the way Tarah writes is so poetic. It’s filled with nuance and wit and a genuineness. I felt these characters and I felt their emotions. The way this book was. It was good and hard and some serious depth. And it made me hug my husband a bit tighter.

Rating: 4.75 ⭐️

This one was so heartwarming! It’s filled with heartbreak, laughter and a road trip. It’s spicy and heartfelt and is perfect for those who love second chance slow burn romances with emotional depth and humor.

This book was amazing. Great second chance love story. Loved all the moody twilight references. Ellis, the man you are. Can't wait to go to Spunes one last time for her last book. I also loved getting to see more of the characters from Savor it and The Co-op.

I love a second chance romance and this one BLEW ME AWAY!!!!! Wren and Ellis's re-connection was so heartfelt and I really empathized and was rooting for both of these characters. The journey that they went on (both literally and figuratively) was exciting to follow and I thought it was great how it ended.

I loved the use of flashbacks to tell this story. A really fun take on second chance romance! Every single one of Tara DeWitt’s stories are so original and differentiated from each other. It is a treat to read her work!

thank you to st martin’s press & netgalley for the e-ARC!

tarah dewitt laced this book with sm because the yearning?? the growth?? the romance?? WOW! i loved savor it and left of forever was even better so im terrified and excited for silas’ book next!

Left of Forever by Tarah DeWitt is a tender story with moments that shine, especially in the emotional depth of the characters and the heartfelt writing style. I appreciated the small-town setting and the way DeWitt explored themes of healing and connection. At times, the pacing felt uneven and I wished for a bit more spark between the leads, but overall it was an enjoyable read that romance fans will appreciate. Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read and review this book.

Tarah DeWitt’s Left of Forever is a poignant second-chance romance that delves into the complexities of love, loss, and personal growth. Following Wren and Ellis Byrd, a couple who divorced five years ago, the story unfolds as they embark on a road trip to reconnect and explore the possibility of rekindling their relationship. DeWitt masterfully portrays their emotional journey, capturing the rawness of their past and the hope for a shared future. The narrative is enriched with themes of healing, vulnerability, and the enduring bond between the characters. Left of Forever is a heartfelt exploration of rediscovery and the transformative power of love.