This was so cute & the best representation of second chance romance!!!

I knew when I read Savor It & Ellis claim Wren was still a Byrd that this book would EATTT and that it did.

This book was the definition of when you know you know and how sometimes life can really bog you down (& your relationships) but you’ll always eventually find your way to your person. I loved how real it was too showing the work the characters put into their own mindset before they got back together, mostly Ellis!

I really loved that when Wren & Ellis get together, you really see that they were always meant to be. The yearning of this one too was top tier.

Tropes:
Second Chance
Small Town Romance
Forced Proximity
Childhood friends to lovers to divorcees to lovers (lol)

Loved this book, finished it about a week ago & am still thinking about it. Yet another Tarah DeWitt book I got for free but will probably spend money on to make sure it’s on my shelves 😩 while I really liked funny feelings & the co-op, the spunes series has an extra special place in my heart. Was obsessed with sage & fisher from Savor It, now I’m in love with wren & ellis 🥹 and ofc I’m not complaining that this was spicierrr than the others hehe (“Get it, baby,” lives rent free in my head now, I SWOONED 🥵)

other fave quotes:
Gray. Gray. Gray. Autumn in Spunes is nothing but wet and gray, and I love it. It’s like everything is brighter in contrast.

It’s more of that dangerous hope, as delicate as blown sugar. I want that. I want to feel cherished and wanted again, I want to feel that way for someone again. The realization makes me unsteady, like I’m being pulled in two directions.

“Hey,” I say. What an idiotic, pathetic word compared to the emotional anarchy in my head.

God, I would have died for this man, once. Now we’re reduced to single syllables and stilted silences.

I am so scared to fail to the point that it prevents me from acting, let alone taking a risk, or it makes me try to control everything that poses a potential risk around me. I’ve been living and loving in half-measures for years. Living my life in pencil, because I don’t think I can get shit right the first time. Maybe because I think it’ll save me some pain. So far, I’ve been wrong.

“This past Thanksgiving. He ate a piece of the chocolate bourbon pecan. I tried to make meaningful eye contact with you over it multiple times, but you were preoccupied with eye-boning your pirate lover.”

His voice is like having my back scratched.

I miss you, too sounds glib. You have been missing from me is more accurate. There’s a void where you lived in me.

“All I know is that if I found out heaven was real and got there first? I’d hang back in the waiting room and save you a seat.”

Hope is cruel in its persistence.

Hope is my Tell-Tale Heart, thumping away no matter how hard I try to silence her.

Bright and rainy, like Spunes itself was crying happy tears to watch our boy go.

I miss fighting with him. It was when we stopped fighting that everything went cold.

Because as desperate as I am to be near you, to be inside you, I’m terrified that having you this close again will also remind you of all the parts of me you wanted to leave.

“course I was hoping a little … mixing the batter might help you two work out a few things.” “Could have gone my whole life without hearing that euphemism.”

Make plans with me forever, I mean. Hitch your life to mine again and we’ll go places. We’ll share every plan, every heavy thing together, and all the good stuff, too.

“You robbed me of YOU! Don’t you see how not telling me how you really felt robbed me of you?!”

Everything we were to each other, to know that you wouldn’t trust me to care about what you wanted?

I’m grateful he’s as messy and out of control as I am for once.

For the million and one kisses we’ve shared, I’ve never felt like this. I want to be in him and for him to be in me. I want to be Ellis. I want him to be me. I want to be one single body and spirit, and I want him to feel what I feel for him like air in his own lungs.

“I’m begging you to fight with me, do anything with me. Just be with me.”

“That’s okay, baby. Be mad at me forever,” I say. But then she kisses me sweetly and it feels like forgiveness.

DNF @ 51%

This is my 3rd attempt at a Tarah Dewitt book and I can firmly say that her writing style/storytelling isn’t for me.

I love second chance romance but this was boring. Where’s the angst? It doesn’t make any sense to me why they aren’t together. They clearly just didn’t communicate properly. The setup for the story feels weak so I’m tapping out ✌🏻

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the arc.

after all, what is bravery if not hope in action?

4 ★

another escape to the wonder and comfort that is spunes could never be a bad thing. whether you choose to read left of forever with your eyeballs or with an audiobook, there is truly no wrong choice. tarah's ability to craft a story full of heart and soul and warmth will soar either way. ellis and wren's journey back to each other was intimacy and hard-fought, a rediscovery of the life they once dreamed of sharing.

additionally, tarah's knack for delivering intentional and impactive spice added such a necessary layer to this story. it is never smut for the sake of it, but rather worship of all the other is and what they could be together. all of those elements of a romance are on full display for wren and ellis as they navigate a second chance at their happy ending.

left of forever is a found family, second chance, small town romance wonder. all of the best components of those popular romance tropes are used to their fullest potential here. after falling in love so young, to witness the ways this pair learned to laugh together again was so special. having to relearn someone they never anticipated being separated from created both an ache and a healing for them. they fought for it and the future is theirs again.

this release has felt like a long time coming, but I am so pleased for tarah and readers alike that wren and ellis are finally out in the world, ready for their rightful home on bookshelves everywhere.

thanks to tarah dewitt for trusting me with a very early copy of ellis and wren's story and st. martin's press for access to an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I don’t know how Tarah DeWitt does it! An amazing second chance romance about a couple who fell in love young, entered parenthood as teenagers, and have be divorced for four years reconnecting on a road trip. Hilarious and heartwarming with smoking hot intimacy. Instant obsession with this small town! I absolutely love this family and can’t wait to read whatever comes next.

Y'all, be for real with that ice cream scene, come on.

I know readers worship at the altar of Tarah -- while this wasn't a big miss, it wasn't that 5-star forever favorite I had been expecting. Ellis and Wren had a baby in high school, married young, eventually divorced. Now they're reuniting to drop their son off at college, romance and hijinks ensue.

Big props for the "like Forks, Washington" line, up until then I had been pronouncing this town as spyoons.

Ellis and Wren 🧡

I binged this book in a day, I could not put it down. Everything about this book was absolute perfection. I absolutely LOOOOOVE second chance romance books and this may be my favorite of them all. It was beautifully done in a real and truthful way.

I will always love Ellis and Wren. They were real and raw and faced tough moments together. They have amazing chemistry, the best banter, lots of tension, and tons of character growth. They fight hard for eachother and I loved every second.

It was beautifully written and had me very emotional at times. I love feeling all the feelings. 🥹 Marriage isn’t always rainbows and butterflies, there can be many hardships and struggles that you face. Tarah did an amazing job handling the bad times in a real and raw way.

The audiobook is spectacular. Connor Crais and Megan Wicks did an AMAZING job bringing these characters and their story to life.

Absolutely the best second chance romance I’ve read. I thought I loved the first book Savor It, but knew when reading that I had to know Wren and Ellis’ story. I LOVE letter writing in books and while this wasn’t a full epistolary novel, the first part has letter writing which hooked me. I don’t want to give anything away so just go read this if you love yearning with some heartbreak, a lot of banter and funny moments, and an epic second chance romance!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillian Publishing for an ARC, in exchange for my honest review.


I ate this book up. ATE IT UP. Slurped it, all in one sitting. And I’m still thinking about it. About Wren and Ellis. About The Byrds.

Second chance romance is not usually a go-to for me, unless it’s done right. And this one right here? Tarah DeWitt did it right. Damn near perfection, if I do say so.

A book is written well to me, characters and their story fully developed, when I am so invested and immersed…laughing out loud, gasping, fanning my face, and crying openly…without really experiencing anything similar that the MCs are going through (or have gone through). That’s when I know it’s going to be a new favourite.

I adored this book. I adored Wren and Ellis, separately and together. I loved the side characters and desperately want to travel to Spunes, Oregon. There are so many things I want to say, to gush about, to swoon over…but I also really want you to experience everything yourself but going in blind, like I did. THEN we can chat about all the little things that make this book great.

‘…I’ll save you a seat’

“𝑰’𝒍𝒍 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒍𝒆𝒇𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓, 𝒊𝒏 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝒘𝒆 𝒈𝒆𝒕.”

ARC Book Review! I am so so so grateful for receiving an ARC of this absolute masterpiece.

When I think of Wren and Ellis, I truly think of home. I think of comfort, warmth, and safety. I think of all of the raw emotions that come with life and I think of how amazing and beautiful it is to have the family you’ve built be there for you even when you fight, scream, and cry.

This book is about a couple who in a sense had to grow up very quickly, yet from a very young age, they knew they wanted life together. They did it. Above all, they supported the family around them and they built one of their own as well. But even the strongest foundations crack sometimes and this book just takes you through their heart aching (in the best way) story of a man and a woman just trying and giving themselves another chance at forever.

I am truly obsessed with these characters, this town, and the Byrd family. I love how raw and angsty their fights and confessions became. I love how desperate Ellis was for Wren and how much Wren fought for whst she needed and allowed herself to also be taken care of. I love Micah and Silas making me sob until my kindle is blurry from tears and then immediately making me laugh. I love Sage and Fisher and Indy during their moments. I love Sam and want to give this boy the biggest hug in the whole wide world and wish I could be inside his head (This would definitely have me sobbing nonstop).

“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"

This book was so good! Everything about it made me emotional. This is why I love second-chance romance so much. Relationships are complicated, and I love getting to see characters work through their problems and grow together again.

Ellis and Wren love each other so much, you constantly feel their longing for one another, yet they don’t know the other is feeling that way, which creates such an emotional story.

I love how we slowly got to find out Wren and Ellis's past and where their relationship went wrong. The flashbacks and past stories were perfectly woven into the story to increase the emotional impact of the information. I loved Ellis so much; the change he endured to get to a place in his life where he could be the person Wren needed again was amazing. He yearned for her so much and was willing to do whatever to get her back.

Since you could feel Wren and Ellis's connection so strongly, you easily become invested in these characters and their love. Which made everything about this story better, it was cute, heartbreaking, hot, funny, and wholesome. It was everything and just made me so emotional.

These kinds of stories are my favourite and I couldn't recommend Left Of Forever enough!

♾️⭐️

🌿 Second Chance
🧡 Marriage Reconciliation
🌿 Divorced Couple
🧡 Childhood Sweethearts
🌿 Small Town
🧡 Road Trip
🌿 Forced Proximity
🧡 One Bed

Tarah just keeps getting better, this is hands down my favorite of hers yet. I am hopeful for more Byrds in the future though.🤞🏻

This book is so heart-meltingly swoony, I can’t even. I love these two so much it hurts.

5⭐️
3🔥

Quick Breakdown

Second Chance
Childhood Friends to Lovers
Marriage in Crisis
Yearning & Pining
Road Trip
Small Town
Dual POV
Open Door - Moderate

Wren & Ellis have been divorced for the past 5 years, but haven’t moved on. They’re soulmates who lost their way during a difficult time & lack of communication. But, with a little help from our pal therapy & determination, Ellis is ready to shoot his shot again. He & Wren decide to use their road trip to drop their son at college as an opportunity to deep dive into their past & what could still be there.

I keep trying to put into words why this book hit me so hard & I think it’s the HOPE. The hope & potential. That’s where the romance lies.

Marital problems are not special. They’re universal, & I think that’s what makes this book such a novelty. We celebrate the journey to finding a HEA but rarely talk about what comes next. Wren & Ellis WORKED 👏🏻 for it. Granted, it was on a five year delay but it is HARD to think clearly when you are bogged down with life & grieving what once was. Good communication is not intrinsic. You have to want to learn. It’s HARD to fight for your partner, when you’re barely keeping your head above water fighting for yourself.

I loved how Tarah handled the past / present aspects. It shows the self growth that needed to happen in order to accept the possibility of finding each other again - especially for Ellis. The epistolary / pen pal portion of the book tied everything together in the most romantic way.

PLEASE read this. Whether you’re in a committed relationship or ever think you might be, it’s simply beautiful. THIS will be the book I cycle back to when marriage gets hard & I need to find my hope & potential again.

5⭐️ Honestly, loved this book. Second chance romance, subtle humorous moments, past healing, and the yearning were all just so good. I was love it so much I finished via the audiobook. 5⭐️ Narration from Connor Crais and Megan Wicks they were a wonderful combo for Wren and Ellis.

Wren and Ellis are meant for each other but something went wrong leading to divorce. Both had to grow up fast and lost some of there fire. But the spark never really went away. When their son goes off to college, they both agree to take a road trip back from dropping him off. Ellis is hoping Wren still has some feelings for him. Wren is apprehensive but can’t help trying to heal. Will the past still haunt them or can they forgive and move on.

Thank you @netgalley @stmartinspress and @authortarahdewitt for the advanced reader copy.

I wanted so badly to adore this, but it was just a bit slow for me. I found myself not wanting to pick it back up. I loved all of the characters, and it really was sweet seeing Wren and Ellis come back together. I felt like it moved a bit quickly and that Wren and Ellis didn’t talk through everything they needed to before they got back together. I do really like these characters and the Byrd family, so I’ll probably read another book if this turns into a series.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.25 stars! Thank you to the publisher for making this Read Now on NetGalley.
This is the first book by Tarah DeWitt I've read. The writing style, story themes, and meddling family reminded me of Kate Clayborn and Chloe Liese books, so if you like those writers, I would check this out.

Since I haven't read the first book, I do think I missed out on some of the angst of Wren and Ellis being separated but I could still follow along with what was going on plot-wise, and I think picked up on hints for future books.
What didn't work for me was I wanted Wren to also be in therapy, and for them to go to therapy together.. Yes, she and Ellis are both taking accountability for why their marriage failed, but it felt more one-sided for me. He's going to therapy, he's pursuing her, he's planning the week-long trip so they can reconcile, What work is she doing to meet him in the middle? Their divorce is influenced by her inability to get pregnant again, and I wish that was more fleshed out is it impossible for Wren to ever have biological children again? They're in their early 30s, but it's never discussed if that's an absolute, and once reunited there's no talk of birth control, so that element wasn't resolved for me. And if it's one of the major reasons for their marriage failing, let's talk about it! Why isn't adoption a possibility?
I liked it but it wasn't a five-star read for me.

thank you to netgalley, tarah dewitt, & st. martin’s griffin for sending us this eARC:)

2 ⭐️ for me on this one. while i enjoyed the second chance romance and don’t read many books about a divorced couple, i just feel like i can’t rate it higher than maybe a 3 stars. this book was SO spicy and i had to skip a ton throughout which just wasn’t needed. also, it disappointed me that ellis and wren got divorced without ever having a good conversation. considering how much it talked about them having to grow up quickly and manage ellis’s siblings and sam, them not even having a conversation seemed crazy to me. there were definitely parts of this book that really touched me and im so glad they were able to finally open up to each other about things they loved and hated from before it just seemed unlikely it took so many years — my husband and i are doing this weekly.

SO glad there wasn’t a second act breakup and i thought ellis taking her on the trip to symbolize the european trip they never got to take was lovely🥹 really would love to take a trip to spunes!

Oh my gosh. Hello book hangover. This book has my entire heart. I wanted to hug it once I got to the last page of the book. I just knew only having read a few chapters that Left of Forever was going to be one of my favorite books of the year and I was right! The story of Ellis and Wren was truly beautiful. I cried so many times, relating to many of the fears they have as a couple and as individuals. The growth that they both showed after being divorced for five years was admirable. This is my fave Tarah book to date and I can't wait for all her future books. I can't recommend this book more and will be gifting it to my friends and telling everyone to read it asap. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy in exchange for my honest review.

My heart was ripped out of my chest, broken to pieces and then put back together again with this one. This was such a beautiful second chance and Tarah did a phenomenal job.
From the very moment Ellis yelled “She’s still a Byrd” in Savor It, I knew I needed their story. I could already sense the yearning he had for Wren and boy do we see it.

Since he was six years old, this man knew he belonged to her, in some capacity he was always hers. From a letter to a piece of paper on Wren’s table, he knew that he couldn’t give up on them and had to try no matter what. And what better way than a road trip. One road trip. A trip that will give them the space to talk and a second chance. One week to get it right.

Wren and Ellis spoke with each other about all the hard stuff: the mistakes and heavy truths that lead them to their divorce. There was so much vulnerability and raw emotion between them and gosh did it make me an emotional wreck. Their history, their love story just make you FEEL. Their trip though wasn’t just difficult conversations, there was also joy and learning to have fun with one another again.

I think it’s going to be a long while until I can get over this one. Ellis and Wren will forever live in my heart ❤️

Thank you so much to SMP for the eGalley in exchange for a honest review.

I am always hesitant to read marriage reconciliation or second chance romance paired with a divorced couple. I need the couple to really feel like they are clawing their way back to one another. I need them to show the openness and honesty that wasn't shown previously and likely collapsed the relationship in the beginning. I need to see them make the effort to move forward with abandon, choosing to truly forgive the past and look forward to their future together.

Tarah Dewitt does this to perfection in Left of Forever. I have been looking forward to Ellis and Wren since Savor It, desperate for their story. Their unresolved feelings were so evident in Savor It and I just knew their love story wasn’t over.

The way the story was written with perspectives of the past and sharing visions for the future gave a hopeful quality without negating the past. Their commitment to sharing both the negative and positive qualities about each other with open communication was refreshing and I loved that it was their rule before they could let go and be physical. Their spark and chemistry was ever present and blanket in the familiarity that made it feel special. There were so many nuances that brought Wren and Ellis’s love story full circle. I am so glad that, even with my hesitance to read this type of love story, I did it! It was so good and I definitely recommend it

"She's still a Byrd"-the best line in the book.

Read if you like:
Second Chance Romance
Road trip/Travel Romance
It’s Always Been You
Secret PenPals
Mutual Pining
Only One Bed

4.5/5 Stars