The way I adored this story. This is by far and easily my favorite Tarah Dewitt book to date. Wren and Ellis have consumed me. An audio re-read later and I still cannot stop thinking about them. This is the true and absolute exemplification of soulmates. High school sweethearts, teen parents, recent divorcees finding their way back to falling in love with each other again. After finding themselves back in want with each other again, and realizing they never truly got over one another, they had to learn and decide whether or not a second go of it would be a smart decision. Their solution to figuring it out? A week long road trip/vacation to learn each other again. My entire heart. Every single thing about this book was so relatable, from Wren and Ellis individually, to their dynamic as a couple. We all get complacent and comfortable. Walking away is one of the hardest things to do, especially when you are still so in love with the person but you are hurting each other daily. These two had seen so many struggles and obstacles over their union at such a young age that they no longer fought for each other and it caused their demise, until fate brings them back to each other in the form of secret pen pal letters. I LOVED when the realization hit them both that they were still secretly pining for each other. I could go on and on and on about how much I loved this book and these characters, when plain and simply it was just an absolute homerun for me. Infinite stars.

The way I adored this story. This is by far and easily my favorite Tarah Dewitt book to date. Wren and Ellis have consumed me. An audio re-read later and I still cannot stop thinking about them. This is the true and absolute exemplification of soulmates. High school sweethearts, teen parents, recent divorcees finding their way back to falling in love with each other again. After finding themselves back in want with each other again, and realizing they never truly got over one another, they had to learn and decide whether or not a second go of it would be a smart decision. Their solution to figuring it out? A week long road trip/vacation to learn each other again. My entire heart. Every single thing about this book was so relatable, from Wren and Ellis individually, to their dynamic as a couple. We all get complacent and comfortable. Walking away is one of the hardest things to do, especially when you are still so in love with the person but you are hurting each other daily. These two had seen so many struggles and obstacles over their union at such a young age that they no longer fought for each other and it caused their demise, until fate brings them back to each other in the form of secret pen pal letters. I LOVED when the realization hit them both that they were still secretly pining for each other. I could go on and on and on about how much I loved this book and these characters, when plain and simply it was just an absolute homerun for me. Infinite stars.

Left of Forever

Really cute second chance romance between emotionally connected exes who still love each other. Mostly listened to the audiobook and really loved their journey! I also loved how real this felt -- the tangled past and emotions, the family's thought and meddling plus how they have both grown so much and fight for each other. I thought this was a beautiful story.

If you love:
✌️Second chance romance
🚙Forced proximity road trip
🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒Meddling family
💌Letters
🔥Slow burn
💞Emotional growth
❤️‍🔥Childhood friends to lovers to exes to lovers

Read this book

I am typically not a fan of the second chance romance trope, and so I was a little hesitant about this book before starting it. However, this was done so beautifully well. The obsession, the pining, the want, the love -- it all ran so deep, which i know would not have been possible without their history. I think this novel also teaches the importance of not losing yourself in a relationship or even in life, which I know is easier said than done. Wren and Ellis were only able to come back together once they had done some serious self-work to figure out on their own who they were in order to be together again. In this regard, I really appreciated that this story was a dual-POV because it made me appreciate their growth that much more.

The ending did feel a bit rushed, but I also understand the notion that when you know, you just know. Tarah DeWitt is quickly becoming a favorite and auto-read author for me due to her beautiful, deep, and heartfelt writing. Even with this book being a standalone, I reread Savor It right before this and it made it that much better. It was fun to see the overlap of characters between the two books and gave that much more depth to the stories. I look forward to hopefully getting to go back to Spunes again!

I loved this book with all my heart. To start off, Tarrah Dewitt did a phenomenal job wtitting Elis and Wren's story. This story explores heartache, the real definition pf a second chance romance and finding each other after life has set up so many roadblocks. Elis and Wren have one last chance and they are giving it all. This is one of my top reads this year.

This was such a great book! I love Wren and Ellis’ story! This was a great little cozy, feel good romance that I really enjoyed. My main critique would be that I wish some of the more “negative” moments had maybe last a little longer or gone a little deeper for more emotional impact, but I still don’t think that the story was lacking because of it. Super cute overall, can’t wait to explore more Tarah DeWitt!

A perfect swoony, slow-burn, second-chance story to kick-start summer 💞 Wren and Ellis broke my heart and stitched it right back up. The struggles of young love and marriage were expertly portrayed through flashbacks, and it was special to watch them reflect on their missteps through more mature eyes. I could really relate to their doubts and fears, but I was also uplifted by their hope resilience. The letter-writing component earlier in the book was a nice catalyst for their second chance, and I wish the full-circle moment where they come into play at the end was a bit more grand. But overall I thought this perfectly captured the complicated feels that come with reconciliation and rebuilding. The pacing was great, and Tarah kept the tension going from beginning to end ❤️‍🔥 The dual POV was perfect, and the happily-ever-after wedding scene made me a lil misty. Can't wait for the next time we get to go back to Spunes, OR (not to be confused with Forks, WA)!

—

“‘You don’t put burnt cake back in the over,’ I say aloud, an expression coined by my mom. All you can do is take away what you learned and begin again. Agonizing over its only wastes time and prolongs suffering.”

“What is bravery if not hope in action?”

This book had me laughing, smiling, and just overall kicking my feet. I love a good second-chance romance. Ellis and Wren were made for each other—their chemistry and banter were perfect. I love how they found their way back to one another. The way these two expressed themselves warmed my heart. The slow burn in this book was everything I needed. I’ll be recommending it always.

I absolutely loved this story and the romance of it all! Second chances romances are sometimes hard for me to get on board with but this one was done so well. Can't wait for more stories in Spunes!

I used to hate second chance romances, but after reading this specific story and Kennedy Ryan's second chance romance. I feel like there are some really beautiful stories about people who find themselves again. Not only was it nice to be back in Spunes, but it was nice to see everyone I loved from Savor It. TD did it again, and I highly recommend this one.

Listen, I cried my way through this masterpiece of a book. I have zero notes. I will never not recommend this to anyone who asks, and to anyone who doesn’t ask.

Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with a copy of this ebook for an honest review!

I loved Savor It by Tarah DeWitt, and as soon as I met Wren and Ellis, I knew I wanted more of their story. What I could never imagine is just how much their characters would come to mean to me. As someone who has experienced one of the more challenging seasons in my marriage in 2023, I needed this book. I needed reminders of why I fell in love and why I stay married.

Wren and Ellis are nowhere near perfect, but they are so full of real and raw emotions and connections. I laughed, I sobbed; I felt like these two could be my closest friends. This is a must-read and will likely be in my top 10 for 2023.

Second-chance romance has always been a favorite of mine, but this book just kicked that up a notch. I was a bit worried at first, and for the first 20% or so, it is a bit rocky. But the ending pays off big, and I hope Tarah takes us back to Spunes or again soon.

Second chance romance is one of my favorite tropes, and this is second chance romance done to absolute perfection.

From the very first chapter, I was tearing up and laughing—it was a full-on emotional rollercoaster. There’s so much yearning and angst in this story, but also these incredibly sweet, light-hearted moments that balance everything so beautifully. I don’t even know how to describe how much this book made me feel. It made me believe in soulmates. It made me believe that some loves are worth fighting for, worth finding your way back to—no matter what.

The connection between the main characters is so deep and heartfelt. Their lives have been tangled together for years, and you feel every bit of that shared history in their story. I loved how much they cared for each other, even through all the pain and distance. The pining, the tension, the tenderness—it’s all there. And yes, it’s also spicy in the best way.

This is one of those books that leaves you aching a little, but also incredibly full. I want to cry just thinking about it. Easily one of my favorite reads of the year.

Read If You Like
🥈Second Chance romances
🏘️ Small-town settings
♥️ First Loves
🏕️ Road Trips
🔥Stories that Rekindle Love
🐕 Golden Retriever MMCs

Left of Forever follows Wren and Ellis Byrd, childhood sweethearts who became teen parents and built a life together.

Now they are their 30s and divorced, but clearly neither has really moved on even though they both tried. Wren runs the local bakery while Ellis is a wildland firefighter. Their lives remain intertwined through co-parenting their teenage son, Sam. When Sam is about to leave for college, Ellis proposes a road trip back to Spunes, as a way to try to win Wren back.

As they journey along the California coastline, they confront unresolved emotions, remaining sizzling chemistry, past traumas, and the enduring bond that still connects them as Sam’s parents and two people who still love each other so deeply and tenderly but life got in the way.

Left of Forever is a beautiful exploration of second chances to get it right with the love of your life when life threw you a difficult hand. It truly explores the beauty is going through the ups and the downs of life together and the resilience we all can have in the face of adversity and how much lighter the emotional road is when you allow others to provide you with the support along the way and what happens when you don’t.

And omg the spice and sizzling chemistry between them 🥵

Thank you so much to SMP for my eARC and Macmillan for my ALC and finished audiobook copy!

"But, for as much as it deals in hardship, Life hands out those occasional chances, too. Sometimes second chances. And lasting love ultimately comes down to choice."

From the moment I read that quote in the little beginning author's note, I knew that I would love this book. I loved every message this book had to give about life, hope, love, and everything in between.

I'm a sucker for second chance romances, and Wren and Ellis took this to the next level; it was a perfectly imperfect, after-the-Happily-Ever-After story. Their story demonstrates how, in order to sustain and give/receive love, you need to grow and evolve change together - and it isn't always easy, but wanting to do it should be. There are so many complex emotions about this kind of love, about responsibility, compromises, regrets, etc., and Tarah Dewitt just did a perfect job at putting this into words and giving an amazing, healthy representation of what it means to choose love again and again.

As someone who didn't read Savor It before this (the first book in this interconnected series so far), I can assure you that this book 100% stands on its own, with fully fleshed out characters that are impossible not to fall in love with. They're real and honest, and I feel sad saying bye to them - but hopefully only for now!! I'm in it for the long haul now...

4 stars!! Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing this E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

They loved each other once…deeply, recklessly, in a way that shaped everything that came after. Time passed. Things changed. Life pulled them apart.

Wren and Ellis took different paths, but neither ever fully let go. When Ellis asks her to take a long drive home-just the two of them-it feels simple at first. Familiar. But somewhere between the quiet miles and the shared history, something begins to shift.

What starts as a road trip becomes something slower, softer. A quiet reckoning. Long drives. Shared silences.

They’ve both changed. They’ve both held on. Some ties don’t break. Some hearts don’t forget.

This isn’t the story of falling in love. It’s the story of Wren and Ellis finding their way back. Of piecing something broken into something stronger. Of building a love that’s deeper and steadier. Beautiful in every way.

I loved this book so much!!!! Tarah does it again with the perfect romance!!!! I loved this second chance and watching all the moments every step of the way!!! I wanted more and more and more as I kept reading and I never wanted it to end!!!

thank you to St. Martin's Griffin & NetGalley for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review!!!

this book was so beautiful, it’s getting my infinity star rating!! 

wren and ellis were childhood sweethearts who got pregnant as teenagers, married and now they’ve been divorced for five years and their son is going off to college. ellis realizes that he is still very much in love with his ex-wife and comes up with the bright idea of making a trip of their drive home from moving their son into college. wren agrees and they set out to see if they can make it work again with everybody at home cheering them on. 

i loved the second chance romance in this so much! the writing was beautiful! their were so many quotes that made me swoon! i loved watching wren and ellis reconnect. their love for each other was so real and vulnerable. i loved the conversations in this! the other characters and the scheming  they did to make sure that one bed trope happened was so funny! it was so sweet that everybody wanted both ellis and wren to work out and be happy. 

i highly, highly recommend this book!!

Tarah DeWitt, I'm in love with you. I wanted to inject this romance into my veins. I read this in one day while I was traveling, both in the airport and during a 10 hour flight, and reading this made the day go by so fast. I didn't want to put it down and do anything else because all I wanted was Ellis and Wren.

The TENSION and the yearning in this was so damn good. This is how a second chance romance is done because it felt very believable why these two got divorced, but the build up to them staying connected and never really losing sight of each other felt believable as well. I was dying for them to kiss, and honestly that is exactly the feeling I want while reading a romance.

This was so romantic and tender, and I already want to reread it. I loved every single thing about this!

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin’s Griffin and Tarah DeWitt for the free e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

This was such a beautiful second chance love story. Wren and Ellis loved one another even years after divorcing. This is my second book by this author and I honestly love her style of storytelling when it comes to romance.

The emotions I went through while reading this book, like can you just get it right this time! — I will definitely read more books by this author.