Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book was absolutely perfect. I’m still crying, I love Ellis and Wren and their story so, so much. I knew I needed it the second Ellis said “She’s still a Byrd” in Savor It, and I’m soooo happy we got it. Exceeded my highest expectations. I’m hoping we get books for the remaining Byrd brothers!!!

STUNNING. BRILLIANT. HEARTFELT. FUNNY.

Ughhh I knew by the 6th chapter that this was a 5 star read for me! And that it was going to make me emotional in the best way.

Here is what you need to know:

Wren and Ellis Byrd were once young and in love. Wren got pregnant with their son Sam in high school around the same time Ellis had to step up as the oldest in his family. They were a family through it all, but after dealing with pregnancy complications and other ways they pushed each other away they divorced. Once high school sweethearts now co-parents. But when the opportunity arises to see if there is still something between them will they be able to stoke the spark they once had? Or will it all go up in smoke?

If you are a romance reader that doesn’t mind spice this is one to put on your radar! I am a Tarah DeWitt fan and I will be trying to convince everyone to read her stuff now!!! 🥹

Tear tracker: I did tear up but did not outright cry, but my goodness this book is gorgeous.

About 4 open door scenes.

THANK YOU NetGalley, St. Martins Press, You had me at HEA for the eArc of this book! It has changed my reader DNA 🥹

4.5

Thank you netgalley for this ARC ebook. I loved this book so much. This trope of marriage in trouble/ love after divorce is my favourite trope ever. And Tarah Dewitt did it extremely well. Ellis and Ren are meant to be and they're relationship is great. One bed trope and road trip trope. Their son going off to university. Just perfect.

one of the greatest books ever written. i truly would not change a single thing about this book other then having myself written in HAHAHAH tarah is such a magnificent human and author and her heart and soul shows through these characters

Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for an advanced reader copy of Left of Forever by Tarah DeWitt. This book publishes on May 20, 2025.

I haven’t read anything by Tarah DeWitt before, but I’m a sucker for a second chance romance. This book did not disappoint. The love story between Wren and Ellis was beautiful. It does jump back and forth in time, and this muddied things a bit for me but overall it was an enjoyable read!

#netgalley #leftofforever #romancenovels #arc

I will never recover!! Seriously. I read a lot of romance but this is a truly unique standout. The pining, devastating heartbreak, and hope in this book is on its own level. This is a second chance romance and I am convinced it’s one of the best in existence! And… this time they’ll get it right 🥹🥹

Ellis and Wren Byrd have known each other since they were young kids. They’re always been drawn to each other and started dating as teenagers. They’ve grown up together; they’ve spent their whole lives together. Now, in their mid-30’s, they’ve been divorced for five years but can’t seem to get over each other. Ellis makes it his mission to win Wren back during a road trip. If he can win her back, they’ll have whatever is left of forever to be with each other again.

This book has allllll the feels! Plus it’s so funny (the ice cream scene omg iykyk!!).

The entirely of Chapter 37 had me bawling. Wren recounts all the versions of Ellis she’s fallen in love with, starting back when they were six years old. Earlier in the book, Ellis notes that every scar on Wren’s body is because of him, from when he convinced her to walk on top of the monkey bars when she was 10, to when she had a cesarean. Their connection and history is so deep. You, like the rest of their family, will be cheering them on.

This amount of quotes I highlighted is quite literally insane. This is one I’ll treasure and view as an all time favorite!!!!

🐦 “She’s still a Byrd.”
🐦 “I’ll save you a seat, Byrd.”
🐦 “All I know is that it doesn’t feel like we’re done with each other. Does it?”
🐦 “He sometimes called me Bird because my name was one. In a weird way, this always felt like a sign that we belonged together.”
🐦 “That man is the best sort of good. He’s the kind of good that doesn’t want to be seen or fussed over with accolades. He’s a man of action.”

Left of Forever by Tarah Dewitt
Romance
Pub day: 5/20/25
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

When I say I want a second chance romance read…THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT I WANT! I’ll admit, I’m not the biggest fan of second chance romance. It has to be done really well, and Tarah Dewitt NAILED it! Wren and Elliot’s story was so believable and realistic. It’s so sad reading about two people falling out of love, but then it’s beautiful reading them piece it back together. I also loved that though there was a little bit of miscommunication in there, it wasn’t too much, and it was handled very well. Wren and Ellis are soulmates and I thoroughly enjoyed reading them finding their way back to each other.

Thank you St Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review! All thoughts are my own.

I really thought I was not going to cry with this TD book but that ending got me real good. One of the types of books that you finish and immediately want to go back to the beginning. What a great second chance romance. It is as hot as the cover.

This is perfect for fans of Before I Let Go and Out of the Woods!

I read this book incredibly fast because I couldn’t wait to see Wren&Ellis come back to each other! Seeing them put in the work towards themselves and each other was inspiring. It showed us how even if there is immense love between two people, maintaining a good relationship is so much more than that. It highlighted how communication is truly the key to any relationship.

My main issue here is the writing and the flow of the story. The prologue starts us in the present timeline and then, we’re back a few months in the past before being back to present. This threw me off a bit as it broke the flow of the story in my opinion.

I do hope we get to see the story of every person of the Byrd clan, they’re all so lovable!!

Gripping, steamy, sexy, evoking emotion, charming, thrilling and hard to put down! Left of Forever had me falling in love with Tarah DeWitt's writing all over again! Tarah DeWitt first came on my radar when I read and loved, Savor It. If you have read that book, you may recognize some of the characters in this book! If you love second chance romances, this is the book for you! I adored both Wren and Ellis Byrd. They fell in love as teenagers, got pregnant, got married, then got divorced. Both are likeable and enjoyable characters who had me rooting for them the entire book. They are both relatable, likeable, vulnerable, and warm. They grew up together, grew apart, yet always longed for the other. Sigh.

I was instantly invested in this book from the very beginning. I loved the sense of community, friendship, and family. I also loved how readers get both Ellis and Wren's POV's. This was a very nice touch and plays out wonderfully in the audiobook! As I mentioned, I felt for both characters and the journey they both went on individually and together. Their journey is not just an emotional one, they go on a physical one after they drop their son, Sam off at college.

Several of the pluses for me in this book, besides the characters, are the emphasis on communication, being open and honest, being vulnerable, listening, and working on oneself. There is also talk of therapy and growth. There are also fun moments, great banter, longing, heartfelt moments, steam, and adventure. The supporting characters are awesome as well.

Wonderfully written, well thought out and perfectly paced. My biggest beef in romance books is rushed endings. Nothing felt rushed or dragged out in this book. Everything evolved at a steady and realistic pace.

I was lucky enough to have both the book and audiobook version of this book! The narrators of this book, Connor Crais and Megan Wicks, did an amazing job of bringing this book to life. If you have not read a book by Tarah DeWitt, what are you waiting for???? I have loved the two books that I have read by this author and will be reading more as soon as possible.

Charming, heartwarming, sexy, streamy, emotional and brimming with love. I highly recommend Left of Forever!

What a hidden gem Tarah Dewitt turned out to be for me! I read Savor It in preparation for reading Left of Forever which I loved -and that helped me get hyped to read THIS book (though I don't find that necessary to do- but you will want to read all of Tarah's books once you read one!).

Left of Forever is a wonderful romantic comedy that perfectly toes the line between light hearted and meaningful. Wren (FMC) was an incredibly rich character with depth, experience, and relatability. Ellis (MMC) was swoon worthy. I found their second chance romance to be unique and captivating. I loved the shorter length of this book- if felt like a little, easily digestible treat just for me! Spice was not cringeworthy or overly excessive which is also an enormous plus for me.

My only criticism of this book would be that I'm not sure the grounds for Wren and Ellis's divorce were entirely convincing- but I was able to suspend my disbelief for such a delightful story and setting, with such great characters.

I am still trying to put my thoughts together after the absolute whirl-wind (complimentary 🙂‍↕️) I was put through!! In the words of Bella Swan, after reading this book I truly know for certain - I am unconditionally and irrevocably in love with Wren and Ellis Byrd. 😭

These two!!! I loved them so freaking much!!! Wren and Ellis were just MEANT to be, but life got in the way. This story was real & raw & just so extraordinary. Reconnecting & putting the work in is not an easy task by any means & I love that Tarah did not make it seem so.

I also adored their family - everyone secretly rooting for them the entire time was so sweet 🥹

HUGE Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press & Tarah for my advanced copy 🫶🏻

Read this one if you love
🥐 Second-chance romance
🤍 Road trip vibes
✨ Firefighter mmc
⛺️ There’s only one tent
💌 Childhood friends to Lovers

I loved this second chance romance between Wren and Ellis, who were teenage parents & now in their early 30s have been divorced 5 years. In book 1 of this series, it was so clear that they weren't over and I was thrilled when this book was officially announced. It was exactly what I wanted it to be!

Their son has graduated high school & they're moving him down the coast to California for college, so Ellis asks Wren to travel back with him and turn it into a road trip to spend time together. Over the last years they've avoided each other as much as possible while still being civil for their kid & extended family, but then something happens that makes them both realize they're not over it. Even with Ellis putting everything on the table, Wren agrees reluctantly, saying she doesn't know if she thinks they have a chance again but maybe they'll at least be friends.

Then the trip happens, meddling happens, only one bed & only one tent happen. But most importantly, they're honest about everything (eventually) and talk through what bothered them, how they got to the point they did, what they want to do differently. The spice was spicing, there was humor (including a handful of genuine audible laughter moments) emotions, secret tattoos, and SO MUCH TENSION. There were so many moments I swooned or whatever the internal equivalent of squealing and kicking my feet is because the things this man thought and said about his woman at times were just so good.

We didn't spend a ton of time in their small town of Spunes, but we still got to experience a good cast of characters, mostly their extended family. To my knowledge, no more books have been announced, but I definitely caught some groundwork laid for at least two & I want a third. We shall see!

Well, I loved yet another second chance romance. Are we surprised? No! Also, the cover? GORGEOUS. And the way the title is worked into the story? Somehow didn't see it coming and it's beautiful.

We return to Spunes, Oregon, following Savor It. This time, we’re catching up with Ellis and Wren. Ellis and Wren fell in love in middle school and had their son at 17/18. When we catch up with them, it’s been 5 years since their divorce, and neither has been able to move on. When their son, Sam, decides to go to college in California, Ellis asks Wren to go on a road trip with him. 1 week, he does all the planning, separate rooms, and just getting to know each other again and celebrating the fact that they raised a good kid.

When they arrive at their first stop, someone has called ahead and cancelled their second room. They’re now forced to confront all of the issues that led to their divorce in the first place if they want to be able to move forward.

This book was filled with delicious tension. You could see the tension in Savor It, and it’s amped up even higher in this one. I normally prefer a new romance to a second chance, but I LOVED this one! Spunes is such a sweet place and I was so happy to be back!

4.5 stars! Tarah put something in this book (was it her heart, soul and talent? probably) because it is truly all-consuming and addicting. I found myself desperately trying to slow down and make this book last longer but was unable to stop myself from getting sucked in and ended up reading it in a day. Wren and Ellis are so carefully crafted and beautifully messy that this story feels like it could not be anyone else's. Tarah contextualizes their story in the present with flashbacks, conversations and journal entries (as opposed to dual POV, which her latest release, The Co-op, is) and it builds and builds as the road trip continues and they get closer to coming home. While the book spends a lot of time outside of Spunes, the secondary characters help keep the story moving in their own ways, and I enjoyed how much of Sage, Fisher, Sam, Indy, Silas and Micah we got to see. Devastating, tender, romantic, emotional, sexy, angsty, hopeful, funny and genuinely fantastic, this is a story I will be thinking about for a long time.

I love second chance romances—I know how heartfelt and heartbreaking they can be, but I still didn’t expect this book to hit me this hard!

The main characters have been divorced for five years. They’ve known each other since childhood and became teen parents. On top of that, Ellis was also taking care of his siblings, but despite everything, they had many happy years together before they slowly drifted apart. Now their son is heading off to college, and Ellis wants to win his ex-wife back.

This book felt so intimate and personal—it was like I was peeking into real people’s lives, uncovering secrets from a real couple, not fictional characters. I’m married, and so many moments hit close to home. Tarah portrayed marriage in such a raw and honest way—the struggles couples go through, how children and life’s hardships can completely reshape a relationship. I loved the words Wren’s mom said—they were kind of harsh, but incredibly real, because marriage is a lot of work:

"𝑰 𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒊𝒂𝒈𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒉𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒍𝒚 𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒗𝒆𝒏𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒂𝒕 𝒃𝒆𝒔𝒕, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒕’𝒔 𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒍𝒚𝒛𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒕 𝒊𝒕𝒔 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒔𝒕."

As for the characters—I loved them! Ellis is a dream man. The way he tried to change for Wren, how he made an effort to be vulnerable and honest with her—it touched my heart deeply. Don’t even get me started on the tattoo! I used to avoid heroes with mustaches, but Ellis changed my mind.

Wren is such a wonderful mom, and watching her try to find her own happiness after the divorce completely broke my heart.

I would love to read Micah’s, Silas’s, and especially Sam’s story—I’m so curious about his college journey!

I have so many highlighted quotes! This was a touching, deeply emotional story—one of the best second chance romances I’ve ever read. I especially recommend it to readers who have been married for years—you’ll see yourselves in so many of these moments and maybe even come away with a few realizations.

𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬:
✓second chance
✓divorced couple
✓friends to lovers
✓small town
✓road trip
✓firefighter

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press (St. Martin's Griffin) for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

What a beautiful book. I had never read anything by the author before, but this book has definitely become one of my favorites this year.

A second chance romance with a couple who were married. I never would have expected it but it's a trope that I loved and it tore my soul apart and put it back together again.

Really, this book was something I didn't know I needed. I'm still in a slump after reading it. Thank you so much for the opportunity to read it.

I was so excited to read Ellis and Wren’s story after the little snippets we see in Savor It. This book was emotional, beautiful, and the perfect second chance romance read! I think sometimes it’s hard to perfectly capture the history behind a couple when portraying a second chance romance, but this book does an excellent job showing the past and the present and taking the readers on a journey with the characters as they grow and fall back together. There’s just something about Tarah DeWitt’s writing that pulls me in every time. It was so nice to be back in Spunes!!

What can I say? Tarah is definitely an instant buy author for me and this story solidifies that. Left of Forever was such a beautiful read. I became obsessed with getting to the bottom of Wren and Ellis’ story in Savor it and Tarah DELIVERED. This may be my favorite second chance romance of all time. So tender and real. So much angst. I loved it. I was also given an ALC of the book and the narrators were so perfect. I absolutely NEED Micah and Silas books now 👀

Thank you so much NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC and ALC. I’m forever grateful.

Y'all. What a trip (literally). This was such a beautiful story of second chances (this trope has been on FIRE lately). Wren and Ellis 💔 I don't even know that I have all the words to describe the emotions this story stirred up for me. This was such a raw and real depiction of challenges faced in marriage. Definitely a top book for me this year.

“𝑴𝒚 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒕𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒆 𝒂𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒔, 𝒕𝒐𝒐, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒕 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒈𝒐 𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌."

I am apparently living in outer space and didn't realize this was in the same world as Savor It. I realized when they were talking about Silas and I was like WOAH.

childhood friends to lovers
second chance
marriage in crisis
road trip

Releasing May 20th

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for a copy in exchange for an honest review