Wren and Ellis were childhood friends, fell deeply in love too young, had a baby, and tried to build a life together—but things didn’t exactly go as planned. Now they’re in their 30s, living separate lives in the same small town, and definitely not over each other. When a last-minute road trip throws them back together, it might just be their shot at figuring it all out or finally letting each other go.

I’m a sucker for second chance romances, and Wren and Ellis’s story definitely didn’t disappoint—it completely stole my heart. It felt raw and authentic, capturing both the love they shared and the pain they went through. Wren is a strong, grounded character who knows her worth, and Ellis’s quiet determination to earn her trust again made him easy to root for. Their chemistry, the slow rebuilding of trust, and the emotional tension kept me invested from start to finish. A beautiful, well-written story about love, loss, and finding your way back to each other. The ending had me wiping away some happy tears for sure.

Thank you, NetGalley, and St. Martin's Press, for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first Tara DeWitt novel, and I LOVED IT. The writing flowed beautifully and whisked me into the world of these characters. The romance was top-notch with the perfect blend of yearning and spice. A 5/5 romance for me. I can't wait for this book to hit the shelves.

I seriously don’t know how Tarah DeWitt does it every time but I am here to stay. I absolutely love her stories. They’re a perfect blend of depth and emotion but light and ever hopeful. Second chance romance is one of my absolute favorite tropes and she absolutely knocked it out of the park with this one. Saving my re-read for a buddy read but cannot wait for my best friends to experience this journey of Wren and Ellis. Excited to see more for the Byrds!

This book was so good! It’s the perfect second chance book! Especially after seeing them in Savor It. I devoured this book in no time. I loved watching their broken relationship mend. And the pen pal letters were great!

I absolutely loved the plot and characters in Savor It, so I was beyond excited to see the side characters get their own story in this book! While I enjoyed it overall, I found the plot in this one to be a bit looser compared to Savor It. Specifically, the letters written to the couple felt a little confusing, and there were quite a few spontaneous spice scenes that didn’t fully make sense to me in the context of their story.

This book definitely had more spice compared to Savor It and The Co-Op, but I’m not sure all of it was necessary—especially during moments where the couple was trying to reconnect emotionally and rekindle. I didn’t quite feel the depth of their yearning for each other, which made their reconciliation feel less impactful. That said, I still really enjoyed all the characters, and the beginning had me completely hooked. I just wish there had been more emotional passion between the main couple so their resolution felt more satisfying. Adding the kiddo in the mix definitely added movement. Perhaps the age that I'm at, didn't quite connect as much.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martins for giving me the opportunity to read this. Thank you Tarah for creating such lovely romances. I will always support you!

This book? Absolutely gutted me, in that slow, aching, gorgeously written kind of way. Tarah DeWitt took second-chance romance and made it hurt so good. Wren and Ellis have been divorced for years, but they’ve never stopped orbiting each other. Co-parents. Former teenage soulmates. Still deeply, stupidly in love? Yeah, I was all in.

They get roped into a road trip together (because of course they do), and what follows is emotional tension so thick you could spread it on toast. There’s snark. There’s longing. There’s “I never stopped loving you but I don’t know how to say it without breaking again” energy, and I was eating it up. Every conversation, every lingering glance, every painful memory cracked my heart open a little more.

And the LETTERS?? Tarah, how dare you. Left of Forever is so intimate and raw and romantic without being flashy. It’s about love that’s weathered everything, loss, ego, time, and is still there, waiting to be chosen again.

If you love:
✨ Second-chance pining with teeth
✨ Divorcees who are clearly still obsessed
✨ Heartfelt letters and emotional gut-punches
✨ Forced proximity that makes you feral

Then Left of Forever is going to own you. Wren and Ellis are it. They always were. 💔

Thank you Tarah, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC!

My first book my this author but it won’t be my last. This was a deeply emotional book and I adored the two main characters. I don’t read much of second chance/single parent romances but this one worked. I took one star off for a few pacing issues but overall it was a cozy heartwarming story.

This book wrecked me in the best way. I’m already calling it—my favorite romance read of 2025. The writing was so beautiful. Wren and Ellis felt so real, and their slow-burn, second-chance romance was full of longing, heartache, and healing. I’m a sucker for a pining man, and Ellis absolutely delivered. The final few chapters had me sobbing (which honestly never happens!), and the spice? Perfection!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC! I’ll be thinking about this one for a long time!

I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press!

Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Writing: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Plot: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Characters: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Tropes, etc: Second Chance, Found Family, Secret Identity, Pen Pals
POV: Dual, 1st Person
3rd Act Breakup?: No
Song Association: Francesca by Hozier
Notable Quote: “If you won’t have me back anymore, then I’ll find you in the next life. You are the only thing that makes me believe in that. In something bigger than myself. The way I have felt about you has been the only thing that’s felt like . . . like it can’t be contained in one body or lifetime.”

Brief Summary: Wren and Ellis had a baby and got married young, all while practically raising Ellis’s siblings. So it’s no wonder their communication broke down, driving them to divorce. Five years post-divorce, Ellis is determined to win Wren back and show her that he can be the partner she needs.

Vibe Check: Heart-wrenching, sweet, angsty

FMC Is: Strong, guarded, witty
MMC Is: Rugged, romantic, determined
Chemistry: 🧪🧪🧪🧪🧪

While Reading I: Cried SO much, giggled and kicked my feet.

What Kept Me Hooked: Ellis and Wren’s undeniable chemistry, passion, and love for each other. Ellis’s determination to better himself and win Wren back.

Room For Improvement: None! This was perfect. Tarah always hits it out of the park.

Final Thoughts: From the first appearance of Wren and Ellis together in Savor It, I was HOOKED. I couldn’t stop thinking about them, about why things ended, about how she’s still a Byrd. Left of Forever was everything I hoped it would be and more.

I loved Savor It! So, I was excited to go back to Spunes, Oregon for Left of Forever! I love the Bryd family! They’ve stolen my heart.

Wren and Ellis were both really well developed characters! I could really feel their emotions and understand their motivations. I really loved them together. I struggled to understand why they separated in the first place, but I was glad they found each other again! I’m a sucker for second chances! I especially loved Ellis’ devotion to Wren. I loved how much he loved his family!

I definitely recommend reading this book, but recommend reading Savor it first! It can be read as a stand alone, but Fischer and Sage have my heart!

Read if you like:
❤️ Small Town Romance
❤️ Dual POV
❤️ Second Chances
❤️ Found Family
❤️ Letters & Journals
❤️ Roadtrips

Tarah's best work yet! All of her books find some way to worm into my heart and settle in, and this is one I'll be thinking about for a long time. I loved how relatable the storyline was, even though I've never been married---or divorced. I thought both Wren and Ellis were excellently developed with enough character growth and dynamic personality traits to keep them interesting. Tarah is such an amazing writer, her words flowing easily and wholly sucking you into the story in a way that makes it impossible not to devour.

Highly recommend!

5 Stars. All the Stars. All the love for this book!

I am an absolute sucker for the second chance marriage trope and this one was top tier. My favorite I’ve ever read so far.

I felt the love that Wren and Ellis had for each other down in my bones. If there was ever a couple meant to be together, it was these two. And the history that they had behind their story only added to its depth.

The longing, the yearning – I cannot get over how well this book exemplified these things.

I loved the peek into their pain, their grief, their trauma from the past that wove into their relationship. Loved seeing how they had to finally confront these things in order to move forward. I LOVED the “simple life” that they lived and loved. It was real. There was so much I could relate to and it made me want to go hug my own husband.

The cover and title are also 5 out of 5 for me. And when we get to the line that has the title in it??... **SQUEAL**

This is a book I definitely need a trophy copy of on my shelves and will 100% be a reread book for me.

Highly recommend.

My review is already up on Goodreads and will be posted in my Instagram page on Friday, April 18.

**Edited to say thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the advanced copy (I was in my feelings so much, I forgot to say that)!

Wren and Ellis are divorced. Ellis il still in love with his ex wife and want her back.
I loved the first half of the story, but the second half... I thought we were not deep into it some times, and we finally here it's happening in two day time which is very quick. But their story is one that happened to a lot of people and will resound to a lot couple.

Thank you NetGalley and St Martins Press for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

4.5 stars

Hoooooooooly shit. This book was a love letter to communication and I'm so here for it.

A lot of my complaints for romance reads in recent months/years has been communication. For awhile, miscommunication was a popular trope, but I think we've graduated to wanting to see some healthy communication and relationship navigation. And so this book just takes all of those complaints and sets them on fire.

Everything about this book was so heartwarming, deeply emotional, and oh so hopeful. Tarah DeWitt is fastly becoming a force of nature and is already an auto buy for me.

When their son is accepted to college, Wren and Ellis take a road trip to get their son to college and see if they can rebuild their relationship after five years of divorce. Albos are in their 30s, fell in love at a young age, and had their son at 17. They've now realized they never stopped thinking about each other and believe there's still a chance to love again.

I tried so hard to like this book that I ended up with a reading block. Honestly, I don't understand the whole dilemma; their behavior was like that of children. If you're going through a breakup or already went through years, you might enjoy this story, but I don't recommend it. The dialogue was very bland and meaningless, which made communication between them difficult.

Tropes:

Romance
Second Chance
Road trip
Small Town
Force Proximity


Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Left of Forever is my first foray into Tarah DeWitt’s writing, and I really enjoyed it.

I loved the setting and all of its details. This felt like such a rich story, and I’ll definitely go back to read the first book in this series.

There was so much emotion between the lines of these pages. Wren and Ellis burned for each other, and I felt the steam coming off them. I swooned as they rekindled their relationship, and my heart warmed as they healed.

I recommend this for readers who enjoy spicy, angsty romances with characters in their 30s.

What to expect:
💕 marriage in crisis / divorced couple
✨second chance romance
🧁 she owns a bakery
👨‍🚒 firefighter MMC
🚙 road trip
🏘️ small town
🥵 hot and spicy

My rating: 4.25⭐️

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC!

Infinity stars!!
I have loved all of Tarah's books, but this one is on another level for me. This is an all time favorite book that I will be rereading endlessly. Left of Forever is not just a romance book. It's full of found family, heartbreak, tender moments, self discovery, healing, and hope. I found myself relating so much to these characters. This is a soul book for me. Each page made me ache in the best way. By the end, it had completely unraveled me and left me raw. I could seriously go on and on about the masterpiece that this is.

Left of Forever is a second chance romance between Wren and Ellis Byrd. They fell in love as kids, had their son, and then life happened. They end up getting divorced. They're both trying to figure out life without each other. The painful yearning that I felt from them both had me crying several times.

Left of Forever has:
- Second chance romance
- Small town
- They write notes to each other
- Found family
- Firefighter MMC
- Baker FMC
- Road trip
- One tent
- top tier YEARNING

I will be shouting and crying about this one into eternity

★★★.5

i really enjoyed the storyline for this book, but i found it very slow in the beginning. i was also hoping for more out of the letters ellis & wren wrote to each other in the beginning of the book. also, the plot felt very rushed when it came to the road trip and reconciling.

overall i enjoyed this book and will reach for more books by this author.

thank you netgalley for the e-arc!

what to expect:
- second chance
- road trip
- childhood friends to lovers to divorced to lovers
- it’s always been you
- small town

When I saw the cover for Left of Forever, I knew I needed to find out more. I haven’t had a chance to read the previous book (Savor It) yet, but I had no issues jumping right into this one.

Left of Forever was an emotional and angsty second chance romance. It’s about love, family, and friendship, but also how love can grow, shift, and sometimes break. For me, the second chance romance trope hinges on the reason for the separation and this one nailed it. It’s so rarely just one thing that breaks a relationship. It’s the culmination of unsaid words, resentments, and ultimately deciding to not to keep choosing the other person. I’ll admit that some of the moments in the book hit especially close to home and I could 100% relate to both Ellis and Wren and understand how everything fell apart. I do wish there would have been an even bigger focus on them communicating honestly with each other instead of physically, but I understand that closeness is a language in itself. I loved how united the Byrd family was (especially in their meddling) and it was beautiful to see everything come full circle in the end.

I read half of the book via ebook and the other half via audiobook. Both narrators did a great job, but I loved Connor Crais’s performance so much, I almost went back to relisten to the first half. lol It was a fun treat to have the audiobook feature duet style text messages and letters too (ie: Connor Crais narrates letters/messages from Ellis while Megan Wicks narrates those from Wren). This was a really wonderful listening experience.

Audiobook Review
Overall 4.5 stars
Performance 5 stars
Story 4 stars

CW (from the author):
Ectopic pregnancy—occurs off page
Conversations referencing infertility in the past
Explicit language
Explicit sexual content
Death of an unknown character that occurs off page, caused by a fire

*I voluntarily read and listened to a review copy of this book*

LEFT OF FOREVER had me in an absolute chokehold. Tarah DeWitt crafts an emotionally rich story full of tender, lived-in moments that I found myself completely swept up in.

Wren and Ellis were clearly made for each other, and watching them navigate their history, their pain, and their undeniable chemistry was electric. These characters felt so layered and real, the yearning between them intense and beautifully drawn. I was screaming. Giggling. Full-on kicking my feet.

The interwoven past/present narratives, the internal monologues, the emotional depth…it all came together in such a moving, meaningful way. Tarah gave us real people with complicated hearts, and I ATE. IT. UP.

The yearning?? The emotional depth?? The laugh out loud moments?? Sexy mustached firefighter lifting her against a wall?? MA’AM.

Anywayyyy, I devoured this book in two days after being stuck in a brutal reading slump, so I would personally like to thank Tarah for tossing me a lifeline (and letting me scream in your DMs about how much I loved this)!

LEFT OF FOREVER is tender, steamy, funny, and emotional. If you crave depth with your romance, this one delivers.

🧡 FEELS LIKE: Slipping into your favorite oversized sweater: cozy and warm and perfect.

🧡 READ IF YOU LIKE: second chance, road trips, marriage is crisis, small town, found family, childhood friends to lovers