Thank you Tarah DeWitt and St. Martin’s Press for this e-arc of Left of Forever ❤️

From the “She’s still a Byrd.” moment in Savor It, I knew Ellis and Wren were going to be a new favorite couple for me, and this book solidified it for me 🥹

Left of Forever is beautiful and complicated, and it feels like a real romance! Ellis and Wren are both such good people that you can’t help but love them and want the best for them. And you believe in their story! Gosh, my heart was breaking walking through all the different parts of their past. It was so good and so emotional 😭

And this is one of THE best done second chance romances. The reason for the second chance makes SO much sense for these characters, and it blended so well into everything they had gone through. It truly just makes their decision to be together that much sweeter. We get to see Ellis and Wren grow so much in this story, and it was such a joy to read 🥹

This is definitely a book I recommend if you are looking for a romance that will make you feel all the things! ❤️

A sweet and spicy second chance romance that makes you want to believe that anything is possible!

Short Synopsis:
Wren and Ellis have been connected since childhood, and it was no surprise when they started dating as teens. What wasn’t expected was that they would get pregnant before they graduate high school, have a son, and get married in their early twenties. Fast forward to today, they’ve been divorced for five years and their son is about to graduate high school and go away to college. That’s when Ellis makes moving their son to college into a celebratory trip that just might bring the love of his life, Wren, back to him.

My thoughts:
I adored this mature relationship between Wren and Ellis! The story explored the deeper connections within a marriage and what a couple must do to help that marriage succeed, and I really enjoyed that aspect! I also enjoyed how the author brought some humor to the story, and the amazing family members that had little glimpses throughout.

Read this one if you like:
✨ Second chance romance
✨ Childhood friends to lovers
✨ Just one tent
✨ Forced proximity
✨ He pines for her

Thank you to St Martin’s Press and the author, Tarah Dewitt, for providing a NetGalley e-arc. All opinions are my own!

How do I become a Byrd? I want to be a Byrd, too. Someone make me a Byrd, please! 🥹🫠

I promise I’m trying to write a better review, but just like Ellis… “I can’t do that,” Ellis had said, frustrated. “I’m sorry. I won’t get the right words out, and I can’t put everything I feel into some paragraphs that way. I don’t know what to say.” 😭😭😭

Thank you, Tarah & NetGalley, for the eARC, in exchange for my honest review!

I received an ARC via netgalley. All opinions expressed are my own

This is the second book in a series. I was planning on reading the first book before I started this one, but time got away from me, and I didn't. This book can be read as a stand-alone, but I think it would be best to start with book one and continue on to this title.

This is a second chance romance. The first half of the book delves into their backstory, and the road trip portion starts around the 50% point.

It was a great read. I enjoyed the story and getting to know the characters. I look forward to spending more time in Spunes and with the Byrd family.

Thank you Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press & Macmillan Audio for the ebook & audio review copies.

This book is second chance romance excellence. Actually, it’s just excellence, period. Left of Forever is emotional, it’s gritty, it’s heart wrenching. There’s moments of humor that you find when your entire life has been intertwined with someone else. It’s full of honesty, vulnerability, hope, and two grown adults who have been to hell and back emotionally realizing that their love story had more pages left to write.

I felt particularly close to this story in many realms, not the least of which being the life transition that comes with their kid graduating high school and all the bittersweet emotions and memories that come with it. There’s also very real discussions about grief and losing family members, as well as infertility and the ways it wears down relationships, so if these are tough topics, be mindful when reading because while they’re well written, the discussions are raw and frank.

The audiobook was flawlessly performed by Connor Crais and Megan Wicks - two narrators who captured Wren and Ellis’s rollercoaster journey back together exceptionally.

I love Wren and Ellis. I love all the Spunes gang. I love the book playlist. I love everything about this. Left of Forever is out today - add it to your TBR, borrow from the library, pick it up at the bookstore.

Left of Forever wrecked me—in the best way. I went in expecting a beautifully written second-chance romance, but what I got was a soul-deep, emotionally layered story about love, loss, and the hard work of healing.

Wren and Ellis Byrd were once everything to each other—young love, teenage parents, passionate soulmates. But life broke them apart. Now, five years after their divorce, they’re navigating the tender, painful road back to each other. Their chemistry still sparks, but what really shines is the emotional growth and raw vulnerability they both bring to the page.

Tarah DeWitt doesn’t shy away from the messy parts of love. She dives in, giving us a romance that’s honest, heavy, and breathtaking. If you love second-chance stories that pack a punch and earn their HEA, Left of Forever is an absolute must-read.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

If you’re looking for a book to make you cry, this is the one to read!

This second-chance romance between childhood sweethearts, Wren and Ellis, is a tender and honest look at how Life is often what puts people and relationships in hard circumstances. A couple can be happy together, but Life will always have its say, and it is up to the couple to decide how much of a fight they will put into keeping a relationship going.

When we were first introduced to Wren and Ellis in Savor It, it was clear that the people who love them saw what the reader did- unfinished business between the two. In Left of Forever, Tarah DeWitt clearly shows how these two people have never stopped belonging to each other. Their second chance at love was tender and soft from the start because of that.

I truly hope we get more books in this world because I love the entire Byrd family!

I absolutely loved reading about Wren and Ellis’ story. When I heard we would be going back to Spunes, Oregon I was so excited and this book did not disappoint. The is the best kind of second chance story and I love how Tarah wrote it. It was heartbreaking and real. Thank you to Tarah Dewitt and Net Galley for the chance to read this one early.

*4.5

HE SAID HIS ENTIRE BEING WAS CHANGED BY HER!!!!!!!

This is the second chance romance of a lifetime!

When I say I want an angsty second chance romance that will leave me equally horny as emotional I'm directly pointing you to this book.

This had everything I could've wanted.

But they got divorced? SO?!?!?

Their love brought them back to each other and strengthened them both! For a love like that to exist is so incredibly rare. I don't know what kind of shit Tarah was on when writing this but she did so good!

I also love that they did not shy away from the hard conversations, for me, this made it clear that they both had changed so much from their divorce. They both knew that communicating about the good and bad was the only way for them to start over again. The sense of self-awareness that these to both have is actually insane!

I loved Wren so much, from the moment we met her in Savor it, I knew that this book would hit different including her POV and that it did.

If my future partner isn't like Elis, I'm throwing them out the window. That man got on his knees and begged her, he most certainly has game. My type of man, FOR SURE!

(For my fellow readers, I do have to add that there's this really random scene that includes ice cream. The thought process for this one was one that had me questioning what I was reading lol. It's not a BAD scene but it's one that made me cringe and therefore I could not give it a 5 star rating).

One thing I do have to note is the pacing at the end was a little strange. It felt like we were going at a steady pace through the first 70% and it suddenly picked up speed and was over. As a reader who enjoys to simmer in a book, I wasn't necessarily a fan of this choice but it wasn't one that impacted my overall experience.

Overall, I truly believe that this is Tarah's best book yet, I hope everyone enjoys this wonderful book!

Thank you YouHadMeAtHea for my #gifted ARC and thank you Macmillan Audio for my #gifted ALC of Left of Forever! #LeftofForever
#TarahDewitt #YouHadMeAtHEA #MacAudio2025

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: 𝐋𝐞𝐟𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: 𝐓𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐡 𝐃𝐞𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐭
𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬: 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐫 𝐂𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐌𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐧 𝐖𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐬
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐌𝐚𝐲 𝟐𝟎, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓

𝟓★

Left of Forever is the second book in the Spunes, OR series by Tarah DeWitt. I would recommend reading Savor It first to get the best experience (and because Savor It is another 5★ read). This book was pure perfection! I’ve loved everything I’ve read by Tarah DeWitt, but this is my favorite! This book will definitely be in my top romance reads of the year!

Wren and Ellis fell in love young and had their son Sam when they were teenagers. They grew up together and were made for one another. But eventually, they fell apart. Now in their 30s and divorced, Wren is running a bakery and Ellis is a firefighter and the two are living their separate lives. With Sam heading off to college, the two decide to help him move in together, and Ellis Convinces Wren to take an extended road trip back to Spunes to see if they can give their relationship one last chance.

🧡Second Chance Romance
🧡Marriage in Crisis
🧡Small Town
🧡Firefighter x Baker
🧡Road Trip
🧡Found Family
🧡Letter Writing
🧡Open Door

Connor Crais and Megan Wicks were perfect for Wren and Ellis! I loved everything about these two and how they brought their characters to life. No notes. Just perfection! If you enjoy audiobooks, you will love this one!

Posted on Goodreads on May 20, 2025: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/144922955?ref=nav_profile_l
**Posted on Instagram - Full Review- on or around May 20, 2025: http://www.instagram.com/nobookmark_noproblem
**Posted on Amazon on May 20, 2025
**-will post on designated date

First thank you to st martins press and NetGalley for an e-arc in exchange fir an honest review

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Synopsis: wren and Elias Byrd met young and had their son as teenagers. They fell out in the 30s but have a chance to reconcile after dropping their son off at college. Will a road trip back home reconcile their love or drive them further apart?

What I loved: second chance and road trip romances are some of my favorite tropes so I knew this was going to be a winner for me. Wren and Elias are both very sweet and mature beyond their years. The spice is very good as well. I really like how they communicated throughout the book allowing themselves to be vulnerable, honest and raw with each other. She shows the whole relationship as well in various formats which gives you that connection to really root for them. Finally she throws in some humor to make you love it even more. I read this as a stand-alone which was fine but do think it would be better reading savor it first

I have loved a lot of Tarah Dewitt’s books but this one I just couldn’t get into! I think I shouldn’t have tried to read a second chance romance when I have already read a lot of those this year. I know lots of people will love this and I’ll be willing to give more of her books a try. Just wasn’t for me!

Left of Forever by Tarah DeWitt cracked my heart wide open and then stitched it back together with golden thread. This book is quiet in its heartbreak, loud in its hope, and absolutely stunning in every way that matters.

It’s small town, soul-deep, second-chance romance with the kind of emotional intimacy that leaves you breathless. Grief and love dance together in these pages, and Tarah’s writing? Straight-up poetry.

If you’ve ever loved someone you couldn’t keep—or found your way back to the kind of love that changes you—you need this book. It’s tender, aching, and unforgettable.

There aren't enough words in the world to convey how much Tarah DeWitt's Left of Forever means to me. This book is the sweetest second-chance romance ever written and I devoured it, staying up way too late because I could not bear to tear my eyes away from the pages.

Wren and Ellis Byrd have been in love since they were kids. They became adults as teenagers when they had their son, Sam. They, in a way, fell out of love after so many years of belonging to each other. Now divorced, Wren and Ellis have to put aside their differences and emotions when Sam gets accepted to college in order to help him move down the coast to California. What starts as a slightly awkward road trip between Wren and Ellis turns into a drive down memory lane and a rekindling of one of the greatest love stories of all time.

I've rooted for Wren and Ellis ever since in Savor It when Ellis says "she's still a Byrd." I enjoyed the characters from Savor It and The Co-Op being weaved into the story as this book is also about what it means to be a family. Left of Forever invoked a wide range of emotions and I had happy tears in my eyes throughout many of the scenes. Tarah has a way with crafting stories full of raw emotions and making her characters wholly human. I also will never be able to look at a chili pepper in the same way as before (IYKYK). I loved the letter writing aspect in this book as I felt it allowed Ellis and Wren to really examine their history together and think about what they want for the future.

Thank you so much to St. Martin's Press for the e-ARC and thank you Tarah, for giving us Left of Forever. It's all I hoped for and more!

This book completely tugged at my heartstrings—in the best way. I laughed (like, actual belly laughs), I got emotional, and I couldn’t put it down. The structure—broken into different parts—added so much to the pacing and emotional depth. It felt intentional and made the whole reading experience more immersive.

I especially loved the male main character’s personal growth. Watching him evolve felt so real and satisfying. By the end, I was rooting for him like he was a close friend. And the intimacy between the characters? Wow. You could feel how well they knew and loved each other—it wasn’t just chemistry, it was connection.

This story had that rare mix of heart, humor, and depth that stays with you. I’ll absolutely be recommending it to my friends, and honestly? I kind of want to read it again already.

There is something about second chance love stories that tugs at my heartstrings. Maybe it’s their heartbreakingly hopeful nature, the joy of finding love again with the person your heart always belonged to in some capacity. Maybe it’s the beauty of looking at that person again and finding new things and changes to love about them, embracing those changes and realising that, no matter what, you’ll always have some love in your heart for them. The yearning, the stolen glances and lingering touches, the incessant need to be in each other’s presence again, revisiting the hurtful times and taking another chance at something that could be stronger, better, and more beautiful.

I’ve always found myself loving these kinds of romances, where people make mistakes but those mistakes don’t define their entire personality or relationship. Where the hurt doesn’t outweigh the power of love and hope. Where they still choose to reach out anyway. Where forgiveness isn’t just a word but a process—slow, messy, and deeply human. I love the idea that love doesn’t always end; it just pauses or gets lost in the chaos of life, only to return more certain, more intentional.

Left of Forever is one of the most beautiful, reflective, and quietly hopeful second chance romances I’ve ever read. It follows a divorced couple, Wren and Ellis, who fell apart years ago and are now just strangers and co-parents carrying the weight of what went wrong. But a series of mysterious letters and a trip to celebrate their son’s college admission push them back into each other’s orbit. They begin to revisit and own their mistakes, to acknowledge the things that broke them, realising there’s still so much left between them that feels like love—and maybe it’s time to take a second chance at their forever.

Tarah’s writing gave me all the fuzzy and romantic feelings. She writes love stories in such a real way, with emotional depth and tenderness that melted my heart. Her narrative is poetical at times, full of elegant language and metaphors. She leans into the complexity and vulnerability of people, capturing heartbreak, loss, hope, and love in such a profound way. This was my first book by her, but I absolutely fell in love with her writing. She made me laugh, cry, and giggle—evoking every emotion so viscerally.

Wren loves two things most in her life: baking and the Byrd family. She’s funny in a quirky way, thoughtful, kind, and fiercely loyal—always helping the Byrd siblings, making time for them, keeping them together. She’s always had a special connection with the whole Byrd family, who took her under their wing as the big sister they never had. Tarah addressed teenage pregnancy and loss through Wren’s character with care and respect. Her insecurities and vulnerabilities felt so raw and painful. I understood where she was coming from, how she had to grow into motherhood so fast, letting go of parts of herself, but never backing away from responsibility. Wren suffered many losses, carried guilt for not being enough, but embraced hardship with grace and fought for herself. She always loved Ellis—unconditionally, irrevocably—picking up his broken pieces to fit with her own. That kind of love lives through chaos and stays. I admired how she grew stronger, how she showed Ellis her fears and pain, but still gave him a chance to prove there was something left worth saving.

Ellis Byrd is the kind of man who would take on any role if it meant protecting those he loves. I’ve always loved men like him—those who show devotion through action. There’s so much internalised pain and silent suffering in him. The letters pushed him to make amends with Wren, to reflect, to seek closure. I loved seeing Ellis in his more playful, affectionate nature, how he opened up to show Wren he was willing to share his worries and his past with her. His determination to make Wren believe in the hopefulness of their love made me admire him even more. He promised only to pursue her when he was deserving of her love—and that was precious. His growth can’t be contained in a few hundred pages, but I loved watching him learn to share the load, to let himself breathe. As a father and brother, he did an exceptional job raising his siblings and son.

Wren and Ellis have been there for each other through everything—firsts, childhood memories, heartbreak. The reason for their divorce was heartbreaking but understandable. Life put them on different paths until a road trip brought them back together. I loved how the new setting removed outside noise, stripping them down to raw truths. Maybe a weeklong trip was fast, but it was enough. They had the necessary conversations, forgave past mistakes, and confronted the love and hurt they’d been holding on to. Watching them find a new rhythm, digging into their past and choosing each other again—it broke me and healed me. The yearning? It was everything. Every touch, every glance, every conversation was pure electricity.

I love them. Their friendship, their love, their care, and how they want to be better for one another. They’re incredible parents. They raised the Byrd family and their son with so much love I wanted to be adopted by them.

And the Byrd family! I hope we get more books about them. I adored the nosy, hilarious siblings. The tattoo scene? My heart burst—five birds for each family member, then their surprise tattoos on Ellis’s wedding day. It was everything.

The ending was perfect—full of laughter, love, and the joy of found-again forever.

I can’t recommend this book enough to anyone who loves raw, emotional, and passionate second chance romances.

DeWitt did it again! In this second chance romance, DeWitt creates such an amazing and cozy atmosphere that will make readers feel comforted from the first words. While the content could be heavy at times, there were sweet and funny moments that broke the tension and made the reader feel that there was nothing but love in the story. While I’m not a fan of second chance romance, I will say that DeWitt made it a special and enjoyable read that will make any reader happy to go along with the story.

Tarah DeWitt does not miss. This second chance romance is so heartwarming and beautiful. You will be giggling along with characters so well written the feel like friends. You will have to pause to wipe the tears from your eyes so you can keep reading. Your heart will break and be put back together. Also. The yearning.

left of forever by tarah dewitt
overall 3⭐️

pub day: 5/20

i really expected to love this book after the smashing success i thought savor it was. unfortunately this one missed the mark for me and did not quite live up to my lofty expectations. while it was an enjoyable read, i feel that the story was lacking some weight, some gravitas which would have made it more emotional and impactful.

this is a second chance romance for wren and ellis and i think the events that set them on their journey to reuniting were overly complicated. the opening felt quite slow and it prevented us from getting into the meat of the story which is the roadtrip. and the pacing continued to throw me off because the road trip itself seemed to fly by in the blink of an eye.

i think simplifying the plot would have allowed us to spend more time in the weeds of wren and ellis’ relationship - working through their problems and learning to trust and love each other again. because this is a second chance romance, this is where i was expecting and wanted to spend my time in the story, but unfortunately i think it all happened a little too quickly.

wren and ellis as characters i really enjoyed. their chemistry is undeniable and of course you can’t help but root for them throughout the whole book. i mean, i was already rooting for them in savor it and they were minor characters! their relationship with sam was also so sweet to witness 🥹 i imagine it will resonate with a lot of parents. and sage and fisher were just the icing on the cake 💖

overall, i think if you go into this expecting a more light hearted and oftentimes humorous story, then you’ll have a really great time! despite this one not being my favorite, i want to spend more time in spunes and i’ll definitely be picking up whatever comes next in this world!

Left of Forever is just the kind of romance I love to read. It's a second-chance romance, so of course I loved it (I am but a mere woman). But it also features one of my favourite tropes, a trope which isn't really a trope but that I'm calling one anyway: the "I have a crush" trope. It's not something I see a lot in the romance I read--at least done in the way I'm talking about here--but that I've always wanted to read more of: people with crushes! The characters of Left of Forever, Wren and Ellis, are divorced and have been for years. At the start of the novel, though, they start spending more time with each other, and so emerge the aforementioned crushes. I love the fact that Wren is so smitten with Ellis and vice versa. The more time she spends with Ellis the more she's like "I can't believe I have a crush on my ex-husband", but that's exactly the point! I love the...Jane Austen of it all. How little moments acquire this outsized significance because you like a person: a quick glance, hands brushing, a compliment that makes a character blush. That giddiness of liking someone and wanting to be near them all the time. When an author can convey that as effectively as DeWitt does here, it's like catnip to me. And the fact that these characters can have these feelings and, at the same time, have yearsss of history together (plus a son) is a testament to how well this novel manages to write their relationship, balancing the old with the new, the history and all its baggage with the burgeoning dynamic and its promise of something different.

All this is to say, fundamentally, I love romances that unfurl slowly and have time and space to breathe, and this is exactly that. Wren and Ellis are characters that have a lot of history, and so they need to tread carefully, to learn how to be with each other again, how to rebuild that trust and care between them again. The question is, How do you get to know someone you already know so well? And I think this novel works so well because it speaks to how even years-old relationships can feel new, full of potential. It's why the "I have a crush on my husband" of it all works, after all.