I didn’t realize this was connected to the Savor It world—what a fun surprise to be back in Spunes! The small-town setting and the fact that he’s a firefighter gave me total Virgin River vibes in the best way. (Now I need more firefighter romance recs ASAP!) This second-chance romance was super romantic without being overly heavy or emotional, and the road trip element so fun. The audiobook narrators were great!

Thank you to NetGalley, St.Martins Press, and Macmillan for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

♾️⭐️

This is one of those books that literally alters the course of your life and buries itself into every part of your soul. I know I will never be able to put into words how much I adore this book and how much these characters mean to me, but I will say I feel like the person I was before reading this book and the person I am now are two very different people. I’m not divorced and I don’t have children, but this book still resonated with so many parts of me and that is the biggest testament to Tarah’s writing. This story was so much more than words on paper. The type of love that Wren and Ellis have is the kind that I truly believe makes life worth living. To be loved is to be known and to be known is to be changed, and that is exactly what these two characters did for eachother-through the good and the bad. This is a book I know I'll be rereading for the rest of my life, so thank you, Tarah, for giving us this story and for sharing your words with the world. Please don't ever stop.

Five stars! This book just tugged on all my heartstrings. This was a second chance romance story (with a little forced proximity) of Wren and Ellis, who have been divorced for five years. What I loved most about this book was the way they both grew from where they previously were right after the divorce. I especially loved the rest of the Byrd family! I hope that the other Byrd brothers get their own book!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

The snippets of Wren and Ellis in Savor It made me yearn for their story… and no one does yearning quite like Ellis 🔥🔥🔥

This was a beautiful, complicated, messy, sexy, second chance romance!! There was so much vulnerability and honest communication that showed the good and the hard parts of long term relationships!

Left of Forever by Tarah DeWitt is a heartfelt second-chance romance about Wren and Ellis, high school sweethearts who reconnect years after divorce. Set during a road trip along the California coast, the story mixes nostalgia, emotional depth, and hope. With honest characters and a touching journey of growth and healing, it’s a great pick for fans of love stories that feel real and raw.

Absolutely breathtaking, stunning, raw, beautiful, and so real! Maybe one of the absolute best second chance romances I’ve ever read! Absolutely a top contender for favorite book of the year!!!

Nothing like watching two people who were meant to be together and were even married in the past find their way back to one another. Wren and Ellis were young when Wren became pregnant with Sam and Ellis was the oldest Byrd sibling shouldering all the responsibilities for the younger kids and a job.

Wren and Ellis are fantastic people individually and neither one was more at fault than the other for the collapse of their marriage. While they do avoid interaction, they are cordial and truly want the best for each other. Now that Sam is leaving for college, they have the job as parents to send him off to school, together, road trip style.

This book is a reminder that marriage is hard, and relationships need to be constantly watered and fed like a plant under sunlight or they shrivel up. Communication is important and because Wren and Ellis decided to keep things to themselves, the divide only grew. The road trip is a little bit like starting over from scratch and all the reminders why they fell for each other in the past and now again in the present. This slow burn between a couple who have already been through it all was quite the process to behold at their older and wiser age. I really loved how the entire Byrd family rallied behind the reunion and how Wren and Ellis took their time becoming reacquainted with the road trip as a clever template for dating.

6⭐️ HIGHLY reccomend this series. But also HIGHLY do not reccomend listening to this at work unless you’re okay with absolutely blushing & getting jump scared because your boss walks up to you as your in the zone keying away while you’ve got ✨stuff✨ happening in your ears. I also recommend preparing yourself to BAWL several times.

If I had a nickel for every childhood friends to lovers second chance small town romance that I INHALED in a single day this week, I’d have two nickels… you know how the rest of the saying goes. This trope SLAPS (cringe I know). But I absolutely ADORED this book.

It had all the feels. All the pent up emotions. Beautiful family dynamic. Literally everything you want in a small town romance.

Ugh I ate this up & cannot wait to read more of Tarah’s work. She has TALENT. I was not aware of her game, but now she is quickly rising to the top of my favorite authors!

Omg this was so swoony and romantic! I just love Wren and Ellis so much and I was rooting for their happy ending. I felt that Tarah DeWitt really captured the perfect balance between the past and the present in this second chance romance. I don't always love this trope, but when it's done well it's one of the best and she killed it! I could feel how much Ellis and Wren cared for each other from the beginning and I loved the road trip set up. It's like all my favorite tropes wrapped up in the perfect writing voice.
My only thing is that I don't feel like they truly worked out their issues by the end - I wanted a bit more from them considered how deep and heartfelt the book was throughout the entire thing. But ultimately I still loved it so it's 4.5 stars!

Wren and Ellis Byrd, childhood sweethearts who became teen parents, built a life together in Spunes, Oregon, before their relationship fell apart. Now divorced and in their 30s, Wren runs a bakery while Ellis is a firefighter. Though living separate lives, they remain emotionally connected. After moving their son Sam into college, Ellis persuades Wren to take a road trip home together, hoping to rekindle their love. As they journey along the California coast, old feelings resurface, but so do unresolved issues.

This was a beautiful second chance love story, both steamy and heartfelt in all the right ways.
This is the second book in the series following Savor It. I read Savor It last year and now wish I had revisited it before diving into this one, as I struggled a bit to recall some of the characters.
Even though I could not personally relate to the character’s situations (childhood sweethearts, teen parenthood, empty nesting, and divorce), I still found the story compelling and emotionally resonant and I’m sure this book will find its audience, especially among those who appreciate deeply emotional romances with a touch of real life complexity.
I enjoyed this one more than Savor It and would consider rereading it sometime in the future. It's a tender, passionate story about love, growth, and the possibility of new beginnings.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC!!

This is definitely my favorite romance of the year. It has one of my most favorite and one of my most hated tropes: second chance love and miscommunication. But the miscommunication is a lot less cheesy and so much more subtle than it normally is. It wasn’t in your face front and center.

Wren and Ellis seem so good together that I wondered why they were ever apart. I loved hearing their story. How they got together and what split them apart. And how they were working their way back to each other.

I usually choose rom coms over full on romance but DeWitt’s angsty and emotional books really connect with my heart. I loved Savor It and adored Left of Forever.

Their chemistry jumps off the page and those steamy scenes are a chef’s kiss.

I connected and rooted for them from start to finish. They were relatable and flawed and that is the heart of a good romance. And Ellis being a hot firefighter, I’ll dream of him for weeks. 💕

Connor Crais and Megan Wicks were great choices for narrators. Megan nailed Wren’s indecision and Connor’s deep voice fit perfectly with Connor’s protection gene. Their two voices meshed perfectly with the characters the author wrote. It was a complete package.

I’m sure this second chance romance will be the talk of the summer.

Left of Forever is a moving romance about two people finding each other again after years and milestones apart. I don't often find second chance romances appealing (if it didn't work the first time, what makes you think it will work the second time?) but the characters obviously put a lot of work into themselves and had worked through their trauma and relationship issues.

Wren and Ellis are such sweeties! They grew up together, grew into themselves together, grew apart from each other, and kept space for each other in their lives. They are so sweet, and the way they approach reviving their relationship felt realistic even in the more implausible circumstances.

Read this book if you love
- second chance romance
- childhood friends to lovers
- small towns with big personalities
- road trips
- love letters
- men in therapy

💚 second chance
💚 forced proximity
💚 first love
💚 secret tatoo
💚 found family
💚 firefighter x baker

"I grew up with my great love, so I think maybe my heart took shape around his."

" His DNA altered mine and our souls shaped themselves for each other"

4.5 Stars

Wow, this truly exceeded my expectations! After not enjoying the first Spunes book, Savor It, I was admittedly really hesitant to give this one a try. Funny Feelings was the Tarah book that really hooked me and turned me into a fan, and I've been holding out hope for another winner. I couldn't get enough of Wren and Ellis! I loved watching them heal their relationship and grow together. Ellis' yearning was impeccable, that man is so down bad for his wife!!! The road trip idea was so wholesome, like that right there is how you apologize and put in the work! I love that Wren knew what she needed from Ellis in order to move forward and mend their relationship, but that she also recognized his tendency to put himself down and feel like he has to prove himself, and called him out on it in such a compassionate way. Their love is so special, I'm actually obsessed with these two Byrds.

Thank you so much NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read this eARC early!

I was hooked from the first page. This story kept me entertained, entranced and yearning for more the entire time. It was raw, it was emotional and beautiful and Tarah did such an incredible job. One of my all time favorite books!

This is the best second chance romance I’ve ever read. I don’t have the words to describe how beautifully written it was. The foundation these two had having known each other their whole lives made their reconnection so sweet. And spicy! Lots of great open door spicy scenes.

I loved how they took the time to finally talk through the breakdown of their relationship. The roadtrip setting was perfect for that.

Both Ellis and Wren were deep complex characters and I thought the book really showcased their relationship well.

Both narrators did an excellent job. I loved that they each read the letters and emails their character wrote. That really brought the dual POVs to life.

There’s so much emotion packed into this one. I dare you to finish it without crying! And you’ll find yourself wanting to highlight some amazing quotes.

I read this one having not read book one and didn’t feel lost at all. Of course now I want to read book one!

If you love small towns and second chance romance, you should pick this one up today!

Thank you to @Netgalley and @stmartinspress for the chance to review this ARC and to @macmillan.audio for the ALC.

Left Of Forever by Tarah DeWitt 🌲

My heart was shattered and put back together again by this book. I will always and forever read anything that Tarah DeWitt writes.

Wren and Ellis's story is so unique and special. They fell in love in high school and end up having their son as teenagers. With no reason to wait because they are meant to be together, they also get married young. They remain married for years but end up getting a divorce after drifting apart from each other. Five years after the divorce they are about to send their son off to college. They've mastered co-parenting but despite living separate lives, they can't stop thinking about each other to fully move on. Ellis convinces Wren to take an extended road trip after dropping their son off at college to explore the chance for them to have a second chance. As they explore the dreamy California coastline together, they have the hard conversations, or sometimes written letters, about why their relationship didn't last in the past and how they could make it work in the future.

This book is such a special one to me. I was tearing up and laughing at multiple points throughout the book, sometimes at the same time. Wren and Ellis are soulmates that drifted apart and it was beautiful to see them find each other again. Both the characters felt so real with their emotions and the reactions they had. The way that Tarah puts emotions that are so complicated to convey into words that beautifully and perfectly describe them is incredible. The tension, the pining, the banter, and the relatability. All of it was done so well. There are so many amazing lines in this book that feel like a stab to the heart (in the best way).

I adore the small town and group of characters that this series has established so far and cannot wait to see what comes next. While this is a standalone you'd be doing yourself a disservice not reading Savor It before reading this book. I mean you have to experience the iconic "She's still a Byrd." moment!

🤍 second chance
🚗 roadtrip
💌 letters
🛏️ only one bed
🫠 yearning and pining
🕊️ meaningful tattoos
🫂 found family
👏🏻 no third act breakup

dual POV
5/5 stars ⭐️
2/5 spice level 🌶️

Thank you to NetGalley, Tarah DeWitt, and St. Martin's Griffin for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Okay, now that I'm done reading this--life got in the way the last couple of days--I can officially say I was right. This is a second-chance romance done right and probably the best second-chance romance I've read in a long while. I wasn't too sure how this was going to go because I wasn't the biggest fan of Savor It, but I was pleasantly surprised as to how much I enjoyed reading this! In the midst of all of the two and three-star reads I've had this month, this was a diamond in the rough, and I never wanted the story to end.

Wren and Ellis Byrd fell in love when they were kids. After Wren gets pregnant with their son, Sam, at the age of seventeen, they get married, move into a house, and raise him while they also care for Ellis's family with his younger siblings in tow. Fast forward to now, and they've been divorced for five years and have moved on with their lives, but Sam is the glue that's keeping things amicable...and the fact that they still have unspoken feelings for each other. When Sam announces that he's moving out for college, Ellis makes a proposition to Wren: after they drop Sam off, they spend one week together traveling to see if they can reconcile and make things right and perhaps, get back together and start anew.

First off, I want to preface this but saying that you do NOT have to read Savor It before reading Left of Forever. Tarah DeWitt also makes this disclaimer at the beginning of the book, but do be advised that there are minor spoilers for Sage and Fisher's story at the beginning. Left of Forever is divided up into 3 parts, with the first part being a flashback that overlaps with the events at the ending of Savor It if you're looking for a specific timeline. You don't need to read Sage and Fisher's overall story to understand what's going on with Wren and Ellis, but if you want the full, immersive reading experience with the small-town feels and vibes and a better understanding of the characters in Spunes, I'd definitely read Savor It first.

To me, this was the best second-chance romance I've read since Final Offer by Lauren Asher. I had SUCH a hard time getting into Savor It, but I started reading Left of Forever and I couldn't stop. Life got busy for a few days, and the only thing I was thinking about was wanting to read this book. I think that's one of those feelings that pushes a book from a 3-star read to a four or five-star read for me- when the book is so good you're UPSET when you can't read it or don't have the time to. I loved the pining, the unresolved feelings, and the tension between Wren and Ellis. You could tell that the feelings were still most definitely there and they still care for each other, because you would for someone who's been your high school sweetheart and has been in each other's lives for literal DECADES at this point. Sure, Sam was the glue that kept them together and kept things amicable between the two after the divorce, but they did an amazing job raising him and making sure that their divorce and their issues never got in the way of parenting Sam.

However, in retrospect, this also made me somewhat confused. I can tell that Wren and Ellis still care about each other to the point where I could practically feel the tension and the love just pouring out of the page and jumping out at me screaming, "THEY LOVE EACH OTHER, CAN'T YOU TELL?!" but at the same time, if they really still did love and care for each other, I have an extremely hard time believing that they couldn't try to work things out given the circumstances that led up to their divorce. In Wren's words to Ellis, "You robbed me of you!"

Now, I've never been married, which means logically, I've never been divorced, but I also know that there's a lot more stuff that goes into why people divorce, and it's not always necessarily a black and white situation. However, given the (little) information that we know about the beginning of the end for Wren and Ellis leading up to it all, I'm somewhat shocked that they didn't attempt to fix things--moreso Ellis than Wren--if they truly loved and cared for each other THAT much. I think the story could've expanded a little more on everything leading up to the divorce in the first place.

The one thing this story was lacking, in my opinion, was the flashbacks that we so commonly see in other second-chance romances. I think that would've helped tremendously with building Ellis and Wren's backstory and everything leading up to their divorce. We get little hints of past (mostly petty) arguments and issues here and there, but never to the point where we get a full, detailed backstory. If I could compare this to another popular second chance romance that a ton of people have read, I'd say that it was sort of along the same lines as Love Redesigned by Lauren Asher where we get brief flashbacks of Dahlia and Julian but never a full backstory, and that's another couple who were childhood friends as well so they'd have DECADES of backstory.

With all of that being said, I feel like as much tension and pining and angst as there was, this felt very low stakes for a second-chance romance where the HEA is practically guaranteed from the start. It almost felt insta-lovey at times, and I know it sounds stupid to say because this is a second-chance romance and they already had lingering feelings from before because they obviously still love each other, but aside from a third-act conflict that probably lasted like, 2-3 pages AT MOST, I feel like there could’ve been more done with it. I would've loved to see more of Ellis and Wren talking through their issues rather than ah....physically, if you're picking up what I'm putting down.

(Also, just as a side note: how do they not recognize each other's handwriting? How have you guys been together for literal decades and not know what each other's handwriting looks like? If you know, you know.)

Onto the main characters:

Wren: I just want to give her a giant hug for everything that she's been through. She's a loving mother, daughter, and friend, and I loved that she was able to let go and rediscover herself on the road trip back from moving Sam into his apartment.

Ellis: Well...I also kinda wanna give him a hug for everything he's been through. I understand why he had to do what he needed to do at the time given the cards that life has dealt him, but I also see the alternate scenario where none of this would've happened if he put in more effort from the beginning in learning Wren's feelings on a deeper level and learning how to express his feelings better. I know he had a lot of responsibility on his shoulders at such a young age, and I can relate to the idea of everyone needing something from you to the point where you have no pieces left to give and you're just...exhausted. However, he was so determined to get Wren back throughout the entire story, and I loved that. I love it when a man grovels lol.

Overall, what a great second-chance romance story! If you're looking for a summer beach read or just a summer read in general, I'd definitely recommend this book! Bonus points if you read this while camping or going on a road trip for the full experience that Wren and Ellis go through lol. I was nervous going into reading this, but I'm so glad I read it and finished it. I can't wait to see what Tarah DeWitt has in store for Spunes, OR next! (I want a story about Silas...or maybe Micah and Kirby??? We shall see.)

P.S. I'm never going to be able to look at ice cream the same way ever again, and I'm not just saying that because I'm lactose intolerant.

Well if this isn't the cutest dang book I've read, I don't know what is!! 🥹

Wren and Ellis are couple goals. Such a sweet uplifting story about a couple reconnecting after falling apart. I went into this book not knowing it was second in a series, but it was definitely a standalone. And believe me when I tell you, I will be looking up the first one from this series and all other books written by this author!

This book had me smiling, blushing, and tearing up. It was beyond well done and I felt like I was in the book experiencing all the things right along with them!! I will be recommending this book to any of my fellow romcom, modern romance book lovers!!

I wish I could give this book 5+ ⭐️ It's one if those books you wish you could go back and read for the first time all over again just to feel all the feels again ❤️

HUGE THANK YOU to Tarah DeWitt, St. Martin's Griffin, and NetGalley for an eArc to read and review!!

Hot and steamy second chance romance from Tarah DeWitt! I was thrilled to be back in Spunes and to get Wren and Ellis’s story. The wit and banter were top notch and it was a total emotional rollercoaster.