There are some books that leave a lasting impression from the very first page to the very last. Left of Forever is absolutely one of them. Ever since the “She’s still a Byrd.” moment in Savor It, I had a feeling Ellis and Wren would become a couple I’d never forget. And wow, was I right.

Watching these two stripped down to their rawest selves, grappling with emotions that never really went away, growing both individually and together, and ultimately realizing they’re meant for each other, was the very definition of second chance romance. Which just so happens to be one of my favorite tropes ever. This book was beautifully written, and I loved every second of it.

Tarah handled some tough topics with so much poise and care. Ellis, Wren, and the entire Byrd family felt so real, flaws and all, which is exactly why I loved their story so much. This isn’t your typical cookie-cutter romance. It’s rough, it stings at times, but if you're willing to put in the emotional work, it leaves you with the kind of satisfaction that makes you believe in love again. Like Ellis and Wren, you come out the other side stronger and happier. I know I’ll be thinking about this book for a long time, and I’m honestly jealous of everyone who still gets to experience it for the first time.

I loved it so much that I signed up for the audiobook as well, it did not disappoint both Megan Wicks and Connor Crais brought the story to life so beautifully. Whether you read it or listen to it, you’re in for something special. I already can’t wait to reread it. I’ll be thinking about this one for a while.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St Martins Publishing for the eARC and ALC.

I will not be giving feedback to this book. I was not able to connect with this story, DNF. Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this.

I was kind of confused with this title when I picked up this book. And the confusion carried on while reading the book, until closer to the end when it finally made sense and all the feels came in together. This book brought out many many feels!

Ever since reading about Wren and Ellis's strained relationship in Savor It, I was also secretly carrying hope that they'd get their own story. This one delivered in the best ways, coming from someone that's apparently a big fan of second chance romances now! I really enjoyed how this story started from the get go and knew there was so much depth to Wren and Ellis. From the somewhat anonymous letter writing to the one week road trip together, the build up to how these two healed and gravitated back to each other was done so well. Wren and Ellis had a rawness to their love for one another that's not always done well on second chance love stories but Tara did them justice. If anything, she made them come alive in such a realistic but magical way. Ellis and his omissions to his first and only love, ahhhh. He isn't book boyfriend material but definitely a book husband type. Wren, I loved her for her openness and bravery to go after what she wanted. Pining for one another when you've been separated for years? Sounded weird to me but also made perfect sense between these two. Also, I just love the Byrd clan, especially Silas.

This one just hit so differently and I'm so happy I got a chance to read this one after Savor It. Tara's best work yet, I'd say. I'm hoping we get more stories located in Spunes, especially if it's two more books about the other Byrd siblings!

Special thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for providing a digital copy for my honest and sincere opinions on this one. It's worth checking out!

“We have whatever’s left of forever, you and me.”

It’s only been a few days since I finished reading Left of Forever (more like it finished ME) and I don’t think I’ve fully processed it all yet. Tarah has a way of writing the most heart shattering moments of life and morphing it into a beautiful masterpiece that’ll leave you breathless and in awe.

From the moment we learn about Wren and Ellis in Savor It, I knew they’d leave a mark on me. Their connection over the years was no easy rollercoaster ride to say the least, and I loved all the raw and messy moments because that’s exactly how life can be. And of course all the support (aka meddling) from the fellow Byrd family members was a great way to show that there were people in their corners rooting for them.

I was invested from start to finish and tried so desperately to savor this, but my god this was absolutely fantastic. Highly recommend the audiobook as well!! Tarah really outdid herself with this one and I’m so excited for everyone to read Ellis and Wrens story!

Thank you St. Martins Press for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

A very special thank you to Negalley and St Martin’s Press for my advanced reader e-copy!

Tarah Dewitt is quickly becoming one of my auto buy authors. She absolutely delivered on this one, Wren and Ellis stole my heart! You all know I’m a sucker for a good second chance romance and this one had me giggling and kicking and screaming! High school sweethearts or a roadtrip!? A man putting so much thought and care into something!? AHHH! Gorgeous, tugs on your heartstrings, and so much fun!!

4.25

Tarah DeWitt taking my heart out of my chest with this one!!

Second chance romance is not my favorite trope, but only because it has to be done really well for me to enjoy it, and this book nailed that! Wren and Ellis were so young when they got together and had Sam, and they went through all these hardships but they did them together. And this story starts when they’ve been divorced for 5 years, but are both still very involved in their son’s life and clearly still care about each other, even if they don’t feel that they can show it.

Both Wren and Ellis are complex characters, and I enjoyed every scene that they had together. I also really loved DeWitt’s writing and storytelling and just how she described their love for one another here! They have a deep, deep backstory and years of history we as a reader could not possibly understand or comprehend, and yet somehow we can see what makes them work so well together and see the depths of their devotions.

Roadtrips are also not something I love in a story, and while I did enjoy and appreciate Wren and Ellis’ stops along the way, I missed Spunes!

The end of this book had me smiling like a fool. It was just a super sweet story and I loved seeing Wren and Ellis slowly reconnect and realize that just because they hit bumps in the road doesn’t mean that they ever stopped loving each other.

Also, I did enjoy this book a lot more than Savor It. I felt way more connected to Wren and Ellis as people and was just rooting for them the whole time!

I missed having Spunes as a secondary character in this book, so I’m really excited to see what comes next! I suspect maybe a Silas story and a Micah story??

Thank you so much to Tarah DeWitt, Saint Martin's Press, and NetGalley for the eARC!

This book was perfect! I have been obsessed with Wren and Ellis since he said “she’s still a Byrd” in Savor It and this book was even better than I could’ve imagined. This was such a beautiful and emotional love story that I will never forget. I laughed, I cried and I enjoyed every second of their story. This was Tarah’s best writing yet and I was highlighting quotes non-stop while reading. I cannot wait to see what she writes next and I highly recommend this book to everyone!

What to expect:
💚 Contemporary Romance
💚 Ex-Husband and Wife
💚 Second Chance
💚 Roadtrip
💚 Small Town

Thank you to Tarah DeWitt, St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

As always Tarah Dewitt has astounded me. Second chance is one of my favorite tropes and unsurprisingly Tarah wrote one of the best second chance romances there is. Full review to come…

ALL THE STARS ♾️

Left of Forever by Tarah DeWitt was for the Byrds! I don't know what it is about a second chance after a divorce story, but it's just so achingly heartbreaking and soothing at the same time. Two people who once loved each other so deeply, suddenly call it quits and become total strangers, then go on to find each other again after growing and finding themselves. It's the falling in love all over again that makes it all worth it. This is what essential happens between Ellis and Wren as they've known each other forever, having been together since they were seventeen and eighteen. They faced many challenges but stayed strong for the sake of their son, Sam.

Left of Forever was beautiful and quickly owned my heart. I was lucky to receive both an audiobook and ARC copy to listen and read simultaneously. The narrators portrayed the story with so much emotion and depth that I could feel it through my headphones. I loved both Connor Crais and Megan Wicks' performances. They truly did a phenomenal job 🤌🏼. Listening to this story was a wonderful experience. 10/10 recommend this book!!

If I were making a list of books that made me sob until I couldn't breathe - Left of Forever would be at the top of the list (and in the very best way too!) One of those books that will leave an imprint in my soul - completely beautifully unforgettable. What I love about Tarah Dewitt's writing is that from the first page until the last page, it's like being under her spell - magical and all consuming - kind of like Wrellis's love story. There's so much yearning and angst, with hope and healing; it's tender and emotionally complex - but it's HOT!

Infinite stars. I really didn't think a book could top Savor It for me, but Left of Forever healed parts of me that I still didn't know needed healing and I will forever speak highly of Tarah and her work.

Happy LOF eve - out tomorrow!! Do yourself a favor and get a copy, it's a NEED to read.

**Thank you to Netgalley and St Martins Press for the ARC and chance to read and review. All opinions are my own**

“We belong to each other in ways no one else ever will.” ❤️

After dropping their son off for college, Ellis and Wren, ex-spouses, take a road trip to see if they want to try giving their relationship a second chance. Will these exes find their way back to each other, or is it best to leave their romantic history in the past and move forward as friends?

From the moment we met these two in Savor It, I knew I wanted to read more of their story. I’m not usually a second chance romance fan, but their story was so well done. Their characters were so well rounded.

This was emotional, spicy and often times funny. I loved their little dates that Ellis planned and LOVED the flirting between them. Also, ice cream…😉🥵

Going straight to the top as my favorite romance of 2025 (so far).

TARAH, THIS BOOK WAS SO DANG GOOD. SO. GOOD.

I fear that Wren and Ellis may have become my new favourite fictional couple. Following along their redemption road trip through the California coast, a trip planned by Ellis in his efforts to rekindle their romance (& past marriage), my heart ached and yearned for them the way they did for one another. As they already worked through healing separate while Wren bakes and Ellis extinguishes fires, now they work through healing together, they work on being one again, with some powerful and raw emotions bursting at the seams.

I truly felt like I was on this road trip with the Byrds. I felt like I was watching their hearts get ripped open, their feelings put on display, and I felt like Tarah wrote these characters with such raw honesty that I forgot I was reading a literal book for a minute. Wren and Ellis’ story made me cry sad tears and so many happy ones, and their happy ever after was worth every ounce of heartache along the way.

Also, the character development in this was done so well without being dragged on that, without first reading Savor It, I felt like I knew each of the Byrd siblings and their significant others personally. I absolutely loved how Tarah integrated each of them into this story without taking away from Wren and Ellis.
Read if you like:
🚗Second chance romance
🚗Secret letters/pen pals
🚗Steamy intimacy
🚗Words that matter (iykyk)
🚗Road trips
🚗Hurting and healing
🚗High school sweethearts
🚗Sibling scheming
🚗One bed (cabin)
🚗SOULMATES

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and author Tarah DeWitt for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I love Tarah’s writing and the world she continues to create in Spunes. I enjoyed how Savor It was still intertwined into this book.

This was a heartwarming story about 2nd chances and the importance of forgiveness.

This series reminds me of the Rebel Blue Ranch series and I hope she continues to write the love stories for all the Byrds. I hope Silas is next

Second chance romance at its absolute finest. The pining! The memories! The effort to be known! This book is so achingly tender that it gutted me in the best way. I loved both the main characters and their story together. There’s so much realness paired with plenty of comic relief and family meddling. Wren and Ellis’s story is a wonderful combination of touching, fun, and steamy. I highly recommend.

💘 Book Synopsis: Wren and Ellis were childhood sweethearts, then teen parents, then the kids who proved everyone wrong with their love. Until they stopped fighting with and for each other. It’s been five years since their divorce and their one kid is now going off to college. Ellis devises a road trip for them to drop off their son then get to know each other again on the trip back. He wants her back and is willing to put in the effort, at Wren’s pace, to show her their son isn’t their only connection.

Read LEFT OF FOREVER for
✌️ Dual POV insights
💕 Second chance romance
🥰 Childhood sweethearts
🧢 He wants her back
🏕️ Roadtrip adventures
🥵 Spice, literally and figuratively
❤️‍🩹 Therapy rep

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5/5 stars)

😘 Thanks to St. Martin's Press, @YouHadMeAtHEA and @NetGalley for the gifted digital ARC. So, so grateful! All opinions are my own.

👩🏻‍🏫 Reader Note: Ectopic pregnancy complications and loss. Take care.

Wren and Ellis totally stole my heart. A second-chance romance that actually delivers—sweet, emotional, and full of that perfect mix of tension and tenderness. The road trip? Adorable. The letter? Destroyed me (in the best way).

I laughed, I teared up, I wanted to hug this book when it was over. Tarah DeWitt nailed it—again.

Tarah DeWitt’s Left of Forever, is a lovely second chance after divorce romance. I love a good second chance romance, and especially one that is post divorce. They are such a great canvas for exploring hope, growth, acceptance, and forgiveness. Left of Forever does that all well with big heaps of yearning and one of my favorite microtropes, a man who goes to therapy.

Left of Forever is focused on character and jumps around a bit in time before we get to the reconciliation road trip. This gives us a chance to sink into where Ellis and Wren are mentally and emotionally. DeWitt gives us a good foundation for becoming invested in the happily ever after.

Wren has worked hard to create separation between herself and Ellis in the 5 years since they divorced. That’s been a challenge because they live in a small town (Spunes, Washington, not to be confused with Forks, Washington), co-parent their son, spend Thanksgiving and Christmas together with their combined family, and Wren is close with Ellis’s siblings. Though they’ve kept their distance and built separate lives, they have both stagnated emotionally. Ellis’s emotional shutdown is disrupted when he is away helping fight a forest fire and he sees a care package from Wren sent to whichever firefighter picks it up. They begin a brief correspondence, he knows he is writing to her, but she doesn’t know that he is her pen pal. It cracks them both open with Ellis realizing how much he misses Wren and Wren realizing she wants a romantic relationship (though not with Ellis). Ellis knows he is working towards a second chance with Wren. Wren is trying to figure out how to let go of Ellis so she can move on with someone else. Lots of A+ pining and yearning happens here.

DeWitt puts words together beautifully. Wren and Ellis yearn, hope, and feel their anxieties eloquently. It’s a joy to read. Underpinning the beautiful words are well grounded emotions. Ellis is a fixer, the very definition of competence porn. He solves problems and takes care of people. But when Wren needed him to be with her in messy feelings, he tried to bypass emotions and fix the problem instead. The older I get, the less interested I am in the grovel. To paraphrase Hamilton, groveling is easy, living is hard. That said, Ellis gives a beautiful, thoughtful, emotionally honest apology in Chapter 35 that feels like the culmination of his journey in this book. He is not poised to fix anything, he just wants to be with her.

There is a scene involving a kitchen accident (no blood) and sexy times afterwards that I just couldn’t get into because I was too busy silently shrieking in horror. Wear gloves when you work with peppers, people.

I received this as an advance reader copy via St. Martin’s Griffin and NetGalley. My opinions are my own, freely and honestly given.

one of my new all time favorite romance books🥹🫂 this book is the perfect example of why i love reading romance. it’s the love you can’t deny, the souls that are intertwined as one, the people who make you feel seen, and the undeniable way two hearts can forever be connected by that invisible string. wren & ellis are soulmates and seeing them grow close again after life’s harsh moments got in the way, was everything to me and the reason why i believe love can conquer all and how you never really stop loving the one.

here’s a few things i loved while reading:
🐦‍⬛ tarah’s writing is so beautiful i feel like this book is going to break me and put me back together
🍷 the letter & the two horses
🐦‍⬛ “it was like — seeing home after decades away”
🍷 wow i already love them, they’re still so in love
🐦‍⬛ him eating her desserts & baked goods again
🍷 the angst is so well done
🐦‍⬛ i love how body positive wren is
🍷 ellis making all the plans for the trip
🐦‍⬛ i love the byrd family so much
🍷 “save me a seat?”
🐦‍⬛ obsessed with the whole roadtrip idea and so excited to see how everything plays out
🍷 they’re so in tune with each other
🐦‍⬛ a little co-op cameo!! deacon!!!
🍷 ellis is so hot
🐦‍⬛ his tattoo🥹🥹🥹
🍷 i’m obsessed with them and their flirting/banter
🐦‍⬛ here for all the growth & open communication
🍷 “byrd”
🐦‍⬛ “i’m home” brb crying
🍷 wren’s journal entries and ellis’s responses to them
🐦‍⬛ i love getting to be in their heads and see how they view each other and how much they’re truly in love
🍷 the pepper scene i shouldn’t be laughing but i can’t help it
🐦‍⬛ HAHA HER MOM STOP I LOVE IT
🍷 “make plans with me forever”
🐦‍⬛ “it’s all yours. it’s always been yours”
🍷 all the origami birds
🐦‍⬛ sage & fisher🥹🥹
🍷 silas’s’ speech!!!
🐦‍⬛ everything left of forever!!!!
🍷 no other notes, this was a MASTERPIECE

i listened to the alc and followed along in my earc and truly loved every second i spent reading this. literally finished in 2 sittings because i couldn’t put it down! tarah you are a queen this book is so beautiful im honestly at a loss for words to explain just how much i loved it and love ellis & wren. as a major second chance girlie, i can confirm this book just made it to my top 3 for second chance romances!

3 ⭐️ I'm mad at myself for not loving this more

"All I know is that if I found out heaven was real and got there first? I'd hang back in the waiting room and save you a seat."

WHAT TO EXPECT:
✨ contemporary romance
✨ second chance
✨ divorced for 5 years
✨ co-parents
✨ baker x fire fighter
✨ grumpy, broody MMC
✨ yearning / longing
✨ secret letters
✨ road trip
✨ one-bed / cabin
✨ SPICE
✨ miscommunication
✨ men in therapy 👏
✨ groveling
✨ HEA
✨ TW: ectopic pregnancy (off page in past) and references to infertility


My Thoughts:

Truly, no one is more disappointed in this rating than me. I’ve been dying for Wren and Ellis’s story since Savor It, and I wanted to love this book so badly.

It has all the usual Tarah DeWitt trademarks - emotional, romantic, vulnerable - but I just didn’t connect with their second chance romance. I understood the reasons for their divorce, but I didn’t buy them. If they loved each other as much as we’re told they do, I honestly don’t understand how they let five years go by without trying. Not one single moment of “maybe we should talk”? I couldn’t wrap my head around that. Especially when their lives were still so intertwined because of their son and friends. My husband would NEVER just let me walk away like that. In fact, I know he wouldn't because there's been moments where I've felt like things were too hard, and he refused to give up. Instead, we both went to couple's therapy - because my husband loves me and CHOSE us. So I had a hard time respecting their choice to separate only for them to reunite later.

I love Ellis, but I struggled with him. The man we meet here is suddenly open, emotionally in tune, communicative, and present. Which is great! But it felt like a huge jump from the grumpy, silent, broody man we were shown in Savor It. Six months of therapy just doesn’t explain that kind of transformation for me. It felt more like he showed up when he was ready, and we were supposed to be happy about that. Meanwhile, Wren had grieved, she had processed, she had waited. And now she's wanting him back because he’s finally ready and doesn't want to lose her? Idk, it irritated me.

Wren was giving “I’m sad and also very horny for my ex-husband,” and while the chemistry is absolutely there, I wanted more emotional groundwork in how they rebuilt their relationship. There’s a moment where Wren and Ellis agree not to hook up on their road trip because they know they need to reconnect on a deeper level first. But then, they basically toss that plan out the window the second the sexual tension gets too high. Which is fine, but it didn’t feel like growth, it felt like a pattern. And honestly, that kind of sets the tone for the whole story. Yes, they have more than a few heavy, meaningful conversations, but it always felt like the intimacy starts with lust, not vulnerability. And the sheer amount of internal commentary (especially from Wren) about how attractive Ellis is made it feel like I was reading about two people who couldn’t stop thinking with their bodies. It was giving horny teenagers, not mature exes working through years of pain and distance. I needed more emotional intimacy before the physical to really buy into the healing and growth.

PS: I did not find the pepper/ice cream scene funny or sexy. I was horrified by the pepper and then completely turned off by the ice cream.

I will say though, I do like Wren and Ellis, and I do think there’s an intense love between them. But I just didn’t care about this story the way I wanted to. 😭 I know I’m in the minority here since most reviews have been glowing, and I wish I felt the same way. I may even reread it down the line because maybe I just wasn’t emotionally available for this book right now. We'll see. But regardless of my feelings, I think if you love second chance romance and Tarah DeWitt’s writing, you should absolutely still pick it up. This one just didn’t hit for me.

❤️ тнιѕ вσσк нαѕ му ωнσℓє нєαят. ❤️

💍 A beautifully perfect, raw and emotional second chance romance about a divorced couple who navigates the hurts and disappointments of their failed marriage in an attempt to reconcile.

I loved this book SO MUCH for its honesty, intensity, and real depiction of the harsher realities of long term romantic relationships. Marriage and parenthood are hard work and it’s nice to see a work of fiction that accurately represents that fact rather than glossing over it. Plus, Wren and Ellis are obviously hopelessly in love and it’s adorable.

There’s real depth to this work with an emphasis on interpersonal communication and mental health awareness but there’s still plenty of spice to keep you entertained. It’s a true masterpiece that highlights the harsh reality that sometimes love alone isn’t enough for a relationship to survive.

Check this one out if you enjoy a found family dynamic and more heavy hitting romances similar to Emily Henry or Abby Jimenez, but don’t forget your tissues.

This is definitely one of the easiest five stores I’ve ever given in my life. I’m normally not a fan of the idea of second chance broken marriage but this one definitely makes you change your mind on that. Wren and Ellis felt so true and honest that there were moments that made me ache for them. I definitely felt from early on that. Wren was so ridiculously attractive and was just oozing sex appeal throughout the book. I love how full-fleshed the idea of this road trip became as a moving mechanism to literally drive them together. I will say at times it was a little bit too convenient And you do have to suspend disbelief in the first place to believe that this type of road trip would happen. And it does come a little bit quick, but I think that it was so established how much love was still there but it made it OK.