Tarah DeWitt writes dialogue that is so natural and witty! Wren and Ellis feel so real, like your real life friends who you are championing to get back together because you can feel their love. Left Of Forever is a 5 star book that will stay with me, well, forever! Thank you Tarah for the ARC!!

I love second chance romances! I’d venture to say that it’s probably my favorite troupe of any romance book. When they are young and they break up for some silly reason and one moves away and then when they come back to town the connection is undeniable and they can’t fight it anymore and they get back together. Swoon!

What we usually don’t see is the second chance where they are divorced, still live in the same town, they are raising a son together and they are still wildly attracted to each other so much that they no longer speak to each other unless it has to do with something for their son. That leads to some buildup tension and when they drop off their son at college and spend a week together trying to figure out if things can work again after 5 years apart is when all the tension comes to a head and what we got was one of the best second chance romances I've read.

What makes a good second chance romance?

Love was never the problem
There was a major event ( not cheating) that fractured the relationship
They both still have feelings of love and compare every other man/women to the person

This book checked all the boxes for me and I was gushing the whole time while reading it. I wanted them to find their way back to each other and I was the biggest cheerleader for these two ever since “She’s still a Byrd” in Savor it. That line alone was one of the swooniest things I've ever read.

That anticipatory feeling I had the entire time reading this book kept me glued to this story. You wanted these two to get it right this time and push through all the issues in the past and start fresh. It was palpable how much these two were so right for each other.

Ellis was very much the strong silent type but around Wren he became a new and better man. He knew exactly what he wanted and when he decided he still loved Wren and wanted her back, he did it so patiently but also with enough force to let her know what his true intentions were. Wren had so many mixed emotions about trying again with Ellis and set her boundaries but she was also open minded and allowed herself to not put any emotions in concrete and see where this trip took them.

A beautiful emotional charged story of second chances and reconnecting when love was never the problem and life sometimes just gets in the way.

I really don't know that I have words for this book. I was so caught up in the Birds. It was beautiful.

I was super excited for this one and I wasn't let down! I was inspired to read Tarah's books after a friend recommended them and I wasn't steered wrong!

Tarah has a way of captivating her readers with stories that although are fiction, feel so real! When she mentioned in a meet&greet I attending that her next book would be about these two I literally cried! The history between these two characters! The love! The friendship! Ugh everything about this book feels like home! It was so devastatingly beautiful to read. This is a book you need to sit back and dive headfirst into it. The complexity of these characters can’t be explained in a short review! So I’ll leave it to you all to grab the book and a box of tissues and your favorite baked goods because by the end of it, you’re gonna feel like your heart was repaired from something you didn’t know was broken and it’s gonna feel so good!

I locked onto these two the moment Ellis said, “She’s still a Byrd,” in Savor It. Their love is so deep that it’s woven into their literal DNA. I loved the quote, “I grew up with my great love, so I think maybe my heart took shape around his.” Ugh. **Clutches heart and squeals**
My heart hurt.
I laughed.
I giggled and kicked my feet.
There is just something about a man who wants nothing more than to get his woman back.
"...because if he can carry all of them, I can carry him."

Thank you so much to Tarah DeWitt and NetGalley for the early copy to devour!

this is honestly one of my favorite books so far this year. following Ellis and Wren’s story was truly amazing and i had all the feelings from kicking my feet giggling to tearing up and crying. second chance romances with forever be my favorite & this is officially the top of that category. the true love of these to characters, the banter, the way Ellis listens, the adventure they go on, the side characters okay in everything, and above all Tarah’s writing was just amazing!!!!! I couldn’t say more good things about this book!

thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this advanced readers copy!

I held off on reading this for a minute because I knew it was going to wreck me and I knew once it was done wrecking me I would want to wipe my memory and get wrecked all over again for the first time. Unfortunately, haven't figured out the memory wiping bit but I will be listening on audio once that comes out and I cannot wait.

There is something so very special about Tarah DeWitt's writing that makes me feel everything in such a big way. I'm constantly rereading sections as I go because I just want to hold on to every little bit and not let go.

I love this little town she's created and the whole Byrd family. I was so glad to get to know the others more and getting to spend time with Sage filled my heart so full.

Ellis and Wren were everything. For me, for each other, for Sam, and their family. I adored these two in Savor It and was fully prepared to set aside my bias towards second chance romance after THE Town Hall moment. It was more than worth it.

All the tears were worth it. To watch them grow and work so hard to get back to each other.

I cried in the prologue. I cried in the first chapter and nearly every chapter after that. Don't get me wrong! I laughed just as much. I really thought I was doing good and holding it all together at the end but the last two sentences cracked my heart wide open. Wren and Ellis Byrd you will be with me forever.

This was such a great second chance romance. I loved supporting Wren and Ellis, along with their family, on their journey back to each other. Thank you for the opportunity to read this and I am sure anyone who reads this book will love Wren and Ellis as much as I did!!

4.5!!

i’m not really sure what to do with myself…how do i move forward knowing ill never find a love like Wren & Ellis.

i want to go lay in the dirt and let the earth consume me. i’m at a loss for words. Savor It fell flat for me (womp womp) but when i first learned of Wren & Ellis i knew i wanted their story ASAP. this one did not fall flat for me, instead it was the complete opposite of flat.

I don’t typically gravitate towards second chance romance books, but this book? these characters? this town? consider me gravitated.

this story was so fun, vulnerable, and emotionally deep. the letters, the road trip, the communication and vulnerability UGH i need to go scream into my pillow. this book was STUCK to my hands, i didn’t want to put it down, in fact I couldn’t put it down even if i wanted to. (i obviously had to put it down because of work and life and all that fun stuff, but i didn’t want to put it down willingly)

I am REELING, I can’t promise a coherent review, i just loved this book so much inject into me RIGHT NOW

Left of Forever

“She’s mine and I’m hers, and all my life’s greatest happiness can be traced back to her, so I kiss her because I want to, and forget the rest.”

Oh my heart, I’m still crying over this beautiful and heartfelt second chance romance. Me! Adoring a second chance romance! Who is she?! Tarah DeWitt, what have you done to me?!

Wren and Ellis have been close since they were kids. Fell in love at a young age, and got pregnant at a very young age. Barely kids themselves, they set out to raise their son and get married. Life happens and now their son is off to college, they’ve been divorced 5 years, but are taking time to see if they just need closure or to try again.

Y’all, I can’t emphasize enough how much I need everyone to read this book! Back in Spunes, where Sage and Fischer fell in love in Savor It, we get to see more of the Byrd family and the antics are wonderful. Ellis is tragically and wonderfully still head over heels in love with his ex-wife, and Wren starts to admit to herself that she could never let him go.

Just like. Go read it. Do it. Thank me later. And slide into my DMs when you get to the ice cream 🤣

Check this out for:
- Road trip romance
- Second chance romance
- MMC who is down bad (still)
- Hilarious cast of nosy, matchmaking side characters
- Incredible, steamy banter
- Spicy firsts for a formerly married couple

Note: this follows Savor It, which you should definitely read, but it will be ok if you start with this one, and then go back to Savor It later when you need more of these characters.

Thank you so much to St. Martins Press for the ARC! Left of Forever is on shelves May 20, 2025. My opinions are my own.

This book wrecked me. I was crying from page one and honestly have no idea how I managed to read through all the tears. Wren and Ellis completely stole my heart in Savor It, and this book just cemented them as one of my all-time favorite couples. Their story was heartbreakingly beautiful to read, two people who drifted apart as they try to keep the other from hurting to finally find their way back.

Even though Wren and Ellis spend most of the book outside of Spunes, Tarah DeWitt still managed to capture the small-town vibe, and I loved that. Every character, no matter how little page time they got, felt real, like people you’d actually meet in any small town. And can we talk about one of my favourite micro-tropes ever? When the MMC goes to therapy, not just for himself but because he wants to be a better partner? Perfection.

I have no idea if DeWitt plans to write more stories in this world, but if she does, I’ll be first in line.

This is a book that lived up to it’s hype! We have been pining for Wren and Ellis since book one almost as much as Ellis has been pining for Wren since their divorce. (I’m very proud of that play on words). This is a second chance romance for a couple that knows they are meant to be, but cannot overcome their problems. With their son going away to college, they decide to give their relationship one last try and it was beautiful every step of the way. This was two adults, choosing a mature, healthy, happy relationship, and I absolutely adore this book! So far best romance I’ve read of 2025.

Thank you #netgalley for the ARC in exchange run on this review.

This is the kind of book that makes you believe in love. The kind of love that is both a choice and second nature. It is in Ellis and Wren’s bones to love each other, despite their divorce and the tragedy that caused it. But, in the process of their reconciliation Wren and Ellis choose each other over all else: their own comfort, their own fears, their past mistakes. Left of Forever is deeply romantic and deeply realistic. Filled with hope, heartbreak, and top tier yearning this is one of the must read romances of 2025

Left of Forever by Tarah DeWitt is a heartwretching second chance romance that will pull on all your heartstrings!

Once married and now divorced, Wren and Ellis once were the perfect couple. They married young, had a child and did life together until it all fell apart. I think one thing I really liked about this story is that you see how two people can love each other so much but still need to be apart to have their own personal growth. I think that it really speaks how we're not all perfect but we can work on ourselves and choose to try again and have someone that stands by us even if we aren't together. I think theres something about DeWitt's writing that she creates flawed but human characters that are messy, chaotic, sometimes don't make the best choices but thats life and thats how we are as humans but seeing them join again and be civil for their son is where all that tension and romance ensues. I loved seeing their letters, their flashbacks, seeing them learn to communicate and advocate for each others needs and choose each other. I loved this book so much. It's so angsty and beautifully written. It is a must read!

Ellis Byrd has entered the chat yall!! This man! This book! This story. I knew this book was going to be amazing and pull on every one of my heartstrings when Ellis called out "She's still a Byrd." in Savor It. I was beyond ecstatic when we got confirmation that Tarah was in fact going down the rabbit hole of Ellis and Wren. Yall these two were legit soulmates. I LOVED getting to know both of them more. I know in some books like this we will get a dual timeline so we can get a feel for what happened- why they didn't work. I realllly liked that Tarah didn't do that. Instead she took us on a journey of hope for these two. Because they were both still so in love with each other, but they had also hurt each other. We got glimpses of what had happened, but instead of sitting in that it was more like can we move on from this and move on together? I absolutely LOVED getting the dual POVs. Yall Ellis was a man possessed. He wanted the love of his life back. He wanted a better version of what they used to have together. And Wren was so strong. She was so scared to hope. As she said "Hope is cruel in its persistence. It's a tease." She had endured so much at such a young age and though things didn't work then, they both wanted to see if they could try again.

Wren thought she was prepared for her son to move to college, but she was beyond not prepared. She has been in this emotional roller coaster since the fall when she found out her ex (who she may or may not still love) has moved on. He is dating. So she can date- right? But why does that feel so wrong? Like a limb is missing. And then there is Sam leaving. So when Ellis (her ex) approaches her about seeing if they could work. He suggests going on a road trip together to see if there is still anything between them. She is dumbfounded. She wants to hope so bad that there could still be something. But when they broke last time, it didn't just affect him and her. There were ripples. Still she decides- yes they can go on a road trip together to see. She wants to see if they will have anything in common without Sam. They have been in such a weird limbo since the divorce- will it be awkward? Will she regret it? The truth is though she is immediately at peace in his presence. She is in shock that he wants to actually talk through their stuff and that he is being transparent. She is not surprised that her body wants to remember. SHE wants to remember. She feels free with how they slowly start to unravel their past to realize that they are far from over. They are at the precipice of a new beginning. The question is if she is ready to jump with both feet in.

Ellis has been living in the shadows for the past few years. He had it all. The woman of his dreams. The family. And then life happened. He was only 18 when they got pregnant. And then he somehow became the man of the house for his brothers and sister too. It was too much for kids that young to take on, but they did the best they could. What Ellis has realized recently though is that he misses that. He wants the little things. He wants Wren back. And when Ellis gets an idea in his head- he goes for it. So he does some soul searching and decides to ask Wren to go on a road trip with him. 7 days and nights together to explore if there could still be an us. He decides he is done hiding. He is going to lay it all out on the table. He is ecstatic when he realizes how much she wants this too. How much he has to be the one to pump the brakes. They are doing things RIGHT this time. For the right reasons. And even when the hard stuff comes up it feels freeing. Like they are truly becoming one. Because she has always been his and he has always been hers. He is just hoping she is ready for forever again.

I finished the last 75% of this book in one sitting. I could not stand it any longer to not know how these two found each other again. I really loved the way that both of them recognized they had been through SO much and learned what they could do differently together. Ellis was unbelievably romantic and sweet. He was like a different person with Wren. And I loved watching Wren just let her walls down for the one person who helped her put them up. I haven't read a second chance involving a marriage yet but this one has set the bar for me. The chemistry between them was beyond flammable. Tarah stepped up her spice game in this one! The ice cream scene is all I am saying- IYKYK!! I am secretly hoping we will get more stories about the Byrds- fingers crossed!! I want to see Silas and Micah fall too :)

Here are some of my favorite quotes from this one:

"Ellis is the kind of handsome that you absorb in pieces before you notice something new and get the thrill of starting all over again. Even looking as rough as he does now, he is devastating."

"Life can be a bully sometimes. And a bully doesn't care if you're already having a rough time."

"I'm just saying. My DNA mixed with yours, and it altered your very bones, Byrd."

"New beginnings are best when you get to pick and choose what you carry over from the old."

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! I can't recommend this one OR anything by Tarah enough. Happy reading :)

Do you ever finish a book and just start crying because it was that good? Same here. Left of Forever by Tarah DeWitt completely wrecked me—in the best possible way.

Second chance romance? That trope owns me every single time. And Wren and Ellis’s story? It’s that kind of love that’s tender, aching, and soul-deep. The raw emotion, the heartbreak, the vulnerability—it’s all there, and it’s absolutely stunning.

But it’s not just the love story that hits hard. Tarah DeWitt’s writing in this book? Her best yet. She manages to weave in heavier themes with such care and compassion, and it’s truly something special. She gives space for grief and healing while still letting the romance shine.

And let’s talk about the heat for a second—because this one brings it. The emotional intimacy and physical chemistry between Wren and Ellis are off the charts. Seriously, they had me blushing, swooning, and clutching my pillow.

This book is full of heartache and healing, of love that lingers and refuses to let go. It’s an absolute must-read and a guaranteed reread.

😭💔 Do you ever finish a book and immediately start crying because it was just that good?? SAME. And Left of Forever by Tarah DeWitt completely wrecked me—in the best possible way. 🥹✨

Second chance romance? Yeah, that trope owns me. Every. Single. Time. And Wren and Ellis’s story? It’s tender, aching, soul-deep kind of love. The raw emotion, the heartbreak, the vulnerability—it’s all there, and it’s absolutely stunning. 💞

But it’s not just the love story that hits hard. Tarah DeWitt’s writing in this book? Her best yet. Hands down. The way she weaves in heavier themes with so much care and compassion is truly something special. 🤍 She gives space for grief and healing while still letting the romance shine.

Oh, and let’s talk about the heat for a sec 🔥—because yeah, this one brings the steam. The emotional intimacy and physical chemistry are off the charts. Like...Wren and Ellis had me blushing, swooning, and softly screaming into my pillow. 😮‍💨💫

This book is full of heartache and healing, of love that lingers and refuses to let go. It’s an absolute must-read and a guaranteed reread. I already miss these characters and want to dive right back in. 🥲💕

I have loved everything Tarah has published and this is no different. I am obsessed with the worlds she allows us to inhabit while we sink into the pages of her books.

Tarah Dewitt nails the marriage in crisis (or rather divorced second chance?). Ellis & Wren's story intrigued me since meeting them in Savor It & this roadtrip reconnection that takes the reader through their long history, fears & intense yearning for one another is one that gave me so many emotions. This story feels so raw & real as two people who have been intertwined for most of their lives & have deep love for one another find their way back to each other.

From the beginning, it seems that fate intervened a few years after their divorce and Ellis is on a mission to get his wife back. The saying is good things come to those who wait & Ellis is a patient man. He uses their son's college move to plan a road trip to get Wren back & the feelings Wren has tried to deny herself, with hope being the biggest one, starts to come to the surface. Wren & Ellis's trip allows them to remember their past and see how each other has changed. It's such a beautifully written story filled with humor, hope, and incredible love. The honest & stripped bare conversations they have are so emotionally charged that I couldn't help but have a heavy heart at times but the beauty is that they do find their HEA.

I hope we get to visit Spunes again as we do see much more of Ellis's brothers who I would love to read their stories. Micah & Silas are great supporting characters, along with Sage (from Savor It). The strong family aspect is wonderful & just adds another layer to Ellis & Wren's story.

💖 Second Chance
💋 Divorced Couple
🚗 Road Trip
🫶 Childhood Lovers
🏡 Small Town
✌🏻 Dual POV