Rating: 5/5

This book immediately became one of my favourite books of all time. I’m being 100% honest when I say that this book changed the way I see love and marriage in a positive way. I love Wren and Ellis Byrd so much, and I’ve found myself thinking about them multiple times a day.

I strive to find someone who loves me and makes me feel the way Ellis loves/makes Wren feel. You could just see the way that they not only love each other so much but also the way they’re each others person. There is truly not another person in the world that could be perfect for either character the way that they are.

I love that it didn’t feel like they got back together too quickly; they really took the time to trust each other again and make sure that it was the right decision for them and for Sam. They’re amazing parents to Sam and made sure that he was their priority when it came to making that big decision.

Every single aspect of this book was absolutely perfect, and you will definitely see me reread this book in the coming weeks.

Thank you to Tarah Dewitt for writing this book and to the publisher for the E-ARC

Dear Stranger,

Some books don’t just tell a love story — they remember one. Left of Forever is that kind of book. It holds all the bruised parts of Wren and Ellis’s story with compassion and candor, never rushing the heartbreak or the history. This isn’t about falling in love for the first time. It’s about choosing each other again, knowing exactly what that costs.

This was my most anticipated read of 2025, and it still managed to surprise me. Tarah DeWitt has crafted something truly memorable. The emotions run deep, but so does the hope. It’s not just about what Wren and Ellis lost — it’s about everything they’re still willing to fight for.

Wren and Ellis Byrd are unforgettable. Childhood sweethearts. Teen parents. Now thirty-something exes trying to raise a college-bound son while navigating what’s left between them. Watching them come back to each other — slowly, deliberately, vulnerably — felt like witnessing something otherworldly. Their story is a love letter, scars and all. Honest about time, resentment, and the work it takes to find your way back.

It’s funny, too. DeWitt threads laugh-out-loud humor through scenes that will absolutely rip your heart out. The flirty banter sparkles. The chemistry? Unreal. The yearning? Devastating in the best possible way. And that road trip? Let’s just say the “one bed” trope has never worked harder.

The flashbacks are seamless, layering past and present so you feel the weight of their history in every moment. A quiet, anonymous thread of connection runs beneath it all, revealing how much was left unsaid and how deeply they remain tied to each other.

Wren is everything. Smart, sharp, generous, and witty. She’s the kind of woman who remembers every detail and carries the weight of it with grace. And Ellis. Stoic and steady, but never unfeeling. Watching him let down his guard and finally share what he’s carried for so long made me love him as deeply as Wren clearly does.

And the Byrd family? I want to live in this book just to spend more time with them. Sam, Silas, and Micah each bring their own warmth, depth, and humor. And the cameos from Sage, Fisher, and Indy? Chef’s kiss.

What unfolds is cathartic. Honest. Intimate. It’s not just a romance — it’s a reclamation. Of self, of love, of family. Of hope, even when it hurts.

If you’re looking for a book that will wreck you and then gently stitch your heart back together with every page, this is it. I have no doubt it will be my top read of 2025.

Sincerely,
A Believer in Second Chances

Note: This book is connected to Savor It. While you could read this one as a standalone, Savor It gives so much background about the characters in this book.

Let me start by saying that so many people are loving this book, and I know that I’m in the minority! I urge you to try it for yourself if it sounds like something you would love. For me, it had so many sweet moments, but too much miscommunication.

I loved how much history Wren and Ellis have together and how it feels so obvious to everyone else that they belong together. However, I was missing seeing why that was actually true. I wish it would’ve been dual timeline. I wanted more about who they were when it worked and to be in their heads as it went wrong in order to understand how they could work together again.

The communication (or lack thereof) was the most frustrating thing for me. So many times, they would get close to discussing something important to their relationship, but one of them would deflect with physical affection. There was so much spice so fast after reconciliation, it made me wonder if that’s all they missed about the other. But then the inner monologues would start and they were so introspective in their own heads. I absolutely loved the journal entries that were filled with honesty and reflection. I wanted more of that in conversations! While they did finally talk about why their relationship didn’t work the first time, it took so long to get there. It felt like if they had just had that conversation FIVE years ago, everything would’ve been fine and they likely would’ve stayed married.

Thank you to Tarah DeWitt, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for the e-ARC; all opinions are my own.

Read if you like:
💕 Second chance romance
💕 Marriage in crisis
💕 Road trip romance
💕 Small town

not to alarm you but left of forever comes out in 4 days! if you’ve followed me for even a day you know i love this book. i won’t shut up about it. i cry over the byrds in my stories daily and i’m always recommending it. i know i won’t do the book justice and there are far more eloquent reviews but i’ll at least try.

ever since i read “she’s still a byrd” in savor it i was LOCKED IN to wren and ellis. this book gutted me. i’m talking i was crying like every other page. wren and ellis have a deep and rich history and i could feel all of their heartache but also their expansive love. i was aching with them but i also found myself laughing and swooning and rooting for these people i knew were meant to be. the love that they still had for each other was palpable but what i love about their story is how intentional they were. wren and ellis are both fighting with everything they have to get each other back. they’re fighting their tendencies to take on everything alone and instead learn to be vulnerable with the each other and they’re fighting to show that despite how it ended, their love deserves a second chance. they both go through such a beautiful transformation and i had so much admiration for wren and ellis. their journey to reconciliation was one of the most beautiful and sexiest roadtrips i’ve ever been on!

one of my favorite parts about the spunes series is the love that the characters have for their family and their community. the byrds love each other in a bone deep way that makes my heart overflow. there’s this feeling of the most unconditional love between all of them and that will always bring me back to this series.

left of forever is one of the most romantic, emotional, funny, sexy, and hopeful love stories i’ve ever read. if you love romance i know this book is going to be your new favorite, trust me this one is special! if you love audiobooks you have to listen to this one. Megan and Connor killed this narration and brought so much life to Wren and Ellis! i can’t wait for my next trip to spunes 💖

thanks to you had me at hea and netgalley for the arc and alc! tarah has an incredible playlist for lof that’s been on repeat but i picked some songs that remind me of lof and have them on the last slide! anyway she’s still a byrd CAW CAW!!!

the first few lines of p.164 in savor it altered my brain chemistry, but left of forever altered my very bones (iykyk). there aren’t enough stars in the universe to give this book. i truly believe this is the best romance i’ve ever read, and i am so excited for everyone to experience reading this book when it releases on may 20th.

lof is a second chance romance that is filled with depth, emotion, and yearning. emphasis on the last one. this is what romance needs to be!!!! this is what i want always, i want to carry this book in my pocket for eternity.

tarah has crafted a love that is so devastatingly real you can’t help but feel immersed and develop a strong connection to the characters. it is complex, with layers of raw emotion and aching vulnerability and tenderness. you experience the harsh realities of life and the effect it can have on the people you love. you second guess whether you’re weathering the storm together or if you’re just holding one another back. making decisions that bring you pain in the hope of bringing them peace. it was an honour to witness these two past lovers making their way back to each other once more. coming home. though i’d argue they never truly left. it is messy and it is real. i was pulled apart and put back together a million times over, they will always hold a piece of my heart with them.

i fell in love with spunes, oregon when i read savor it last summer and i was so happy to return once more. the atmosphere of the town and the community feel like the warmest hug. but for wren and ellis, i felt as though the road trip setting was necessary and perfect for their story. it brought them away from themselves, exposing layers of uncertainty and pain - but also a desire to find peace. i loved the way this was written.

i see reflections of myself in these characters, have felt connected to them in their innermost thoughts. i love them so much it hurts.

wren. one of the most beautiful characters ever written. an embodiment of finding strength in being soft. a desire to be a part of something, to have an impact. she is loving and full of depth.

ellis. good god i love him. the growth!!!! someone who takes on all that he can to ease the weight of others. he deserves the world. there is no man as devoted and obsessed as him. if you want a man that YEARNS then look no further, he has shattered every perception i’ve had of one. i love a pathetic man (this is a compliment). especially when its ellis.

a special mention for the perfect execution of inner dialogue and teasing banter that is found in tarah’s books. her writing is full of heart. it is descriptive and lush, and it plays out vividly in your mind. i will eat it up every single time. oh and the tension and steam.

you all know how loudly i love savor it and left of forever is no different. i will read everything this woman ever writes, i am so excited to read the next books in the spunes series. tarah dewitt writes pure magic and i will shout recs for her books from the rooftops every. damn. time.

i am eternally grateful to have received the arc from St-Martins Press and NetGalley <3

3.5 Stars
Left of Forever is a childhood friends-to-lovers, second chance romance between Wren and Ellis who were introduced in Savor It. Wren and Ellis fell in love and had their son Sam as teenagers. They made it work and were happy until suddenly everything fell apart. Now five years after their divorce, Sam is heading off to college and Ellis convinces Wren to take an extended road trip on the way back to Spunes to see if they can give their relationship one last chance.

Ellis and Wren truly belong together and I loved seeing them find their way back to each other. They definitely have things to work through but I liked Ellis’ determination to be more vulnerable and romantic. He was just so sweet. My heart hurt for Wren but I loved how she did her best to rebuild her life after their divorce. I can't say how much I appreciated the way both of them did their best to be civil around their son.

I was really enjoying this until the spice took over and it kind of fell apart for me. After five years apart, which they basically spent avoiding each other unless their son was involved, it just felt like they reconnected and fell back into bed together a little too fast.
I loved the letters but it was hard to believe she didn’t recognize his handwriting when they were not only married for years but have known each other forever.

The pro-therapy representation was great!

I would love to see more in this world, especially books featuring Silas and Micah 🤞🏻

This book is gorgeous! An easy five stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Second chance romance can sometimes stress me out to read but I only found this story to be heartfelt and so well told. The characters immediately hook the reader. They are well rounded and dynamic and feel like actual people that you truly come to know and love and are so fully rooting for by the end of their journeys. Tarah DeWitt strikes such a fun balance of real life humor and real life human struggle and how stunning one’s personal growth can be if they just keep going. I was so taken with the love story of Ellis and Wren and felt v invested in their HEA. The settings are so dreamy. The serendipitous letter exchange was so sweet. Their willingness to always co-parent their son to the best of their possible ability even when they’re hurting and broken makes them so lovable. The chili debacle? The win your wife back via a yearn-y mcperfect road trip planned to her unfulfilled dreams that she confessed in anonymous letters and doesn’t know you read?? Chef’s kiss story telling all the way around.

Love love loved it.

This is the same author as The Co-Op which I loved last year, so was excited to receive as an arc. Left of Forever has some overlapping characters from Savour It, which I have on my shelf but haven't read yet.
Left of Forever is a second chance romance between divorced Wren and Ellis Byrd. When their son graduates and moves away to college, they take a road trip together to see if there is any chance left between them.

Second chance romance is usually not a trope I gravitate towards. However I've read some good ones, and decided to give this a go. This one reminded me alot of one of my most favorite second chance romances: Before I Let Go. Small town, divorced with children, working in the food industry, divorce due to similar reasoning (no spoilers). I found myself making alot of comparisons- but just loved Before I Let Go much more.

I enjoyed this for what it was. A quick read with enjoyable characters, but not one I will probably remember long term.

The chilli pepper scene had me laughing out loud. PSA: never cut hot peppers without gloves. Ellis I've been there my friend. 😂

4 stars from me!
Thank you to St Martin's Press for the advanced read! This title releases in a few days on May 20th!

💚 Goodness, way to leave me a sobbing mess, @authortarahdewitt. This was simply the perfect ‘marriage-in-crisis’ romance novel with the most beautiful ending. It’s out Tuesday! Thank you @stmartinspress and @smpromance for the sneak peek.

💚 We first met Ellis & Wren, and the entire Byrd family, in Dewitt’s last novel ‘Savor It.’ In that book, the lifetime sweethearts were divorced, but in ‘Left of Forever’ they’re finding their way back to each other.

💚 This book is heartfelt, romantic, funny, spicy and oh so sweet. And frankly, it’s Dewitt’s best novel yet. I highly recommend. I especially loved how the other members of the Byrd family conspired to help these two— and wonder if there’s a book for Silas or Micah in our futures?!

This is an author I keep reading because social media says I should love her work.. I was definitely curious about Wren and Ellis' story after savor it, so I cautiously picked up the next in the series.

A little childhood friends to lovers, second chance/post divorce romance. When Wren and Ellis turn dropping their son off at college (5 years after their divorce) into a drawn out roadtrip on their return home, is it just that, a roadtrip between co-parents, or is it something more??

I loved the roadtrip stops, I loved the intentionality of Eliss' plans for their week long drive back to Oregon, but y'all the timing felt off for what we knew of how they ended initially (which isn't much), the mis communication was strong leading up to their road trip (which felt a little out of the blue to begin with) and it felt like some of the heavier issues they needed to get past were kind of glossed over.

While I did read savor it, and I am curious about Micah and Silas's stories would want to continue the series in full as this was more interconnected to the first than stand alone, and definitely recommend reading them together.


Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for my review!

Wow…that’s all I can say. This is my first Tarah DeWitt novel and I fear I have aimed too close to the sun because this is just about as perfect a romance as you can get.

Left of Forever is a gut punch of a novel that feels like voyeurism at its most intimate. The narrative follows Wren and Ellis Byrd, former spouses who agree to road trip home together after dropping their son off at college. During their travels, they will be reminded of the happiness they shared, reflect on the circumstances that led to their separation, and decide if a future together is possible again.

DeWitt does a wonderful job at establishing Wren and Ellis’ “before” dynamic so by the time we get the “after,” we’ve seen the lengths these two will go to repair their relationship. We have front row seats to Ellis’ yearning (male yearning is BACK BABY) but we also get to see the active steps he’s taken to change. What I loved most about these two characters was that despite the hardships they’ve faced romantically, they have a silliness and ease that can only be established by knowing someone through all chapters of life. There are moments of genuine humor (the cooking class IYKYK) mixed in amidst the sexier sequences and if that doesn’t encompass what a long time partnership looks like then I don’t know what does.

Speaking of the sexy scenes though…HOT AS HELL! It takes a lot to make me blush and Tarah DeWitt was able to do just that. Second chance hits so hard when it’s done well and the closeness that Wren and Ellis developed in the past magnified their passionate reconnection. Their chemistry proved that the relationship was still salvageable and there wasn’t a moment where I wasn’t rooting for for them to find their way back to each other.

I now need to go back and read the first book in the interconnected series because Sage and Fisher are too adorable for words! I ate up all the scenes with them and the rest of the Byrd clan, and am always a fan of a small town found family.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This second chance romance is EVERYTHING.
It’s sweet, spicy, and has so much depth. It shows us how life can be both messy and beautiful. Honestly, the letters captivated me instantly in the beginning and I could’ve read a whole book just full of them!
I loved this story so completely! It’s a must read.

“This love that I feel for him again is something brand new, like some charred marshmallow skin peeled away, exposing a fresh, gooey, unmarred center. I’d keep getting heart burnt for the rest of my life with him, knowing we can find a new layer underneath. Until every bit of us runs out.”

Tarah, this is your best one yet girl.

Thank you so much to Tarah, St. Martin’s publishing, and NetGalley for this advanced copy!! Out 5/20/25!!

This book was so good! I love when the characters are a little older and more settled in their personal lives, and this book gave me that in spades. Wren and Ellis were both such believable characters because they had both experienced hardship in life, but both also maintained a level of optimism about what their futures, both individual and together, could hold. I was invested in the journeys they were on and the trip they took for their son that ultimately aided in their reconciliation. Their roadtrip was emotional, but there were funny moments peppered throughout that balanced the heavier parts. Tarah did a great job balancing everything, and I never felt like there was a moment when listening that dragged on. With Ellis especially, I loved his growth throughout the book and his willingness to be a better man then he was and to make permanent changes to ensure his relationship with Wren would last. This is a book where you just know, ten years later, the couple is still together. I was invested from the start and felt like the whole book had a sense of completion when I was done, not just with the love story, but with many of the side characters, as well. I would absolutely recommend this book for anyone that lives second chances and more mature main characters. It was a great story, and I can’t wait to read more from Tarah Dewitt!

The second chance, the communication, the trip 😭
I was in complete shambles the last 30% to have a MMC open up about everything he feels really pulls on the heart

Left of Forever
I think all fans of Savor It have been dying to read this ever since Ellis Byrd uttered the words “She’s still a Byrd”, and Ellis and Wren’s book was announced. We knew Ellis and Wren had a story and somehow we knew it wasn’t over.

Ellis and Wren were childhood sweethearts who got pregnant in their last teens. In the present, they have been divorced for 5 years. They are about to see their son Sam off to university and they both find themselves reflecting on how a love like theirs could ever end. Can a week long road trip where they promise to have the hard conversations, confront their feelings and remember the good times bring them together again or are they better left in the past?

Just like Savor It was one of my favourite romances last year, Left of Forever soared to the top of my faves for this year. I *knew* this book would break me in good and bad ways. I am a sucker for a marriage-in-crisis or second chance romance. There’s just something that hits different when the characters have a history and fell so deeply for each other, lost their way or went through some tough times, and finally remember what made them fall in love in the first place. There’s so much depth to their love and their pain. And there is nothing better than seeing that flame reignite!

As with all Tarah’s novels, she so beautifully crafts these characters, captures their emotions and builds the tension and yearning. I laughed, I kicked my feet and I cried like a baby. I fell in love with Ellis and Wren and felt their emotions pour out of the pages. The best love stories are not always the ones about the beginning - sometimes it’s not just about choosing someone, but choosing that same person again and again, for what’s left of forever.

This is the perfect summer read and is out on May 20th. All the stars, all the feels 🥰

Absolutely amazing! I love the return to Spunes and catching up with our favorites from Savor It. Ellis and Wren are realistic and beautifully written. I felt every emotion of their second chance. The story is smart and nuanced. Life is never easy, especially when 2 hurting people are trying to move on, but just can’t let each other go. They dive deep into their past with alternating narratives, and we watch their story unfold as they remember it. Very well done! Also, I caught a couple of Easter eggs from Tarah’s previous books - so fun!
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC to read and review. All opinions are my own.

I feel like this started out with the potentially to be a really great second-chance romance. However, knowing the intentions of both parties really early on in the story made it too predicated and boring. There was no yearning, no pining over the other before we already knew their desires and intentions. It became too corny and predictable, to the point where I probably could’ve just skipped to the end and knew the outcome. I also didn’t buy their divorce story. If they loved each other the way they claimed they did then they would have figured it out the first time around. It felt like they were always madly in love and miscommunication tore them apart. How I loathed the miscommunication trope. Eh it’s was just ok.

Left of Forever is the perfect example of a second chance romance (which is one of our favourite tropes!). Wren and Ellis were childhood friends turned lovers who had to grow up fast after the death of his parents and their own teenage pregnancy. They were caregivers from early on and didn't get a chance to truly nurture their relationship as adults. Now they have the chance to reconnect after dropping their son off at college by going on an extended road trip back home. 

We absolutely loved watching them find their way back to each other. They communicated and were vulnerable with each other. They were scared of messing up it all up again but there was also hope, yearning, and such genuine love between the two. We also loved the road trip adventures they went on. They got to truly focus on each other and shut out the rest of their responsibilities. It was beautiful!

We laughed, we cried and we didn't want this book to end. Drop everything and read this book when it comes out!

Read if you like:
▪️Dual POV
▪️Second Chance
▪️Road trip adventures
▪️Small town & cameos from Savor It

Interconnected stand-alone bringing us back to Spunes and our small town romances. Second chance romances are pretty hit-or-miss for me, and while this one wasn’t a bullseye it was in the right direction.

I LOVE THE BYRDS. Do you like yearning? This book is top tier emotional damage and love. Ellis and Wren are divorced and after the "she's still a byrd!" scene in Savor it I've been desperate for more from them. When their son, Sam, is getting ready to move away to college, both Wren and Ellis are forced back together on a road trip to see if their connection can be rekindled. Spoilers, it fucking can and it's delicious. This is what I want from Second Chance Romance, a connection that truly cannot fade no matter how much time passed.

There's some miscommunication because both kind of jump to conclusions rather than talking. BUT we see Ellis taking tips from therapy and becoming a better self to try to make things work. UGH. My heart. If he wanted to he would!

The audio narration was phenomenal. The performances by Connor Crais & Megan Wicks were filled with so much raw emotion. I loved this so much.

There are some heavier topics regarding birth and motherhood.

🐦 Spicy & Emotional
🐦 Character Driven Story
🐦 Second Chance Romance
🐦 Forced Proximity
🐦 Road Trip
🐦 Found Family

Thank you NetGalley, St Martins Press and Macmillian Audio for the eARC & ALC for review.