This book had so much pain, regret, and yearning on the part of both Wren and Ellis. Even though they had gotten through getting pregnant as teens and raised their son until he was a teen, they had never really figured out how to effectively communicate with each other, so when their relationship started falling apart, neither could figure out how to try to save it. As a result, the relationship self-destructed, although it was clear that neither of them wanted it to.

Several years later, Ellis has finally gotten himself to a therapist (big shout out for the positive portrayal of therapy for the MMC) and realizes he's not willing to let go of Wren for good without making one more try at reconnecting. He just has to be open to finally talking about what went wrong and convince Wren to do the same.

The perfect opportunity presents itself when they jointly go to drop their son off for his first year of college and Wren agrees to spend a week with him on the way home. There were so many emotional and heartfelt moments between them and it was clear they still adored each other as they slowly worked out their issues.

I'm sometimes skeptical of second chance romances unless there's been sufficient growth/change on the characters' parts but I feel like in this case, Wren and Ellis had changed in meaningful enough ways. My biggest niggle was that there were way too many bedroom scenes, but the love and yearning came through loud and clear. My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.

A second chance romance done right! A realistic love story wrapped in every bit of emotion and feelings that entrance you. I loved this one a lot more than the first book, as I enjoyed the pacing, the chemistry, and a kind of intimate look into the minds of Wren & Ellis.

Ellis & Wren have been divorced for five years now but they have been co-parenting their son Sam beautifully and cordially. Now they are about to send him off to college, and Ellis asks Wren to take this road trip with him and spend some time revisiting their relationship. As she reluctantly agrees to it, Wren can see Ellis is honestly making an effort, and what if they still have a chance at their great love. Why Ellis makes this request, what re-kindles that fight in them is something sweet and fateful. We get to know both of these people through bits of flashbacks and also through their honest conversations on this trip.

This whole thing felt so mesmerising and i loved how it was a dual pov, giving a peek into their innermost thoughts, their mutual pining, making me root for them.

Since this journey involves forced proximity, yes there are spicy moments that make it more interesting. I would like to think Tarah did a good job balancing the importance of communication, intention, therapy, action, grovelling with physical attraction.

Also, this is a perfect example of - “if he wanted, he would”. Also, no question about Ellis coming out as top book husbands 🙌

“Miles and miles of serpentine road, one long sunset and a whole damn sunrise, plus a lifetime’s worth of memories. And I spend every second of it coming to accept that I’m still in love with my wife.”

You should expect deep gut wrenching, emotional vulnerability & the soft intimate yearning of truly loving, and losing, someone who has whole heartedly been yours.

Wren & Ellis…these poor babies have spent most of their lives loving one another, growing up and with each other until love finally brings them together as a family. That is until five years ago when it came tumbling down, but when fate or kismet brings they together unknowingly- will they find forever again?

Tarah…there will never be enough or the right words for what you’ve given us readers in this story. The emotional wreckage I experienced (about 18 times if i counted correctly), the deep yearning on the characters behalf, the laughter that sprang out of me at their banter and the glowing feeling within when their love shone through the heartbreak🧡 LOF changed my DNA, my soul’s chemistry and the way i think of love- perfectly imperfect with the human you are one with.

4.5/5



Second-chance romance with a divorced couple just hits different, in the best way. Ellis and Wren love each other deeply, and their emotional connection was intense, but somewhere along the way, they lost that spark. Watching them claw their way back to each other was healing, beautiful, and truly made this a special love story. The narrators brought the emotions to life and made me feel everything the characters were going through. They were fantastic, definitely try this one on audio!⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

4.5 On His Knees Begging ✨'s

Left of Forever is a gritty and raw second chance romance full of emotion, love, and so much yearning. The journey of Ellis and Wren coming back to themselves and realizing they want to try and mend their relationship after five years of separation was breathtakingly gentle and captivating. I loved that the two never strayed from the hard conversations and knew they had to address their issues before moving on. Their love story was just beautiful, and I appreciated that it spanned throughout the years, and we got to experience them at their best and worst. Ellis, in particular, had so much character growth and redemption; he reflected and grew into the man he knew Wren deserved, and it was so amazing how open and honest he was. Not to mention, their reconnection was completely satisfying and flowed so well with the road trip and cute little excursions they went on. I loved getting to explore every facet of their relationship and dig into their unyielding love for each other. If you're a fan of romances that are just as likely to make you cry as they are to make you laugh and swoon, I cannot recommend this book enough.

A beautiful and emotional story of love and healing. Left of Forever is one of those reads that’s tender, heartbreaking, and romantic. Tarah Dewitt crafts a story with the perfect balance of emotional healing and slow burn romance. This was my first book by her, and I can’t wait to devour more of her work!

Read if you enjoy:
✨ Second chance
✨ Small town romance
✨ Divorced parents
✨ Childhood friends to lovers
✨ Forced proximity
✨ Baker & firefighter

And let’s not forget the cooking class scene, I was cackling like a lunatic! The chemistry is electric, the tension is off the charts, and when things finally heat up, I was basically melting.

Left of Forever is heartfelt, witty, and absolutely unforgettable. It might make you cry a little, laugh a lot, and fall head over heels in love.

Thank you so much You Had Me At HEA for the eARC.

Beware of reading this book in public spaces! This one had me crying tears of sadness hope and joy on my plane ride today. This book is my all time favorite of Tarah’s and is a top favorite of the year! I absolutely adored Wren and Ellis. Watching their journey back together rebuilding trust and communication was so beautiful. They put in the work and really opened up to be honest and vulnerable while maintaining a place of love. I couldn’t put this book down because I was so captivated with their story. It was truly moving. Honorable mention to the rest of the Byrd family who clearly loved these two hard. I highly recommend that everyone run out and get this book. Fans of second chance romances like Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan will eat this one up!

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press for the eARC. I finished this book, put my kindle down and said “Damn, that was good.” From the beginning I was gripped in a feral emotional grip as I traveled the journey to reconciliation between Wren and Ellis. This is not a spoiler. This is clearly marketed as a second-chance romance and for many that trope is not liked. However, I am a sucker for people fighting their own selves to get back to each other. There is nothing more human than realizing you made a mistake and work to fix it. This is crack for me and this book has me shaking on the side of the road with an overdose. I loved every freaking minute of this book. Ellis Byrd you mustachioed thick-thighed fireman, may you forever remain fictional because when people read about you they will not treat you like the gentleman you are. He is kind, dedicated, focused (so focused on Wren that I’m sweating for her) and a really good man. Wren is also hot and a mess but she is a strong well made female heroine that I can relate to as a mom. Wren and Ellis are meant to be and they have been apart for five years. However, circumstances have brought them back together.

Tarah DeWitt can write a scene people. Very good scenes. This story had secret letters, a roadtrip, ONE BED, forced proximity up the wazoo, baked goods, literally spicy body parts, meddling family members (but all out of love), and some of the best (eventual) communication between a couple. Great read.

I’ve had a hard time coming up with a review that will hopefully, accurately describe the beauty of this book. Ellis and Wren are two flawed people with a love so raw and real. The writing is captivating and emotional from beginning to end as you read about their growth separately and together throughout the years. It dives into emotional ties and the depth of parenthood. I cried big, fat tears reading the last few chapters. I love this series. These characters have my heart and I can’t wait for the next book!!!

Thank you for the advanced copy!

4 stars. This book just mostly wasn’t for me. The MCs had fantastic chemistry, and the book did a good job of explaining their backstory in a way that it was believable. I wish I connected with this author more. Also, S-tier contemporary romance cover, damn. This was better than the first book in the series, so if you were like me and wishing for more of these two while reading that one, you’ll probably have a good time with this.

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

I absolutely loved this beautiful second chance romance! I loved the flashbacks of their relationship early on, while also navigating the difficulty of the present. I loved that Ellis worked on himself first before pursuing Wren, and I also really appreciated that this was written when their child is out of the house so that it could actually focus on what they want and not have the high stakes of trying to keep a family together. It felt more genuine that way. I love the community that Tarah DeWitt writes and I would love to see more!

“My DNA mixed with yours, and it altered your very bones, Byrd.”

Same — DNA, brain chemistry and soul changed forever 😭 Damn Tarah DeWitt for making me a foul of myself for ever saying second chance was my least favorite trope! Oh have you proved me wrong, Left of Forever will go down as one of my all time favorite books.

I’m still sobbing at the absolute perfection that were Wren and Ellis. The LOVE, the pining, the yearning and the absolute begging and whimpering and just agonizing cries this book contained. You have unleashed a rabid, feral animal and I will never shut up about this book.

Second chance romances are very much hit or miss for me. This was a HIT!!

The way Tarah walked us through their past, let us in on their thoughts and emotions, set the scenes up, and had these character communicate??? I was invested! 😩

These childhood friends-to-lovers made perfect sense until hardships got the best of them. This story really showed how love can be affected if hardships aren't navigated as a couple. However, even years after splitting, Wren and Elliot haven't quite moved on from each other. In a spontaneous, "job well done" trip after dropping their son off at college, this is their opportunity to lay out all their cards and figure out where they stand with each other.

The communication in this book is everything to me. The growth! The declarations, speeches, and confessions. MY HEART!! I love them so much and I was rooting for them the entire time. A sweet, spicy romance for all the second chance lovers out there.

There is also found family which I always love! That being said, this is book #2 of an interconnected series and while it can technically be read on its own; I do recommend reading book #1 first as those characters and storylines do bleed into this one. ❤️

A beautiful portrayal of two people who once deeply loved each other trying to piece things back together. I loved how Tarah conveys vulnerability, history, and hope in this book.

As someone who isn’t married yet, I was still able to connect with this story. This book stood on its own and didn’t need the usual flashback chapters that we see with second chance romances.

I really appreciated the character growth that we see from Ellis in this book. He starts off as being sort of emotionally stilted but evolves wonderfully.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press & Tarah DeWitt for the chance to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book was so gentle and sweet and wonderful and horny and reaffirming and loving and real. I LOVED IT.

I HATE that Wren & Ellis took a five year break. But they were so young and needed to grow. BUT I think this book could be a great tool for a reader, if their partnership is struggling, to take a pause and think: are we leaving things unsaid? What part of my needs aren't met? Am I letting my partner know what I need? Am I giving them what they need? We should try therapy! SO don't be like Wren & Ellis by losing those five years. Start your what's LEFT OF FOREVER now!

After Savor It- I begged for Ellis and Wren. THANK YOU! Now I must BEG for Kirby and Micah!!! Pllllllleeeeaasssee!!

Wow. This book has some of the best lines and most beautiful thoughts! It is one of the most tender and beautiful love stories I've read. You can feel Ellis' and Wren's yearning and pining from page 1. The depth of emotions still flowing out of these 2 was so good.

I loved the way the story was woven between the past and the present. It really opened up their feelings and events to us in the perfect way. I loved Ellis' commitment and dedication to doing what HE needed to do to be in a place where he could contribute to a working relationship. He was willing to change himself. Similarly, Wren recognized some things she could do better as well. They both were vulnerable and open and able to make those deep connections. I loved the idea that we can be the change - that don't have to just wait for the other person to change. And sometimes the changes we make in ourselves make all the difference.

This is may not be popular thought - but I actually wish there was less spice and more of that tension and connection. The emotional connection is what makes the story so beautiful, it doesn't have to have all the spice. :) And the second half was almost drowning in the spice. You could have taken that yearning all the way up to 80/85% of the book and I would have been there for all of it!

I cried at the end. Couldn't help myself!

Stars: 4.5
Content: multiple open door, strong language

PS - the narrators are FANTASTIC!

Second Chances are always hard for me to love, but let me tell you I LOVED THIS ONE!! Ellis and Wren are truly special and I can’t wait for the rest of the world to be as captivated and watch them fall back in love again! They were always each others person but falling in love and staying in love comes with challenges that are sometimes so frustrating and out of your control that you end up angry with the world and sometimes take it out on people who don’t deserve it and this story really captures that essence of letting go of control. It has me believing that if you set a persons free you have to hope and pray that they come back to you if your love was true!

Thank you to St. Martins Press and Tarah for letting me experience this great love story before it hits the shelves 🩷

5 stars 100% on of the best Second Chance romances I have had the privilege to read! Ellis and Wren were everything and more! From chapter one was hooked, Tarah has that way when it comes to her writing, I am always hooked. I will recommend this book to everyone!

4.5/5 Stars

Thank you to St Martin’s Griffin for providing me with an arc.

I absolutely loved Savor It last year so I was very excited for this one and it didn’t disappoint. I was worried how the second chance divorced couple arc would go but it worked really well. I loved these two and I loved seeing them come back together. I really believe they will last past the end of this book and I can’t wait to read more from this author. This author’s writing works so well for me and captivates my attention the entire book. I am very excited to see what is next especially after this one.

Tarah DeWitt has done it again — Left of Forever completely stole my heart. I loved this book from beginning to end. The emotional depth and slow unraveling of Wren and Ellis’s relationship was so beautifully done. Watching them drift apart and then slowly, tenderly find their way back to each other was incredibly heartwarming. It felt real and raw in all the best ways.

The flirty banter between Wren and Ellis? Chef’s kiss. I absolutely ate it up! It was the perfect mix of charm, longing, and humor, and it made their dynamic so fun to read while still carrying that emotional weight underneath.

I also love that we’re continuing the Byrd family stories after Savor It. Getting more of this world and these characters feels like being welcomed back home, and I’m already looking forward to whatever comes next. DeWitt writes with such sincerity and warmth — this one is going to stay with me for a long time.