This was a second chance romance for the ages! This was so incredibly swoon worthy and romantic, I honestly cannot even stand it!

The first half really got my attention, I was in the feels - crying and giggling. Until the second half, I couldn’t grasp how there was so much emotion and depth that was overshadowed by their physical chemistry.

I’ve only read a few books with divorced couples…but I cried and was in the feels with this one. The emotional turmoil these two had brought me to tears and hoping they’d come back to each other.

However, it bugged me that Ellis did the work for himself and waited before even attempting anything. We barely see Wren do the work.

It was beautiful until it all that emotional baggage was cast aside for physical want. It was like they had sex goggles. Which made it difficult to take serious the moments when they were vulnerable.

A lot of the things they should’ve said they don’t (the internal dialogue gives a glimpse into their feelings but they’re never said aloud).

Also how do you know someone that long and not recognize their writing??

Fresh off reading Savor It, I was excited to pick up Left of Forever. It started out really strong. I love Wren and Ellis as characters and the way DeWitt handled sensitive topics (divorce, infertility, pregnancy loss) was done so well. Around the 75% mark, it sort of lost me. Without spoilers, there was an ice cream incident that just took me so far out of the plot and romance of it all. The pacing of the last 25% was pretty quick compared to the rest of the book. Definitely refreshing to pick up a romance with no miscommunications or third act breakups. Overall, a sweet romance - love a forced proximity trope! 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

- Dual POV
- Second Chance Romance
- Forced Proximity/Road trip setting
- Small town
- Spicy

Thank you to NetGalley, and St. Martin's Press for the eARC!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for an ARC to read and review! All thoughts are my own.

I know why people are loving this one so far. Especially second chance, small town lovers. There are a lot of sweet moments and you can tell that by the end, these two really love one another and are meant to be together. DeWitt has created a really beautiful community and cast of characters in Spunes.

With that being said, I struggled to get through this one, which was a bummer after LOVING Savor It. I found the pacing to be really slow, especially in the beginning, and the letters and inner monologues were too wordy and cringy for me sometimes. It didn’t feel realistic a lot of the time. The spice was really spicy, and although I knew these two had known each other before and been married, it got intense quickly, and I felt like it almost took away from the relationship building. I wish I there had been more background and time bringing themselves back to each other, because I didn’t really understand why they were getting back together at that particular time.

I’ll probably read any others from this interconnected series, but this just wasn’t my fav.

Oh the romance in this one! I loved the second-chance between Ellis and Wren - filled with realness and steam and so much hope. Can’t wait to see what Tarah DeWitt does next!

I was expecting to NOT like this one (I mean...the characters are named Wren Salem Meridian Byrd and Ellis Orion Byrd. Yikes.), but I fell wholeheartedly in love with these two messy individuals. I usually can't get over my qualms (like the math wasn't mathing...a 33 year old woman who had a baby at 17 would have a 16 year old, not a college student), but Ellis and Wren made me a believer in their story. Their love is true and deep, and it was lovely to see them take on the world and navigate who they are post-divorce. The road trip trope works very well here, and DeWitt proves time and time again that she is one of the best spice-writers in the game right now.

One thing to note: I did not read Savor It. I think people who read Savor It will enjoy this more. It was still enjoyable (I mean, obviously, I gave this five stars), but I think Savor It fans may appreciate the cameos more. I was kind of confused.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for an eARC in exchange for my honest review!

If I could give this book 6 stars, I would!!
While it is so clear that Wren and Ellis belong together, they have a long history that needs to be unpacked and picked apart before the two of them come back together again. While Wren is hesitant at first, Ellis is all in to get his wife back, after all she is still and always will be a Byrd. The journey they take to rediscover and learn who they both are after 5 years apart is absolutely beautiPul! Tarah DeWitt handles this relationship and complicated past with so much love and care, it is clear that she poured her entire heart into this story and it absolutely delivered. This without a doubt is a top read o- 2025 and is a must-read!!!

thank you st. martin's press and netgalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review!

Last of Forever by Tarah Dewitt

5 stars

Tropes:
Second chance romance
Small town vibes
Found family and close relatives
roadtrip/ forced proximity
One bed

Ms. Tarah has slayedddd this one. Second chance romance can be SUCH a hit or miss for me but this was delicious fr. The prose alone is phenomenal and kept me reading alone, but I loved the relationship between the MCs. My favorite part about this book is that it covered such mature topics in a really great way. It talked about why love is not always enough, and that relationships are work. Hard work. But you have to continuously choose each other, but sometimes you need a break. Sometimes the best thing you can do is step away to come back together again. This book was soooo yummy and I had such a fun time reading it. It totally pulled me out of my reading slump so truly thank you Tarah Dewitt.

Tarah Dewitt’s Left of Forever is an emotionally poignant and beautifully written exploration of love, loss, and the complexities of self-discovery. The novel follows a young protagonist navigating the turbulence of personal growth and relationships, set against the backdrop of a compelling and relatable journey.
What sets Left of Forever apart is the author’s ability to dive into the nuances of human experience. She captures the bittersweet moments and the quiet joys that define the course of life.
While the plot may seem familiar at first glance, Dewitt crafts a unique narrative that keeps readers engaged with its unexpected twists and insightful themes. The novel doesn’t rely on gimmicks or drama, instead focusing on quiet moments of realization and self-acceptance that will resonate deeply with readers.
The only reason this book doesn't earn a full five stars is that, at times, the pacing felt a bit slow, which could turn off readers who prefer faster-moving plots. However, for those who appreciate introspective stories with emotional depth, Left of Forever is undoubtedly a rewarding read.
In the end, Left of Forever is a book about finding your place in the world, and the characters’ journey will stay with you long after you turn the final page. If you’re looking for a thoughtful and heartwarming story, this one is well worth the read.

Sorry the way this book has put me in an endless book slump….. I can never recover! Enter Ellis the mmc that I dubbed as the yearnest yearn that’s ever yearned. I keep saying I need to do a rank list of mc who’ve reached the peak of yearness. So far Ellis is in my top five!!!!! Ugh without giving spoilers I just need you to know that Wren and Ellis are the epitome of “whatever happens in any universe I will find you”. You guys don’t understand how hard I was clutching my heart throughout this read.

I want to thank NetGalley, St. Martin press and the Queen Tarah Dewitt for this ARC. This has truly been one of my favorites of the year!!!

Sometimes I just don’t know what to do with myself when it comes to a second-chance romance. The concept of yearning and devotion itself already has it’s positives but reading it in action is just a fist tightening around my heart.

Left of Forever is a dual POV, interconnected standalone following Wren Byrd & Ellis Byrd’s story with a jumping timeline so buckle up and get ready for your heart to crack wide open. There are a lot of emotionally charged topics of conversation surrounding medical health of many characters and how that impacted the couple’s relationship.

This story was heartache wrapped up in a pretty bow in the best way possible. The pacing was absolutely perfect, giving you the opportunity to see the characters in the before and the after divorce + how it affected them. This is one of those reads where it feels nearly impossible to put the book down because you’re consumed in the possibilities.

I’m also really excited to be back in the Spunes Universe and following up on all the characters I know and love. Would definitely love to see more stories surrounding the other two Byrd brothers.

Pub Date: May 20 2025

ARC provided by St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley. Thank you.

review posted to NetGalley & Goodreads

A resounding 5-stars!!! Tarah DeWitt's best one yet 😭 I've been dying for this story as soon as Wren & Ellis were mentioned in the same breath, on the same page. The build up for this one was soo worth the wait. If you look up the word yearning in the dictionary it actually just says "Ellis Byrd". lol I think second-chance romance fans will eat this one up. Tarah has this insane ability to really humanize her characters and make them (or their circumstances) relatable, when they otherwise wouldn't be. Like she has people out here wanting to divorce their husbands just to fall in love with them again! (it's me, I'm people 😂).

& I'm sorry but I think I'll stand ten toes on business @ anyone who has anything bad to say about the "lack" of communication between these two. 🫵🏼 especially if you've never had the privilege of experiencing an unexpected pregnancy, postpartum depression, infertility, and/or pregnancy loss.

I. LOVED. THIS. BOOK. Second chance romance is not my fave but the way the author used it to make this book BETTER - I’m so impressed. Its a slow burn but not a slow burn because we got spoiled with so many GOOD flashbacks. The spice was literally perfect.

I loved the setting & close proximity. I loved how much we got to see the FMC and MMC communicate and work through things. Also literally obsessed with Ellis.

No third act breakup or miscommunication?! I honestly cannot believe, I felt spoiled. I can’t think of anyone that wouldn’t enjoy this truly.

My onlyyyy tiny critique is the speed at which the last couple chapters went and the somewhat weird conversation the FMC/MMC had with their kid (in fact most of the interactions with Sam were a little off to me). There were also maybe a bit too many mentions of things in Savor It that I just didn’t really need for the plot. But this is me being nitpicky so it’s a 4.5 rounded up to a 5.

Anyways loved it. Will be making Tarah DeWitt an auto read author from now on.

Fun, lighthearted, and sexy this was a great time. it's hard not to root for two people who so obviously always belong together.

Absolutely delightful! Lots of swooning on my end. Very relatable FMC who is familiar with Waiting Syndrome, the terrors of having to wash your face, and letting your mental health depend on the fates of innocent creatures. This book made me laugh and cry… sorry for how cliche that is but it did happen to me and will probably happen to you too. Lovable side cast of characters too.

A second-chance romance that takes place over a cozy and reflective summer week. There's nothing like a couple who knows each other so intimately and innately even after divorcing 4 years ago.

"She's still a Byrd" !!!

Thank you to St Martin's for providing me with a digital review copy of this book!

This one hurt so good! I’m obsessed.

Wren and Ellis’ marriage fell apart five years ago. A random chance led them to becoming pen pals and Ellis realizing how much he was still in love with his wife. He winds up pursuing her by proposing a trip together after they drop their son off at college and the rest is pure ✨magic✨.

The way these two fight for their love all these years later after going through SO much is so beautiful.

Also cried my eyes out when they dropped Sam off at college and she talks about dropping him off at preschool, I could not hold it together. Being a parent is so full of these hard little goodbyes - plus getting used to being a couple again outside of just being parents is tough. The way Tarah portrays this push and pull of parenthood and marriage is literally stunning. I don’t even have the right words. I would recommend this to ANYONE although please tread lightly if you are in a stage of TTC as it deals with a lot of infertility and loss.

I can’t wait to go back and read Savor It now, knowing how much all of these characters love and protect each other throughout life’s up and downs.

Thank you so much to St Martin’s Press and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book for an honest review! I fear I will be insufferable and will not shut up about this book now!

Wren and Ellis grew up together, fell in love, and ended up having their son, Sam, when they were teenagers. Yet despite being seemingly made for one another, their marriage fell apart leading them to divorce. Their lives are separate from one another, with Wren running a bakery and Ellis working as a firefight, coming together whenever it comes to their son. When Sam gets accepted into college, the former couple moves him in and then decide to road-trip along the California coast-line to see if they’re able to work through everything and fall back into one another.

There’s something incredibly special about not just a second-chance romance, but a book that ends up showing the complexities of young love turned into something that was meant to last forever. We get the right amount of glimpses into their childhoods from those first moments of falling in love at such an awkward age, to the fear of becoming parents at such a young age. My heart hurt so desperately as we watched the two of them no longer fight through hard times, but then found myself crying as they realized there was still time to fall back into one another.

It’s hard for me to have words as someone who found their love and lost their love, only to find that same love once again.

I loved this book, so much.

What a ride.

Ellis and Wren have been in each other's orbit since they were 6 years old. Getting pregnant at 17, and separating after some heart breaking life circumstances ends their marriage in their late 20's. They've stayed cordial co-parents and their son Sam is off to college. As a send off, they decide to take a road trip and see if they can make it work a second time around, or at least be better friends. Lots of heartache and secrets are unleashed.

What i loved:
🐦The meddling Byrd Family and secondary characters were a hoot. I didn't realize that this was a second book in a series though, you know how I am a stickler for order, but that didn't stop me from enjoying the rollercoaster of love and loss. I hope this expands and we get books for the whole Byrd family.

♥️ Wren and Ellis transition from kids to teens to parents, to divorced single people. Lots of feels as a fellow parent, their evolution was bittersweet. Tarah DeWitt did an amazing job making you feel their long term relationship struggles.

🍷I was absolutely dying of laughter at their road trip adventures, especially at the villa. Speaking of spice....

💌 Ellis' pining and confessions. He's such a great MMC. The 🌶️ really was spicy.

✍🏻 Completely bingeable book and read it in one sitting. Tarah DeWitt is a new to me author, but you bet I'm going to look into her back log of books. Starting with Savor It.

Thanks to @netgalley @stmartinspress for this beautiful arc.
Pub date: May 20, 2025
Rating: 5 ⭐

After being in a reading slump I read this one so fast! When I read savor it, I knew Wren and Ellis’s story would make an excellent book and Dewitt nailed it. Second chance romance perfection.