Thank you @youhadmeathea @netgalley for the free arc and @macmilian.audio for the alc 💖.

🗓️Out May 20, 2025

✨What it is about:
Wren and Ellis Byrd, once teenage sweethearts and now divorced co-parents, take a road trip together after their son leaves for college. As they revisit old feelings along the California coast, they must confront the pain of their past to see if love deserves a second chance, or if it’s time to finally let go.✨

💭My thoughts:
This story is one of the best trips you’ll go on, guaranteed.
It’s my first book by Tarah DeWitt, but definitely not my last. I have Savor it on my shelf and will now get to it asap. This story was absolutely real, raw, sexy, romantic, and most of all, beautiful. The story grabs your attention from the start and pulls at your heartstrings the whole way through. If you haven’t preordered, I suggest you do. RIGHT. NOW. This isn't just a love story, it is a journey of healing, vulnerability, and connection. You'll laugh, and maybe even shed some tears along the way. I’m not saying another word, as it’s best if you experience each little moment for yourself.
🎧Narrated by Connor Crais and Megan Wicks, who both did an amazing job. Crais brought Ellis to life with a grounded, emotionally restrained yet vulnerable tone, while Wicks gave Wren a soft, thoughtful voice. They made each character shine. A truly great listen.

5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Read if you like:
💖Divorced couple
💖Second chance romance
💖Meant to be
💖Found family
💖Mutual pinning
💖Road trip

⚠️CW: Ectopic pregnancy (off the page), mentions of infertility, explicit language, death of an unknown character by fire (off the page), explicit sexual content.

left of forever (deserves all of the stars) 💓♾️📖✨🕊️

This book wrecked me and put me back together more times than I can count. I’m usually so picky about second chance romances, and it is safe to say, this one was executed beautifully. 🥹

I saw so many pieces of myself in both Ellis and Wren. Their characters were written with such depth, and this book was filled with raw emotion and love. At times, these characters felt so real to me that I genuinely felt like I was invading their privacy lol!! You could feel the depth and history of their connection in every moment. This book captured the beauty of truly knowing your partner on every level, and how intimate that kind of understanding and knowledge can be.

The longing, the pining, the tension, and the yearning? Absolute perfection!!! 🤌🏻 And their communication? I LOVED it!! It brought me so much joy to see two people who were both willing to put in the work to better themselves individually and the relationship as a whole. 🥹 Relationships aren’t easy, so I appreciated seeing the acknowledgment of their past mistakes and their growth in these particular areas!!!

The overall storyline of this book was also so enjoyable with the pen-pal situation at the beginning and then the road trip throughout (and also very thoughtful… iykyk 😭)!

I cannot recommend this book enough (take this as your sign to please read it!!) and I am eager for whatever comes next! 🥹

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press & Netgalley for the e-arc! 💓

Never will stop thinking about Wren and Ellis for the rest of my days. When I think of the epitome of second chance romances, I will use this book as a source of everything because the yearning, the pining, the actual WORK and communication the two characters put into finding their way back to each other, especially with the things left unsaid between them was absolutely delicious and I cannot and will not be able to scream about this read enough. Tarah Dewitt has written so many of my favorite romances, but this Spune's series sincerely takes the cake for me, I crave more.

“I’m just saying. My DNA mixed with yours, and it altered your very bones, Byrd.” - Ellis

I think this book altered my brain chemistry

“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.”

All the stars! I’ve been waiting for this book since last year and I decided to take my time with it. I knew it would make me cry and I thought a couple of times from the very beginning until about 90% that maybe I could hold it together. But at the very end the birds got me 🥹🥹🥹

You meet Wren and Ellis Byrd in the first book, Savor It. They are currently divorced but at a town hall meeting when someone calls Wren by her maiden name Ellis loudly proclaims “she’s still a Byrd.” At that moment you know there is still love there and I was smitten.

Wren and Ellis got pregnant young and got married and when their son is about a teenager, their marriage starts to fall apart. They divorce and 5 years later even as they try to avoid each other they can’t avoid the love they had or the past they shared.

Now their son is headed to college and Ellis wants his wife back. So he suggests on their way back from dropping off their son that he and Wren take a road trip back home. She reluctantly agrees and what a trip it was. 🥹🥹🥹🥹

I lost track of how many times I teared up. The yearning and tension were perfectly executed. I have a knot in my throat, thinking about how lovely both POVs were and how Ellis and Wren needed that space to come back together.

I was Team Wrellis from the moment Ellis said “she’s still a Byrd!” in Savor it and I’ll stay Team Wrellis for whatever is left of forever 🥹

Thank you, St. Martin’s Press, for the e-ARC!

4.5 // I loved this, but I think I had a bit too high of expectations going in. This was really solid for me, but it's not a new all-time favorite like I expected it to be. I found the time jumps between the prologue, "Fall" section, and "Spring" section to be a little odd, but I do think it worked for the story that DeWitt was trying to tell. The writing here was amazing: so many beautiful lines! There was so much rawness to the emotions of both Wren and Ellis that comes through perfectly on the page. There's something so special and emotional to me about second chance romances (especially of the marriage-in-crisis variety), and I loved seeing these two find their way back to one another and remember the love they used to shar

📖: 🌟🌟🌟🌟.5/5
🥵: 🌶️🌶️/5

Left of Forever follows divorced co-parents Ellis and Wren Byrd. Having fallen pregnant as teenagers, they divorced when their son Sam was 12. Now he's 18 and preparing to head off to college, so they decide to spend some time together figuring out why their relationship feels so unfinished.

I absolutely loved this story! I adored Savor It, and I was so happy to hear the Tarah was going to write the Ellis/Wren story the whole of bookstagram was calling for. That one line made everyone fall head of heels for Ellis, and I'm so glad they lived up to the expectations!

I really enjoyed how a lot of this story was told through recollections or flashbacks. It definitely helps to cement our understanding of why Wren and Ellis are who they are. Seeing them at different stages of their relationship and parenthood added so much depth and feeling. Their story was so heartbreaking, and I loved seeing them work to put themselves back together.

Ellis was such an interesting character because of his relationships with his siblings. He's always had to be the strong one, providing for and protecting them. This, and the loss of both his parents, makes him close himself of off. He stops truly living for himself, and this ultimately takes a toll on his marriage. However, we love to see a man putting👏in👏the👏work👏. When he knows he wants Wren back, he sort his stuff out, he's working on himself, and their relationship is all the better for it.

Wren was such a strong character. She is there to help others, especially her mum and Sam, and looks out for herself. The grief she goes through trying to conceive another baby was heartbreaking, and it would understandably put strain on a relationship. I loved her relationships with all the Byrd siblings, and of course Indy as well!

Overall, a really enjoyable story, with some super cute cameos from LaRynn and Declan! As a Tarah Dewitt fan, this was so exiting. I can't wait to see what Tarah writes next!

⭐ 4.5
🌶️ 2
🥵 Spicy chapters: 4, 30, 33, 34
📚 Tropes/Themes: firefighter MMC, baker FMC, Second chance, it's always been you, epistolary, first love, childhood sweethearts, forced proximity, small town, soulmates
👀 Dual POV 1st person
🧠 Triggers: infertility, pregnancy loss
🛍️ Available: May 20th

💬 This book was simply.... Phenomenal. There's something about Tarah Dewitt's writing that I am obsessed with. It's swoony, beautiful and melancholic, romantic and emotional. It's like it burrowed into my brain and I can't stop thinking about it.

She just has this way of writing the ups and downs of life that is so beautiful and messy and full of tenderness and heart. I'm honestly not sure how to adequately describe it. It breaks your heart into pieces and puts it all back together.

Obviously the story is about a divorced couple reuniting but I think it's also a really good story for couples who have simply been together for a long time, who have moved past the newness of marriage and babies and are in the thick of day to day monotony of raising kids/adulting/living.

I've been with my husband for 16 years and our relationship is very different from what it was when we first got together. I think it's not uncommon for things to creep up into a marriage, like roadblocks. Some of them you can move past easily but others are harder to work through and I think this book was a really good ✨ hopeful ✨ example of how that affecs a relationship and how you can come back from it.

I loved pretty much everything about the road trip, obviously lol, but especially how they finally started really communicating and not holding back- opening up about everything even the scary parts, even the hard parts. I think this is the kind of spicy chick lit I've been looking for. I'm feral these more deep, introspective type stories but I feel like most the time when I read them there's barely any spice 🤣

Also, standing ovation for the cooking class. I have not laughed that hard in a long time 😂🍦

Basically this book is SO GOOD and I think everyone should read it. 🐦

Many thanks to @youhadmeathea and @macmillan.audio for the #gifted digital and audio copies of this STUNNING book that left me sobbing from both sadness and joy. #macaudio2025

Wren and Ellis Byrd became childhood friends, fell in love as high schoolers, grew up fast when they became parents as teenagers and tried hard to make their marriage work, but ultimately divorced five years ago. However, neither let go of their fierce love for the other. Their son is heading to college, and they need to get him there. Ellis proposes a post-drop-off road trip to see if there might be something left between them. As they embrace the adventure of their journey, they also grapple with what led to their divorce and what they need from each other in the future.

I cannot think of any author more adept at capturing raw emotion than Tarah DeWitt. All of her books have done me in - one way or another. I thought nothing could top Fisher's "It's been a privilege to fall in love with you" in Savor It, but Left of Forever had me highlighting quotes nonstop through tears of sadness and joy. DeWitt also captures what the breakup of a marriage does to those who love both people with such heartache and tenderness. As a mom who dropped a child off at college, she perfectly captured the joy of getting your child to this milestone with the unbridled panic of leaving them on their own. I felt like I relived it reading this book. I cannot put into words how much I loved this story.

🎧 Audiobook Thoughts 🎧 Connor Crais and Megan Wicks are ideally suited to voice this story. Their performances are breathtaking. I highly recommend this audio and added some others they voice (individually and together) to my TBR. (9h 18m)

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins press for this E-ARC.

This is now my second Tarah DeWitt book and she is one of my autobuy authors now. Their writing is hilarious and cute. Easy to read books with beautiful banter. Also spice! This book especially had my heart. I didn’t know I was such a fan of the second chance trope but wow. I love it. I had the best time reading this book. There was even a little mention of people from the first book I read of Tarah’s, it’s not set in the same place but it was cute that they were mentioned quickly.

Wren and Ellis fell in love with each other when they were young. They had a kid when they were 17 and stayed married while struggling to remember why they had fallen in love. They were made for each other though. Life happened and they drifted a part until they couldn’t repair the damage that had been done and they got a divorce.
A wild fire breaks out and Wren finds out that two horses have been lost in the midst of it. She decides to send a letter attached with some baked goods to the firefighters who are fighting the fire to see if they have any news on these horses. Fate brings that letter to Ellis.
Fate, along with everyone else in their lives knows that they are meant to be together. Their son goes off to college and Wren and Ellis drive him there and then roadtrip back together. Will this romantic journey home bring them close together? Will they realize that their lives are meant to be spent together?
You’ll have to read and find out. You won’t be disappointed!

Oh my, I think I needed this book. This was my first book of Tarah's, and it was impeccable. I am a second-chance romance girl because this was simply the kind of romance book I devour. Seeing Wren and Ellis grow and fall apart within the pages was so special. Their past only allowed them to grow into the couple they became by the end of the book, and even though it wasn't shown a ton, their parenting skills made Sam into an amazing kid. I can not wait to read Savor It, and I am so glad that I was able to receive this early. I will 100% be going to buy this on release day, it was everything and more.

Thank you to the author and St. Martin's Press for a copy of this in exchange for an honest review.

Left of Forever by Tarah DeWitt eARC Review

What a beautiful story about a second chance at love. This was such an emotional rollercoaster and was the perfect example of how marriage and relationships can have ups and downs.

Ellis and Wren have such a unique and priceless story. Childhood friends to lovers, pregnancy at a young age and divorce— even though neither of them are ready to put an official end to their story. After their son goes to college the two of them take a trip to celebrate and see if there is a possibility of rekindling things between them.

Tarah’s writing is so captivating. Watching Ellis and Wren finally open up to each other and talk about all the things they kept bottled up inside was a such a perfect representation of how feelings and marriage can get pushed to the back burner because life happens and we start to take things for granted.

What to expect:
Divorced couple
Childhood lovers
Small town
Second chance
Road trip
Child (in college)

Thank you Tarah and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this as an ARC for my honest opinion and review!

Left of Forever had me sobbing in just the first 20%, I knew it was going to be a banger. I loved this book and these characters so much. Their relationship was so deeply rooted in history and love and pain. I couldn't stop. The letters, and journaling and emails were absolutely everything. The way they opened up to each other and we're honest about what didn't work in their marriage while also remembering all the great, special things held my heart. Honestly this entire cast had me hooked. I actually went out and bought the other books Tarah has written because I couldn't wait to get into her mind even more.

A great addition to this series which I hope continues. Lovely characters and settings make fit an easy and seamless read. Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for this copy for read and review

A top tier second chance romance as far as I'm concerned. I have been excited for Wren and Ellis's story ever since his adamant "she's still a Byrd" declaration in Savor It and it was somehow even better than I anticipated, building upon the foundation provided there. This is DeWitt's best book yet, with her writing firing on all cylinders by making so many of these characters' emotions resonate deeply while still providing multiple moments to smile and laugh about. The close examination of this relationship and its flaws is frequently raw and full of angst, yet this only makes the fight that this pair engages in for their future together even more rewarding and interesting to watch unfold. There is a lot of backstory filled in alongside what is happening in present day that quickly made me realize how completely entwined these two are and how much hurt was caused when they separated. I loved how the written word played such a huge role and that it gave Wren and Ellis a different way to communicate the complexity of their feelings to each other. Even though a large portion of the book takes place on a road trip with only the beginning and end in Spunes, the individuals back home make their presence known throughout the story and I enjoyed seeing even more of the Byrds interacting with each other. Romantic love is certainly in the spotlight here, but family love through blood, marriage and community is also celebrated, particularly in the final chapter. I am already looking forward to reading future tales centered on Silas and Micah, two characters dealing with pain on the sidelines who both displayed several wonderful and lovable qualities.

OMG!!! This book has left an imprint in my heart. Wren and Ellis will always live in my mind rent free. This was a fantastic second chance story and the flaw of the two main characters made me love them more. It’s a mature read and I literally highlighted almost every other page in this book. If you want to cry and laugh all at the same time I highly recommend reading this heartwarming book.

I want to give a huge thanks @NetGalley and @St.MartinsPress for allowing me to have read this tear jerking Arc and to @TaraDeWitt for having written such a beautiful story.

Savor It was fine but nothing outstanding. Left of Forever on the other hand?!!?! FREAKING SUPERB!!!

Ellis Byrd is everything, that's all you need to know.

This is so different from her other books, but may be DeWitt's best work so far. Love, hope, regret, and hope hope hope all rolled into words and pages ready to tear the reader down and build them back up. Wren and Ellis' story is raw and honest, but so full of tender emotion that I couldn't get enough. It's fair to say I need the rest of the Byrd's, but these two will always hold a space in my heart as the ultimate pairing.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book. Thoughts and opinions are my own.

I didn't love this one as much as Savor It, but it was still fun and cute! I think it took too long to get them back together and I was impatient with Wren always pulling away. Ellis was so great though!

Tarah DeWitt’s previous books are filled with emotion and Left of Forever was no different. The yearning and longing from both Wren and Ellis had me tearing up several times. I love the way she writes internal dialogue and focuses on the emotional and psychological aspect of intimacy. You really feel for and with these characters. Left of Forever was one of my most anticipated reads since Savor It, and it did not disappoint.