This was really good 🥹 very emotional at times. I enjoyed the storyline and the characters. I loved Ellis and Wren. I laughed, cried, and the spice was hot! I also loved how Fisher and Sage showed up! That last paragraph made me tear up. It was such a good second chance romance!

Tarah DeWitt never fails to deliver. She’s among the select few whose books I know I will love before I even read the first page. And it goes beyond the storylines and characters—she’s got a way of taking common sentiments and wording them in such a way that they inspire awe.

So, obviously, I loved Ellis and Wren’s story. Young love is sweet, but there’s something about people with a shared history coming back together that resonates deeper.

The book itself feels like a love letter to long-term relationships—something that’s hard to tackle in romance since most of it is about the beginning of relationships, not what comes after. It’s easy to love someone when everything is new and shiny. Much harder when life and disappointment and mundanity and heartache all get in the way. Wren and Ellis are two people who got sidetracked by all of this and still find their way back together.

Also, I am an absolute sucker for anything epistolary, so the letters, emails, and shared journal entries were a very pleasant surprise.

While this is a follow-up to Savor It, it can absolutely be read as a stand-alone. And if Tarah ever decides to revisit the Byrd family again, I’m all in.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy of this book, provided in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

A second chance romance that is absolutely perfection!
This story was so different from what I normally read being that Wren and Ellis were childhood sweethearts, married, then divorced and now trying to find their way back to each other. I loved it so much, I love soulmates!
Wren and Ellis' story might stay with me forever! Or at least whatever's left of it.
I gave it 4 stars because I thought it was a standalone but it became clear that there was multiple characters I should have already known (or cared about) throughout the first half of the book. I'm sure I would have loved this more if I had read the first book first.

Tarah DeWitt, the writer you are!

I’ve read all of Tarah DeWitt’s books and I’ve adored all of them, but Left of Forever reads so differently than her bibliography.

Left of Forever is a second chance romance, which I think is a trope that is hard to pull off but my goodness Tarah DeWitt exceeded and perfected, raising the bar so high I can’t even see it.

The tale of Wren and Ellis Byrd broke my heart and mended it back together. They had everything I want from a couple in a book — banter, tension, respect, communication and chemistry just flowing out the pages.

I cried during and after reading this book and it will forever hold a place in my heart!

it’s been a hot minute since a book has managed to make me feel this emotional. i sobbed the entire last 20% of this book and a book hasn’t been able to make me feel that way in MONTHS.

this is such a special story. literally the definition of heartwarming. wren and ellis truly define what soulmates really are and it’s so obvious while reading this. everything about this was amazing, there wasn’t a single moment where i felt like this was dragging or boring. i was on the edge of my seat waiting for them to admit their feelings to each other and come back to one another. i loved the found family aspects in this book, while they are a family with their son, the friends and everyone else rooting for them to find their way back together was so special.

i absolutely loved everything about this book - i have 0 criticisms. even the 3rd act conflict (not breakup) was perfect for this story and was the perfect way to bring these characters together once and for all.

Left of Forever was a beautifully written, deeply emotional second-chance romance that tugged at the heartstrings while delivering plenty of humor, warmth, and undeniable chemistry. The author perfectly captured the complexities of love, loss, and the struggle of finding your way back to someone you never truly stopped loving.
Wren and Ellis Byrd were the kind of couple that felt destined—childhood sweethearts who built a life together, only to watch it unravel. Their history was messy, raw, and incredibly real, making their reunion all the more poignant. Watching them navigate the pain of their past while trying to rediscover the spark that once defined them was both frustrating and deeply satisfying.
The road trip element was a brilliant touch, forcing Wren and Ellis into close proximity and giving them the space (and the stunning California coastline) to confront their lingering feelings. Their banter was sharp, filled with both longing and humor, and the tension between them simmered with years of unspoken emotions. The intimate moments were swoon-worthy, but it was the quieter, more vulnerable exchanges that truly stood out.
If anything, some of the back-and-forth felt repetitive at times, and there were moments when their inability to communicate was frustrating. But that frustration also made their journey feel authentic—because love, especially one with so much history, is rarely simple.
Left of Forever was a deeply romantic, beautifully written novel about love, forgiveness, and the hope of getting it right the second time around. Fans of emotional, slow-burn second-chance romances will absolutely fall for Wren and Ellis.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This was such a great story! This was my first book by this author and won't be my last. I was rooting for this couple since the beginning. Ellis and Wren were childhood friends turned lovers and had to grow up quick after finding out he was pregnant at 17. He is a firefighter and she is a baker and co-owner of the town bakery with her mom. They have been divorced for almost 5 years but still have feelings for each other. Ellis tries to win her back by proposing a trip to drop off their son for his first year of college and decide if their marriage is worth saving or if they will just remain friends.

Ellis works on himself with therapy to be the man Wren needs and wants. I loved how after all these years they still had sexual chemistry. I loved their banter, their humor and the spice. I laughed, I cried and I cheered at the end!

If you love:
second chance romance
small town romance
firefighter
childhood friends to lovers
slow burn

then this book is for you. Can't wait for the next book!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Wren and Ellis's story is so so sweet. I loved every second of it! The love they have for each other is just so special. I adore all of the side characters in this world and cannot wait to find out which Byrd brother will get their happy ending next! Thank you so much for the opportunity to read and review this ARC! Tarah DeWitt is one of my all time favorite authors!

I loved Savor it (and the cameo the Byrds made in it), so I was beyond ready to read this one.

Wren and Ellis were two tender souls that I melted over. There was a lot of heartache and distrust between them, so I knew this was going to be a hard journey for them (and me). I soaked up every minute of their road trip. The achingly sad and beautiful parts were perfectly balanced with the fun and sexy parts. I could not get enough of them.

There was also an unexpected "prequel" part of the book. The first 1/4-ish of the novel takes place a few months before the road trip and gives more background into where their relationship failed and what sparked them both to rekindle things. There is an epistolary aspect to the novel that I loved. I'm such a sucker for letter writing and it was a great edition to the first part of the book.

I was also thrilled to see more of the Byrd brothers! We met them in book 1 but really saw more of them in this one. I can definitely see them each getting their own book. And I will be first in line to buy it.

Overall, this was incredible! I went in with high expectations and was still blown away. I may have also cried a couple of times. 5 full, unwavering stars. Wow.

Thank you to NetGalley, Tarah DeWitt, and St. Martin's Press for allowing me access to the e-arc.

This was a beautiful story. I can’t put into words how emotional this book was. It felt like it was written from Tarah DeWitt’s soul. I could tell immediately that Wren and Ellis were made for each other. You will need a tissue box with this one. I felt like the hard discussions were handled with care. This is a bold statement but my favorite book Tarah DeWitt has written. It reminds me that even when a couple is going through a hard time it doesn’t necessarily mean they will break. Things will work out the way they are supposed to. I highly recommend it! Please, check the TWs.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This review is not spoiler free per say but I assume we can all assume how the book ends, maybe? Read at your own risk!

Left of Forever is a bittersweet tale of a divorced couple who, by choice find their way back to one another. Told in dual POV (as only second chance romance should be) you get to learn how they drifted apart, fall in love with them separately as they are on their own journeys and again when they are able to come back as a couple. You will be heartbroken, and you will mend yourself back together. The setting, a road trip along the CA coast, is so romantic. No details were held back in Ellis’s romancing of Wren and I love the rest of the family dynamic baked into their story. The vibes of the FMC and MMC hit so hard. They truly feel like soul mates who drifted apart, no fault, and found their way back. Ellis. What a man. A fire fighter? Yes please. Let me tell you he burns for his boho beauty 😮‍💨 You will not be disappointed by this book! Go preorder it, it will be out 5/20. A nice late birthday present for myself.

First I want to thank St Martins Press for approving me to read this eARC! This was my first Tarah DeWitt book and I am now so excited to read her others! I loved the realness of this second chance romance. We got to see the love of the characters but also the hurt. It was an absolute beautiful book and great for all readers but especially those who love tropes like small town romance, HEA, one bed, pen pals, and so much more. The charm of this book will suck you in!

"Left of Forever" by Tarah DeWitt is a beautifully written masterpiece that resonates deeply with readers. The story centers around Wren and Ellis, two characters whose journey of second chances and rekindled love is both heartwarming and compelling.

DeWitt's writing is nothing short of poetic, capturing the essence of emotions and the complexities of relationships with grace and authenticity. Wren and Ellis are wonderfully developed characters, each with their own unique struggles and strengths, making their love story all the more poignant and relatable.

The narrative is a perfect blend of romance and introspection, exploring themes of forgiveness, growth, understanding, and the enduring power of love. It's a story that stays with you long after you've turned the last page, touching the hearts of many with its sincerity and depth.
"Left of Forever" is a testament to the beauty of second chances. It's a heartwarming read that I highly recommend to anyone looking for a story that will both move and inspire them. This book is best read after "Savor It" — one of my top novels for 2024. There is no doubt that this novel will be at the top of my favorite books for 2025 and beyond.

Thank you to @Netgalley and @StMartinPress for this lovely ARC.

Tarah DeWitt is the writer of my heart and soul. Her artistry continues to amaze me - the ways she weaves humor, vulnerability, growth, intimacy, and reality together is something to behold.

“You’re still a Byrd.” /// “I’ve got the biggest, most devastating crush on my ex-husband, and I hope I don’t get absolutely flattened by it in the end.”

A little preview into Left of Forever - Wren and Ellis Byrd were childhood best friends turned lovers turned parents turned divorcees. But that only scratches the surface of what depths they explored together and the absence left since they divorced five years ago. Now, as their son is graduating and moving for college, Ellis is asking (begging) Wren to explore these spaces with him again, one last time. It leads them on a quest to see if they can grow their way back to each other or if they are going to be stuck making the same mistakes again.

Savor It was my favorite read last year - the tenderness and joy in that book was (previously) unmatched. I was dying to read more of these characters in this community that had enraptured me. I am so grateful for the chance to have the ARC because it was a formative experience to read Left of Forever (and I will be rereading it over and over). Even with my love for Tarah’s writing, nothing could have prepared for the yearning, tenderness, and deeply romantic connections explored in this book. We get to bear witness not just to the love between Wren and Ellis, but the love they have with their family and community. Spunes has burrowed permanently into my heart and I am so attached to the Byrds and their loved ones.

Every aspect of this read blew me away. The composition of their story through the varied mediums that we get to engage with their experiences and the timeline of their rediscovery of one another — all of it was so special. From their doubts:
"Because you make up half of my soul. Because as desperate as I am to be near you, to be inside you, I’m terrified that having you this close again will also remind you of all the parts of me you wanted to leave."
To their reassurances:
“Do you remember when you asked me if I believed in something like fate? Well, the truth is, I don’t want to. I hate that fate or chance or fucking luck can get any of the credit for us finding our way back to each other. Not this time. Not when we’ve worked so hard… It terrifies me to think that I might’ve let this life go by without finding my way back to you. Never again, Wren. I promise. Never again. I’m not letting you go."
And all the times they just made me laugh:
"I succumbed to Waiting Syndrome. I had the day to dick around, and I overdicked it." /// "Subject: (Completely Unromantic)((and very generalized)) Itinerary for the Byrds"

My heart was so full reading this. I have already preordered my copy and I hope you do, too. This book is so special and it will continue to live in my brain on repeat for the foreseeable future.

Thank you Tarah for sharing these special folks with us.
((Also this part is just for Tarah: TARAH Are you fuckin joking me with that last chapter!!!!! HAVE ME BAWLIN MY EYES OUT OVER SILAS’ SPEECH!!!! God I fucking love them all so much.))

Left of Forever is a second chance, small town romance. Wren and Ellis were childhood sweethearts who became parents when they were teenagers. They've now been divorced for 4 years and their son is going off to college. They take the opportunity to go on a roadtrip in order to get closure on their relationship or rekindle it. I love a good second chance romance watching them find each other again especially when the MMC is still in love, pining for her.
This book was so sweet and done well. The pacing made it feel just right. I loved the real conversations they had, making sure they get it right this time. I really love how Tarah included the town of Spunes and Wren's found family. I always appreciate a good dual POV. This was emotional and sweet and gave me all the feels. This story really hit home in regards to how challenging marriages can be and the work and dedication it needs. I will recommend this book to everyone! Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC copy of this book. I will remember this book for whatever's Left of Forever!

A million stars for this emotional second chance romance! I loved Left of Forever! It is my new favorite from this author and an overall amazing read! I really just love this author’s writing style. It’s poetic, descriptive, and always packs so much emotion.

We first meet Wren and Ellis in Savor It. They fell in love and had their son, Sam as teenagers. There is no doubt that Wren and Ellis love each other, but sometimes that isn’t enough. They are now in their 30s and divorced. They continued to prioritize Sam and their coparenting relationship. However, Sam is now off to college. Ellis wants Wren back and he convinces her to take a road trip with him to see if they can give their love another shot.

I loved how perfectly imperfect these characters were. They owned their past mistakes especially their struggles with communication. They were so open, mature, and showed so much growth this time around. I was rooting for their HEA so hard. I just love both of these characters so much and never doubted their love for the other.

This book was one of the best second chance romances that I’ve read in a really long time. I can’t wait to see what this author will write next!

This is my first experience with Tarah DeWitt, and this book is set in the same town in Oregon and among the same family as Savor It. I say this because I think if I had read Savor It first, even though it focused on different characters, I might have more context for this book's couple: Wren and Ellis Byrd. They were childhood friends, then high school sweethearts. Wren accidentally got pregnant at 17 and decided to keep the baby. Wren and Ellis spent years together until it all fell apart, and they have been divorced for 5 years. Now that their son, Sam, is graduating high school, Ellis proposes to Wren that they take a road trip together after dropping him off in California to see if they can reconnect and rebuild their relationship.

Here's the thing: Ellis decides to do this after he spends a fire season in Colorado and happens to receive a care package from Wren along with a letter asking for information about two horses who disappeared after the fire and whether they are okay. Ellis decides to respond, but anonymously. The two start corresponding and Ellis realizes he's still in love with Wren. Instead of telling Wren it's him she has been writing to, he decides to use the road trip back from California to work out what went wrong.

The first part of this book being the secret correspondence and the second half of the book being this road trip makes things feel a bit disjointed to me. I do feel like DeWitt has a very romantic way of writing. The way she describes Wren and Ellis's history, their feelings for each other, the sensuality between them after knowing each other for so long, combined with the dreamy atmosphere on California's beaches and in wine country, that was probably my favorite part. On the other hand, Ellis and Wren are quick to jump back into the physical aspects of their relationship (which was clearly never the problem leading to their divorce) but the communication left something to be desired. Ellis was keeping the secret correspondence a secret, and he kept only saying half truths to Wren whenever they attempted to talk about their feelings and how things went wrong. It takes so long for the truth to come out and Wren essentially has to force it out of him, that I was left feeling kind of disappointed and not sure if I could really believe that they had fully worked through their issues. But I guess Ellis promising he'll go to therapy with Wren is good enough?

4.5 stars. I LOVE this series. i’ve not read a tarah dewitt book that i haven’t loved yet. SO good. i’m a sucker for second chance romance and have been so excited for this since THE line in Savor It (iykyk) 🥹🥰

thank you to net galley & st martin’s griffin for the early copy.

Writing this through tears! This book was held humor and longing so beautifully in each hand. You’ll fall in love (more than you already are) with the Byrds as they fall back in love with each other. DeWitt is an expert at connection and heart!

6 ⭐️ I am in LOVE with this book. From the first page to the last page this book has my entire heart. This is a follow up book of sorts to Savor It, it takes us back to Spunes, Oregon and this time picks up with Wren and Ellis Byrd (Sage from Savor It is Ellis’ sister and Wren’s BFF). It can probably be read as a stand alone but I highly suggest you read Savor It first so you get to know all the Byrd siblings and get a glimpse into Wren and Elllis’ world. This is also a second chance love book, which is not always my favorite but this was masterfully done. Wren and Ellis were childhood sweethearts who had a child at 17 and then divorced by late twenties. This book takes place 5 years after their divorce, when their only son, Sam, is graduating high school and they road trip to drop him off at college in California. On the way back home, Ellis plans a special trip for Wren in hopes of winning her back into his life.

Okay, WOW, this book is everything. Is it totally perfect? No, but I chose to overlook a few minor things that didn’t feel realistic to me in favor of the smiles, giggles, swoons and tears, oh so many happy tears for the entire last 10% of this book. As someone who has been married to her husband for over half of my life, I get it… we weren’t high school sweethearts but as close as you can get to it. I understand the changes two people go through over time, especially with a family and responsibilities. I felt so damn close to this book and fell head over heels in love with Wren and Ellis. I never wanted this book to end. It also has my favorite trope or maybe romance element of all time - pen pals and writing letters back and forth. I can’t tell you how much I love that element in romance books. I could go on and on but I will just say, if you like your romance with heart, spice and all the emotions - please pick this up! I’ve never been one to annotate books, but I want to read this again and save every single line that annihilated my heart and soul. Can I be a part of the Byrd family? Please tell me Tarah has plans for Micah and Silas next. Pretty please. I’ll save you a seat.

Read this if you like:
* Second chance love
* Forced Proximity, one bed
* Found family
* Road trips
* Pen Pals

HUGE thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, Tarah DeWitt for the advanced readers egalley in exchange for my honest review.