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.

4.5 🤩
there’s nothing i love more than second chance romance
i’m so in love with ellis (crazy that my first “boyfriend” had the same name different spelling)
the communication really did it for me and i was on the verge of tears so often
seeing the familiar names on the beach also sent me into a tail spin i miss the co-op
the attention to detail and all the little things they did for each other renewed my belief in love for atleast a little bit
and the tattoos??? 😭😭😭😭
the family meddling was chefs kiss
thank you st martins and netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review

Easily my top favorite Tarah DeWitt book she’s put out yet! She’s so good at writing flawed characters that are doing the work and taking steps to improve their mental health as well. All with a hefty side of humor. I laughed and I cried reading this truly sweet second chance at love for Wren and Ellis.

“She’s still a Byrd”

The line that Ellis said at a town meeting, that made all of us thirsty for their story in Tarah’s previous book, Savor It. High school sweethearts who had child too young and found themselves raising the rest of the Byrd sibling after losing both of their parents. They both took on a lot and lost each other in the process. Five years after their divorce, both are still missing and pining for each other, when Ellis gets a chance care package working a wild fire that is from Wren herself. Seeing her words in the letter and writing back anonymously wakes him up to the idea of asking for that second chance.

The chemistry and banter between these two is off the charts! Their roadtrip back to each other after dropping their son off at college is heartbreaking and at the same heartwarming as they work through their past. And, can we talk about the flirty dirty talk 🥵

I love the cameos of Deacon and LaRynn while visiting Santa Cruz. And, as always all the Twilight references. I agree Tarah, Rosyln is the song of our generation. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve listened to that soundtrack!

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Tarah Dewitt for allowing me to read a complimentary advanced copy of this book. All opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

road trip. second chance. ONE BED!

this is the second book in an interconnected standalone series, the first being savor it by tarah dewitt, which i have not read😅 sadly it did feel like there was a lot of lore i was missing out on from the first book. there was a good attempt at explaining, but i think i just need to read savor it to understand. don’t you worry though, i will definitely be reading it soon.
wren and ellis obviously wanted to get back together, but were scared to do so. i loved the emotional work these two did to make sure they were ready. ellis was maybe a little unrealistic. some of the rambling of wren’s letters read a teeny bit cringe. but otherwise i ate this up! i did not know that ice cream could be used for that😳 (not sexual! actually maybe a little) the one bed scene i literally started fist pumping. my favorite part i think was i imagined ellis to be a young tom selleck😌 sadly my version did not have the cover but you have to look its gorgeous. anyways this is out 5/20/25 definitely go pick it up!

I have devoured every single Tarah DeWitt book. I struggle to explain how much this book moved me. Particularly the idea that people can alter our souls and go as deep as altering our DNA. I’ll be thinking about this story for a long time.

I thought I would have loved this book but it just never grabbed at my heartstrings. I liked the MC's and loved the letter writing to each other but couldn't believe she didn't figure out who was writing to her. I got bored with the journaling and found at the 50% mark, it just got too slow for my liking.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC for my honest review.

I wish I could describe how this book made me feel… a mix of tears and butterflies throughout. I cried so many happy tears at the end. I loved every single part of this honestly. Definitely a favorite book of the year

My first Tarah DeWitt book and definitely won’t be my last. This is by far my favorite second chance romance. I mean come on. Ellis and Wren are it. I fell in love with this book. I love how authentic and real Ellis and Wren are with each other. I loved their communication and how they actively worked to better themselves and one another for each other.

Ellis had my heart from the get go. He’s relatable in so many ways. He takes everything on and internalizes it because of his desire to take care of the people he loves. He’s everything that’s good.

Wren. Wow. She is fierce and confident and brave. She’s made for Ellis. I love how much she loves him and I love how they complement each other.

I laughed and I cried and I fell in love with this book and the characters. Left of Forever has a piece of my heart. Thank you so much NetGalley and Tarah Dewitt for letting me read such a soul stirring, heartwarming book.

Left of Forever is the perfect book for those that love a second chance romance! Sweet, sincere and a bit spicy this one holds. all the elements of a beautiful story.

I’m actually in shambles right now. This book kind of tore me apart and sewed me back together. I’m so sad it’s over but I’m so glad I got to go on this journey with Wren and Ellis.
•••
Normally, I’m not a marriage in crisis or second chance romance girl because it’s just too real sometimes and I’m not mentally stable enough for that kind of pain. But this year, ive been reading more of them and I think Left of Forever is a new favourite for me. I think the fact that it was so real and so vulnerable is why I loved it so much. I could feel the love and the pain between Ellis and wren on every single page and it just made reading the book so incredible.
•••
Wren Byrd…I have no words to describe how much I adore her. She is an inspiration. She is the purest soul. She fights for herself and her happiness, no matter what that looks like. She is strong and capable, but also so raw and vulnerable. I want to be her. I love how resilient and determined she is. How no matter how easy it would be to fall back with Ellis, she made sure they worked for it and for each other.
•••
I need to know what Tarah Dewitt puts into these fictional men because Ellis Byrd???? THE MAN THAT YOU ARE!!! I love a man obsessed, and there’s no one more obsessed with his wife than Ellis. He just loves her so hard, even when he didn’t think he was allowed to. Ellis always had to be the rock for his family and it was so beautiful to watch him open up and be vulnerable and just TRY. He learned to try and he became the absolute dream man because of it. Also that moustache? Save a seat sir🧎🏻‍♀️
•••
I wish this book was longer simply because I couldn’t read another 500 pages about Ellis and Wren. Their endless and undying love for each other, their struggles, the yearning and the pining. I loved seeing their pain as much as I loved seeing them have crushes on each other again. They are written in the stars and it was so beautiful to witness them finding their way back to each other.
•••
Tarah wrote an incredibly raw story and as much as it hurt to read, it made the good moments even better. The little joys even brighter. I loved Spunes, I love the Byrds and they will always be a little space in my heart for them.

I enjoyed this book, but I'm learning that second chance romances aren't necessarily for me! I loved the cast of side characters though, and how they interfered with the protagonists' adventure. The pacing was gentle, there were a handful of un-put-downable sections, but what really got me was the writing. The character development was top notch and his vulnerability was written with so much care. The prose was a standout for its genre, Tarah DeWitt clearly is very creative with her words!

LOVED THIS!!! Tarah can do no wrong. Such a cute story - second chance romance and forced proximity all for their son. I was a little worried going into it since I read sooo many stories with road trips recently that they gave me the ick, but this wasn’t nearly as involved with the road trip as to the focus on their love itself. It was perfect!!! Thank you St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for my digital ARC!

I was in the right place at the right time and was able to download an advanced copy of Tarah's new book on NetGalley. It did not disappoint!

I don't usually read second-chance romances, but this one was done really well. The characters were unique, likable, and had great chemistry. I like how it was a standalone book but in the same universe as Savor It which I read last year and really enjoyed. It gave the story more depth and complexity.

I'm giving this book four stars. Despite the fact that I enjoyed the storyline and always like Tarah's writing, the main plot of the book didn't really start until about 40% in and then it felt a bit rushed to me. The spice was also a bitttt too spicy for my liking, but that's just a personal preference.

Overall, my second favorite TD book! (just behind Funny Feelings)

An easy 5 stars for this incredible book. This book follows Ellis and Wren, a former couple who grew up together, had a child young, got married, and then separated. This is a perfectly executed second chance romance: yearning and pining, love letters, self-reflection, more yearning, and a roadtrip to try again. I feel like I can't say that this book is about them falling back IN love, because whether they realized it or not, their silent love shined through even when they were apart. One thing I loved about this book was the balancing act of getting to experience the sweetness and tenderness of their relationship, while also witnessing the emotional strife and effort the two of them were willing to put in to not only get back together, but to also understand each other more and move forward communicating rather than falling into comfort. I cared deeply for these characters and while we got a small scope of their lives together, by the end of the book I felt like these two were my old friends. While I think I enjoyed this book even more because I read Savor It very recently, I think people will fall in love with Wren and Ellis' story regardless if they've read any of DeWitt's other work (though i HIGHLY recommended going through her backlist). I also loved the humor in this book, it was the perfect mix of laugh out loud banter and heart-wrenching emotions. Ellis and Wren have a very special story and I just know people will love them!!

*4.5 stars !!

I received an ARC from NetGalley, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was my first Tarah DeWitt and it will not be the last! Left of Forever is a second chance romance between divorced parents that take a short trip together to see if their love is worth holding onto after all.

Oh I ate this book UPPPP. This was a story that was both fun and emotional and I couldn't put it down! I really loved the use of flashbacks in this story. I think not only was it a good way to give some context early on, but it was also used throughout to walk us through moments that each character is still tied to emotionally which helped me to feel connected to them. The flirtation and tension...oh it was TOO good !!! So many moments had me GIGGLING. Although I will say their physical connection was relied on a bit heavily at times and I would've wanted even more emotional moments to replace that, but also totally understandable that they wanna jump each other's bones after being married for so long. I mean if I had someone that looked like Ellis...Wren girl I totally get it.

I also appreciated the way infertility was discussed and the open communication about all the things they were holding back over the years. But honestly my favourite part was the trip. It was super fun and sexy and sweet. Lots of memorable moments and the pepper situation was funny and honestly quite creative lol I won't look at ice cream the same way I fear.

I just really bought into the love they have for one another, and it was a delight to read from start to finish (especially the very last line...I could actually cry lol)

Beautiful, wonderful characters, spice that was crazy hot while also being plot-relevant, and I cried happy tears? What more could you want? I love when a book makes me feel the relationships between the characters as deeply as this did. Phenomenal.

Thank you to Tarah DeWitt and NetGalley for the ARC! I will be picking up more of Tarah’s books ASAP.

Wren and Ellis have known each other since childhood, they became high school sweethearts and parents at a very young age. Due to the strain of regular life as parents, couples and jobs, they divorced. However in a peculiar turn of events Wren begins a pen pal relationship with a male person, who unbeknownst to her is her ex husband, Ellis. Ellis realizes that he doesn't quite know his ex wife as much as he thought he did. And with their soon to be college aged son preparing to leave to college, Wren and Ellis must be true to themselves and listen to what they both want.

This story is a wonderful romance tale, unlike your typical boy meets girl romance, this story goes beyond that. I really enjoyed the characters and the way that they develop throughout the story. I felt that a lot of the topics that were brought up throughout the book are relatable to everyday people. I will recommend this book to all my friends.

I knew from the first chapter that this was going to be a 5 star book for me!! It is a story about second chances, growing as a person, and figuring out how to be happy. It shows you that sometimes relationships need some time apart to really see the beauty in it.

This story follows Ellis Byrd. He is father to Sam, ex husband to Wren, and a parental figure to all of his siblings growing up. On top of all of that he is a fire fighter. He takes on the job of caretaker to everyone and anyone in his life.

Now we have Wren Byrd. She is mother to Sam, ex wife to Ellis, and best friends with all of the Byrd siblings. She is trying to get into the swing of things of being single again and find what makes her happy.

Ellis and Wren were childhood lovers to soulmates until they ultimately grew apart. Now that their son is graduating high school they find themselves in the situation of sending him off together. Both of them still have feelings for each other but is that enough?? Only time on a trip will tell them

This is easily the best romance I've read this year. My god. The yearning. The heartbreak. Left of Forever is a second chance romance revolving around two mid-thirties divorcée's who had to grow apart in order to find their way back to each other. Wren and Ellis go from childhood friends to first loves to teenaged pregnancy survivors to divorced and trying to move on to pen-pals and finally back to lovers. This book feels like if 'Everywhere, Everything' by Noah Kahan came to life and stabbed you in the gut then stitched you back together. I started crying about 13% of the way into this book and it just did not stop. It went from just a few tears here and there to like literally having to rehydrate because I'm sobbing over the Byrd's and their kid and their family life. Left of Forever is a beautiful representation of love persevering through the toughest things that life can throw at you and being stronger for it. I hope Tarah DeWitt has more stories for the the Byrd family because I will be seated.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the e-ARC of Left of Forever in exchange for my honest review.