I didn't think any book could top Savor It, but it turns out Ellis and Wren's story could.

I genuinely don't know if I finished this book or if this book finished me. I was so invested in all the characters and so desperately wanted them to find their happy ending and boy did Tarah deliver. I was laughing, crying, and am now in a book slump after finishing it.

Favorite quotes (I can't wait to get the physical copy and annotate these and more):

"I've finally come alive under my own skin again. The version of me I was meant to be, misshapen heart finding its missing piece."
"I'm begging you to fight with me, do anything with me, just be with me."
"We have whatever is left of forever, you and me."

Thank you St. Martin's Press for the e-ARC, I loved it so much!

From the start I knew this was going to be a 5 star read, and I loved every second of this book! Tarah writes such beautifully flawed and mature characters that are easy to relate to and root for. I'll be thinking about this book for a long time and it might be my favorite of the year!

I really enjoyed this one! Tarah DeWitt has a fun engaging style and kept me invested. I liked previous works more but I would still recommend this for fans of hers and fans of Hannah Bonham Young and Cara Bastone.

If you're lost, I'll find you. I'll give you my body, my heart, and my soul. I'll cherish every bit of yours in return. I'll fight with you. I'll fight for you. I'll love you for everything left of forever, in every lifetime we get.

Tara got me in her letter to her readers in the very beginning, sometimes the villain is simply Life, you fall into the roles of parenthood, adulthood, and are just trying to survive all the hard and horrible things that have come your way.

I'm always rooting for the couples who are trying to find their way back to each other like Wren & Ellis. Ellis blew me away with his character development, homeboy was TRYINGGGGG. he wanted his wife back!
This was a beautiful book on second chances. THE YEARNING, omg and the vulnerability like from a
man???? Loved it so much. LOVED.

It is currently 1:09AM and I have just read the final words of this story. I have many of my own words to say, but first I would like to thank NetGalley for this arc. This book has changed my life, and I am eternally grateful for the opportunity to experience it before it has been released for the world to see.

I can say, without a shadow of a doubt, that this is a 6 star read. I haven't felt this many emotions from a novel in what feels like forever. I am an emotional person, someone who feels really big feelings, and yet it is rare for a book to impact me the way Left of Forever has. There is magic woven through its pages, imbedded in its words.

Wren and Ellis are raw and vulnerable in a way that felt realistically painful. There was unimaginable pain attached to their story for me; pain that so many of us carry in our reality. There was so much about them and their story that was healing for me in its weight. If you know me, you know I have not experienced any of their traumas, and yet I was able to find so much solace in their retelling. Their character, their reactions, their regrets, their thoughts and feelings, their pain and longing, every single piece of them felt connected to me in some way. It is a gift to see yourself represented in stories that others create, ones that have nothing to do with you, and yet feel like they could have been written intentionally for you.

Ellis's character is one of the most beautifully written to ever exist in the world of romance. His need to help, to fix, to mend - to constantly make sure everyone else is staying afloat without regard for his safety. His impulse to save everyone at the cost of all that he is. His inability to see his worth, for both Wren and his true happiness. His resistance to ever be selfish, after all this time. His challenge to express himself, to share his struggles and thoughts and feelings. His longing for the other half of his soul that he lost but was always in reach for five years. His drive to take care of everything by himself, never allowing himself to ask for help. His impulse to drop everything for everyone, but never himself. His character is pure and raw and beautiful. His growth felt tangible. It was inspiring in more ways than I would have imagined, and what a gift that has been. I don't often see myself in mmcs, but there were so many pieces and moments of his character and story that made me feel more seen that I have in what feels like ages. Ellis will always hold a special place in my heart.

Wren has an unbelievable strength, one that she may have overlooked at times, but was always applauded and admired by everyone around her. Her story is unfiltered in a way that will be so relatable for so many women in this world. Wren had so many more layers that I expected walking into this story, and I was beautifully surprised and frankly, I was in awe of her. She is different than other fmcs in this genre; there is just something about her that felt entirely unique. There is a quiet strength in so much of her character, in small moments that you might miss if you aren't looking. She is inspiring for women in so many ways. The way she is able to be completely vulnerable with Ellis, about everything that she has kept so close to her heart. Her bravery in willing to open up to the hope of finding their way back to each other, at the risk of breaking in a way that could never be repaired a second time. Her ability to smile, to find happiness after the losses that she faced. The loneliness she felt in the times she held back her true feelings because of her situation. She is a superhero because she is a mother, aside from everything else, she is an incredible mother and that is something to applaud and recognize. At the age of 17 she had her baby boy, and she raised him into someone she and Ellis are undeniably proud of. And most of all, her ability to hope, after everything. Wren is inspiring in a way not many are. She is unbelievably special.

Their journey took me on one of my own. Emotionally, I was on a rollercoaster. If I'm being honest, I cried through a lot of this book. There was so much feeling, so much raw emotion embedded in these pages, being uncovered with every word. Every emotion our author felt while writing, I felt while reading. I don't think I have ever been on a ride quite like this in contemporary romance, and I will never forget it. I will never forget the way they made me feel, their story and their left of forever.

If perfection had a definition, it would be this. It would be every word on these pages. It would be every quote in these chapters. It would be every declaration and admission. It would be every breath taken by Ellis and Wren. It would be their left of forever..

There was life breathed into this story in a way that feels imprinting. This will forever be one of my favorite stories ever written.

3.5/5
There is a lot I liked about the story and it had some great moments and humor. Wren and Ellis had been together since high school, went through a divorce years later and now trying to reconnect 5 years after their divorce. I really enjoyed the beginning of the story and loved the call backs to their past and the way it was written into the narrative. Their miscommunication was a big part of their story though. It made sense for when they were younger but the miscommunication and mis-reading of situations continued all through present time. I enjoyed their journey and humor and familiarity of the couple but then rekindling their romance narrative happens so fast over a few days and only after two honest conversations. After 5 years apart and continuously talking about taking it slow, it was too quick. Overall I was a bit disappointed after loving Savor It but an enjoyable read and it was fun being back with the same characters and getting to see bits of the characters from Savor It

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced e-copy of this book.

savor it was one of my favorite reads of 2024 so i was definitely really excited for this one but unfortunately i was kind of disappointed to me everything was pretty quick? and pretty much no angst which i was hoping for! the whole book was just miscommunication and a whole different story when writing about the letters as well!


thank you netgally for the arc for an exchange for an honest review!

Wren and Ellis have been in love since they became teenage parents. They gradually grew apart, divorced and continued to live in the same town while raising their son. After dropping their son at college, Ellis convinces Wren to road trip with him to see if they can make a go of a second chance. While they still have feelings for each other, sometimes that isn't enough to overcome the issues of the past. An emotional, second chance romance full of honesty and hope.

Whew. When I say second chance rarely ever works for me, I really mean that. So believe me when I say this is one of the best books I’ve ever read. I cried. I giggled. Cried some more. Blushed because Ellis has a mouth on him beneath that mustache. And cried some more.

Ellis and Wren were probably always destined to split. Teen parents, married too young, Ellis’ dangerous job as a wilderness firefighter, both Wren and Ellis having to be pseudo parents to Ellis’ younger siblings, and a struggle with infertility that resulted in an ectopic pregnancy that nearly cost Wren her life. It was a perfect storm, really. When communication breaks down, so often do relationships.

Five years into their divorce, Wren and Ellis are just the biggest pining pine trees you’ve ever seen. Not for one second do you ever doubt that they still love each other. But what Tarah does so beautifully here is show us that love also takes work. When communication breaks down, when you don’t know how to work through the tough conversations, when you stop trying, it often doesn’t matter how much you love each other when life doesn’t take any prisoners.

And that’s what I loved so much about this. Too often, I feel like the second chance isn’t satisfying because we don’t get to see the MC’s actually work through it. But Tarah does this so beautifully and so painfully. Wren and Ellis do take the trip to see if they can get back to each other and they open up the messy parts, the parts that hurt and the parts that went wrong. But…my god do we get to see how they realize how determined they are to get things really, really rate. Not because of fate or destiny but because of work and therapy and breaking open the hurt to fix it.

I don’t even know what else to say besides if you’re going to give me a second chance, LoF is the blueprint for what I want.

Thank you to SMP and MacMillian audio for an e-arc and an ALC!

When I said I wanted to be crushed by a book, I didn't mean this devastated. Left of Forever has the most pining and yearning I've ever read, catastrophic levels. But oh my god, did it hurt so good. Divorced, high school sweethearts who are taking a trip after they drop their son off at college, and their whole entire family is in on sabotaging them into one bed? Yes please. I adore Wren and Ellis, you know from the get-go, they're meant to be together. It's the sweetest, decently spicy, and throw in some humor. I didn't realize this was the second in the series, and I haven't read the first, but I didn't feel too lost. If I had to do it again, I would have read Savor It first. Either way, buckle up, buttercup, you're in for a ride.

I sometimes struggle with reading books that I have highly anticipated because they rarely live up to the expectation I have set for them. When I read first read Savor It, I was so drawn to Wren and Ellis and was so excited to read their story. I am SO happy to report that Left of Forever is my favorite Tarah DeWitt novel hands down!! I will take no criticism on this. Thank you.

Absolutely everything worked for me. Ellis and Wren felt so real and authentic and like I KNEW them both. (Also, they were hot as hell together.) The tension came through on every single page. The setting of Spunes (not to be confused with Forks), as well as the handful of other spots on the road trip, were amazing. The pacing, perfection. The rest of the Byrd family, as well as Fisher and Indy, continue to add the perfect touch to round out the cast of characters. My emotions really went through it reading this one. Make sure you have tissues at the ready, because you will be crying happy and sad and mad tears the whole dang book.

Side Note: Tarah created what is probably the most beautifully fitting reading playlist for this book.

No other notes. I loved it.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

♾️⭐️
This was such a beautiful and raw second chance romance. After getting a glimpse of Ellis and Wren in Savor It, I couldn’t wait to read their story. This is by far my favorite Tarah DeWitt book, which is saying a lot!
Ellis and Wren have been divorced for five years but neither one has ever really moved on. Their only son, Sam, is leaving for college and Ellis wants to win back his ex-wife. He plans a road trip home that will hopefully help them reconnect and see if they can give their marriage another shot.
I am obsessed with Ellis. He put in the work to make him the best version of himself for Wren. He is used to being the caretaker and problem solver but he was able to be vulnerable with Wren. Wren is so strong and seeing how the divorce affected her was so heartbreaking.
I loved the letters and how writing to each other brought them back together. I was either crying from sadness or happiness throughout the book. I loved their happy ending and hopefully we’ll get to go back to Spunes for the rest of the Byrd family.

Read if you love:
✨second chance
✨dual timeline
✨road trip
✨yearning
✨forced proximity

Thank you NetGalley & St Martin’s press for the arc!

Hi, hello - can you say obsessed. I’ve been waiting for Ellis and Wren’s story (and second chance at love) since he said “she’s still a Byrd” with his whole chest in Savor It.

Left Of Forever did not disappoint, there were moments I laughed, moments I sobbed and a whole lot more that I just teared up. It’s incredible how much work that these two (especially Ellis) put in to make their way back to each other.

This book was everything, and I am optimistically hoping for more Byrd family love stories.

Left of Forever is a second chance romance between a divorced couple, with lots of angst and yearning, forced proximity, and a road trip! Easily my favorite read I’ve read from this author, I knew I had to try this one after seeing it had a fav trope of mine!

Wren and Ellis fell in love as kids, had their son Sam when they were only teenagers, and got married too young. They made a life together in Oregon but are now divorced and in their 30s…and still think about one another all the time. She runs the bakery in the small town, he’s a firefighter. They go on a road trip adventure together to drop off their son at college and they finally share their feelings over everything together.

I loved the dual POVs and I feel like in most second chance romances, you’ll get dual timeline with flashbacks but that was not the case in this book and honestly it felt right. Of course they talk about events that happened in the past but it was really about the want and hope they have for one another right now. If angst, pining, soul mates finding one another again is your jam, this book is a must read!

I received an audio ALC and ARC from the publisher, all thoughts in this review are my own!

CW: ectopic pregnancy (occurs off page), conversations referencing infertility in the past

Unpopular opinion, but this book just felt forced and unrealistic. I found that the main characters, despite being adults, behaved like toddlers throughout the book. I felt like their story was not believable - despite 5 years apart and a son together, they still both had feelings for one another. It took a road trip to take their son to college for them to realize they still were in love. The issues and bumps in the road felt very forced and not natural. To the reader their love was very obvious, but for some reason they continued to find reasons that it was not really there. I loved the setting and never considered making this a DNF, I just found myself frustrated through the majority of the book. Maybe you enjoy the slow pacing and incredibly slow burn romance more than I do and will love this?! I would love to know how you felt about this one (if you read it!

Thank you netgalley for my advanced reader and audio copies!

I love, love, loved this book! I used to think second-chance romances were over-hyped, but this one was so good.

The characters were so real with quirks and their own ways of saying things.

I loved that they co-parented so well and got along for Sam. And clearly, there were still feelings that they were both trying to ignore.

I'm hoping for another book in this "series" to be able to see them again.

4.5 🌟 I freaking loved this book! Tarah sure knows how to do a slow burn with loads of longing! This is the second chance romance of second chance romances! Wren and Ellis were always meant to be together but after some bumps in the road they found themselves divorced. Now it’s five years later and they still can’t stay away from each other!

I don’t know if I’ve ever rooted so hard for two characters to get back together! Literally my heart hurts for them so much for the time they lost but it’s so full for the time they now have! Wren and Ellis are so precious and need to be protected at all costs!

We’re back in Spunes (at least partially!) for this follow-up to Savor It, and I loved returning to Tarah DeWitt’s small town. Left of Forever is a second chance romance that centers on Wren and Ellis, who were once married, then divorced, and now find themselves slowly falling back in love. Watching them reconnect, with all their shared history and lingering chemistry, was such a satisfying journey. Ellis really stepped up, and I loved seeing how his character had grown.

What worked so well for me: the banter, the emotional maturity, and the genuine care between Wren and Ellis. Their communication felt grounded, and their chemistry was palpable. I also adore Silas and Micah, and am crossing my fingers that we get one of their stories next!

That said, there were a few elements I wished had been explored more. Their son, Sam, is heading off to college (a huge life transition), and yet their co-parenting dynamic and inner reflections on that shift felt underdeveloped. I also wasn’t fully on board with the letter-writing twist. Wren poured her heart out without knowing who was on the receiving end, while Ellis did know, and that imbalance left me a bit uneasy. On a personal note, I tend to prefer romances where each character is also working through something individually, and this story focused more on the romantic reconnection than personal growth.

Still, Tarah DeWitt’s writing has so much heart, and I’ll keep coming back for more!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC!

I am totally obsessed with this book. I don't usually love second chance romance, but something about this story called to me, and I'm so glad I listened! THIS is how I want all of my second chance romances to be! It was delightful and heartfelt, romantic, sexy, and fun.
I adored both main characters, the town of Spunes, and the entire ensemble of side characters.
I loved the way they approached their second chance - I loved the reason behind it. I think DeWitt did an amazing job of writing these two, and I immediately ordered her entire back catalog when I finished the book. She's got a fan for life now!

Absolutely devoured this book! Wren and Ellis were high school sweethearts that share a son together from a young age. Their divorce rocked the small town, but with Sam, their son, graduating high school old / nostalgic feelings resurface. I really liked the inner work Ellis seemed to do but wished there was more time spent on the letters. The road trip at first didn't land for me, but the attention to detail that he pulled off brought it back full circle.