I had heard so much positive feedback about this book so I was really excited to jump in. I thought this was a fantastic second chance romance and you could really feel what the couple went through and the why things happened the way they did. I enjoyed that this couple was older than the majority of romance characters and they had some life experience behind them. The only negative thing about this book is that I felt like it really needed to have the book Savor It read first, as there were several times I just felt like I was missing the bigger picture/more info.

The Byrds are empty-nesters.

Where do I even start with this book? There are romance novel writers - and then there’s Tarah DeWitt. She’s truly in a league of her own (and I’m including Henry, Hazelwood, Jimenez), and Left of Forever is her best work yet.

Let’s take that even further - I can’t think of another contemporary romance that captures the emotions of love and heartbreak and loneliness and hope like this one. It honestly reminds me of listening to a Taylor Swift album when the lyrics hit you in the gut because you exactly recognize the feeling being described.

I’m not a crier when I read, but this is the first book in years that’s got me :) And the lump in my throat was permanent from about 20% in, refused to be dislodged, even days after finishing LOF.

In fact, maybe this one should have come with a warning especially for me: an only child, in her late 30’s, who, just months ago, became an empty-nester. Yes, the second chance romance between Wren and Ellis is the star of this read. But the self-reflection, the collateral damage to friends and family after a breakup, and the overwhelming desire to be accepted…that’s what haunts me.

So, yeah, this one is heartbreakingly beautiful and in a league of its own, even among the titans in this genre: a list to which Tarah DeWitt has solidified her top spot with Left of Forever.

Left of Forever completely wrecked me — in the best way. It’s one of those stories that sneaks up on you with its quiet intensity. The emotional depth hit hard, but never felt heavy for the sake of drama. The characters were so real, flawed in ways that made their love story feel achingly genuine. There was grief, growth, and healing, all wrapped in moments of unexpected humor that gave the weighty parts room to breathe. Their connection wasn’t instant — it was built piece by piece, and that made it all the more powerful. I’ll be thinking about this one for a long time.

This is Book 2 in an interconnected standalone series.

This is a Small Town, Second Chance Romance set on the Oregon coast.
🧁
Wren and Ellis got pregnant at 17/18, got married and raised their kid together…until things stopped working. They got divorced 5 years ago, but neither have been able to completely move on.

Now they are moving their son to college and they will loose the one thing that ties their lives together.

Not if Ellis has his way, he’s not giving up on them yet.
🧁
Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨🌶️🫑
Man, this was amazing.

It definitely hit hard for me as someone who has an 18+ year relationship and going through the “empty nester” shock of loosing the connection that bound us in the day-to-day life of raising kids. Then learning how to be just a couple again when the kids were out of the house.

The rollercoaster of doing life, with loosing parents or dealing with health issues with parents, sending kids to college, the insecurities within a marriage, and being able to come back to each other through it all.

Now…my husband and I met later and were early 30’s when we had our first, so being empty nesters at 48 definitely looks different than being empty nesters at 36.

But, man, I teared up because I lived a huge portion of this story.

So good!
🧁
Definitely read Savor It first

Tarah does it again! The writing in this book was impeccable for my personal taste. I binged this and wished the story was longer. I would have appreciated more flashbacks. Normally, this trope is not my go to, but was executed so well that I ended up really enjoying. I love the setting, the ambience, the characters. Overall, I would have liked the story to be longer, slower burn, and to have had more of Wren and Ellis’s backstory. I highly recommend. I hope we get Silas or Micah’s stories next!

The way I adored this story. This is by far and easily my favorite Tarah Dewitt book to date. Wren and Ellis have consumed me. An audio re-read later and I still cannot stop thinking about them. This is the true and absolute exemplification of soulmates. High school sweethearts, teen parents, recent divorcees finding their way back to falling in love with each other again. After finding themselves back in want with each other again, and realizing they never truly got over one another, they had to learn and decide whether or not a second go of it would be a smart decision. Their solution to figuring it out? A week long road trip/vacation to learn each other again. My entire heart. Every single thing about this book was so relatable, from Wren and Ellis individually, to their dynamic as a couple. We all get complacent and comfortable. Walking away is one of the hardest things to do, especially when you are still so in love with the person but you are hurting each other daily. These two had seen so many struggles and obstacles over their union at such a young age that they no longer fought for each other and it caused their demise, until fate brings them back to each other in the form of secret pen pal letters. I LOVED when the realization hit them both that they were still secretly pining for each other. I could go on and on and on about how much I loved this book and these characters, when plain and simply it was just an absolute homerun for me. Infinite stars.

The way I adored this story. This is by far and easily my favorite Tarah Dewitt book to date. Wren and Ellis have consumed me. An audio re-read later and I still cannot stop thinking about them. This is the true and absolute exemplification of soulmates. High school sweethearts, teen parents, recent divorcees finding their way back to falling in love with each other again. After finding themselves back in want with each other again, and realizing they never truly got over one another, they had to learn and decide whether or not a second go of it would be a smart decision. Their solution to figuring it out? A week long road trip/vacation to learn each other again. My entire heart. Every single thing about this book was so relatable, from Wren and Ellis individually, to their dynamic as a couple. We all get complacent and comfortable. Walking away is one of the hardest things to do, especially when you are still so in love with the person but you are hurting each other daily. These two had seen so many struggles and obstacles over their union at such a young age that they no longer fought for each other and it caused their demise, until fate brings them back to each other in the form of secret pen pal letters. I LOVED when the realization hit them both that they were still secretly pining for each other. I could go on and on and on about how much I loved this book and these characters, when plain and simply it was just an absolute homerun for me. Infinite stars.

Left of Forever

Really cute second chance romance between emotionally connected exes who still love each other. Mostly listened to the audiobook and really loved their journey! I also loved how real this felt -- the tangled past and emotions, the family's thought and meddling plus how they have both grown so much and fight for each other. I thought this was a beautiful story.

If you love:
✌️Second chance romance
🚙Forced proximity road trip
🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒Meddling family
💌Letters
🔥Slow burn
💞Emotional growth
❤️‍🔥Childhood friends to lovers to exes to lovers

Read this book

I am typically not a fan of the second chance romance trope, and so I was a little hesitant about this book before starting it. However, this was done so beautifully well. The obsession, the pining, the want, the love -- it all ran so deep, which i know would not have been possible without their history. I think this novel also teaches the importance of not losing yourself in a relationship or even in life, which I know is easier said than done. Wren and Ellis were only able to come back together once they had done some serious self-work to figure out on their own who they were in order to be together again. In this regard, I really appreciated that this story was a dual-POV because it made me appreciate their growth that much more.

The ending did feel a bit rushed, but I also understand the notion that when you know, you just know. Tarah DeWitt is quickly becoming a favorite and auto-read author for me due to her beautiful, deep, and heartfelt writing. Even with this book being a standalone, I reread Savor It right before this and it made it that much better. It was fun to see the overlap of characters between the two books and gave that much more depth to the stories. I look forward to hopefully getting to go back to Spunes again!

I loved this book with all my heart. To start off, Tarrah Dewitt did a phenomenal job wtitting Elis and Wren's story. This story explores heartache, the real definition pf a second chance romance and finding each other after life has set up so many roadblocks. Elis and Wren have one last chance and they are giving it all. This is one of my top reads this year.

This was such a great book! I love Wren and Ellis’ story! This was a great little cozy, feel good romance that I really enjoyed. My main critique would be that I wish some of the more “negative” moments had maybe last a little longer or gone a little deeper for more emotional impact, but I still don’t think that the story was lacking because of it. Super cute overall, can’t wait to explore more Tarah DeWitt!

A perfect swoony, slow-burn, second-chance story to kick-start summer 💞 Wren and Ellis broke my heart and stitched it right back up. The struggles of young love and marriage were expertly portrayed through flashbacks, and it was special to watch them reflect on their missteps through more mature eyes. I could really relate to their doubts and fears, but I was also uplifted by their hope resilience. The letter-writing component earlier in the book was a nice catalyst for their second chance, and I wish the full-circle moment where they come into play at the end was a bit more grand. But overall I thought this perfectly captured the complicated feels that come with reconciliation and rebuilding. The pacing was great, and Tarah kept the tension going from beginning to end ❤️‍🔥 The dual POV was perfect, and the happily-ever-after wedding scene made me a lil misty. Can't wait for the next time we get to go back to Spunes, OR (not to be confused with Forks, WA)!

—

“‘You don’t put burnt cake back in the over,’ I say aloud, an expression coined by my mom. All you can do is take away what you learned and begin again. Agonizing over its only wastes time and prolongs suffering.”

“What is bravery if not hope in action?”

This book had me laughing, smiling, and just overall kicking my feet. I love a good second-chance romance. Ellis and Wren were made for each other—their chemistry and banter were perfect. I love how they found their way back to one another. The way these two expressed themselves warmed my heart. The slow burn in this book was everything I needed. I’ll be recommending it always.

I absolutely loved this story and the romance of it all! Second chances romances are sometimes hard for me to get on board with but this one was done so well. Can't wait for more stories in Spunes!

I used to hate second chance romances, but after reading this specific story and Kennedy Ryan's second chance romance. I feel like there are some really beautiful stories about people who find themselves again. Not only was it nice to be back in Spunes, but it was nice to see everyone I loved from Savor It. TD did it again, and I highly recommend this one.

Listen, I cried my way through this masterpiece of a book. I have zero notes. I will never not recommend this to anyone who asks, and to anyone who doesn’t ask.

Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with a copy of this ebook for an honest review!

I loved Savor It by Tarah DeWitt, and as soon as I met Wren and Ellis, I knew I wanted more of their story. What I could never imagine is just how much their characters would come to mean to me. As someone who has experienced one of the more challenging seasons in my marriage in 2023, I needed this book. I needed reminders of why I fell in love and why I stay married.

Wren and Ellis are nowhere near perfect, but they are so full of real and raw emotions and connections. I laughed, I sobbed; I felt like these two could be my closest friends. This is a must-read and will likely be in my top 10 for 2023.

Second-chance romance has always been a favorite of mine, but this book just kicked that up a notch. I was a bit worried at first, and for the first 20% or so, it is a bit rocky. But the ending pays off big, and I hope Tarah takes us back to Spunes or again soon.

Second chance romance is one of my favorite tropes, and this is second chance romance done to absolute perfection.

From the very first chapter, I was tearing up and laughing—it was a full-on emotional rollercoaster. There’s so much yearning and angst in this story, but also these incredibly sweet, light-hearted moments that balance everything so beautifully. I don’t even know how to describe how much this book made me feel. It made me believe in soulmates. It made me believe that some loves are worth fighting for, worth finding your way back to—no matter what.

The connection between the main characters is so deep and heartfelt. Their lives have been tangled together for years, and you feel every bit of that shared history in their story. I loved how much they cared for each other, even through all the pain and distance. The pining, the tension, the tenderness—it’s all there. And yes, it’s also spicy in the best way.

This is one of those books that leaves you aching a little, but also incredibly full. I want to cry just thinking about it. Easily one of my favorite reads of the year.

Read If You Like
🥈Second Chance romances
🏘️ Small-town settings
♥️ First Loves
🏕️ Road Trips
🔥Stories that Rekindle Love
🐕 Golden Retriever MMCs

Left of Forever follows Wren and Ellis Byrd, childhood sweethearts who became teen parents and built a life together.

Now they are their 30s and divorced, but clearly neither has really moved on even though they both tried. Wren runs the local bakery while Ellis is a wildland firefighter. Their lives remain intertwined through co-parenting their teenage son, Sam. When Sam is about to leave for college, Ellis proposes a road trip back to Spunes, as a way to try to win Wren back.

As they journey along the California coastline, they confront unresolved emotions, remaining sizzling chemistry, past traumas, and the enduring bond that still connects them as Sam’s parents and two people who still love each other so deeply and tenderly but life got in the way.

Left of Forever is a beautiful exploration of second chances to get it right with the love of your life when life threw you a difficult hand. It truly explores the beauty is going through the ups and the downs of life together and the resilience we all can have in the face of adversity and how much lighter the emotional road is when you allow others to provide you with the support along the way and what happens when you don’t.

And omg the spice and sizzling chemistry between them 🥵

Thank you so much to SMP for my eARC and Macmillan for my ALC and finished audiobook copy!

"But, for as much as it deals in hardship, Life hands out those occasional chances, too. Sometimes second chances. And lasting love ultimately comes down to choice."

From the moment I read that quote in the little beginning author's note, I knew that I would love this book. I loved every message this book had to give about life, hope, love, and everything in between.

I'm a sucker for second chance romances, and Wren and Ellis took this to the next level; it was a perfectly imperfect, after-the-Happily-Ever-After story. Their story demonstrates how, in order to sustain and give/receive love, you need to grow and evolve change together - and it isn't always easy, but wanting to do it should be. There are so many complex emotions about this kind of love, about responsibility, compromises, regrets, etc., and Tarah Dewitt just did a perfect job at putting this into words and giving an amazing, healthy representation of what it means to choose love again and again.

As someone who didn't read Savor It before this (the first book in this interconnected series so far), I can assure you that this book 100% stands on its own, with fully fleshed out characters that are impossible not to fall in love with. They're real and honest, and I feel sad saying bye to them - but hopefully only for now!! I'm in it for the long haul now...

4 stars!! Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing this E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.