Sometimes, a book lands in my hands at precisely the right moment, and Left of Forever by Tarah DeWitt felt meant for me. Wren and Ellis's story isn't just about falling back in love — it's about doing the messy, unglamorous work of healing, forgiving, and choosing each other again after life has worn them down. Their history is so deep and tangled, and watching them try to find a way back to each other felt like rooting for old friends who deserved more than just a second chance; they deserved a better opportunity.
I loved how the road trip along the California coast wasn't just a change of scenery — it became a quiet, beautiful metaphor for everything they were trying to rebuild: trust, friendship, the tiny daily intimacies that once came so easily but now had to be earned. Tarah DeWitt writes their silences as powerfully as they write their conversations — sometimes, what Wren and Ellis don't say hits me harder than their biggest arguments. And when those old wounds cracked open again? It gutted me. It felt real, like no tidy apology could fix everything.
This story never pretends that love is enough all by itself — it shows how love has to be fought for, protected, and sometimes broken down to its bones before it can be truly whole again. It's tender without being sentimental, raw without losing hope. Wren and Ellis's journey back to each other is the imperfect, earned love story that sticks with me long after the last page.

Before getting into my review, it might be best to go back and reread Savor It as you might not remember who everything is and how it’s connected. Personally, it took me a while to figure out how everything was connected. Either way, it didn’t end up hindering my enjoyment if you chose not to reread it.

Left of Forever follows Ellis and Wren, who were previously married and are now divorced, with a son about to go to college. From the start, it’s clear there is still some kind of connection there, but it becomes even more interesting when Wren starts writing to Ellis, but not realizing it’s him at first. That’s the exact thing that ends up kickstarting an interest in getting back together.

We watch as Wren and Ellis slowly start to become comfortable with each other again and start to learn about who they are now. They were married very young and had a lot of responsibility on their shoulders, which wouldn’t be easy for anyone. All of that, coupled with infertility, ends up being a huge cause of why their relationship doesn’t work out. Infertility is mentioned and discussed if it’s something you’re sensitive to.

Ultimately, Left of Forever is a story about two people with a lot of history, realizing that maybe their story isn’t done after all. This book is hard to read at times but it’s so rewarding to see Ellis and Wren make their way back to each other. Even the possible conflict ends up being something the two resolve quickly and the story goes from there.

There is so much to love and explore within this story that you won’t be able to put it down. If anything, it has me hyped for what Tarah DeWitt will do next. As long as you can handle the topics, then this book needs to be on your spring TBR.

DeWitt’s best book yet! I was so excited for Wren and Ellis’s second chance romance and it was such a good read. I couldn’t put this story down and loved following them on their road trip as well as some cameos from Savor It and even The Co-Op!

*I received an advance e-copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed are my own.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this book!

This is by far my favorite Tarah DeWitt book! Savor It really was not doing it for me, so I am really pleased with how much I enjoyed Left of Forever.

Yearning ✅ Pining ✅ Groveling ✅ Mustache ✅

There’s lots to like about this! Ellis is an absolute simp for Wren and will stop at nothing to prove he still loves her. I personally love second chance romance/marriage in crisis, so this is right up my alley. I really appreciated the growth and therapy that we saw Ellis go through. I am Intrigued by Silas and Micah and look forward to seeing more of them in the future.

This story really proved that they were still in love, but that was never really the reason they divorced to begin with. So I’m not entirely convinced they worked through the problems that caused them to separate. Some conflict was a little glossed over to insert a spicy scene.

Overall, very enjoyable and romantic and sexy. Lots of great content from Ellis, I wish I’d seen as much depth from Wren.

Happy reading!

Tarah DeWitt became an auto-buy author for me after “Savor It” and “Left of Forever” will show readers exactly why.

This was a beautiful take on second-chance romance. I know readers were rooting for Wren and Ellis since “Savor It” because I was one of them too.

DeWitt brilliantly portrays why they are made for each other and how those big loving feelings never really went away.

Thank you so much to St. Martin’s for selecting me for this ARC. I can’t wait to see it receive all the hype it deserves soon.

“New beginnings are best when you get to pick and choose what you carry over from the old.”

A romance novel you can read at your own pace and not have devour in one sitting. Ellis and Wren are divorced with a college aged son. They each must decide if they will remain apart or admit to spending what is left of forever, together. Tarah DeWitt paints a picture of characters that have real life issues, imperfections and ultimately just want to be loved.

Thank you to Tarah, St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the eARC.

I thought this was absolutely beautiful. The hurt and pain written in this story was tender, but it was handled with so much care. I loved Ellis and Wren. Separately but especially together. I’m a sucker for second chance romance! I loved getting glimpses of them in Savor It- I just knew their story was going to be a good one and I wasn’t disappointed! The longing between both of these characters caused feelings I can’t even explain and I’m just so happy to have gotten to be along for the ride while they reconnected 🥹💖

Left of Forever

5⭐️
3🌶️

Tropes:
Second Chance
Childhood Friends to Lovers
Divorced Couple
Road Trip
One Bed
Small Town

OMG. I don’t think I could have enjoyed this any more than I did! At first I was really concerned this was going to be an emotional roller coaster (similar to Untying the Knot by Meghan Quinn) but I was ready for ride. Then I got into it and was so pleasantly surprised. Yes it’s emotional but it’s done so well!

Ellis and Wren are some of the most raw, real, broken, and beautiful characters. Their story is devastating and uplifting. Everything that happened felt purposeful. I loved the snippets of their past (though I wish there was a bit more) and how forgiving they were to each other. I loved how Ellis grew throughout the story but he and Wren still fit so perfectly together.

This is the second book in the Spunes series. Though this can be read as a stand alone, it would be best to start with Savor It to gain the background on everyone.

CW: infertility, ectopic pregnancy, surgical procedures (not detailed)

Left of Forever blew me away — I’m completely obsessed! The emotion, the twists, the writing… it all hit so hard and stayed with me long after I finished. I honestly didn’t want it to end; it’s an absolute must-read!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Wren and Ellis are OVER. They've been divorced for five years. But their son Sam is heading off to college, so they decide to band together to help him move. On their way back, Wren and Ellis decide to have a little road trip through some GORGEOUS California countryside and examine where their love went wrong, and if they could ever make it right.

I've ready quite a few new contemporary romances lately, and they ALL pale in comparison to this one. DeWitt's love scenes made me CRY. The depth of emotion that these characters feel. The ways in which they try to come back to each other. I've said it before and I'll say it again: Second chance romances are, in my opinion, one of the HARDEST tropes to get right. The author has to make the break up believable and the yet make the reader NEED for the couple to get back together. DeWitt does this in spades!

This book is said to be a standalone, but it's the second book in the Spunes series, and the events in the first book are referenced quite a lot here. I enjoyed meeting these characters, but I honestly believe this'll jump from a five to a six star book once I read the first book in the series. (Clearly I still enjoyed it without reading the first book: Savor It.) I adored this ensemble cast, and I firmly believe we'll be seeing more Spunes novels to come. We also get a super sweet cameo of our couple from The Co-Op, which was another six star read for me. This woman can WRITE. Can't wait to read the rest of her backlist as I await the next release!

Trigger warnings: ectopic pregnancy (before story begins), teenage pregnancy (before story begins), divorce (before story begins), infertility issues (before story begins)

I'd like to thank St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the eARC of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

4.5 stars - I'm honestly still reeling from how much I enjoyed this book! I was hesitant for an "ex-marriage in crisis on a road trip", but the You've Got Mail vibes helped give it the reader a deeper glance into their situation. Grab the audiobook if possible and you won't be disappointed!

I also appreciate that there wasn't any pettiness between the families, and they all genuinely love each other since they have basically grown into a found family from a young age. This had plenty of hilarious moments, and a few steamy bits, but mostly I enjoyed the growth of the main characters, both separately and together.

I think this is my 2025 read of the year—WOW. The communication?? YES PLEASE! The honesty?? HELL YEAH! The vulnerability?? YUP. The spice?? PHEW! From start to finish, I ate this book up; it was such a good second-chance romance; I devoured it.

My guy Ellis? What. A. Man. His steadfastness and strength were incredible. The strength and vulnerability of Wren were inspiring. The two of them? Everything.

I just loved this book and want to reread it a thousand times because I had so much fun with it. 11/5 stars!!!!

“One day, when we’re very old and gray, one of us will open our eyes to a day the the other won’t, but we’ll smile knowing how full life has been, knowing how we spent forever.”

This book has my favorite micro trope in it- anonymous letters/penpals so obviously I was instantly hooked. Such a cute second change romance taking place 5 years after they get divorced. So many elements to this story that I don’t normally see/read in books. First being the divorce, second being that they have a child graduating high school and headed to college, third being ectopic pregnancy, and finally a road trip to salvage what might still be of their past relationship.

I really appreciate that they didn’t divorce due to any toxicity in their relationship. I think the author wrote about their infertility really well written regarding the emotions that followed from both the mfc and mmc including the moments leading up to their divorce.

The wedding scene was probably my favorite out of the whole book. It was a great closure to their story while also setting up the next book in the series perfectly.

♾️ stars - one of my all times favorite second chance romance stories 🫶

Dear stranger,

One day, maybe I will find the right words to express how much this books means to me and how good it is. Today is not that day lol. 🥲 But there are sooo many great reviews and edits out there on the interwebs, I'm just happy to sit here in my bubble and in my feels. It's been weeks and I haven't recovered. Send help. And by help, I mean anything Tarah ever writes I hope she never quits this everyone buy her books so she can be an author forever thank you.

This is one of the best second chance romance and by far, the BEST marriage/relationship in trouble book I have ever read in my life. The most raw, true, real, relatable, complex and beautiful story. I don't know how anyone will ever top it and if I don't see a NYT tagline on it when it comes out I will not be fine. It's like the therapy I didn't know I needed.😭😭🫶

How can someone pack so many feels, love and raw reality in one little book?? Like, it feels so precious and real like I shouldn't even read it. Like I want to protect it/them at all cost. Like I want everyone to read it but I also want to keep it for myself, you know?

Tarah's words hold a rawness and warmth to them that burrows into your soul. Pretty sure this book altered my brain chemistry.

The way I just wanted to highlight every line was unreal... There is charm, banter and funny moments too, ofc. I laughed so hard I cried at the vineyard scene. When you get there you will know.

Wren and Ellis are everything. They went through everything. They fell in love, had a beautiful romance story, started a family, lost themselves, hit roadblocks, worked hard, lost communication... but they never lost "them". Just got a bit in their heads and in routines and life hardships. But then... BUT THEN. *cue sobbing*.

Maybe they just needed a bit of distance, healing and perspective to get back on track. And the getting back on track was delicious! It was fun and flirty and had meddlesome families and roadtrips and adventures. Because no matter what, "she's still a Byrd".

I will probably never get over the "I'd save you a seat" lines.

Thank you Tarah for the story and the publisher for the arc. I don't do reviews I do emo rambling so here you go. 😁

I honestly have mixed feelings about this. One of the biggest challenges for me was the lack of meaningful communication between the main characters, it just felt like so much of their conflict could have been resolved if they had just talked honestly with each other or followed through on the FMC’s suggestion to go to therapy. The five-year separation, filled with heartbreak and other relationships, just seemed so avoidable to me which honestly made it difficult for me to fully connect with their story.

It also left a bad taste in my mouth that despite being childhood friends, the MMC had all his "firsts" with someone else. That choice weakened the impact of their shared history for me, especially since their connection was supposed to be so deep and long standing.

Another detail that didn’t sit quite right was how one sided their pasts felt: we get a lot about the FMC’s dating life post-breakup, but barely anything about the MMC’s, just because she didn’t want to know. That narrative choice felt inconsistent and left some important questions unanswered.

Lastly, while I appreciate a fast-paced resolution, the speed at which they got back together after years of unresolved pain felt a little too quick. If a book leans into miscommunication, I’d love to see a bit more depth and angst in the reconciliation process. Despite all that I still had a good time overall especially seeing the characters from the previous book.

Good God. Thank you for this book. It was everything I wanted and MORE.

A perfect piece of literature. Not one damn thing is wrong with it.

It was creative and beautifully crafted. These characters are fantastic and I couldn't put this story down. It consumed me.

Will be thinking about this one till the end of time probably.

Tropes: childhood friends to lovers, second chance, found family, epistolary, small town romance, road trip, one bed, pining, and dual POV.

If I could give this 6 stars, I would.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the eARC for my honest thoughts and NetGalley.

The words on this book will be permanently etched in my brain. My love for this book began from one line in Savor It with "She's still a Byrd" and I have been anticipating this book ever since and it was just as amazing as I thought it would be.

Wren and Ellis finding their way back to each other was done in such a raw and real way. I can't wait to have this book physically in my hands so I can highlight and underline everything that I read and loved about this book. This book broke down a relationship and put it back together. I love novels that feature letters and I love road trips so this book was the perfect mixture of the two. I want to go to a town that doesn't exist. I want to go to Spunes! This gave me such "whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same" vibes.

Tropes:
Second Chance Romance
Road Trip Romance
Tight Knit Family
Dual POV
Small Town
Baker
Firefighter

Closed Door Mods: 4, 23, 29, 30, 33, 34

dare I say favourite book of all time???? I’ve read it 3 times already. my soul book.

bury me with this book. tattoo this book on my body. my soul characters. it is really hard for me to come up with the right words to describe how much this book means to me. i have never felt so connected to a bookish couple then i do with ellis and wren. this is the one book i will constantly come back to and no matter how many times i reread LOF it never looses its magic. if i’m not smiling or giggling i have tears streaming down my face.

tarah dewitts brain needs to be studied. the way she crafted these characters - each one painted with such depth, such aching beauty, they don’t just feel real but truly lived-in. there complexities hum with such vulnerability and tenderness you can’t help but route for them from the very first page.

second chance romances have always held my heart, but this one sits at the very top. there is something so aching beautiful seeing two souls who know each other so intimately find their way back. the homecoming that feels new, tender, and reborn.
some of my favourite parts of this book were when the smallest, most ordinary moments stirred daydreams of their shared history. glimpses of quiet intimacy and the echo of yearning that still lingered between them.
And beneath all of that softness lies something heartbreakingly real: the heartbreak of loving someone so fiercely, you start to wonder if you’re what’s holding them back. when you want the entire world for them, but carry the weight of your own darkness. it’s easy to believe that letting go is the selfless choice especially when you see the light in their eyes dimming. maybe that is the right thing. maybe it’s not. but that uncertainty, that ache, that’s what it is to be human. A messy, beautifully, flawed human, trying to love with everything they have, even if it means breaking their own heart.😭😭😭😭😭

tarah… your beautiful mind amazes me.

i could write a thesis on these two characters but maybe ill just journal about it instead lol. LOF comes out may 20th so pls….i beg you… preorder from your indie bookstore.

i also have to highlight the audio because my god it was perfect. these two narrators brought wren and ellis to life. i was seriously blushing hardcore whenever ellis was in my ear.

dare I say favourite book of all time???? I’ve read it 3 times already. my soul book.

bury me with this book. tattoo this book on my body. my soul characters. it is really hard for me to come up with the right words to describe how much this book means to me. i have never felt so connected to a bookish couple then i do with ellis and wren. this is the one book i will constantly come back to and no matter how many times i reread LOF it never looses its magic. if i’m not smiling or giggling i have tears streaming down my face.

tarah dewitts brain needs to be studied. the way she crafted these characters - each one painted with such depth, such aching beauty, they don’t just feel real but truly lived-in. there complexities hum with such vulnerability and tenderness you can’t help but route for them from the very first page.

second chance romances have always held my heart, but this one sits at the very top. there is something so aching beautiful seeing two souls who know each other so intimately find their way back. the homecoming that feels new, tender, and reborn.
some of my favourite parts of this book were when the smallest, most ordinary moments stirred daydreams of their shared history. glimpses of quiet intimacy and the echo of yearning that still lingered between them.
And beneath all of that softness lies something heartbreakingly real: the heartbreak of loving someone so fiercely, you start to wonder if you’re what’s holding them back. when you want the entire world for them, but carry the weight of your own darkness. it’s easy to believe that letting go is the selfless choice especially when you see the light in their eyes dimming. maybe that is the right thing. maybe it’s not. but that uncertainty, that ache, that’s what it is to be human. A messy, beautifully, flawed human, trying to love with everything they have, even if it means breaking their own heart.😭😭😭😭😭

tarah… your beautiful mind amazes me.

i could write a thesis on these two characters but maybe ill just journal about it instead lol. LOF comes out may 20th so pls….i beg you… preorder from your indie bookstore.

i also have to highlight the audio because my god it was perfect. these two narrators brought wren and ellis to life. i was seriously blushing hardcore whenever ellis was in my ear.

This was such a sweet read. I love romance books and I read a lot of them, but I always especially appreciate the books that focus on those couples who are just a little bit older and have a little more experience under their belts.

I really loved both Wren and Ellis. They were the model of good communication. They were patient with themselves and each other. They were respectful of each other. They were easy to root for.

This is a follow-on to Savor It, which I haven’t read. I didn’t need to. This book can stand alone, however I did feel a bit loot I was missing out on some details that would have elevated the story for me. So, I’m going to work backwards and make sure to read Savor It soon.

If you love more mature characters, second-chance romance, found family, and only one bed, this will likely be your perfect read. It releases on 20 May 2025.

A giant thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a free eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.