Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC!

Wow. This book. Second chance at its absolute best. Was not expecting to love a book about two divorced parents coming back together as much as I did, but my god, this was so good.

I've never read Tarah Dewitt before, but the cover drew me in, and the story had me fully immersed the entire time. Wren and Ellis stole my heart in every way. The yearning, their communication, their desire for one another. I loved it all. The spice was SPICING and their love was felt in every single page.

How rare it is to read something so emotionally intelligent, vulnerable, and honest.

I will absolutely be thinking about this one for a long, long time.

This was easily one of my favorite second chance romances of all time. This is Tarah DeWitt at her very best! Wren and Ellis’ story is filled to the brim with raw emotion, depth, pure love. It is also gut-wrenching, angsty, and vulnerable all at the same time.

Wren and Ellis fell in love as kids, and had their son Sam as teenagers, further building their life in Spunes, Oregon (obviously not Forks Washington!!!). After their marriage fell apart and they got divorced in their 30’s, they live separate lives… but still a bit rent free in each other’s minds. When Sam is ready to move to college, Ellis persuades Wren to take a road trip with him to give their relationship one last chance. Can they make it for what is left of forever?

Second chance romance at its finest, forced proximity, and two divorcees who are madly in love with each other… utter, utter perfection!

This was absolutely, by far, my favorite Tarah book to date. She handled heavy topics with grace and sensitivity. Both characters are relatable and shine in their own ways. Very spicy, very cute, very emotional! The epilogue was everything, as was the letters. I cannot get enough of my babies in Spunes and it was so nice to see Sage, Fisher, and the whole gang again! Also… she still likes it. As do I.

When I started this book, I realized I didn't want to rush through it and that I wanted to enjoy the words, the story, and the emotions this book was making me feel, so I wanted a moment to give my undivided attention to it. The best decision I have made.

Now having read it TWICE, I can confirm that is one of the best books I will probably read in my lifetime and I can assure you I till stay engraved in my mind and heart until the end of my days.

Ellis and Wren story is full of nostalgia of “what could have been” but also you get rewarded witht the most beautiful prize of “what will it be”

We get to see them work towards fixing their marriage in the most mature and emotionally responsible way. They are the dictionary definition of soulmates, and Tarah made sure we felt that to our very bones. The yearning and the raw emotions. Their connection and chemistry. The compromise of being better for each other!!!! This book is a warm and heartfelt hug to your soul.

Tarah's writing creates an emotional, very intimate, and personal channel between you and the words you are reading. A bridge between the pages and your heart, if you will. She has a gift of transmitting the rawest and most genuine emotions and introspections that capture you from prologue to epilogue; this one was no exception. She has healed so many holes in my heart without even trying; that's how special she is. Her words have the power to mend, to make you feel understood and seen, just like she shows us with her characters. This book was no exception.

I loved this. I loved that the mc’s are 30s-40s because you don’t see that very often. The start was a little slow, but it had so much heart, pining, and yearning that I soon became obsessed. I was on the edge of my seat hoping these two could heal and work out their pasts to come back to each other. It’s an emotional ride but I loved it so much!

Left of forever is a second chance romance between divorced Wren and Ellis. Their story picks up 5 years after their divorce. “You’re still a Byrd”

They embark on a mini road trip to save their relationship. Ellis is still madly in love with Wren, when he gets hit with a sign to get her back there is nothing stopping his determination. This alone makes him feel be of my favourite MMCs, he cares so deeply about what he loves and he would go to the end of the earth for his family.
“I would chose you. Over everything! Over everyone”

There is passion and tension through each dynamic. You feel their history with each conversation, look and touch. I’ve never read a second chance that had me so hooked into the characters, that made me feel like i had known them all along, knew their story just as well as they did. The anticipation of each moment kept me hooked all the way through.
“This overwhelming, gutting, soul-rendering feeling is so dangerous. And I’m watching myself dive for it with so little caution”
“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”

You can tell that Tarah Dewitt really put her all into this book, the emotions are so vivid. The characters are so raw and real.


Also loved the little Deacon and LaRynn cameo 🥺

4⭐️
Second chance romance will do it for me every time!! I liked Savor It just somewhat but was really intrigued to pick this one up because I love second chance so much. Left of Forever follows Wren and Ellis five years after their divorce. Their love was raw and real and so sweet. I loved how open Ellis and Wren were in acknowledging what went wrong, validating each other's feelings, and working to make the necessary changes to grow together. The love that they have for each other and the family they created truly shines through in Tarah's writing. This book had some heavier topics and I loved how she handled it while continuing pushing the plot. Her writing in this one is truly some of her best work!! Also the spice in this was HOT (but that ice cream scene was wild).

After finishing this, I really hope that Micah and Silas, the other brothers, get their own books because they were some of my favorite parts of this and I want to learn more about them!

Thank you to Tarah Dewitt and Netgalley for the e-ARC 🧡

Tarah Dewitt has done it again; I *ran* to NetGalley when I saw that ARC downloads were available for 24hrs. I devoured it in a day. It was the perfect blend of sweet and spicy, I equal parts blushed and kicked my feet. Wren and Ellis will stay with me for a long time and I’ll be nursing this love-story hangover for the foreseeable future.

Literally how am I sniffling while also taking notes to build my 2025 edition book boyfriend....because Tarah DeWitt, that's how.

Sometimes you go into a book knowing that it’s going to break you in the best way possible. Left of Forever by Tarah DeWitt did exactly this for me.

This is one of the best marriage in trouble/divorced couples books I’ve read. It’s hard to write a story from divorce back into romance and Tarah’s flow and pacing in the book did this with ease.

I also think about everything she packed into this one book. There are so many sweet threads that are tying Ellis and Wren together. All the beautiful emotional loops are closed in the right time and place in the book. I constantly was kicking my feet because of these moments.

Ellis convinces Wren to give them one more chance on a roadtrip home after they drop their son off to college. They make some ground rules and must talk about the hard stuff while on this trip. The thing that is magical is that both these people have had growth and changed in the past 5 years since they have been divorced. They start to get to know one another again, sift through their past, and form a new and stronger relationship than before.

Tarah gives the things I love best in her books in this one. The emotional depth of trauma and pain, the hilarious laughing moments, the chemistry and swooniness are all there. There is one scene where I laughed so hard I started to cry.

I love the way she writes. It’s so gorgeous and it paints the most real picture for me. I feel like Wren and Ellis are so real too. She has that ability to create people who you can connect with and root so hard for. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for Wren and Ellis at this point.

The other thing I adore is the world she has built with this series. I was already obsessed with this family and friend group in Savor It, but we get even more moments of the family with their jokes and deep love for one another. I am already feral for Silas and Micha’s books! I don’t want to give spoilers so I’ll just say that the end of this book got me because it was so perfect.

Things I said while reading this book:
- This book broke my brain. But in a good way.
- I think this book altered my DNA!
- This man is too good for this world and must be protected at all costs.
- I think this is the spiciest book Tarah has written and I am here for it.
- They deserve it. Like all of it. Everything.
- I am dead or I am deceased. (It was so good I died probably 30 times during this book)
- The Wedding got me! (I cried which I don’t do a ton while reading)

Thank you to Tarah and SMP Romance for providing an ARC. All opinions are my own.

If you like Tarah DeWitt’s other books you’ll enjoy this one too, plus enjoy lots of cameos of past couples.

5 out of 5 stars, obsessed is an understatement.

First and foremost, Tarah DeWitt is an auot-read author for me, but this book in particular was a NEED BEGGING TO READ since the moment she announced, honestly even before then when we are first introduced to Ellis and Wren in Savor It. And to have one of my most anticipated books exceed my expectations? A Blessing.

Left of Forever follows divorcees Wren and Ellis as they navigate their son's entry into college. The two agree to take a road trip to drop off their son and back in effort to discover what caused their marriage to end. BUT ITS ALSO SO MUCH MORE THAN THAT! Second chance romance is my weakness, I'll shout it out to the rooftop that I love seeing love come back. Ellis is down bad for his wife - even when he's mad at her, he's down bad for it. And sweet, sweet Wren. She has never stopped loving Ellis, but was doing everything in her power to appear okay. I just love them so much.

Left of Forever is more than just a couple getting back together, it's an honest conversation on the importance of healthy conversation. It's about recognizing not only your wrongs, but your partner's as well. It's about accountability, growth, and not ignoring the past for a brighter future.

Also, Ellis...the man you are!!! A man who knows what he wants and committed to it. A man with a MOUTH ON HIM?? Obsessed. Absolutely obsessed.

Thank you to Net Galley, St. Martin's Press, and Tarah DeWitt for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Lord help me, I love the way Ellis loves Wren 💔❤️‍🔥 !! The fact that this takes place in Oregon is amazing because A: that is where I live and B: she mentions Beaverton where I grew up! I loved all the little references to my beloved state. I made it alllll the way to the end of chapter 38 without crying (which is an amazing feat, let me tell you!) i love that the characters were in there mid 30s and had fully realized what kind of love they wanted and deserved. Thank you so much for this book, Tarah. You absolutely killed it with this one ( and all your other books if we’re being real ) they just keep getting better.

This was such an emotional roller coaster since I very closely relate to the story. Wren and Ellis are memorable, impressive characters. So much angst, but they just needed to grow separately as individuals and come back together with their strong bond back in place. All the characters had a role. Every dialogue was meaningful. Every touch, every look was full of depth. I really loved this book.

#netgalley #LeftofForever

"And all of my life's greatest happiness can be traced back to her"
"You have been missing from me...there's a void where you lived in me"
"Save me a seat Byrd"

I just need to give an early on shout out for the calf squeeze that occurs in chapter 1 because wow the longing starts early and we love to see it!

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Wow, this book. How best to encapsulate such a beautiful story? The triumph of Tarah's writing is in the details that are carefully sprinkled throughout the story and hit you like an emotional sucker punch each time they show up. After I read Savor It, I knew I had to try and get my hands on this book early if possible. Left of Forever does not disappoint. If you enjoy yearning, this book is for you!! If you enjoy well crafted tension that is built upon so well that when it crests, the scenes are so hot, this book is for you!!

There is so much careful consideration and work that goes into rebuilding Wren and Ellis' relationship throughout this book. Each moment was precious. I especially loved where we begin with the letters, and how Ellis uses them as a springboard to get his wife back. The way that the letters come full circle in the end as well, not just with Wren finding out about them, but how he used what she wrote to plan the trip, oh my goodness that detail was specifically amazing to me. He listens and takes action?! We love Ellis. The way they both carried this quiet hope and tried to work on themselves to be able to have their great love again was lovely.

Here are some of the details that stuck out to me and made me clutch this book closer like the precious gift it is!
1. the origami birds
These were spectacular. When I realized the whole family had strung them up at the wedding I started crying. How she had them hanging from the porch outside Sam's window when he was a toddler. The way Ellis left them for her during her trip and even before it with the grad program. The origami birds were delightful.
2. The journaling and letter writing
I already mentioned how fantastic the letters were, but the journaling added a great layer to the story too. It not only showed Wren's work to get to a place where her and Ellis could be together again, but it also provided the opportunity for Ellis to write those amazing emails in response to her journal entries. Lines like, "Thank you for kissing me"! Are you kidding me?! Another one of my favorite lines from the journal entries: "All I know is that if I found out heaven was real and got there first? I'd hang back in the waiting room and save you a seat"
3. The tattoos/birds in general
Okay but Ellis' tattoo is just a fantastic detail, not just describing his whole family but showing his devotion to Wren as well. Then, when we find out Wren got the same tattoo because wrens mate for life?! Consider me gutted!!!!
4. The music
This was a smaller detail to me, but every time Ellis mentioned that he missed Wren's sad music it made me grin. Coming from a girl who loves her sad music, this detail was made just for me.
5. Also the storyline of the horses and how this recurred into the end of the story. This also made me tear up when I saw that they ended up together and Sage and Fisher went to pick them up.
Honestly this list could go on and on because the more I think about this book, more details stick out, so really the whole book was a complete slam dunk for me.

And now, some honorable mentions for quotes that either made my jaw drop, tear up, smile giddily, or all three!!

"Is it that obvious I'm half of something still?"
"If they were caught in the blaze...at least tell me...were they together in the end?" This quote specifically made me lose my mind. Perfectly crafted.
"I was starving to be near you again"
"...because if he can carry all of them, I can carry him"
"Any reservation I have slingshots out of me...everything I am is his"
"Good...you belong at home with me"
"I know about feeling too much, even if it's happy"


"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."
I just need to speak to this quote for a moment. I feel that this quote encapsulates the journey that Wren and Ellis take throughout this book, but also a relatable feeling that so many people reading understand, that relationships take work and its not just up to fate if something works out but the choices that we make. I really appreciated that Ellis owned the work they had to do and that they deserved all of the beauty their relationship could contain if they wanted to grasp onto it.


I believe that so many people will fall in love this book because of how genuine and tender it is. There was a rawness to these characters that feels realistic. I also loved getting to see the family together, specifically in the scene where Sage gets engaged. Their love is true in a way not everything is. I can't wait to read more from this universe, but first I am going to go read this book again!!!

A huge thank you to St. Martins Press and Netgalley for this ARC!

I had no idea that l'd love a story about a divorced couple getting back together so much but Wren and Ellis' love story was epic and their road trip was funny, spicy and moving. It was also lovely to return to this town and these characters first introduced in Savor It but this book can also be read as a standalone. Thank you to Tarah Dewitt and St.
Martin's Griffin for the opportunity to read this book early on NetGalley.

A road trip
Written letters
Second chances

This book where do I begin?

I knew from the blurb of the book I instantly wanted to read it. And I'm so very grateful for the early copy I received to read. I will absolutely be purchasing a physical copy once this book is published!

Reading Sage & Fisher's story just made me more excited to read Ellis & Wren's love story.

While I didn't exactly relate to the major part of this story considering I'm still currently married to my partner. I understand marrying young and the struggles of adapting together in a new life and raising your first born.

But please don't let that deter you from choosing this book to read. Because this story is so much more. This is a beautiful story with so many emotions.

I cried. The loss of time. The heartbreak. The anger. The longing and not giving up. They were meant to be together. FOREVER.

If you take anything away from this story. Communication is vital. It's KEY to any relationship.

Second chances - Yes please. Time heals. But time is also cruel and it's not something you can ever get back. Fight for what love with all your heart.

Five freaking stars for me. This book made me feel so much. This book gives hope. This book is so many things I can't find the words for. It is more than just a romance novel.

Thank you NetGalley & St. Martin's Press for this arc of an amazing book.

P.S I feel like Silas needs a story

This book is such a masterpiece, Ellis and Wren's story of coming together again had me not able to put the book down. Tarah is a master of second chance romances, they’re the gold standard. The stage for Left of Forever is set so perfectly in Savor it, I went feral for Ellis like everyone else when he dropped, “She’s still a Byrd,” in the town hall meeting.

There is still so much love and yearning between these two, and Ellis decides to ask Wren to try things again on a gorgeous road trip after they drop their son off at college. Watching them learn to communicate better, let their walls down, and rebuild the foundation of their marriage stronger than ever is more beautiful than I could ever put into words. I cried no less than a dozen times, thank you very much. They have such real and raw things to work through. Don’t worry, there is plenty of humor too. There is a scene that had me on the floor cackling. IYKYK. So please go read this incredible book, I cannot recommend it enough.

Thank you Netgalley and St.Martin’s Press for this eARC.

Left of forever is a sequel to Savor by Tarah Dewitt. It is a 2nd chance romance between Ellis and Wren. It gave me all the warm and fuzzy feelings while simultaneous wrecking me emotionally.

Wren the FMC was funny, spunky, relatable, and an amazing friend and mother.

Ellis the MMC is kind, caring, puts others before himself and stepped up for his siblings in ways you never should have to as a kid yourself.

I really enjoyed how this felt very authentic. I read a lot of 2nd chance romance that felt impractical or like they gave into each other too quickly. In this one it felt very real! It did all come back together over night, they both had to put in the work on themselves and reevaluate what went wrong the first time and because of that was a really impactful and emotional read.

I also really liked that we didn't just get to see what their lives were like now but we got to see flashbacks all the way back to them being friends at 6 years old and how they grew up together!

I have now read 2 book by Tarah Dewitt and I cannot wait to read more!

Tarah does it again! Ellis and Wren felt so REAL. I loved seeing them grow and getting to know them better and seeing the other Byrd family members.
This book was well structured and paced, had beautiful writing, had great emotional payoff, and felt like getting to understand a new part of myself better.

My heart lives with this book, I fear. I recently started reading more second chance romances and Left of Forever has made me fall in love with the trope. I was crying before I even read the first chapter, just reading the dedication and the playlist! Tarah Dewitt is a master to her craft. The emotions this book pulled from me involuntarily; I’m awestruck.

Wren and Ellis have such a special relationship. They both love so strongly, feel so deeply for one another and their families and friends. And yet, like all relationships, there are challenges. Some of those challenges for Wren and Ellis seemed too big to overcome. Left of Forever is a love letter to rekindling a love was thought couldn’t be saved, all while honouring, accepting, and celebrating life and its ups and downs.

It was such a joy to learn about how these two learned to love each other, in the beginning and throughout this book. Wren is such a strong FMC in so many ways. And Ellis, The role of being a parental figure, with the help of Wren, to his siblings while also being a father to baby Sam when they’re barely adults themselves is no easy feat.

Left of Forever releases May 20th!! Thank you @stmartinspress and @netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review