Welcome back to Spunes, readers! “Savor It” was my introduction to Tarah DeWitt, and I admit to falling in love with the town and it’s cast of characters just as much as I did with Fisher and Sage, so I’m really glad that DeWitt brought us back to this lovely small town on the coast of Oregon. (Not to be confused with Forks, Washington. IYKYK.)

“Left of Forever” can be read as a standalone novel, but I think you’d be doing yourself a disservice if you don’t go back and meet Wren and Ellis through the eyes of the adorable and delightful Sage Byrd. I especially recommend the audio for “if to be effortless, which is a huge testament to how devoted she is to her craft.

“There’s something to be said for being able “We’ve spent more than half our lives being Sam’s Mom and Sam’s Dad. Who the hell are we meant to be beyond this?”

Wren and Ellis’ story is what we’ve all been waiting for since being teased about their history in “Savor It”. These two have begged to be known from the beginning, and it was a real joy to learn who they were meant to be.

What I Loved

If you’re someone who likes to read reviews, you’re going to read a lot of similar reviews about “Left of Forever”. It’s amazing. It’s an excellent second book of a series, and it deserves all the flowers and gold stars. To that end, I’m going to keep my love-list brief, but just know that I adored it.

Exceptional Second Chance Romance – seriously, between Tarah DeWitt and Lyla Sage’s latest “Wild & Wrangled”, I’m becoming a Second Chance fan.

(Not so) Anonymous Letters

A road trip to force proximity

Have I mentioned before that letter writing is my favorite thing in a book? Because it is. I live for declarations of love and longing. Words of Affirmation is my love language after all. The only critique that I would give is that I wish Wren and Ellis’ letters went on a little longer, but I know why they didn’t, and it makes sense. I won’t go further because it’s definitely *spoilers* and I wouldn’t want to do that to you all if you haven’t finished yet.

Final Thoughts

Grab this book if you’re a fan of second chance, small town romance, and declarations of love. Ellis is a simp for Wren, and he’s doing everything that he can to win her back.

I enjoyed every single second of reading this and wish it could have continued forever, but then we wouldn’t get the HEA that we’re promised in a romance. There were a few moments and glimpses of what another Spunes novel could be. Tarah, I am here for it! I see Micah pulling at some heartstrings, and I’m ready for those tears. I’ll start pre-hydrating now.

I have read almost all of Tarah DeWitt’s books and I can safely say this is the best yet!! DeWitt is so descriptive with her writing and this is the same. The cover is amazing. The characters were dynamic and relatable. The romance was so engaging it truly had me on my toes. Simply put this was everything. I normally stay away from second chance romances but I am so glad I picked this one up. It had young marriage, young pregnancy, divorce, successful coparenting, rekindling and managed to be HOT. I fully support both Ellis and Wren. This was fun, honest, and emotional. I ate it up. I highly recommend picking this one up.

Wren and Ellis are precious! I loved this second chance romance even more than Savor It. This had such funny and sweet parts, but also real parts about a marriage falling apart when love isn’t enough sometimes. I LOVED their journey back to each other though.

5 ENTHUSIASTIC STARS.

"Left of Forever" by Tarah DeWitt is one of the best books of 2025. This is the greatest second-chance romance I have ever read. Absolutely incredible stuff here. I don't think I'll ever be able to properly convey how good this story is. Ellis and Wren are amazing characters from start to finish. They feel like real people. They are vulnerable, difficult, scarred, still healing, living, aching, breathing, loving, broken, connected people who have been through one of the worst things life has to offer. They split up through the pain, but are still stuck in and around one another in their small town with their still-connected families. With their son off to college, Wren and Ellis are getting a second chance to fix their happily ever after. Watching them rediscover each other was an absolute privilege. My god, the absolute poetry of the prose here. I cannot tell you how many times I BAWLED while reading this book because it is, frankly, embarrassing. Tarah DeWitt is one of my favorite authors, and I think this is her most fantastic book yet. She has this innate ability to take these complicated, shattered people and make her readers root for them to come together in an emotionally cathartic, genuine, happy-but-sad-along-the-way way. These are adult characters with adult problems written for adults who know what it's like to love, lose, and heal, but still feel like something is missing. DeWitt's stories are infused with humor, heat, and heart, and that's exactly what you'll find here. I am in awe of this book, and I appreciate the privilege of getting to read it.

Thank you to NetGalley, Tarah DeWitt, St. Martin's Press, and St. Martin's Griffin for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.

Wren and Ellis 4ever! Loved the letter writing portion and the fun road trip adventures. Their ability to communicate and grow together was refreshing and this book should honestly be the blue print for second chance romances. I love the group of siblings too and getting to spend more time with the characters from Savor It. This book explored grief and growing up too fast in beautiful ways and I’m glad I read it.

Thank you to the publisher and author for the ARC!

Five stars. Unbelievable. This is one of my top books of the year. As someone that fell in love young and got married too young, this book hit me so deeply. I am in absolute awe over how beautiful this book was😭

The main reason we find stories compelling is conflict. It doesn’t have to be high stakes conflict, but it needs to be something that propels us to continue to read. The best romance makes us ask the question: why, how and whether this couple should be together. While I do enjoy the setting of the fictional Spunes, Oregon and its cast of characters, I found myself wondering what the story was. Wren and Ellis were childhood friends, high school sweethearts, teen parents, and a young married couple. Then “life” happened and they divorced. Now Ellis has proposed they take a road trip together after dropping off their kid at college, to see if they might reconcile. The setup is good. But the conflict is so negligible, it barely counts. They’re obviously in love and are going to get back together again. The story just became listless. There was one “secret” where I wondered how it would resolve. And it just was mostly shrugged away. I do think this book might work for someone looking for a no conflict second chance romance. But I simply need more than that.

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted copy.

This is the second second chance marriage plot I’ve read this year and it is quickly becoming a favorite trope. Something about the beauty of two thirty year olds working through challenges and coming out better for it is really compelling to me — a [happily] married 30 something.

Wren and Ellis were a textbook high school sweethearts romance — married young, baby even younger — and yet things fell apart. Fast forward and now their son is graduating high school, and both Wren and Ellis are reminded of the best parts of their relationship, and reminded that hind sight is 20/20 on the worst. Ellis has an idea — a road trip together to see if they can take a step back to before. He’s promised a talking heavy, not romantic 7 days. But, these two may not need candles and romance to reignite their spark.

This was a like but not a love. I loved the plot, the spice, and the characters — but struggled with the pacing. It felt like lot of set up, but I wanted more time to watch them coming back together in each of these fun locations.Tarah never misses with a positive MMC, open to therapy, romantic hero, and I loved being back in Spunes. I also loved the Co-Op easter egg (IYKYK) but i’m always chasing the Dewitt high of Funny Feelings.

Tarah DeWitt does it again!!!! Left of Forever is an emotional, steamy, second-chance romance that completely stole my heart. Wren and Ellis’s story is packed with longing, vulnerability(oh the vulnerability!!!!!!), and that slow-burn ache that DeWitt writes so well. Setting out from the dreamy coastal town of Spunes, Oregon (aka Swoons, OR), this book hits all the right notes: heartfelt, hot, and full of hope.
This is the second in the Spunes, OR series that could be read as a stand alone. #1 Savour It was a book so lusty I still think about it—and Left of Forever delivers just as much heat, but with an extra punch of emotional depth. The road trip backdrop and the evolution from co-parents to remarried was beautifully done, and the blend of angst and their affection felt authentic and earned.
This one is everything a second-chance romance should be.
DeWitt is absolutely a go-to author for me. #netgalley

4⭐️
Left of Forever is a heartfelt second-chance romance that beautifully captures the complexity of love, loss, and rebuilding. Wren and Ellis’s journey—from teenage parents to divorced co-parents to something braver and deeper—felt so real and raw. Their road trip serves as the perfect backdrop for unpacking years of pain, growth, and longing, and I found myself aching for them in the best way. Tarah DeWitt writes with such emotional depth that even the smallest moments hit hard, and the entire Byrd family adds warmth and richness to the story. While some pacing dragged for me in the middle, the tenderness and honesty between Wren and Ellis more than made up for it. If you love redemption arcs, emotional intimacy, and couples who fight their way back to each other, this one’s for you.

The second Chance story we’ve all been waiting for since we met Ellis and Wren in book one. I loved it and love them.

Tarah delivered with the yearning in this story. She had me in my feels through the whole book. I laughed, I cried, and had the time of my life reading both sides of their story.

This is a twist on dual timeline as we get glimpses into their past in such a tug at my heartstrings way.
If you enjoy books with heartache, that take you on a rollercoaster of emotions from the rawness of being human and making mistakes then I highly recommend this book.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book early!

This book was a struggle for me and I actually ended up choosing to dnf. I personally think that Tarah's writing may just not be for me. In this book I found that it was just too spicy for me, I wish the characters would've had more communication instead of using sex as a barrier.

Left of Forever is an absolute gem of a second-chance romance, and I’m completely obsessed. Tarah DeWitt delivers a beautifully emotional and heartfelt story that perfectly balances sweetness, humor, and deep, lingering love.

Wren and Ellis Byrd fell in love young, built a life together, and then fell apart. Now in their thirties, they’ve each carved out lives of their own in the same small town—coexisting but never quite moving on. When their son leaves for college, a spontaneous road trip offers a rare opportunity to reconnect and explore what’s left between them.

DeWitt writes with tenderness and nuance, capturing the complexities of love that’s both weathered and enduring. The emotional depth in this book is powerful, but there are also light, funny moments that keep it from becoming too heavy. The chemistry between Wren and Ellis is palpable, and their journey—both literal and emotional—feels honest and earned.

This story is about more than romance; it’s about growth, healing, and the quiet hope of second chances. If you love beautifully written, character-driven stories with emotional payoff and a touch of steam, Left of Forever belongs on your radar.

Highly recommended.

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Wow! Oh my goodness, it’s been a minute since I’ve read a book that really pulled on my heartstrings and had me desperately turning the pages to see what happens next. This book was such a treat and my only complaint is that I haven’t read any Tarah Dewitt before this emotionally turbulent tale!

This is a second chance romance, revolving around a divorced couple who thought that their lifetime spanning love was the exception to the rule of eventually out of love with one another and they want to come back together 5 years later. I loved that this was real and true, without overly romanticizing their heartbreak. The story covers their journey of learning to love and trust again but also being ready to walk away if they truly aren’t meant to be. The readers are also treated to a torturous slow burn and the most heart pounding of moments.

I will note that the only thing that kept me from rating this a full 5 stars, is that I felt that the discovery of the “big” secret was lackluster. It felt as though it was rushed and that we didn’t get to have much character development during what was supposed to be their tumultuous moment. Other than that I loved the songs that were mentioned throughout (shoutout to T Swift and Bon Iver). I felt that the songs not only helped set the mood for the story but also the setting.

Adding in a TW for discussion of ectopic pregnancy and infertility ❤️‍🩹

it was absolutely refreshing to read about a couple who were honest about their feelings for each other instead of avoiding it !! Both Wren and Ellis knew they were still in love with each other and I loved seeing Ellis actively show Wren that he is doing everything he can to show her that he’s worth the second chance 🥹 During Wren and Ellis’s road trip, they were vulnerable, flirty and had genuine fun together. They communicate in a really healthy way when telling each other things that had bothered them and I really enjoyed that in the book!!

Thank you so much to the publisher & NetGalley for allowing me to read this novel early in exchange for a free review. I have never read anything by Tarah Dewitt but this won’t be my last! I love second chance romance books and this was no exception. Dewitt’s writing & story telling is incredible!

I enjoyed this second chance romance. This is my first Tarah DeWitt book and it won't be my last. I loved the story and characters.

My first book by Tara! I didn’t finish yet but I read enough to know I want to read every book she has written!

This book was perfect in every way! Second chance romance will always be such a special trope and this book did it well! I love Tarah’s writing and cannot wait for all her future work!

I had to DNF for now because I’m recently divorced and it’s just too soon to read a second chance with marriage/divorce. However, I know this will be a 5 star read for me when I’m really ready.