This is such a great story about rekindling love and trying again.
I adored Ellis and Wren, and how much they love each other, but aren't sure if it will ever work again.
I liked the adventures and trying being more open with one another.
I loved the family and how they all were rooting for them, but were also trying to hang back.

A good, heartfelt romance.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC.

I really enjoyed this book and was so pleasantly surprised in the best way! This is the second book in the Spunes universe where we first caught a glimpse of these characters in book one, ‘Savour It’.

I went into it expecting a second chance love story, as the yearning and tension between these 2 had me kicking my feet and giggling and while it definitely delivered on the romance, what stuck with me most was how it handled grief, healing, and all the messy in-between emotions 😮‍💨

Wren and Ellis felt so real and relatable, and I appreciated how their connection re-grew slowly and naturally, it never felt rushed or forced. There were moments that made me laugh, made me pause, and a few that genuinely tugged at my heart strings.

I’d definitely recommend it to anyone looking for something heartfelt and honest. And it was also so great to catch up with Sage and Fisher from book one! If you love cameos from characters in previous books then you will love this! 🥰

something about tarah’s writing always brings out an emotional side of me i didn’t know existed. she takes feelings and experiences i have never known how to express through my own words and put them so eloquently on paper. with wren and ellis, it was hard not to feel every single emotion they went through deep in my bones.

this book to me is the epitome of genuinely Excellent writing. these characters are so well crafted and put together, it’s hard to believe they’re just fictional characters that sprouted from tarah’s mind.

this book wrecked me in the best way possible and i am so grateful to live in a world where tarah dewitt exists and writes 🥹🤍🌶️🏕️

thank you netgalley + st martin’s press for this arc

I am freaking obsessed. I wasn't sure that Tarah would be able to top Fisher and Sage from Savor It, but she just had to go and prove me wrong. Second chance romance is hit or miss for me - I either love it or could do without. I have to say, this very quickly (like within the first couple of chapters) has become my new favorite second chance romance.

Ellis is a firefighter with a fair amount of baggage - he's divorced, a father, and he blames himself for a work-related accident. Wren works in the bakery that her mom started, and has also been through her fair share of struggles - she's divorced, a mother, and getting ready to send her son of to college. Plot twist? Ellis and Wren are divorced...from each other. Dropping their son, Sam, off at college means that they will have to tolerate being around each other again. Between lingering feelings and meddling family, their resolve is put to the test.

Ellis puts on a hard exterior, but it's because he's hiding a world of hurt. The closer he comes to dropping Sam at college, the more he realizes that he misses his ex-wife, Wren. Ellis is bold in his choices while planning their road trip from Oregon to California, and decides to make it into a trip to win her back. The man is a giant, gooey marshmallow on the inside and I fell in love with him so easily. He doesn't do anything without reason, he loves fiercely, and at his heart he is a true family man.

Wren is a strong, at times bull-headed, woman. I could relate to her on many levels, as a wife and mom, and feeling like the weight of the world is on her shoulders. She longs to be swept off her feet again, and after being divorced for 5 years, is feeling like she wants to act on getting her ex-husband back.

The PINING between these two is *chef's kiss*. The way that they knew one another so deeply made their journey of wooing and romancing feel uniquely intimate. Their road trip becomes a challenge: see if there is enough of a spark left to rekindle their relationship. Ellis plans romantic stops along the way, and the physical tension builds (and it's delicious). The story is a slow burn, but it doesn't feel that way - likely due to the fact that there are things to reminisce about at every turn.

THIS IS HOW YOU DO IT.

Lately I have felt the contemporaries I have picked up that are supposed to be ROMANCES aren’t actually all that romantic, and then I picked up Left of Forever and lost my absolute mind over how incredible this book is. It soothed something in my soul. It made me want to glue myself to my husband and it made me weep (if you’ve read that last paragraph YOU KNOWWWWW).

I loved how hard Ellis and Wren fought for each other. The circumstances surrounding their divorce made sense and wasn’t a mishap of anything that made me want to throw my book. Life really hits hard sometimes and things break apart. BUT THEY ALSO CAN BE HEALED TOO. This romance was everything. I loved how raw and open these characters became as they had to acknowledge the hurt and work towards better communication and that forever you could see they both desperately wanted.

I can’t tell you how many times I highlighted and tabbed my copy. There were many poignant moments, there was laughter too, and even those scenes where you could feel every word deeply. Hands down going to be one of the best romances I read in 2025.

Overall audience notes:

Contemporary Romance
Language: strong
Romance: 5+ open door
Content warnings: ectopic pregnancy (off page), conversations around infertility

oh what a ride! I was so excited to return to Spunes WA. Wren and Ellis are perfect! oh I can't a day enough about this book. so many emotions. such great writing. i loved the dynamics between the characters. I need more Byrd family drama.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this e-ARC is exchange for my honest review!

This is how you do second-chance romance! No third-act breakup, but plenty of realistic conflict. Also, Tarah covered heavy topics like infertility and teen pregnancy with sensitivity and no sugar coating. The writing was gorgeous with top-notch banter and beautiful descriptions of Wren and Ellis’s road trip stops. This is my first Tarah DeWitt book but certainly won’t be my last. I hope we hear more from the Byrd brothers because I need more Ellis and Wren!

Thank you NetGalley for the ebook arc. I tandem read this with the audiobook

Following high school sweethearts that had a kid too young, and divorced going their separate way. They decided to go on a trip together to their kid’s college when their kid goes off to college. He plans an extensive trip and they end up talking and reminding each other of all the good times they had together and wonder why they let the few bad times win sending them in delegate directions.
After a “scheduling” error at a hotel then end up in each other’s arms.

This is definitely my favorite book by Tarah DeWitt, she makes you root for them to get back together SMS hoping that love wins.

I could not put this book down! For 36 hours, I was consumed by this book. This second-chance romance delivered on everything and more. Rather than two people trying to shove old pieces back together, Wren and Ellis find that they can be something new and wonderful. I hope that there are more return trips to Spunes to come!!

OMG DID I JUST READ MY FAVORITE SECOND CHANCE ROMANCE EVER? I absolutely did.

This book shocked me with its emotional depth. I cannot say enough good things about this book. I felt the longing, the desire, the love. I LOVED the way that this book acknowledged the hard parts of relationships, while also made the reconciliation feel true and worthy. This couple didn’t just love each other still, they did the work to make the relationship work again.

This book was brilliant. I LOVED it, and loved the way it was done.

Hands down, the best second chance romance book I’ve ever read.

“Left of Forever” by Tarah Dewitt had me a bit nervous with how much her first book in this series, “Savour it,” had wrecked me emotionally. This book did as well but in all the best ways, meaning no third act break up!! I loved the plot line of fall vs spring that showed how the MC’s were able to grow into people the other might be able to love again and then they went on a road trip to see if it is possible to find their way back to each other. The road trip stops and all the shenanigans that ensue had me laughing out loud and I loved the chemistry between Ellis and Wren. I was hooked on this novel from start to finish despite my hesitations at first.

The writing was so fluid and beautiful, the second part of the book was like a warm hug 🥰. I really appreciated reading about a divorced couple finding their way back together as a trope because despite not being divorced I saw myself in these characters with all the challenges you have to face when in a long term relationship. I loved how Dewitt approached this topic and it felt all very relatable. The secondary characters were so fun and I loved seeing Sage and Fisher from book one often make appearances. This was a five star read from start to finish for me for sure. I can now honestly say I can’t wait to see if Silas and Micah have books come out as well.

Every single book I read from Tarah I think ‘how will this top the last’ and let me tell you — this blows them all out.

The way Tarah can so effortlessly capture a dual POV in her books is CRAZY to me. Each character is given such a different voice/tone that you really feel the difference in narration. I’m so thankful I read this book vs audio because I’m afraid audio would cause me to turn into dust. Ellis is the best MMC I’ve read since Savor It’s Fisher and from any book since Savor It came out.

Second chance/marriage in crisis books can be difficult to achieve if the story relies too much on the past or fixing the past, but I think Tarah does a wonderful job blending the two all while letting these Byrds do their own thing. If you’re in a long term relationship/marriage/been in one, this book will get you right where it hurts — in the best way. I love Tarah’s books for her ability to be relatable to a variety of aspects in people’s lives without throwing it in your face. Tarah also writes SO BEAUTIFULLY. I could gush about this book forever.

I loved this book. It's raw, real, hilarious, and inspires hope in an authentic way. I'm invested in each character and love the love of the different relationship types. Dedication. I love the way they show up for each other and for themselves. I think because they were so young when their relationship began they needed the break to reflect and grow. They are now vulnerable and still smitten. Also, the way the town rallies and loves fiercely, beautiful. Spunes forever!

By the time I started chapter 3, I knew I was going to really enjoy this. I’ve hoped for Ellis and Wren’s HEA since reading *Savor It* and I was thrilled to get an early copy of *Left of Forever 🙂*

*childhood friends
*only-ever-you
*second chance
*firefighters
*road trip

I loved Wren and Ellis, even though there were times when I definitely wanted to smack them both for not communicating. The emotional growth is terrific and I didn’t want to stop reading.

I love the Byrds and would love if Ms DeWitt writes future titles about SIlas and Micah - I need more stories about this wonderful family!



Thank you to St. Martin’s Griffin and NetGalley for the DRC

This book is beautifully written, inspiring, and thought-provoking. The depth and growth of these characters are relatable and memorable. I loved seeing more of the other Byrds, and I'm hoping we might hear their stories one day! Wren and Ellis have such a special place in my heart. Their individual growth is wonderful, and learning about their young love and seeing their second-chance romance blossom was beautiful. I had tears in my eyes multiple times throughout the book, just because of the pure joy and love I felt while reading this book. It was completely heartwarming. Throughout her novels, she eloquently encompasses challenging topics with grace. Her writing is emotionally intricate, detailed, and witty. Tarah DeWitt has easily become one of my auto-buy authors!!

Thank you Macmillan Audio and St. Martin’s Press for my gifted copies. All opinions are my own. Savor It was a favorite last year and Left of Forever was one of my most anticipated books this year and I’m happy to say it didn’t disappoint.

I’m not sure I’ve read many books where the couple is divorced. I was so invested in Wren and Ellis’a romance. They’ve been divorced for about five years but they are both harboring feelings for one another. They’re coming to a major turning point in their relationship as co-parents as their son graduates from high school and won’t need them as much. They agree to go on a trip together to see if they want to attempt to rekindle their relationship.

This was so tender and the best kind of slow burn. They had so much tension built up after years apart. I loved seeing their friends and family from Spoons, especially Sage and Fisher. I loved how their son, friends and family all meddled with their trip and were obviously rooting for them. I also loved how they talked through so many of their past issues and addressed things like going to therapy.

I adored this and really hope we get more books from Spoons and Tarah DeWitt!

I am convinced that Tarah Dewitt should be a household name. The talent. The word choice. The ability to hold you in the palm of her hand while she breaks your heart and rebuilds it. Second chance perfection!

This book was utter perfection - an over five stars for me, and I will be accepting no criticism. I love, love, loved these two and their second chance after divorce so much. I thought there was stellar growth and reflection from these characters. I liked the honesty and vulnerability. I liked how DeWitt explored the idea of knowing someone so well, yet after time apart, there's new things to get to know. Wren and Ellis were easy to root for. It was a joy to spend this time with them, and I don't know that I have much more besides gushing about how perfect it was for me. I will definitely be seeing her when she's in St. Louis on tour.

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a digital ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

Releasing on May 20th, 2025!

Content Warnings: ectopic pregnancy, pregnancy struggle & loss, and divorce

Ellis and Wren are childhood friends to lovers who divorced five years ago. When they take a trip to drop their son off at college, they decide to detour on their way back home to see if they can rekindle what they had.

This book is a companion sequel to Savor It and we’re following Ellis and Wren in this one. I made sure to read that book before picking this one up and I am so glad I did. Small town romance has been a trend for me recently, so I was very excited to pick this one up. This is my third experience with Tarah DeWitt’s books and I think it’s possible that this one is my favorite! This one was heart wrenching and beautiful. I loved learning about Ellis and Wren’s past and their journey throughout this book.

The spice in this book is also so good and there were more spicy scenes than I was expecting. It really picks up in the second half of the book, but I think they are done really well. There are also some events on this journey that I will classify as “of course something is going to go wrong”, but it was also kind of funny. I want to stay vague to avoid possible spoilers, but I did not see it coming!

Now that we have had a book for each of two of the siblings (Sage and Ellis), I really hope we get books for Silas and Micah. I love the small town setting of Spunes and I like that all of DeWitt’s books are set in the same world. I cannot wait to see what she releases next because after two 4 stars reads and now a 5 star one, Tarah DeWitt is an author I will actively seek new books from. Five stars. I loved it so much!

I'm in the minority here - but this was just okay. I couldn't really get into the story, or believe that she couldn't realize it was his writing.

The characters were good, the plot was good, but there was something about the execution of it that just didn't do it for me ..

Thanks to NetGalley, St Martin's Press & MacMillan Audio for advance copies!