This book emotionally wrecked me in the best way. I'm already a big fan of second chance romance, but Tarah has a way of elevating a book way beyond given tropes.

Ever since reading Savor it, I knew I would devour a Wren & Ellis Story. While you could feel the love, heartbreak, and yearning between the two characters, I never felt like there was unnecessary angst or miscommunication to add drama. Just a very sweet story about two people who had a lot of adversity while they were young, but found a way back to each other. 10/10 the tension and banter in this book was chef's kiss.

I am such a huge Tarah DeWitt fan and have been anticipating Ellis and Wren’s story since reading Savor It last year. Let me tell you, the wait was worth it! This book gave me everything I could possibly ask for: yearning, steamy moments, and laugh-out-loud banter.

When this book starts, Wren and Ellis have been divorced for several years. However, after Ellis receives not-so-anonymous letters from Wren during a firefighting job, he makes it his personal mission to get her back. The two agree to go on a week-long trip after dropping their son, Sam, off at college and work through what went wrong between them the first time around.

Wren and Ellis are 100% my favorite book couple after reading. They communicate well and tell each other what they need for their relationship to work. Of course, there are hurt feelings on both sides that need to be overcome, and they both put in the effort and listen to each other’s needs. Also, the flirting!!! This is Tarah’s hottest book yet, and I devoured it every moment! I will be rereading it ASAP.

Ellis is officially the king of pining! He is down bad for Wren the entire time and works on himself in therapy to be a better man for her. Both have so much emotional development throughout the story, but Ellis blew me away!
The entire Byrd family (including Wren, because she has ALWAYS been a Byrd!!) had me in my feels so much with how they love and support each other. I loved Silas’ friendship with Wren especially, and how he always had her back. Tarah, if you read this, please, please, please give us more Byrd books!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I have so, so, so many things to say about this book. It is pure magic—just as Elsie Silver says on the cover—and I’m here to gush.

That said, I have to admit the actual cover didn’t quite work for me. I love the color scheme, but the couple on the cover feels like a romance throwback gone a little too far (sorry!)—think vintage paperback with a dramatic embrace and an overenthusiastic mustache.

Now, a quick confession: I tried reading Savor It a couple of times but never quite vibed with it. The writing drew me in, but there just wasn’t enough angst for me (again, sorry!). So why mention it? Because while Left of Forever is an interconnected standalone, I highly recommend reading Savor It first for extra background and richness. And trust me—you’ll want that depth with these characters.

I’m a sucker for a second-chance romance, but they can be so tricky to pull off. Tarah DeWitt, however, does it with a bang. The way she structures the past and present timelines makes the couple’s journey feel completely natural—there’s no sudden, out-of-nowhere decision to get back together. Everything is set up so well that when the main part of the story unfolds, it feels earned.

What truly amazed me was how thoroughly she covered every emotional base. From the motivation to try again, to the yearning, to the very real fear of repeating past mistakes, and most importantly—the work it takes to make a relationship last. So many books gloss over this, skipping the gut-wrenching conversations and solitary introspection in favor of a quick “we’re back together!” moment. Not here. This story earns its HEA. Every inch of it is fought for, suffered through, and ultimately won.

I loved the epistolary parts. They were the perfect way to provide backstory without feeling like a forced info dump or making characters deliver long, unnatural monologues. And honestly? I wish there had been more. I never thought of myself as a fan of journal entries or letter exchanges in books, but these were so raw, so alive with emotion, that I couldn’t help but want extra scenes of the characters reading, writing, and discussing them.

The secondary characters are fantastic—vibrant, well-developed, and never two-dimensional, no matter how much page time they get. So much so that I am now officially campaigning for a Byrd family series (pretty please, Tarah?).

In the meantime, I’ll be diving into all of Tarah DeWitt’s other books—and maybe catching more glimpses of this couple in The Co-Op Cafe? Who knows? What I do know is that I need more of her magic in my life.

Big thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the eARC!

Thanks for the advanced copy of this novel. The romance was written well and is incredibly true to the heart of these characters. Second chance romance tales are not for everyone but these two made for a great story and I loved how it ended. This is for anyone who believes in love! Would read from this author again.

With all the words in the English language you'd think I could come up with ones to adequately describe how much I loved this book. From "Be good, Bryd," to "I'll save you a seat," the story of Ellis and Wren Byrd was inspiring, hopeful, heartwarming, and beautiful. 

@authortarahdewitt knows how to get her readers fully invested in her stories, in her characters' lives, and keeps us wanting more. 

Tarah is an auto buy author for me and as long as she keeps writing, I will keep reading. 

I have been chomping at the bit for this book for months, and was lucky enough to receive an advanced reader copy from Netgalley. I can't wait to have a physical copy in my hands so I can tab all my favorite parts while rereading this beautiful story.

#leftofforever #begoodbyrd #shesstillabyrd #tarahdewitt

Reading "Savor It" I knew I needed an EllisWren book with my entire soul. (Yes, second chance is, in fact, my favorite trope, so what?)
And Tarah DeWitt delivered...

If you've read Sage's book, then you already know Ellis and Wren: childhood friends to lovers to young parents to... unfortunately divorced. In "Left of Forever" their son Sam gets accepted into his dream school, so all 3 of them go down to Cali to set Sam up at his new place. But, the best part of it all, on the way back home Ellis and Wren plan to take a week long de-tour trip together.

It hurt just the right amount, reading these two soulmates struggle to be apart, trying to move on... This book has such a beautiful balance of longing, denial, delusion and hope. I haven't even mentioned my favorite part: the hand written letters!

I'm simply so grateful for this book...

This book was written with so much sensitivity and lightness at the same time that I will cherish it for years to come. The characters were relatable in their struggles and I just kept rooting for them on every single page. Tarah is a true master of romance and making readers swoon in every one of her novels and this one is no different. The heat radiated right off the pages too. Will definitely buy this one when it comes out (and gift some to friends too).

I have fallen deeply for the men of Spunes (and the beautiful and sadly fictional town itself.) I love this little world and everything that has been built in just two novels. While reading Tarah’s interconnected novel, “Savor It”, you just just a sliver of who Ellis and Wren Byrd are. Despite all the odds, the pair help each other raise their Bryd siblings together, all while dealing with a young pregnancy of their own. I love how kind this entire family is, despite everything thrown their way at a young age. Left of Forever is a story of growth, acceptance and second chances. Follow along as Ellis and Wren find their way back to each other after losing themselves due to life’s circumstances.
5/5 stars. I will always devour anything Tarah writes and releases.

This book broke me apart, then put me back together again. I had to read pages more than once, I couldn’t see through my tears. To read Tarah’s writing is to experience love and hope in ways you haven’t before. Left of Forever is breathtaking and if it doesn’t alter your brain chemistry for the better, read it again. Left of Forever is a second chance romance in the absolute BEST way.

Spoilers from here on out!!

Sigh. Ever since we met Ellis in Savor It and he claimed Wren was, “Still a Byrd” I knew he was a man worth swooning over, even if he is fictional. I was SAT from the prologue, tears streaming, anticipation heightened, and obsessed with seeing the Byrds back together again. I loved how these characters grew up together, grew apart, then grew up as individuals, only to grow back together again. I said grow a lot, but it’s an important word for what happens to these characters.

The tender moments, the tension, gahhh the tension is oh so sweet. Tarah really did me in with the flirting! The glances, the muscle memory of remembering and knowing someone so deep. She has a way of digging a story so deep in your brain that it will never leave and this is no exception.

For readers of The Co-Op, the gasp I gusped at the cameo!!! The bump, the sand volleyball, the fictional worlds colliding. So well done. The tough topics of infertility and loss and trauma all were well written and thoughtful.

For anyone who fell in love young, has been with their partner for a long time, or simply needs a reminder about what’s important in life, this book will heal you! This story is important and I will cherish it.

Thank you Tarah, thank you!

I am a puddle of goo and happiness and FEELINGS. Ellis and Wren have my whole heart. All of it. It’s theirs. 😭

The back story, the character growth, their friends and family the town of Spunes as a whole - utter perfection!

Ellis is a book husband. I want Wren to be my bestie. This launched itself as one of my favorite books of all time. 🥹😍

I could not be more THRILLED to review Left of Forever. I am literally so stoked for the romance world to read and fall in love with Wren and Ellis's story.

This book is the absolute perfect amount of angst - a lot of deep emotions here, but balanced expertly with Tarah's light and sense of humor. I just adored Ellis's yearning for Wren. Once he decided he wanted to get his girl back BOY HOW DID HE!!

I also love Tarah's mature, nuanced and realistic approach to her romance novels. She builds a great path forward for Wren and Ellis to become friends again and then something more.

Will be thinking about this one for a long, long time <3!!!

Left of Forever follows Wren and Ellis, childhood friends turned lovers, turned teen parents, turned divorcees. For the sake of their son, Sam, they are perfectly cordial and polite with each other no matter how awkward being in the same room is. Despite how much they messed up in their marriage, they know they did at least one thing right in raising their son together. Five years after their separation, Wren and Ellis agree to move in Sam together for his first semester in college. They agree to embark on a roadtrip together after Sam is moved in for the journey home, one last attempt at mending what was broken, because despite attempting to create a new normal in each of their respective lives they still cannot completely move on. How hard can it be to be stuck in close proximity to your first love and now ex-spouse for one entire week?

This was such a sweet story. I really felt the emotions, the heartbreak and yearning, the love and fear from every page. It was a beautifully crafted quick read, I finished in a day! I was rooting for Wren and Ellis the whole time! I love the exploration of their relationship and how they explored all of their emotions together and to see them open up to each other about what went wrong and how to fix it in the future. I'm a sucker for second chance romances and this really hit the spot.

And the delicious tension, oh my goodness. I was blushing a lot reading this book. It was sexy and hot but also very loving and Ellis being so so down bad for Wren 100% of the time was such a pleasure to read.

I only wish we were able to see a little bit more about how they grew close as children! I think that could have elevated the depth of their relationship and history even more. But still, you could really tell that these two knew each other inside and out. I also loved all of the side characters and it was so sweet to read their happy ending. I definitely am looking forward to more!

Tarah’s books have become an instant buy and read for me and I’m so happy I got to read this early and I look forward to doing a reread in May when I get my hands on the paperback!

Ugh Ellis and Wren broke my heart and put it back together! Tarah always does such a good job of writing characters that feel real. I loved getting to be back in Spunes and tried to drag out the read to stay in it. So glad to have gotten to read Ellis and Wre’s story and I very much look forward to my next visit of the Byrd family and Spunes!

“She’s still a bird!”

This story is so special. I have been looking forward to Ellis and Wren’s book since reading Savor It and it did not disappoint. This book has all of my favorite things: dual POV, dual timeline, letter writing, journal entries, and a truly magical love story.

Tysm to @authortarahdewitt and @stmartinspress for this ARC of Left of Forever! After reading (and adoring) Savor It last year I couldn’t wait for the next installment of the Spunes series and Wren and Ellis DID NOT disappoint. I knew that Wren and Ellis’s story would be special after that line (you know the one) in Savor It. I really loved that we saw Ellis take concrete steps to improve himself and it paved the way for our two MCs to have frank conversations about what went wrong in the past. It was funny, sweet, hot 😉, and emotional. 10/10 perfection, no notes!

some love stories never really end, they just take a detour. Wren and Ellis' story is the kind of romance that hits you right in the heart and doesn’t let go, filled with longing, humor, and the kind of intimacy that makes your pulse race. they had the kind of love that felt like forever—young, wild, and deep. they built a life together, had a son, and tried to make it work. but love isn’t always enough, and by their 30s, they were divorced, living separate lives in the same small town, both pretending they had moved on.

enter their son heading off to college—cue a road trip back home that neither of them saw coming. as they drive down the California coast, old feelings resurface, sparks fly, and the walls they built between them start to crack. But is love enough to fix the past, or are some wounds too deep to heal? when emotions run high and words fail, a letter—raw, vulnerable, and honest—might be the only thing that decides their future.

this book is everything. Tarah DeWitt nails the emotional tension, the slow-burn chemistry, and the heartbreakingly real struggles of love lost and found. the banter is sharp, the emotions hit deep, and the romance? Off the charts. If you loved Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren or Before We Were Strangers by Renée Carlino, you need this in your life.

a beautifully messy, soul-stirring, melt-your-face-off kind of second-chance romance. Five stars, no notes.

are you adding this to your TBR? cause same.

Left of Forever" by Tarah DeWitt is an emotionally raw and beautiful second-chance romance that had me hooked from start to finish. Wren and Ellis's journey of love, loss, and rediscovery is a heartfelt exploration of what it means to heal and grow together—or apart—and then perhaps, find a way back to each other. DeWitt’s writing is captivating, with vivid characters who feel incredibly real and relatable. The emotional depth and tension between Wren and Ellis made their journey feel so personal and compelling. This book left me feeling both heartbroken and hopeful, reminding me of the power of second chances. If you're a fan of stories that blend raw emotion with a touch of humor, "Left of Forever" is definitely a must-read!"

This second chance romance was so stinkin cute and hopeful! The romance felt very real as did the problems that split them up in the first place! I’m so glad we revisited Spunes and the Byrd family as I knew Wren and Ellis story was gonna be a doozy.

Another 5 star from Tarah DeWitt - arguably her best.

Overall: 5
Spice: 4

If you read DeWitt's book Savor it, you know the line, "She's still a Byrd." This story picks up that unresolved love story of Wren and Ellis. Pregnant and married young, these two had all of life's worst thrown at them. They did their best, but still it all drove them apart. Five years after their divorce, their son is off to college. After being polite for his sake, can they take the time to have the hard conversations and find their way back to each other.

I love that Tarah keeps writing such gorgeous stories that have readers laughing and crying in equal measures. There was something about that one short line from Savor It that had my attention from the moment I read it. I suddenly wanted to know Wren & Ellis' story and understand how such a strong, public statement came from such a quiet and private man. After all that build up (DeWitt teases like the best of them on Instagram) and wait for this book, I was a little scared to start it and be disappointed, but I dropped everything when I got the ARC notification and dove in. It was like coming home, stepping into DeWitt's Spunes and her warm, familiar writing style. DeWitt uses letters and journal entries to share Wren & Ellis' history and their individual dreams for their futures. A road trip home from taking their son to college offers them the chance to see if a reconnection is possible. This sets up fun and funny adventures where things go right and terribly wrong. The spice is spicing in this one as DeWitt offers creative encounters that aren't the standard romance book fare. DeWitt always offers valuable insight on life and love. This one includes a marshmallow analogy to marriage that I will never forget. After being married for 22+ years, I can concur her messaging is spot on. Highly recommend for romance readers, fans of the second chance trope and slightly older characters (in their early 30s).

SCREAMING bc I got the ARC and I have been waiting for this since Savor It! I read it in literally one sitting and stayed up until midnight to do it.

I LOVE a good second-chance romance (this has a dual POV). I was already tearing up in the prologue. There's also so. much. YEARNING (LOVE IT), and reading this book gave me an ache where you have to rub your sternum to make it better. It's clear that both Ellis and Wren have lingering feelings for each other, but because of communication issues, their relationship deteriorated, and further miscommunication in the years after their divorce lead to further heartbreak for both of them. It was an absolute joy seeing them come back together and both of them stepping out of their comfort zones together to grow together as a couple. The whole ice cream/oil scene was diabolical and I've never read anything like it and I loved it - I was smiling and screaming and kicking my feet.

I 100% recommend this book and I will be raving about it until its publication (May 20!) and even beyond. I really hope the rest of the Byrd siblings get their own books because Micah and Silas are such sweethearts. Also that LaRynn and Deacon cameo made me smile! So happy to see them thriving.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press (ESP TARAH DEWITT) and NetGalley for the ARC!