Honey, my heart! Left of Forever by Tarah DeWitt was an emotional and sentimental second-chance small-town romance that tugged at my heartstrings in all the best ways. Wren and Ellis’ road trip journey to HEA was full of longing, hope, and love that made me fall so damn hard for these two. DeWitt has truly created a memorable, steadfast romance that delivered all the feels.

Megan Wicks and Connor Crais perform this audiobook in dual narration, portraying Wren and Ellis PERFECTLY. They made me feel every single emotion! Megan’s warm, sensual voice embodied Wren’s doubts and desires as she worked through her conflicted feelings for Ellis. Adding a hint of timidity to her performance in vulnerable moments made Wren so relatable and real. Connor’s low, soothing tone added an enveloping depth to Ellis's determined, dedicated spirit to win Wren’s heart again, that you couldn’t help but root for and admire. Both narrators developed just the right amount of tension, angst, and steam to Wren and Ellis’s meant-to-be chemistry.

Overall, I LOVED this book. If you are a fan of a small-town romance with a hot, devoted firefighter, a hardworking baker, an ambitious teenage son, second chances after a divorce, letters to firefighters, origami birds, rekindling road trips, journaling, reminiscing beach walks, balloon darts, cooking classes mishaps, one cottage, a meddling mother, found family, secrets revealed, love declarations, Irish festivals full of dancing, slow burn spice, and a HEA that is finally forever, then you will love Wren and Ellis’s story. I always look forward to more from Tarah DeWitt.

For starters I gotta say I will listen to ANYTHING these two narrate. They are two of my favorites and I was thrilled to know they were performing these parts.

They both read incredibly well and fit the characters perfectly. THOSE LETTERS!!! Ugh.

I actually don’t think I can put into words how special, important, and overall beautiful this book is. But I will 💅🏻 I love love. I think it pours into everything we do and everything we are and I just knew this story was going to be a good one the second I met these two.

There is so much work and give and take in relationships. This book really walks you through the good and the bad of that. I live for a book with a pair that have been through it all and really want to come out of the fighting fight stronger and better and that is exactly what we have here.

You can feel every emotion on the page through your entire being, it’s moving, it’s honest, it’s desperate in the best of ways. There is a lot of beauty in heartbreak, in growth, in love. People are constantly changing. Sometimes you need to grow apart to be able to grow some bigger roots together.

I think it’s so apparent from the jump how much Wren and Ellis love each other. How much they care and desperately want to try.

Thank you to @authortarahdewitt @smp, and @netgalley for the GIFT of being able to read and listen to this masterpiece <3

Thank you to MacMillan Audio for the ALC in exchange for an honest review!

Left of Forever checked all the boxes and was really a breath of fresh air for me - I've read second chance romances before but not often and never a divorced couple rekindling on a road trip! This was well rounded, it made me laugh & cry but had a perfect balance of spice. Wren and Ellis have now set the new communication standard because no book couple will ever compare to them. I

Wren and Ellis were both beautifully written characters who were brought to life by Connor Crais & Megan Wicks. Both narrators were exceptional and engaging but Megan Wicks' performance really was something special.

Normally, I avoid second chance romances--they're angsty, full of regret, and downright stressful! But when after being introduced to Wren and Ellis earlier in the series, I knew that I wanted to read their story, and I do not have a single regret. Tarah DeWitt gets it right: humorous, emotional, and resonating, I don't think that there's anything sexier than a husband who's messed up, owns it, and works hard to be better. Not that their break-up was all Ellis's fault; Wren had her part. Neither one is perfect, but they're better together, and their story is one not to be missed.

What can I say? Tarah is definitely an instant buy author for me and this story solidifies that. Left of Forever was such a beautiful read. I became obsessed with getting to the bottom of Wren and Ellis’ story in Savor it and Tarah DELIVERED. This may be my favorite second chance romance of all time. So tender and real. So much angst. I loved it. I was also given an ALC of the book and the narrators were so perfect. I absolutely NEED Micah and Silas books now 👀

Thank you so much NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC and ALC. I’m forever grateful.

Y'all. What a trip (literally). This was such a beautiful story of second chances (this trope has been on FIRE lately). Wren and Ellis 💔 I don't even know that I have all the words to describe the emotions this story stirred up for me. This was such a raw and real depiction of challenges faced in marriage. Definitely a top book for me this year.

I was gifted an ALC and I am a newer audiobook girlie, I couldn't tell you any narrators names, but these 2? Sign me up for any books narrated by Megan Wicks & Connor Crais.

“𝑴𝒚 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒕𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒆 𝒂𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒔, 𝒕𝒐𝒐, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒕 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒈𝒐 𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌."

I am apparently living in outer space and didn't realize this was in the same world as Savor It. I realized when they were talking about Silas and I was like WOAH.

childhood friends to lovers
second chance
marriage in crisis
road trip

Releasing May 20th

This was a well done second chance contemporary romance with some spice and a lot of heart. I appreciated that the characters were in their 30s—relatable and refreshing. Wren and Ellis had great chemistry, and their road trip was filled with sweet, emotional moments that made it easy to root for them.

Some parts of their past could’ve been explored more, but overall, it was a heartfelt story about love, timing, and second chances.

Thank you NetGalley & Macmillan Audio for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.

This was just as good as the first time I read it. Listening to it brought a different level of emotions and I recommend it.

This was my first Tara DeWitt novel, and I LOVED IT. The writing flowed beautifully and whisked me into the world of these characters. The romance was top-notch with the perfect blend of yearning and spice. The narrators were perfect. Their voices aligned 100% with my vision of the characters. A 5/5 romance for me. I can't wait for this book to hit the shelves.

Release Date: 05.20.2025

I knew in my bones that I was going to love Wren + Ellis. There’s just something about a second chance romance that has me in an absolute CHOKEHOLD. I love the tension, the history, the EMOTION, the nostalgic feeling of falling back in love with your person. It’s just *chefs kiss*, or maybe I just like having my feelings hurt.

Also, can we talk about how Tarah started the LOF playlist with exile x Taylor Swift?! CRIMINAL

“It terrifies me that I might’ve let this life go by without finding my way back to you.”

The way that these two ripped my heart out of my chest and stomped on it repeatedly before putting it back???? (and I’d let them do it again LOL)

“I miss you, too sounds glib. You have been missing from me is more accurate. There’s a void where you lived in my soul.”

Their relationship felt so real, and it warmed my heart getting to witness them find their way back to each other. I felt so emotionally connected to Wren and seen in a way I haven’t felt seen in a book before.

“We have whatever’s left of forever, you and me.”

I couldn’t tell you the number of times this book had me in tears, maybe I’m just a big ol’ softie who knows. What I do know is that every person with ears or eyes needs to read this book!! Connor Crais never disappoints. And Megan Wicks?! I couldn’t have loved this narration more.

A big, big, big thank you to Macmillan Audio, Tarah DeWitt and NetGalley for this ALC. I’ve been gnawing at the bars of my enclosure waiting to get my hands on a copy of LOF.

My first 5-star read in the past few weeks!
I loved this book.
Background: The MMC and FMC are childhood/teenage friends turned lovers who had a teenage pregnancy.
Current timeline: Now divorced, the main characters are moving their kid to college and trying to figure out how to navigate life post co-parenting.
Set Up: Road trip to take son to college.
Fun Fact: Pen pal representation - you will LOVE this premise in the book, trust me.
Theme: Journey to self-discovery and finding your way back!

This is such a good second chance romance book. You will not regret reading this book! I didn't want it to end!
Thank you to NetGalley and Tarah DeWitt for the opportunity to read and review this ARC!
Happy reading everyone and get this on your TBR immediately!

I am not a huge fan of second chance romances, but this cover was too beautiful not to try, and I was not disappointed. Usually, I feel like the excuses not to be together are either too big to reconcile or so dumb that I'm mad they were idiotic to work it out the first time around, but this was beautifully crafted. Childhood friends to lovers, become teen parents, life and their own issues come in the way. I have read a lot of smut, books with page to page hot action, but the tension, the lead up, the need! This was chef's kiss, perfect execution

Thank you to Macmillian and Netgalley for the ALC of this novel.

Wren and Ellis were second chance romance I could FULLY get behind. I knew from the beginning of the story that they were truly meant to be, but something had gotten between them at some point. I was very pleasantly surprised to find it was infertility and family circumstances. There are very few books that I have found that accurately portray the gut-wrenching issue that is infertility in relationships. Tarah did a wonderful job with that.

You could feel the love from the beginning of the book between Wren and Ellis. The pen pal situation was the cherry on top of the pining. I really enjoyed the reading of the letters by Connor and Megan, in their POV. Connor Crais is one of my absolute favorite male narrators, so his voice being Ellis was perfect. I loved the slight raspiness of Megan Wicks voice, it matched perfectly the voice I had in my head for Wren.

5/5 stars, I can't wait to get my hands on the physical copy of the book to add to my collection.

“Left of Forever” by Tarah DeWitt is an emotional and spicy second chance romance. I think this describes perfectly the book.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity of reading this book early.
I also received an ALC from Macmillan Audio (via Netgalley).
Opinions from this review are completely my own.

The story is interconnected with “Savor It”, but you can read it as a standalone with no issues.

From the beginning I loved the writing and the characters. It is nice to read about characters that are closer to my age. Even if, fortunately, I cannot relate to Ellis and Wren’s marriage and fertility issues, I was very invested in their story.
They both have such great character growth and treat the situations with maturity. The fact that they knew each other for so long and were co-parenting well was important. It’s not easy to write a believable second chance romance, especially considering the characters were divorced for a while, but this was done perfectly.

Audiobook:
Listening to the audiobook made me love the book even more (and get even more emotional).
It is narrated by Megan Wicks and Connor Crais and they make the perfect Wren and Ellis.
For me, listening to an audiobook helps to get even more invested in the story and if the narrators are good, I fell what they go through. Well, I cried during this book at the sam time as the characters and I felt like a part of the story.
Also, the spice is even hotter in audio.

I enjoyed everything about this book, it made me very emotional and is one of the best books I read this year.

This is so sweet and unique. I don't think divorce is a popular book trope but this is one of the best second chance romances I've read.

Wren and Ellis both had big parts in Savor It (book 1) but I did not pick up the personalities well and was not expecting to love this. The road trip element, therapy type conversations/prompts, and reflection on the past were perfect.

I am so glad we get a strong and sassy MOM fmc. Her emotion dropping Sam off at college and her almoat instant guilt, feeling like she made it about her when she cried, made me see how amazing of a mom she was. I loved the letters and how the mmc grew off-page with therapy and self-awareness. I loved how sensitive he was to Wren's emotions and how much he shared to communicate clearly.

Wren's mom!!! When she says marriage is highly inconvenient at best and that the worst part is having to share living space 😂

"What is bravery, if not hope."
Bring on all the tears with part 3. I loved the tattoos and the origami birds

Final note - I am thankful that the divorce wasn't for a reason like cheating. The topics discussed that lead to the divorce in this book are very real and are done in a sensitive way to anyone who may be experiencing similar situations.

Left of Forver had many great moments. Unfortunately, it was not enough for me to enjoy their story as a whole. It was me not the books fault. I was just kind of bored with their story. I found the intimate scenes a bit cheesy. The details were a bit off putting. Which is just a preference thing.
I loved that they still cared about each other and wanted to try things again. It was touching and who doesn't love a second chance romance.

Thank you for the ALC!

Okay yeah, this is exactly as beautiful as everyone is saying it is. I don’t know if I’ve ever read such a raw, visceral, emotional romance. I’m a SUCKER for second chance, but Wren and Ellis took it to a WHOLE NEW LEVEL. Watching these two beautiful, flawed people find there way back to each other was a joy. It didn’t shy away from the ugly and difficult parts of their past while striking a perfect balance with humor and charm and yearning for DAYS! There was A LOT of spice, but it felt fitting for them and their story and didn’t overwhelm. I love the Byrds so much and am so glad this book is getting the love it deserves!

How wonderful it is to be back in Spunes! The story of these two had me intrigued since the Savor It, and I love getting to read more about the Byrd family. Wren and Ellis went from childhood friends to high school sweethearts, to teenage parents, to strangers looking for a second chance at love. I live for the second chance trope, and this book served it on a golden platter.

After five years apart, they embark on a road trip to rekindle their relationship. I enjoyed watching their evolution—from the initial awkward moments to returning to old habits and openly discussing both the highs and lows of their relationship. It was amazing to read how they reconnected and fell in love with each other again; even though they still had strong feelings for one another, both had to put in the work to make it work.

I really liked that communication was key in this book, and I think everything fell into place perfectly. My ebook is filled with underlined quotes, and I hope to return to Spunes and learn more about the rest of the Byrd siblings!!

(+) I loved reading about certain characters I adore— currently living on crumbs .

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, for letting me read listen to this audiobook, the narrators did an amazing job portraying all the feelings and emotions!

Requested this from NetGalley simply based on author; big Tarah Dewitt fan here. Imagine my surprise, no, my absolute elevation, to discover it’s got some of my favorite tropes: second chance (marriage edition) and clandestine penpals (one-sided).

There is something so wholesome about writing letters, like a diary entry to a stranger. And extra magic for divorced couple discovering each other again, healing old wounds, and getting tied up (literally) while doing it all.

Thank you Net Galley and Macmillan for the audio ARC, this was such a moving story!

My first book my this author but it won’t be my last. This was a deeply emotional book and I adored the two main characters. I don’t read much of second chance/single parent romances but this one worked. I took one star off for a few pacing issues but overall it was a cozy heartwarming story. Loved the narrators.