I love a marriage in crisis book so this one intrigued me since they were exes. Loved how they both eventually found therapy and journaling helpful and I loved that they reconnected.

Crais is one of my favorite narrators and I loved his parts.

However the story drug on for me. I needed a little more action.

But I would recommend this for people who love second chances and road trips.

A deeply intimate, hopeful second-chance romance between a divorced couple, on a road trip after dropping their son off at college, to try one last time to see if they can make it work together. DeWitt is so good at internal monologues, and has woven such a beautiful story of reconnection and healing between two people still very much in love with each other and trying to make it work. Off the charts yearning and steaminess are the cherry on top of this absolute delight. Highly recommend - one of the best romances I’ve read this year!

AUDIO REVIEW:
connor craig and megan wicks did an incredible job bringing wren and ellis to life. i felt like i was in the story with them, going through each raw, emotional, beautiful moment together. the narration was truly perfect for this book and i think has the potential for huge success!

BOOK REVIEW:
i have been eagerly (rabidly) anticipating left of forever since savor it and it did not disappoint. tarah dewitt is magic writer, i really believe that, and this book made my heart glow. i am super picky when it comes to second chance romance (can’t explain why, i just am) but i knew this was gonna be good from the crumbs we got in savor it. left of forever is a beautiful, emotional story of two people finding their way back to each other and the love they deserve. watching wren and ellis fall in love {even harder} for a second time filled me with so much joy. they had a lot of hard moments to work through but they learned to open up and be vulnerable, and that gave them the strength they needed to rebuild their foundations. their love is golden and it touches everyone in their path, as is evidenced by sam, sage, silas, and micah’s hope and excitement for them to give their love a second chance. i also love a good road trip and seriously enjoyed the scenery elements of this book as well. honestly everything about left of forever is perfect and will remain on my heart. BE GOOD, BYRD.

THIS AUDIOBOOK CHANGED MY BRAIN CHEMISTRY FOREVER!!! I would give this infinity stars if that were an option, for the infinite number of times I'm going to re-listen to this audio to experience the magic again.

Thank you to Tara Dewitt, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. ♡

₊˚⊹⋆ first thoughts: soooo excited for this one!! first off, the cover is STUNNING. SO STUNNING. 99% sure i will buy a physical copy of this book when it is released. first few chapters in, and i think i am really going to enjoy this one. i already love the nostalgia ellis gets when replaying what life was like with his ex wife, wren. so far it's been beautifully written how lovers can feel like strangers given the circumstances.

₊˚⊹⋆ final thoughts: okay now that i'm at the end of the book, i can whole heartedly say i was right. i loved this book. there's something so real and raw to me. childhood-friends-to-lovers meets second-chance-romance. it was beautifully done!! the chemistry between ellis and wren felt so genuine and i feel like of most the books i read lately, it always feels so forced. that was not the case with these two. tarah did an amazing job capturing the feeling of the distance and uncomfortableness between them when speaking of their divorce and end of their relationship, so by the time we see them starting to test the waters and see if they can rekindle their relationship it is so easy to root for their happily ever after. i was hooked from the first few chapters, and i found myself wanting to eat this book up nonstop (and probably would have if mom duties didn't call!) i will definitely be reading the first book of this series, and cannot wait to see what the next stories will bring!

I don’t usually love 2nd chance romance, but this one just hit! I loved that the FMC and MMC weren’t young and returning to their high school sweetheart or something like that… they were a couple that had a kid together who was going off to college. These were people who have lived a full life and made mistakes and were ready to face them. There was some assumptions made on both sides, but nothing that felt unbelievable.

5 stars 🌟 This book made me fall in love and hit me sooo hard. It was addicting to listen to and the spicy level was perfect!!

This is a dual narration audiobook. The narrators delivered an emotional performance and brought the story to life. I’m so picky about dual narration but this was done so well! Perfect voices for our main characters!

What to expect:
- divorced couple
- second chance romance
- small town
- forced proximity
- baker x firefighter

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC. All opinions are my own 🫶🏼

This was beautifully written, emotional, and hot all at the same time. I really enjoyed this, even if it wasn't a perfect read for me.

I feel like this book and these characters have a lot of soul. The emotions are so sincere, and the characters are so pure in their intentions. There's a lot of yearning, which is exactly what you need in a second chance romance, but surprisingly little angst—you just know these characters belong together, and there's little to get in their way.

I feel like the author had to throw in a couple non-issues just to make the path not as easy, like a mysterious penpal situation that didn't add a lot, in my opinion, and some red herrings about dating other people. I also feel like they didn't really have to do anything to repair their marriage.

I didn't read the first book in this series, so I also did feel a little lost in the whole family dynamic. Once we finally got on the road trip and left the town behind, I enjoyed myself a lot more as we focused more on Ellis and Wren.

But listen, I quite enjoyed the spice and heartfelt romance, and there was some really lovely, sentimental writing. Plus the audiobook was amazing! I adored the narrator's voices. I would totally recommend this (especially on audio) if you're looking for more second chance romance.

Read if you like:
🌼 Childhood friends to lovers
💔 Second chance, marriage in trouble
🌳 Small town romance
🏕 Road trips
🌶 Spicy peppers (literally lol)

I can tell you I’m very stingy with 5 starts but this story was thought provoking and beautiful. Most romance books are about the younger crowd but this, this is real. I loved this story so much that I immediately purchased two other books by this author and plan to work my way through her backlist if it is as good as this one. The narration on this book was phenomenal. Conner Crais is easily in my top two of all male narrators.. His voice was perfect for the character of Ellis.he talent is very evident in this performance. Megan wicks as the female narrator again, perfectly done. She is a new narrator to me and I will definitely add her to my list.
I cannot say enough about this book. I want more of this. More characters that we can relate too. Well Done!

A beautiful and emotional story of love and healing. Left of Forever is one of those reads that’s tender, heartbreaking, and romantic. Tarah Dewitt crafts a story with the perfect balance of emotional healing and slow burn romance. This was my first book by her, and I can’t wait to devour more of her work!

Read if you enjoy:
✨ Second chance
✨ Small town romance
✨ Divorced parents
✨ Childhood friends to lovers
✨ Forced proximity
✨ Baker & firefighter

The dual audiobook narration deserves a standing ovation. Both narrators brought so much depth and warmth to the characters that I couldn’t stop listening, even when I probably should have been doing something productive. And let’s not forget the cooking class scene, I was cackling like a lunatic! The chemistry is electric, the tension is off the charts, and when things finally heat up, I was basically melting.

Left of Forever is heartfelt, witty, and absolutely unforgettable. It might make you cry a little, laugh a lot, and fall head over heels in love.

Thank you so much MacMillan Audio & You Had Me At HEA for the eARC and ALC!

I absolutely loved this story. Ellis and Wren are some of my favourite characters. They are flawed and real. The emotions and feelings are raw and true. I love the mixture of them before and them now. I loved their conversations and how they deal with their issues. The narrator’s were fantastic and the perfect voices for these characters.

Overall a nice book but kind of forgettable. I thought the opening was very strong with the letters but ultimately felt like that component fell flat and was only added to include the trope. The odds of him getting her letters was also just a little unbelievable. There were some silly moments that I really appreciated like the cooking class that helped break up the serious moments. I’m glad the couple found each other in the end but also didn’t fully understand their break up. Probably came down to immaturity. Great narrator

This was my first Tarah DeWitt novel and will certainly not be my last! Ellis and Wren’s story highlighted real challenges, hard decisions, and how sometimes you need a little push from the outside world to figure it all out. Despite reading this as a standalone book, I truly felt connected to each of the characters and was rooting for Ellis and Wren’s second chance—I think Megan Wicks and Connor Crais really made these characters come to life and brought out so many emotions with their narration!

Thank you to Tarah DeWitt, NetGalley, and Macmillan Audio for providing an ALC in exchange for my honest review.

I love the narrators in this book. I also like the second chance trope in this story it was such a fun read. I just really enjoyed getting to see the past characters also thanks for letting me read this book.

I absolutely loved this beautiful second chance romance! I loved the flashbacks of their relationship early on, while also navigating the difficulty of the present. I loved that Ellis worked on himself first before pursuing Wren, and I also really appreciated that this was written when their child is out of the house so that it could actually focus on what they want and not have the high stakes of trying to keep a family together. It felt more genuine that way. I love the community that Tarah DeWitt writes and I would love to see more!

Second chance is usually not my favorite trope but I do like going into books blind so I can have my own feelings about the book. I have found that I do really enjoy Tarah's style of writing. You do feel everything and can imagine it. Especially the scene when they are dropping Sam off at college. You can feel the emotions from both parents. I really enjoyed that they were able to have adult conversations and be truthful with each other. That doesn't always happen right away with second chance romance. Throughout the book you could feel the love they still had for each other.

Minor issues for me.
They had went almost 5 years without talking to each other about anything other than about their son. They would also avoid each other if Sam wasn't with them. Then one day they jump into Ellis truck and almost immediately start acting like nothing had happened. It didn't feel real. Maybe because they were only going to be together for a week. So the time frame was pushed to fast.
I am a girly that loves lower angsty books but this one almost had no angst at all.

Tropes:
Second Chance
Divorced Couple (4yrs)
Road Trip
Forced Proximity
Small Town Romance
Baker
Firefighter

Please check your trigger warnings.

CW: ectopic pregnancy, infertility


Thank you to Tarah DeWitt, NetGalley, and Macmillan Audio for allowing me to listen to this ALC in exchange for my honest review.

This book absolutely, without a doubt, just forever altered my brain chemistry.

Thank you to the publisher for the early audio copy of this book; all opinions are my own.

MEGAN WICKS SUPREMACY. Also a huge Connor Crais fan now, thanks. These two narrators bring Wren and Ellis to life in a way that is utter perfection for these characters. This book is so openly raw and honest, and I think the audiobook deserves whatever the audio version of a Grammy is because DAYUM y’all it’s literally TOO GOOD.

We follow Wren and Ellis, five years post divorce, trying to figure out what life looks like apart after spending quite literally their entire lives together. Meeting at the age of six, having a child at 17/18, marrying and ultimately divorcing, there is so much to unpack here. I’m crying just typing this out, thinking about the nuances in life and how much it matters to TALK to your person and how EASY it is to not do so when life just feels too damn hard to live.

This book explores what it truly means to love someone in better and in worse, and every shade in between. Wren and Ellis have grown up through so much that the one is woven into the very fibers of the being of the other. They never stood a chance apart, but watching them work that out between themselves while grappling with what that realistically looks like is raw and so vulnerable.

As someone who met the other half of their soul at a young ish age, it was overwhelming to see certain aspects of us in these characters. It was such a great reminder to cherish what you have no matter what life throws at you… I could go on for days.

Infinity stars. 11/10. 6/5. READ THIS BOOK.

4.5⭐️

I’ll start this by saying second change marriage isn’t typically a trope for me, but I tend to go in blind to reading and just see where the hype takes me. This book has been everywhere and let me tell you-it did not disappoint. Ellis and Wren grew up together, got pregnant young, and eventually life’s hardships became too much for them causing them to divorce. After 5 years apart, wren found herself struggling to move on, and Ellis came to the conclusion he wanted her back. As they moved their son into college and opted for a road trip back home to see if they could re-kindle their relationship, they used this time to work through things that were too hard to do during their worst times together.


Bringing Sam to college and seeing their mutual devastation over his leaving was so raw and I sobbed. Despite their struggles to be around each other post divorce, they never let their co-parenting suffer and always made him a priority, which allowed them to be openly vulnerable saying goodbye to him.

This book openly showed what broke them and let us watch them piece themselves back together. It gave us a real idea as to how finding young love doesn’t always mean you will get a happy ending- they had to grow apart to find themselves and hope to find their way back to each other. But through all that, they never stopped being there for each other, and their families never stopped cheering the 2 of them on hoping for the best for them. This was such an insanely emotional book watching them heal in every way possible while becoming the best versions of themselves. I truly adored this book and the real emotions it pulled out of me. I can not recommend enough.

Title: Left of Forever
Series: Spruce, Oregon Book #2
Author: Tarah DeWitt
Narrator: Megan Wicks and Connor Crais
Format: 🎧
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Genre: Romance
Audiobook Pub Date May 20, 2025
My Rating: 3 Stars
Pages: 336

Wren and Ellis Byrd, fell in love with each other when they were young, they had a son when they were still teens and lives in the coastal town of Spunes, Oregon. However, things weren’t working out and they divorced. Wren runs a local bakery~ Ellis is a firefighter. Their son Sam is a senior in high school and applied to college in California and was accepted to the University of California Davis. Davis is unique in that it offers many majors not offered in other universities.
As Sam leaves for college, Ellis convinces Wren to take a scenic road trip back home with him along the California coast. She agrees! They care for each other and know they need to resolve issues that led to their breakup in the first place.

I have to admit I was not attracted to this. I am not a big romance fan and I thought the cover was cheesy. However, it was highly recommended.
So I thought okay they always say ~ Don’t judge a book by its cover”!

So I downloaded it and then was sure I made a mistake when I heard the ‘trigger warnings’ ~ explicit language and explicit sexual content. Oops looks like I made a mistake as I have a low tolerance for both!
But I had made the decision to try this so try I will!
I did hang in there are the readers were correct in that the story is good and also emotional!
The narrators were great especially Megan Wicks – she made Wren so real!
However the trigger warrants were also correct.

As I already mentioned this story is good- however, I am THAT old woman who is set in my ways and not very ‘flexible’ when it comes to profanity. I would have enjoyed this more if Wren and Ellis used a filter once in a while.

Want to thank NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this audiobook.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for May 20, 2025.

*Thank you to St. Martin's Griffin and Macmillan Audio for access to a review copy and advanced listening copy of this book!

I think I'm obsessed with Tarah DeWitt and her writing. After finishing Left of Forever I need to acknowledge how perfectly she puts together a romance.
I was a bit cautious when I realized the premise of Left of Forever having previously read books where couples are trying to reconnect/find their way back to each other and not necessarily loving them. I should have had more faith in DeWitt's skill. She creates an absolutely captivating romantic story in this book.
This story doesn't work if the main characters aren't written with depth and nuance. Truly, characterization is essential to the success of this story. Fortunately, DeWitt does an incredible job developing two distinct characters, who's history and current status vividly leap off of the page, allowing for an all consuming and immersive reading experience.
DeWitt forces her characters to have challenging and uncomfortable conversations about their pasts and the breakdown of their relationship. The inclusion of these devastating, but necessary, conversations is part of what makes this story feel so real, raw, and believable.
The side characters included throughout this book help to enhance our understanding of the depth of connectedness between our main characters. They're also a lot of fun and bring moments of levity to the story while not detracting from the romance.
And the audiobook? Absolutely fantastic. I find myself challenged by male narration in romance novels, but am so happy to state that I thought Connor Crais was a fantastic choice for our male main character. His voice is kind of stunning, with the perfect depth and grit. And Megan Wicks...chef's kiss!
I'm so grateful to have had the opportunity to read such a wonderful romance, one that I highly recommend.

Rating: 4.5/5 stars