I loved this second chance romance!

I binge listened to this in a day while on vacation. I enjoyed seeing Wren and Ellis find their way back to each other. The roadtrip Ellis put together for them was so special. I'd love to do that with my husband just because we can. The fact that their family, even their son, pulled strings to bring them back together was so sweet.

The romance was well done and steamy scenes were perfection. I definitely recommend this book and especially the audiobook. The narrator did great and it was well produced. I hope we get more book sin this series!

What a beautiful second-chance romance!

I know that I received an ALC of this book, but I must share my feelings on the contents of this book first. I feel that EVERY married couple needs to read this book. It conveys a powerful message about how life can sometimes knock you down, and how poor communication and differing perceptions can completely undermine a relationship. But despite a large gap in time, these two characters realize their story is not over yet, and they still have strong feelings for each other. What better way to rekindle a flame than to go on a road trip after dropping your grown kiddo off at college! The way these two rekindled their love for one another was raw and emotional, hilarious and light-hearted, hot and steamy. This book took you through all of the emotions at the same time as the characters, and like I said, an absolute must-read if you are married.

Now for the audiobook... this should have been DUET narration. I loved the narrators individually, but I did not like the "male" version of the female narrator. Especially during those spicy scenes, I would have preferred the male narrator saying the MMC lines.. would have made for a more pleasurable reading experience (if you know what I mean!)

Overall, incredible! Thank you to Netgalley for the ALC!

4 Stars

I enjoyed this one and loved revisiting the town of Spoons, OR and the Byrd (Bird? I’m listening on audio lol) family, but this particular trope was hard for me. I’m currently going through a divorce (was not when I requested the ARC) and something about a couple who has been divorced going on a road trip to see if reconciliation was in the cards AS I WAS SINGLE PARENTING A ROAD TRIP WHILE READING made my cold dead heart not buy into the second-chance as much as I could have. But this is entirely a me problem and the stage of life I’m in is like “WE DO NOT GET BACK TOGETHER WITH EXES” so take this for what it’s worth. Overall the pacing, plot and steam were great!

“What is bravery if not hope in action.”
I absolutely loved this one! I’m not usually a fan of second chance but I adored Wren and Ellis and I loved being in Spunes, OR again!

Wren and Ellis were so dynamic and it was wonderful to be able to see their growth separately and together. I loved this idea of them coming back together but it was executed in a way that was stunning. It was deeply emotional to see these two cherish their past while building a new future together. There’s so much raw vulnerability and passion that I don’t think I can ever recover from.

A beautifully poignant second-chance romance that leaves you breathless.

Told from dual points of view and set against a backdrop of shared history, the story draws you in with its deeply developed, relatable characters.

Tarah DeWitt has an extraordinary talent for crafting emotionally resonant romances that feel both authentic and heartfelt. Her writing effortlessly blends hope, humor, and just the right amount of steam, creating stories that linger long after the final page.

Read this if you like:
✌️Second Chance Romance
🫶Found Family
🏘️Small Town
🚗Road Trips
👩‍❤️‍👨Childhood Friends to Lovers
❤️‍🩹Marriage in crisis
🔥Firefighters
🥗Foodies

I loved Spunes in the first book but this one really hit for me. I started it and I was hooked!

This one had BIG feels. I fell in love with Wren and Ellis. Wren had really lost her way but I really like that she’s brave enough to try with Ellis. Ellis’s journey was so emotional too!! We love a man that goes to therapy!! 👏👏 This is a super swoony, romantic second chance love story and a great addition to the Spunes books!

Tarah DeWitt knows how to write yearning and pining in her books. I love when a romance novel can make me feel all the emotions too! Left of Forever is passionate and honest and raw. It takes incredibly vulnerable moments and makes them beautiful.

As someone who is tired of seeing the whole second chance romance only due to miscommunication in the past, I loved how this couple was happy in their marriage and even had a child, albeit at a young age. We see in glimpses just how wonderful they were together in the past. Their distance came from other issues and were talked through over the course of the novel. This character growth was appreciated and didn’t go unnoticed. These characters read like they were adults and worked through their problems that way.

My only complaint and reason it’s not 5 stars is due to the timing of the spice. Left of Forever is probably her spiciest book yet, and I loved that. She knows how to make a girl invested in a spice scene; however, these intense intimate scenes would be in the middle of a very vulnerable moment between characters and I feel like the spice ended up overshadowing the emotional work these two were doing. I very much enjoyed the spice, I just think the timing was a bit off and should have been more separate from her emotional scenes.

The audiobook narrators were wonderful. The pacing and execution felt so natural with the story. Having it flow this nicely helped immerse myself fully in the story. They made the story even more enjoyable than it already was! Having the two narrators also made things fun, especially between the letters and text messages. Connor Crais and Megan Wicks are wonderful narrators and I will continue to choose audiobooks from them. I highly recommend if you are a fan of romance audiobooks. The production felt natural and enhanced the reading experience.

At the end of the day, I loved this book. For those looking for a spicy emotional read, Left of Forever is the book for you! The characters are in their 30s and act like it too!! We love to see relatable leads.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for the ALC of Left of Forever! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

One of the most heart warming books I have read in so long. There was so much emotion between these two and I loved every single second of it. The history they have just makes this book so much better. I love a book that shows that your true love will always come back to you.

Left of Forever by Tara DeWitt is an absolute standout. The audiobook was beautifully narrated, bringing the story's raw emotion and tender moments to life in such a powerful way. The characters felt incredibly real—flawed, complex, and deeply relatable. The writing is heartfelt and lyrical, and the pacing kept me hooked from start to finish.

The performance elevated the story even more... perfectly capturing the tone and emotions of each scene. If you're looking for a romance that digs deep into grief, healing, and love with equal parts heartbreak and hope, this is it.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ALC. One of the best audiobooks I’ve listened to this year!

Second chance romances are not usually among my favorites because there’s a reason why people couldn’t make it work the first time around. But considering how young these two were - and still are, honestly - and their chosen professions, I’ll allow it. ;)

This was actually a breath of fresh air. Open communication, when that was one of their issues in the past. Willingness to be vulnerable, to themselves and each other. And they were just easy to root for, almost nauseatingly so. I kid, I kid. But they were really willing to put in the work, and as full-fledged adults who’ve spent several years apart, they know themselves better, too…and who they are without the other but also why they could be so good together again.

The chemistry and characters also reminded me of the first novel I read by this author and now I want to go back and re-read that one. The narration was well done, too, and not with narrators I’ve heard on every other audiobook, which was nice. And the voices really fit the characters and felt genuine.

Was enjoyable and now I’m wondering which Byrd sibling is up next. =)

Sadly, this one didn't work for me, despite my love for "Savor It" (the first book in this series). The plot seemed bogged down, and I couldn't maintain motivation to learn more about the main characters. I kept pausing, coming back to it, again and again, and finally decided to let it go. Many trusted reviewers have glowing things to say, so it's likely just a matter of personal preference.

Admittedly, this book doesn’t feature my favorite romance trope, second-chance romance, but I really enjoyed this one. Ellis and Wren’s relationship and connection felt serious, tender, and really well developed. I also appreciated that the problems that tore them apart felt realistic, and the conversations about parenting and how having children can change things. The road trip aspect was fun and sweet and gave some opportunities for silly hijinks. As always, with a romance, when it comes to the spice, that can be make or break for me. In this case, that’s what took it from a five to a four. I bought their relationship, I bought their problems, I bought their characters individually... I did not buy the spice. Or, rather, I bought it, but it got too cringey for me and pulled me out of the romance. Suddenly switching into “baby” when things get spicy gives me the ick.

Some “If you liked” style comparisons: Savor It (her first in the series) + Gilmore Girls

This might be my new all-time favourite romance novel.

I've read almost every book Tarah DeWitt has written, and I've enjoyed every one of them. I'd previously thought that no new book of hers could live up to Funny Feelings, but I was wrong. Funny Feelings, which I had thought was the peak of Dewitt's writing, has been de-throned by Left of Forever.

This story is so incredibly well-written. It's a second chance romance, which I tend to be iffy on, but it's written with such tenderness and care. I can understand why the main characters originally split up, and yet the love they still hold for one another is so clear, it jumps off the page. The romance is so palpable, and the characters are full of depth. Their struggles and insecurities are easy to sympathize with, therefore, they're easy to connect to as a reader.

As a whole, I'm wowed by this story. It's so full of heart, which is exactly what I was looking for. I'm looking forward to buying a copy to keep as a little trophy on my shelves.

An emotional novel with second chances. I enjoyed listening along to this audio book and learning about the characters as they get a second chance. There were so many things going on in the plot that I was hooked. I was rooting for them to have their second chance and a chance to get things right. I recommend this one.

I was fortunate enough to receive both an ARC and ALC for this book and I'm so grateful for it. If I thought I liked the book, it's nothing compared to what i felt for the audiobook. The performers were so incredibly talented and you could just feel their performance with every word. Connor Crais and Megan Wicks were excellent choices for these characters and it was a really wonderful listen.

My only complaint is that I much prefer duet vs dual audiobooks and with each performer voiced their own characters in the other chapters. It took me out of the story sometimes.

if Tarah writes it, I’m gonna read it. I loved book one in this series and was so eager to fall back into this small town world she’s created. her characters are given so much depth! Wren and Ellis are the definition of right love wrong time. to see them rekindle a flame that could have been extinguished forever thru their divorce has me glued to the pages, invested and so hopeful! such a great balance of Tarah’s classic heartfelt feels and heavy heartache. loved! (so much so that I switch over to audio for some immersive reading!)

audio: CONNOR freaking CRAIS. the perfect Ellis and made for the best immersive reading experience! highly recommend the audio.

A really moving and hopeful book that shows relationships can and should grow over time; this was a unique premise and execution for the genre.

I really enjoyed the first quarter of the book, honestly, I think I enjoyed almost up to the part where they go on the road trip. I almost found myself wanting to see more of the flashbacks versus the present. The main female character was kind of annoying and I don’t feel like she had very much character growth. I wanted to be in the main love interest point of view more than anything and then we got about 3/4 of the book and I would have rather be doing anything else than listening to this book. I honestly almost DNFd the book.

This was sweet and very romantic. It was just a little too sappy for me. I didn’t feel their struggle, everything just felt a little too easy. It was still a good read, I just wanted a little more from the relationship. The narration for the audiobook was great,

3 ⭐️

Taylor song: exile

“You were my town, now I’m in exile seeing you out”

4.5/5⭐️

I loved this book so much I read it twice before the release date! Both characters felt like they had depth to them that you don’t always get when both MCs are a main focus. I loved all the background info we got and how Savor It really set the stage for this book. When I first started reading, I expected more pining and angst, but this really wasn’t that kind of story, and the more I got used to that idea, the more I enjoyed it. There definitely was some pining, but it was pretty obvious, and the characters were very honest and upfront about it, which made the book a little different than other second chance romance books I’ve read.

The narrators put on a great performance and, in my opinion, were a perfect match!

Overall, I definitely prefer this book to Savor It and would highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC in exchange for an honest review!