I enjoyed this follow up to Tarah DeWitt's first Spunes novel, Savor It. While the former was more of a slow burn (which I enjoy), I think this book is by far Tarah's spiciest, most passionate read. Super romantic and relatable; this was a quick read and kept my interest. What kept it from being 5 stars for me was that I felt like it was pretty predictable and from the beginning given all of the strong positive feelings between the main characters....I found myself asking why they ever got divorced in the first place. Other than being young parents, they seemed to have a lot of love for each other. I appreciate the man in therapy representation. We need more of that! I loved the community they're in and the Bird family overall. It was refreshing to see a group of friends who are loyal, loving, honest, and rooting for each other to be happy. I read the audiobook version and recommend it since the narrators did a fabulous job!

I received and ALC from Macmillan Audio and this is my review.

I absolutely loved this one. The ALC pulled me in from the start. Wren and Ellis’s story is full of heart, healing, and the kind of second-chance tension that lingers long after the final chapter.

Wren is a curvy, confident heroine and I adored her. It’s always refreshing to see plus-size rep that feels real, joyful, and full of agency. I also really appreciated the 30-something representation. Wren and Ellis are navigating love, co-parenting, and personal growth in their thirties, and while 30 is definitely not old, it’s nice to see characters in that stage of life getting the space to fall in love again. It made the story feel grounded and emotionally rich in a way that really resonated with me.

The Oregon coast setting made it even more special. I’ve lived in Oregon my whole life, and Tarah captured the quiet beauty and small-town coastal energy so well. It felt familiar in the best way, like watching two people find their way back to each other right in my own backyard.

Wren and Ellis were high school sweethearts and teen parents, now co-parenting as their son heads off to college. A road trip up the coast brings up old memories, unspoken feelings, and the possibility of something new. Their chemistry, their conversations, and their emotional vulnerability made this such a beautiful and satisfying read.

If you love romance with heart, maturity, and emotional depth, Left of Forever is a must-read.

Tropes I loved:
💔 Second chance romance
💞 Exes to lovers
🚗 Road trip
👪 Co-parenting with depth
📝 Letters and flashbacks
🌊 Small-town coastal setting
🧡 Plus-size heroine in her 30s

3.5 rounded up

This was my third Tarah DeWitt book, (the second book in the Spunes, Oregon series), and this is definitely my favorite so far.

I know second chance romances aren't a groundbreaking plotline, but this was also a little different than the ones I have read before (granted it's not typically one of my favorite tropes so I haven't read as many as other tropes). The few second Chance romances I have read before were high school sweethearts or couples who dated years before and haven't seen each other in 10 years.

This book centered around a divorced couple who together for several years and have been divorced for about 5 years.

I thought the book did a good job of showing how their marriage fell apart even though they were clearly still in love with each other, because anyone who has been married can tell you that it's not just about loving each other all the time.

There were parts of the story that I thought could have been fleshed out a little better... The way he just stumbled upon her letter her anonymous letter and the reason she wrote it was a little too far-fetched for me. However, I can also excuse a little bit of that when I choose to read a romance, it kind of comes with a territory.

I will also say that the last third of the book had a lot more spice in it than the previous books by this author I have read. while I am not against reading books with some spice in them, it did feel like a little much for my taste but it also made a little bit of sense since they were rekindling her marriage and not building a relationship from scratch.

I loved both the FMC and the MMC, and loved reading their path of finding each other again. Even when I read the first book in the series (Savor It), I was almost more excited for Ellis and Wren knowing the 2nd book was about them.


I would definitely pick up the next book in the series if there is a third.

I loved this one! I felt all the feels and that all I can ask in a romance novel. The narration was great. This is my favorite book from Tarah. I felt a connection to the characters more
So then any other title from the author. Well done.

Rating: 5⭐️/5

A rekindling of an old love with her ex-husband. I thought this was so raw, real and sweet. Tender yet provocative. Absolutely spicy scenes that were so so loving and had depth and purpose.

I cried, smiled and laughed. I found myself in parts of this even though I don’t share the same journey as her. I hugged my husband tighter and cherished what we have after reading this.

Thank you NetGalley for an ALC in exchange for an honest review.

*~* Favorite Romance of the Summer *~*

I'm going to make the bold statement that I call Left of Forever as my favorite romance of this summer. This book was a beautiful read. I'm not sure if it's because I'm getting older but the history and the maturity of Wren and Ellis as they worked through their feelings and miscommunications and traumas just captured me from the very start of this story. I loved the "flashbacks" and learning about how they fell in love, how they thought they fell out of it, but how they both held onto each other the whole time. Don't get me wrong, their chemistry was amazing and their spice was spicing but the narrative of them both growing more and more in love with the intricacies of the other person was just the most amazing story to follow.

Thank you to Net Galley, Macmillan Audio, St. Martin's Press, and Tarah DeWitt for an eARC and ALC of this story. I used both to do an immersive read.

4.5 stars!!!

The passion!!!!!! My goodness it was leaping off the page!! I loved the letter writing pieces weaved into the story and just absolutely loved the MMC!! This was such a fun and steamy read! The narrators did an amazing job bringing this story to life!

I did not realize this book was part of a series (Spunes) which should tell you how well it can be read as a stand-alone. This is also my first Tarah DeWitt book, but it won't be my last because this was soooo good! Epistolary, second chance, road trip, forced proximity, all of these romance tropes are done SO WELL! I read this as an audiobook and the narrators were fabulous! Just to give you an idea: I read it in one sitting, cutting into my hours of sleep to keep listening. Wren and Ellis were so well written, and the hurdles they had to overcome to come back together felt very real and made me so emotional. I'll 100% recommend this book to everyone who loves second chance romance.

Thank You Netgalley and Macmilla Audio

I was hooked by Dewitt's emotional yet comforting writing style. She has this magical way of weaving grief, healing, and romance into something that feels deeply human and incredibly tender. The main characters had such rich inner lives, and their Chemistry was both heart fluttering and gut wrenching in the best way. I found myself rooting for them through every high and low.

The audiobook narration only elevated the experience. The voice actors, Cooner Crais and Megan Wicks brought so much depth and nuance to the story, and I could feel every ounce of tension, longing, and love. I laughed, I swooned, I teared up and I was completely immersed from beginning to end.

If you're a romance reader who loves second chances, slow burning tension, and characters with big hearts and big feelings, Left of forever will absolutely deliver. I'm already recommending it to every book friend I know.

I ate this up!! I love a good second chance romance. In Left of Forever by Tarah Dewitt, we follow Wren and Ellis Byrd, childhood sweethearts who married young, only to divorce and lead separate lives in their hometown of Sprunes, Oregon. When their son leaves for college, they agree to take a road trip along the California coast, revisiting their past and deciding if they have a future together. I loved it! The characters are well-developed and relatable. Overall, it was beautifully written and a must-read contemporary romance.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.

First, I'd like to thank Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for the ALC, and to SMP Romance for the gifted copy.

This was my first book by Tarah DeWitt, and it SHAN'T SHAN'T SHAN'T be the last!

I do not know how long it will take me to emotionally recover from the journey that is Left of Forever. LoF is at its core - raw - it's beautiful, full of depth, and raw. This is what second-chance romance is all about. Ellis and Wren are in their 30s and divorced, and they have just this healing dynamic story. Both lost their selves at a young age and lost each other as a result. LoF focuses on their reconnection after years of self-discovery, but the final piece is finding their way back to each other.

"𝚂𝚑𝚎'𝚜 𝚔𝚒𝚜𝚜𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚖𝚎. 𝙷𝚎𝚛 𝚕𝚒𝚙𝚜 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚘𝚗 𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚎 𝚊𝚏𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚏𝚒𝚟𝚎 𝚕𝚘𝚗𝚐 𝚢𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚜. 𝙵𝚒𝚟𝚎 𝚑𝚞𝚗𝚍𝚛𝚎𝚍 𝚢𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚜. 𝚂𝚑𝚎'𝚜 𝚔𝚒𝚜𝚜𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚖𝚎. 𝙸'𝚖 𝚑𝚘𝚖𝚎."

I think I nearly fainted when I heard this line in the audiobook (which wouldn't be safe since I listen to audiobooks while driving). It felt like when fireworks go off in the movies behind the couple that kisses for the first time. But it also felt like the reunion kiss in a war movie.

Thank you, Tarah for making me feel so openly and for making me consider the "selves" of my husband and I as we soon embark on the journey of parenthood.

The audiobook narration for LoF was also incredible. For one, Ellis's voice was *chefs kiss*, but both narrators did a fabulous job at keeping the gravity of certain scenes even when juggling multiple character voices. A dual narration for the win.

I had heard so much positive feedback about this book so I was really excited to jump in. I thought this was a fantastic second chance romance and you could really feel what the couple went through and the why things happened the way they did. I enjoyed that this couple was older than the majority of romance characters and they had some life experience behind them. The only negative thing about this book is that I felt like it really needed to have the book Savor It read first, as there were several times I just felt like I was missing the bigger picture/more info.

I enjoyed the narrator and read the e-book and the audiobook back and forth. It felt seamless and her narration only enhanced the story.

A second-chance love story that would have been rated higher if certain elements were just a tad more believable. The characters were well fleshed out and certain elements were heartbreaking... but I feel like we missed out on the real WHY of their divorce. The stakes were so low, and you mean to tell me they don't recognize each other's handwriting? I would know my husband's handwriting anywhere... even when we were dating. So, I felt the love, the narrators were great, but I wish the stakes were a bit higher in the story itself.

Wren and Ellis fell in love as kids and Wren became pregnant at 17. They later married, but have now been divorced for five years and it's time to drop their kid off at college. Ellis wants to take their time driving back to their hometown and explore a few places. Wren doesn't want the mental load of planning everything, and girl do I get that. Ellis plans the trip, they drop Sam off, and start their journey. Will this be what they need to work things out, or will their past keep them apart?

I've had a love hate relationship with the second chance trope for probably the last year, and before that, it was something I usually avoided. But this one… is a masterpiece. A likely contender for my top ten books of the year. I laughed. I cried. Ellis puts in the effort. Wren opens up. Family meddles. The yearning and angst are top notch. I've missed Spunes, Oregon, and I absolutely cannot wait to go back.

Megan Wicks and Connor Crais are so perfect together in this. Amazing performance. I've always been a fan of Connor, but I believe this is my first book with Megan and it won't be my last.

Thank you to the author and Macmillan Audio for an advanced copy of this audiobook. Opinions are my own.

THIS BOOK IS FOR YOU IF: You love books with strong family relationships, that give you all the feels, and have amazing playlists.

Second chance romance is one of my favorite tropes, and this is second chance romance done to absolute perfection.

From the very first chapter, I was tearing up and laughing—it was a full-on emotional rollercoaster. There’s so much yearning and angst in this story, but also these incredibly sweet, light-hearted moments that balance everything so beautifully. I don’t even know how to describe how much this book made me feel. It made me believe in soulmates. It made me believe that some loves are worth fighting for, worth finding your way back to—no matter what.

The connection between the main characters is so deep and heartfelt. Their lives have been tangled together for years, and you feel every bit of that shared history in their story. I loved how much they cared for each other, even through all the pain and distance. The pining, the tension, the tenderness—it’s all there. And yes, it’s also spicy in the best way.

This is one of those books that leaves you aching a little, but also incredibly full. I want to cry just thinking about it. Easily one of my favorite reads of the year.

Read If You Like
🥈Second Chance romances
🏘️ Small-town settings
♥️ First Loves
🏕️ Road Trips
🔥Stories that Rekindle Love
🐕 Golden Retriever MMCs

Left of Forever follows Wren and Ellis Byrd, childhood sweethearts who became teen parents and built a life together.

Now they are their 30s and divorced, but clearly neither has really moved on even though they both tried. Wren runs the local bakery while Ellis is a wildland firefighter. Their lives remain intertwined through co-parenting their teenage son, Sam. When Sam is about to leave for college, Ellis proposes a road trip back to Spunes, as a way to try to win Wren back.

As they journey along the California coastline, they confront unresolved emotions, remaining sizzling chemistry, past traumas, and the enduring bond that still connects them as Sam’s parents and two people who still love each other so deeply and tenderly but life got in the way.

Left of Forever is a beautiful exploration of second chances to get it right with the love of your life when life threw you a difficult hand. It truly explores the beauty is going through the ups and the downs of life together and the resilience we all can have in the face of adversity and how much lighter the emotional road is when you allow others to provide you with the support along the way and what happens when you don’t.

And omg the spice and sizzling chemistry between them 🥵

Thank you so much to SMP for my eARC and Macmillan for my ALC and finished audiobook copy!

I have no notes for this book. I kept having to stop listening to it because I really wanted to savor the book. I so enjoyed the fact there was no third act break up and that she spent a good amount of time fixing the issues the couple had. It wasn't an instantaneous get back together and everything is ok. I will recommend this book to anyone who reads it and needs something comforting but also impactful and insightful.

Gosh, this book is full of emotion! A second chance romance that feels like a marriage in crisis, I just love this couple. And their son is going off to college!! Talk about hitting me directly in my feelings!!

The second in a stand alone series, I don’t think you have to read the first to love this one (but it was really good, too!) I did feel like this book really highlighted the closeness of the family and where that stems from. These characters have been through it together and despite a divorce, still have a deep love that felt so special. Their focus on healthy communication was spot on and their chemistry was so good!

🎧Excellent narration from Connor Crais and Megan Wicks! Parts of the story are epistolary and I really enjoyed the duet style narration during those scenes!

Left of Forever by Tara DeWitt
Spunes, OR series #2. Contemporary romance. Second chance. Can be read as a stand-alone.
Wren and Ellis Byrd were childhood friends and destined for marriage. They had one child when they were teens themselves. When they tried for a second, multiple times and ways without success, things fell apart, emotions were frayed and neither knew how to deal with the trauma. Divorce was the only way forward.
Their son has now gone to college and Ellis feels this is his last chance to get her back. He never stopped loving Wren and he wants another chance. He’s gotten some counseling. She’s taken to journaling. Maybe they can finally talk to each other. And Ellis hopes, much more.

🎧 I listened to an audiobook copy narrated by Connor Crais and Megan Wicks. Each performed their POV with precision, multiple voices, and emotions that were clearly heard and felt. The chapters flowed seamlessly and the dual narrative helped with the changing POV. I did speed this up to 1.5 to more closely match local conversations and the two narrators still had the passion and angst as the characters worked through so much.

Highly emotionally devastating as they confront their past struggles, feelings and loss. Also highly passionate as the two revisit their need for connection and the lust they’ve always had for each other. Love may have been hidden for a while but it didn’t go away.
Written with breathtaking highs and lows and an emotionally fulfilling hea.

I received a copy of this audiobook from NetGalley and publisher Macmillan Audio.

Wow. I adored this book. You don't see a lot of second chance romances with divorced couples that just married young and grew apart for a while. I love spending this time with Wren and Ellis while they fell in love all over again. This book is packed with emotion and spice. I somehow loved this one even more than the first book in the series. Letters, young love, second chance romance? Yes, please. Wren and Ellis are one of my all-time favorite couples now.