The only way to describe this story is absolutely beautiful! This is my absolute favorite Tarah DeWitt book ever. There was so much emotion and so much heart in this story. Wren and Ellis had sizzling tension between them. They’d married young and essentially lost their way. I loved everything about this special story. The backstory. The conflict. The spicy scenes. The writing. The character growth. The journey back to each other. I loved the flash backs into their early relationship. It made me feel even closer to the characters. These two characters have been through a lot in their relationship. They essentially grew up together. Sometimes things get a little lost along the way.
The secondary characters are fun too! Who doesn’t love a fun and interesting family in their small town romance! The small town of Spunes is one of my favorites. I hope the author writes about more characters from this cute little small town.
Connor Crais and Megan Wicks rocked this audiobook! Their voices were dynamite! They brought these characters to life in the best way! I received this audiobook from MacMillan Audio and Netgalley. All opinions are my own!

Whew. When I say second chance rarely ever works for me, I really mean that. So believe me when I say this is one of the best books I’ve ever read. I cried. I giggled. Cried some more. Blushed because Ellis has a mouth on him beneath that mustache. And cried some more.

Ellis and Wren were probably always destined to split. Teen parents, married too young, Ellis’ dangerous job as a wilderness firefighter, both Wren and Ellis having to be pseudo parents to Ellis’ younger siblings, and a struggle with infertility that resulted in an ectopic pregnancy that nearly cost Wren her life. It was a perfect storm, really. When communication breaks down, so often do relationships.

Five years into their divorce, Wren and Ellis are just the biggest pining pine trees you’ve ever seen. Not for one second do you ever doubt that they still love each other. But what Tarah does so beautifully here is show us that love also takes work. When communication breaks down, when you don’t know how to work through the tough conversations, when you stop trying, it often doesn’t matter how much you love each other when life doesn’t take any prisoners.

And that’s what I loved so much about this. Too often, I feel like the second chance isn’t satisfying because we don’t get to see the MC’s actually work through it. But Tarah does this so beautifully and so painfully. Wren and Ellis do take the trip to see if they can get back to each other and they open up the messy parts, the parts that hurt and the parts that went wrong. But…my god do we get to see how they realize how determined they are to get things really, really rate. Not because of fate or destiny but because of work and therapy and breaking open the hurt to fix it.

I don’t even know what else to say besides if you’re going to give me a second chance, LoF is the blueprint for what I want.

Thank you to SMP and MacMillian audio for an e-arc and an ALC! Connor Crais and Megan Wicks were absolutely phenomenal. One of the best audiobooks I’ve ever listened to! You could just feel the emotion in their narration. Phenomenal!

Updated: 5/5/25
I just finished a reread (audiobook listen). The narrator’s that they chose for this book were absolutely perfection. The timing of some of the lines were exactly how I read them in my head. And…they. Brought. The. Tension. I’ll be re-listening to this one again for sure!

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Easily my top favorite Tarah DeWitt book she’s put out yet! She’s so good at writing flawed characters that are doing the work and taking steps to improve their mental health as well. All with a hefty side of humor. I laughed and I cried reading this truly sweet second chance at love for Wren and Ellis.

“She’s still a Byrd”

The line that Ellis said at a town meeting, that made all of us thirsty for their story in Tarah’s previous book, Savor It. High school sweethearts who had child too young and found themselves raising the rest of the Byrd sibling after losing both of their parents. They both took on a lot and lost each other in the process. Five years after their divorce, both are still missing and pining for each other, when Ellis gets a chance care package working a wild fire that is from Wren herself. Seeing her words in the letter and writing back anonymously wakes him up to the idea of asking for that second chance.

The chemistry and banter between these two is off the charts! Their roadtrip back to each other after dropping their son off at college is heartbreaking and at the same heartwarming as they work through their past. And, can we talk about the flirty dirty talk 🥵

I love the cameos of Deacon and LaRynn while visiting Santa Cruz. And, as always all the Twilight references. I agree Tarah, Rosyln is the song of our generation. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve listened to that soundtrack!

Thank you NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, St. Martin’s Press and Tarah Dewitt for allowing me to read a complimentary advanced copy of this book. All opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

When I said I wanted to be crushed by a book, I didn't mean this devastated. Left of Forever has the most pining and yearning I've ever read, catastrophic levels. But oh my god, did it hurt so good. Divorced, high school sweethearts who are taking a trip after they drop their son off at college, and their whole entire family is in on sabotaging them into one bed? Yes please. I adore Wren and Ellis, you know from the get-go, they're meant to be together. It's the sweetest, decently spicy, and throw in some humor. I didn't realize this was the second in the series, and I haven't read the first, but I didn't feel too lost. If I had to do it again, I would have read Savor It first. Either way, buckle up, buttercup, you're in for a ride.

Connor Crais is one of the best male narrators out there, fight me. If he's narrating, I'm listening. All the stars for him. I've never heard anything by Megan Wicks before. Which, how? She's narrated for some of my favorite authors. All the stars for her, too. She absolutely did an amazing job bringing Wren to life. You can't go wrong no matter how you read this book, but if you want to have your heart ripped out and cry a little, definitely go with the audio.

Left of Forever is a second chance romance between a divorced couple, with lots of angst and yearning, forced proximity, and a road trip! Easily my favorite read I’ve read from this author, I knew I had to try this one after seeing it had a fav trope of mine!

Wren and Ellis fell in love as kids, had their son Sam when they were only teenagers, and got married too young. They made a life together in Oregon but are now divorced and in their 30s…and still think about one another all the time. She runs the bakery in the small town, he’s a firefighter. They go on a road trip adventure together to drop off their son at college and they finally share their feelings over everything together.

I loved the dual POVs and I feel like in most second chance romances, you’ll get dual timeline with flashbacks but that was not the case in this book and honestly it felt right. Of course they talk about events that happened in the past but it was really about the want and hope they have for one another right now. If angst, pining, soul mates finding one another again is your jam, this book is a must read!

The audiobook narrators were perfection, I loved the dual POV and how it brought the story and characters to life. I received an audio ALC from the publisher, all thoughts in this review are my own!

CW: ectopic pregnancy (occurs off page), conversations referencing infertility in the past

Unpopular opinion, but this book just felt forced and unrealistic. I found that the main characters, despite being adults, behaved like toddlers throughout the book. I felt like their story was not believable - despite 5 years apart and a son together, they still both had feelings for one another. It took a road trip to take their son to college for them to realize they still were in love. The issues and bumps in the road felt very forced and not natural. To the reader their love was very obvious, but for some reason they continued to find reasons that it was not really there. I loved the setting and never considered making this a DNF, I just found myself frustrated through the majority of the book. Maybe you enjoy the slow pacing and incredibly slow burn romance more than I do and will love this?! I would love to know how you felt about this one (if you read it!

Thank you netgalley for my advanced reader and audio copies!

TARAH! DEWITT! This is hands down her best book. The yearning. The spice. The complex emotions I don't think that my review can even do this book justice.

Here's what you need to know: this is a second chance romance!!!!!!!!! I am such a sucker for this trope and this is definitely one of the best books I've read with second chance romance as the main plot.

Ellis is literally everything. He is man. A MAN. He is so emotionally intelligent and the the narrator is *chef's kiss*. Wren is so relatable and dynamic. Both of these characters have been through real life shit. I love reading stories where the main characters have had some sense of life happen before.

While this is the second book in a series, there are interconnected standalones. You don't have to have read Savor It in order to get the plot, however it does help! This book also features a cameo from the couple in DeWitt's book, The Co-Op. Honestly I love the Tarah DeWitt-iverse.

Thank you so so much to Netgalley and Macmillan audio for this audiobook arc.

Thank you so much to Macmillan Audio for an early copy of an audiobook of Left of Forever! 💖
Left of Forever is an interconnected standalone to Savor It and it has some of the same small town romance vibes that I think we all know and love! Also, if you loved Savor It like I did, you get to see more Sage and Fisher in Left of Forever and it's so fun to see them again! 🥹 This story is so fun and is a unique and interesting twist on a second chance romance!!!! Sometimes, I'm not a big second chance romance girlie BUT this interesting twist, where the main characters were actually married before, divorced, and are now exploring a relationship again, made this a very intriguing listen for me! At first, it can be kind of confusing because it feels like the main characters never really fell out of love but just had some miscommunication and marriage problems... 👀
The narrators of this audiobook made this a very entertaining and fun listen and I'm so glad that I got to listen to this story early!!

If you like Emily Henry and Abby Jimenez then you will love this book. Second chance romance of a young couple who are trying to reconcile their love after dropping their son off at college. This book takes on a lot of hard topics including teen pregnancy, infertility, and the pressure it can put on a relationship.

Second Chance Romance (divorced and with a college age son), high school sweehearts, Small Town, Road Trip, Forced Proximity, AudioBook

Warning: mentions miscarriage

Love the pen pal idea but who writes that to a stranger? but this is fiction so I liked it lol. It got super spicy in an early chapter and I was like woa, was not expecting that. I think that showed the pacing of the book, something was usually happening. I did not read the first book in the series but was still able to follow the family easily. Overall really liked all the family dynamics and the over the top romance and burn. The audio narrators were really good and helped me really get into the book. I was really rooting for them and it was so good to see the emotional growth and commitment. The writing flows well and it was easy to keep picking up the book.

"I bore the mental load of making sure we were on track for so long, that moment I couldn't anymore we drifted off."

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for this advanced copy.

Tarah DeWitt’s ‘Left of Forever’ is a delightful tale of second chances in love. Wren and Ellis, childhood pals, navigate the ups and downs of dating, parenthood, marriage, and divorce. Despite their complicated history, they never truly let go of each other. When their child needs to drop off for college, they decide to embark on a road trip to rekindle their lost love. It’s a heartwarming story that reminds us of the power of giving ourselves a second chance. The audiobook narration is incredible, with Megan Wicks as Wren and Connor Crais as Ellis. Their voices perfectly match the characters.

✨Second chance romance
✨High school sweethearts
✨Found family
✨Road trip vibes
✨Down bad MMC (yes after all this time)

My heart was shattered and glued back together in the best way after reading this book

Left of Forever is one of the most beautiful and romantic books I have ever had the pleasure of reading. I have never felt more seen & understood by a book. This book follows Ellis & Wren taking an extended roadtrip home after driving their only son off to university. They have been divorced for over 5 years & are hoping to find their way back to one another

Ellis & Wren are absolutely everything. I feel like it’s so easy to escape into romance books with couples that are unrealistic, lovely, funny, quirky and perfect. BUT do you know what hits you like a truck & gives you what you didn’t think you needed. Couples like Ellis & Wren who are REAL. I experienced every emotion under the sun while reading this book. I cried huge tears, felt a huge elephant pressing down on my heart, snorted while laughing and stared at a wall while feeling all the feels

The road trip element added some much needed levity and forced proximity to a difficult journey and discussions.

We had secret letters, therapy talk, sunscreen smut (iykyk), tattoos, parent trapping moments and just the purest form of love.

It truly felt like you were on journey with this couple. There were such reflective moments throughout the book that felt like a mirror for me - looking at my own life and relating to the raw emotions these characters were experiencing in terms of relationships, parenthood, grief, loss and learning to communicate

Ellis & Wrens love for their son Sam and their loved one was so special but when you see the love that their people had for them - together or not- that hit the spot for me

The duel narration was fantastic & each voice actor was able to covey such emotion throughout

Ellis & Wren are it for me - that is all 🥹😭💖

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the early access to this audiobook. This was the first book I’ve read by Tarah Dewitt after being recommended her books so many times. I’m glad I finally started.Love that the characters are 30+ years old so there’s no immaturity but some hard conversations (TW: fertility issues). It felt like the characters actually did the work to get back together instead of just getting back together because they have a past like so many other second chance romance books. Narrators are great. Perfect amount of tension and spice. The horse letters plot line fell kind of flat for me though.

Left or forever, is a second chance romance. When you have to get married too young it is hard to face. Trails together

I am a sucker for second chance romances, especially when they are childhood/high school sweethearts. Wren and Ellis had a bit of a mishap when they were seventeen and became parents, but with the support of their family and small town they were able to persevere. I particularly loved their story because life became the villain of their love story, sometimes there is no physical being that is the villain but life simply gets in the way. Now dropping off their son, Sam, at college they decided to take a little road trip on the way back home and give their love story a second shot.

I got to read and listen to this story and had it on at all times no matter what I was doing, I simply could not put it down. The audio had some dual narration which always makes me love it even more! This book had some of the best angst and tension build up throughout the book. You can tell both of them want to get back together but also want to take it slow and not brush over anything. There is even an iconic hot make out elevator scene that will have you clutching your pearls! Not every author can input the title of the book naturally in the dialogue between characters but DeWitt did it so sweetly it had me tearing up by the end of the story. Tarah DeWitt has yet to disappoint me with her outstanding character-driven romances that will make any other book you're reading at the time not even compare.

Obsessed with this cover. The colors, the passion. Yes. Just yes.


Second chance and some of this takes place in letters written to each other. Stop. I’m sold.


I cackled, I cried, I grinned like the Cheshire Cat. Allll the feelings and totally recommend! 4.5 stars!

Wren & Ellis have been divorced for years, co-parenting their son, Sam, while silently missing each other. When Sam gets into college & they are forced to go on a road trip together, sparks start flying again. But will they be able to reconcile their tumultuous past? They may have to write their feelings rather than speak them out loud.

This book was so beautiful. I am a BIG fan of marriage in crisis & second chance stories, they just make me feel so satisfied at the end. Ellis & Wren were so freaking sweet; two people who are magnets to each other & unable to pull apart. The yearning was UNMATCHED. The mouth on Ellis? unreal. The setting was gorgeous & I felt extremely immersed in the story. These two will be with me for a while.

I listened to the audiobook & I LOVED the narrators & how they brought the story to life, especially how each narrator read the characters messages. Couldn't recommend this more!

"She's kissing me. I'm home."

🌶️🌶️🌶️

Thank you so much to Macmillan Publishing, NetGalley & Tarah Dewitt for an ALC of this sweet story ❤️

4.5 stars
Thanks to NetGalley, I received an ARC for the audiobook! This book was so beautiful and broke my heart and put it back together all over again. This was written so well and I recommend everyone picking this book up when it comes out!

Wren and Ellis thought their childhood love would last forever. However, when life kept happening, they grew apart. Years after their divorce, the young parents are ready to send off their son, Sam, to college. After Sam is moved in, Wren and Ellis embark on an unexpected trip to explore some of their unresolved issues and see if there is any hope of rekindling their relationship.

Ahhhh, this was an incredibly sweet and heart-warming second chance romance! I sometimes struggle with "friends to lovers" or "second chance romance" stories when the author is brief with how the protagonists fell for each other and how their relationship flourished. I am so happy this was not the case with Tarah DeWitt!! DeWitt did a wonderful job balancing the the flashbacks and made us fall in love with the characters as they did with each other. The challenges that came with growing their family and everyday life weighted down on Wren and Ellis to the point of divorce, even when they still had so much love for each other. It was so fun seeing Ellis be a flirt at the start of the trip and Wren doing her best to resist him! However, old habits die hard and the steam was STEAMY!!

Overall, it was so rewarding seeing these two come back together, especially Ellis' growth and him finding ways to show up for Wren. I was a bit worried about a third-act breakup with the secret letter reveal but was relieved we were spared from it! The supporting characters were so funny and warm. I enjoyed how DeWitt incorporated them along the way, especially when they are all such central figures in Wren and Ellis' lives.

This my first Tarah DeWitt book and I look forward to reading more of her works! I also highly recommend listening to the audiobook or having it as a reading companion. Connor Crais and Megan Wicks were phenomenal in bringing Wren and Ellis to life!

I adored this book. Left of Forever is a super sweet and sexy second-chance romance with the added fun of a road trip. I also loved being back with the Byrds. They are such a great family, and it is always great to hang out with them.

Clearly, Wren and Ellis still loved each other, but what I appreciated most was how they took the time to earn back each other's trust. It made the romance feel that much richer. They’re also such great parents to Sam. The way they co-parented and truly prioritized his well-being added so much depth to the book. It wasn’t just about romance. It was about building something solid and healthy for their family.

The character growth stood out for me. There is honesty in how the characters process their past and try to move forward. Wren is incredibly relatable, and Ellis' growth was fantastic. I love authors incorporate themes of therapy, especially when male characters are given space to do that kind of work. It never felt rushed or surface-level. The emotional work really mattered and paid off in the story.

The narration was great. The performers brought each character to life.

This is the author’s best book yet, and I already can’t wait to read the next in the series.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio for a gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.