This was everything I want in a second-chance romance—sexy, emotional, and achingly real. The writing was intentional, the character growth was so well-earned, and Wren and Ellis’s journey felt both heartbreaking and hopeful. The absolute adoration these two share for each other was evident in every page.

Their chemistry was amazing, but it was the raw, honest conversations and questions —and each of their moments of deep vulnerability—that made this book so so incredible. I also adored the Byrd family’s quiet (and sometimes very loud) support.

Every time Ellis cried I nearly lost it myself. He may very well now be in top 3 book husbands for me. I'm going to need a few business days to recover from their renewed vows.

Listening to the audiobook, Megan Wicks has such a unique, edgy voice that was absolutely perfect for Wren. Connor Crais is also *chef's kiss* every time. This was so so well done I need to go listen again, I just wish I could re-listen for the first time!

AND ONE MORE MOMENT FOR THE COVER OF THIS BOOK ARE WE KIDDING. I can't wait for my preorder to arrive so for the trophy shelf.

PS I was kind of a hater of Savor It but have loved everything else I read from Tarah DeWitt so now I'm questioning whether or not I was okay when I listened to it. Will be revisiting ASAP. 😂

Loved this second-chance romance set in Spunes! Wren & Ellis go from teen parents to exes trying to co-parent, but a sweet pen pal exchange rekindles old feelings. A road trip to drop off their son’s college stuff turns into a journey of healing, honesty, and rediscovered love. Sweet, emotional, and full of heart. Loved the cameo from Sage & Fisher—can’t wait for more from this family! Thanks to Mac

Thank you Tarah DeWitt, Macmillan Audio, and Netgalley. There was NOTHING about this book that I didn't love. The characters were perfect, the story was beautiful, the family - by blood, marraige, and finding was perfect. The second chance, the 3rd act tease, the HEA... it was all just perfect. And Connor Crais and Megan Wicks did an amazing job with the narration. I will definitely recommend this one!

I loved this so much! I listened to the audiobook and it was so good, a great story! Love this second-chance romance with “older” characters. Highly recommend!

4.5 stars.
Goodness, I read my first Tarah DeWitt novel, and she delivered a well written and emotional story. The story of Wren and Ellis drew me in, and I didn't want to leave. Their love story made me swoon and smile. It felt authentic and relatable.

This second chance romance brings all the feels with their childhood history, letters, and road trip. The characters of Ellis and Wren are so loveable. Honestly, I loved all the characters in this universe. I literally couldn't stop reading this one.

I loved the dual narrator audio by Connor Crais and Megan Wicks. They brought this story to life with their voices. Do yourself a favor and listen to the audiobook, the narration was top notch!

How did I sleep on Tarah DeWitt? I can't wait to read her entire backlog this summer. I would highly recommend Left of Forever especially the audio!

Shut UP this was so cute!! I loved this one a lot and it had some really well done tropes. Childhood best friends to lovers, second chance romance, roadtrip, and letters to name a few! Ellis was my fav, I just love the whole Byrd family!

I went into this one with super high hopes because I had recently finished Savor It which was definitely one of my fav books of this year. I just wanted more of Spunes!!! I will say, this books did not have nearly as much Spunes ambiance which I personally found a little bit of a bummer BUT I still enjoyed it a lot

The ending of this one was super super cute and had so many good quotes that pulled my heart strings. Like really connected back to the title of spending whats “left of forever” together like ugh stab me in the HEART

I’m excited to see if/when the next Spunes novel comes out, I’ll DEF be reading that one

Thanks to NetGalley and MacMillian Audio

I read and listened at the same time and it was a SUPERIOR reading experience. I think Tarah's writing shines beautifully on audio. She gets so deep into her characters headspace, spending long sections in their internal monologue and an audio narration fits that so well. This story is deeply emotional and to hear it brought to life was wonderful. I adore Wren and Ellis. They are hot and sweet and tender and special.

What an emotional ride this book was. This is one I’m going to wish I could read for the first time again. The writing is beautiful and creates connection with the reader right from the beginning. The story starts strong and follows through with perfect pace.

This story is second chance romance for Wren and Ellis. Childhood friends to lovers to young parents to divorce. After 5 years of divorce their son Sam is about to graduate and go to university. Ellis has been pining and missing Wren in his life, and plans to use the roadtrip of taking Sam to university to explore friendship and possibly rekindling the romance with Wren. This journey to finding each other again is not one to be missed, it’s the most beautiful ride. I loved both of these main characters so much.

The story shifts from past to present and back as needed and it’s done seamlessly. This book will have you emotional from the deep conversations, laughing from the banter, swooning over romance and spice.

Thanks to @netgalley for the ALC of the audiobook - it was absolutely everything. The story was already swoon-worthy on its own, but the narrators truly brought it to life—they captured every emotion, every moment of tension, and made the chemistry between the characters feel so real. It was like watching a movie in my head. I didn’t want it to end!

This book was SO good. Second chance done right, Left of Forever tells the story of Wren and Ellis Byrd, childhood sweethearts who are now divorced co-parents re-considering what may have been and could still be. The writing was bewitching, sumptuous, and sensual. I read and adored the first book in the Spunes series, Savor It (highly recommend!), but even if you haven't, these characters will captivate and charm you. The narrators did a beautiful job capturing the emotional depth of the writing, which made this a particularly enjoyable listen. Definitely check out Left of Forever for a sweet and spicy romance that tugs at the heart strings!

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for gifting me with an ALC to review. All opinions are my own.

I finished this book in a day. The dual audio narration made this story feel vulnerable, engaging, and gets you feel connected to the characters and their relationship.

You can’t help but root for Ellis and Wren. Tarah DeWitt has accomplished something astonishing. She has written a romance that is perfectly balanced. It balances love and friendship, humor and banter with vulnerability, and tension, longing, PINING, and flirting with joy, reconciliation, and intimacy.

This book is for the hopeless romantic who believes in second chances and true, great loves. Ellis and Wren lost their way and ended up getting divorced. After 5 years apart maybe they’ll be ready to find their way back to each other.

Ellis Byrd is YEARNING and so down bad for his WIFE. He is patient and puts in the work to try and reconcile. I loved him going to therapy, not as a tactic, but because he knew he needed to get himself right before their potential second chance.

Wren is so brave and fierce. Opening herself up to a second chance and prioritizing herself again. They are destined for each other in every lifetime. I adore the epistolary element in this book, through letters, emails, and journal entries.

Tarah has written such a romantic and tender novel and I need you all to read it.
Please read Savor It first because if gives some context to the main family featured in this story.

This book almost destroyed me with its quotes. Here are just a couple I loved.

“I’ll love you for whatever we have left of forever”.

“ALL I KNOW IS THAT IF HEAVEN IS REAL AND I GOT THERE FIRST, ID HANG BACK IN THE WAITING ROOM AND SAVE YOU A SEAT”

Left of Forever is an outstanding contemporary romance following a divorced couple after their son leaves for college. This book was the perfect balance of emotional and humorous. The spicy scenes were full of steam, and I loved all of the family dynamics (which hopefully turn into future installments in the series). Definitely a must read if you like contemporary romance!

Narration performed by Connor Crais and Megan Wicks was 10/10.

I received an ARC and ALC from St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin and Macmillan Audio via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Back in Spunes, Oregon for a second chance romance.

Wren and Ellis were friends, turned high school sweethearts, turned teenage parents, then married parents, and finally divorced couple. They've been avoiding each other for years. But when a fate intercedes and gives them the opportunity to communicate anonymously (Ellis knowing, Wren not), they both start to long for their former relationship. Ellis for Wren specifically. Wren for the relationship she lost. Ellis plans a road trip for them- to take on the way home from dropping their son off at college. He hopes he can show Wren that he still loves her and that he wants a second chance.

I love the history and comfort between Wren and Ellis. I mean, they have been uncomfortable, but deep down, they know each other so well and compliment each other. Their journey felt realistic and you can't help but root for them

Connor Crais and Megan Wicks narrate the audiobook.

I received an advance audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

“𝓘 𝓰𝓻𝓮𝔀 𝓾𝓹 𝔀𝓲𝓽𝓱 𝓶𝔂 𝓰𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓽 𝓵𝓸𝓿𝓮, 𝓼𝓸 𝓘 𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓴 𝓶𝓪𝔂𝓫𝓮 𝓶𝔂 𝓱𝓮𝓪𝓻𝓽 𝓽𝓸𝓸𝓴 𝓼𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓮 𝓪𝓻𝓸𝓾𝓷𝓭 𝓱𝓲𝓼.”

Pretty sure Tarah just wrote the falling-back-in-love story I always wanted to see from my parents as a child of divorce, and I’m not gonna lie seeing the struggles from the perspective of the parents is WILD.

Wren reminds me so much of my mom, it’s insane. The lovingness toward other people, selflessness and nothing but the desire to do better and be better for her child and herself. She was an immediate favorite for me from that alone. That, on top of how actually FLIPPING HILARIOUS her inner dialogue is 🤌

The side characters are also A HOOT AND A HOLLER 😭🤣 “nice motorboating you” PUHLEASEEEEE LMFAO

And god 😍 a man who knows his big 3? Seriously?!?!?! GODDD (let’s not be confused how I mentioned my parents above, I clearly said it’s what I WANTED it to be and never compared the MMC to my dad. Far from my dad actually, but daddy he is 🫡 ) Ellis is a 83848393848393/10 stars.
I can’t wait to bother my friends until they pick up their copy and get rewarded with happy book buddies who love Wren and Ellis (and Sam) as much as I do.

I really enjoyed Left of Forever. I couldn’t remember reading any books by this author so my expectations were low. I’m also not a huge fan of second chance romances, but I was in the mood for something new. When I say there were parts that had me so giddy, kicking my feet, and smiling on my commute home. Ugh I needed this.

Firstly, I did receive this as an audiobook and I was so happy with the narrators! They truly brought this story to life and their voices fit the characters perfectly! I would highly recommend this on audio if you have the opportunity!

Now for the plot, I actually really did fall in love with Wren and Ellis’ love story. I need a down bad MMC more than I need an iced coffee every morning. There are some aspects of the story that honestly didn’t follow through for me (letters written) but at the same time it wasn’t a huge deal. I think it gives more of a backstory or a way into their mind. I did love their banter and their time together on the road. They def had some crazy and funny things happen to them and some wtf moments (ice cream, chili peppers, eggplants). It was fun to read and it kept me wanting to root for them.

Will def read more from this author in the future.

Left of Forever by Tara DeWitt
4🌟🌟🌟🌟
3🌶🌶🌶

This second chance romance was so well written! This was my first read by Tara, and it didn't disappoint! The way the author wrote the dynamic between the two main characters is so relatable and believable that I could truly feel the emotions the characters were going through.

Our FMC is Wren. She and Ellis (our MMC) have been divorced for over 4 years. Wren works and is preparing to take over her mother's bakers while Ellis is a wildlife firefighter. While Ellis is fighting a fire out of state, he goes to look for some food among all of the support packages sent to the firefighters. There in the pile, he notices a pink pastry box, a very familiar pink pastry box! After grabbing it and enjoying the goodies inside, he reads a letter placed in the box by none other than Wren, his ex-wife. Instead of just keeping the letter, he decides to anonymously write her back, leading to a sweet letter exchange between the two, with only Ellis knowing who he is talking to.

Some time later, Wren and Ellis's son, Sam, is graduating high school and heading off to college. After they drop her off, Ellis proposes that him and Wren take a road trip back together to see "if they can still get along as friends." This leads on a beautiful adventure of finding lost (or not so lost) love, healing, humor, and angst slow burn that had me finishing this book in 1 day! I can't recommend this book enough, and I look forward to reading more by Tara!

Wren and Ellis fell in love as kids, had their son Sam as teenagers, and got married. Now divorced and in their 30s, they're thrust together on a road trip to move Sam into college, debating if they should give their relationship one last chance.

I'm not usually a big second chance romance fan, but I loved the divorced/married couple scenario from Wren and Ellis. We got to see them unpack what went well and wrong years earlier, and saw Ellis' growth and commitment to being a better partner. I loved the dual POV (especially in the audio narration) and seeing what was going through their heads. I also liked seeing their families scheming a bit to nudge them back together.

I do wish we got a bit more of the flirty rekindling of their connection instead of immediately hooking up, but overall still enjoyed them finding their way back to each other.

It can be read standalone, but I suggest picking up Savor It because it's great and you'll have some context to the side characters. Looking forward to more from DeWitt and the crew in Spunes.

Thanks Macmillan Audio for the advance copy.

this book was probably one of the most romantic books i have ever read. the way this man just loves his wife was the most intoxicating thing in the world. the book follows ellis & wren as they take a little road trip together after dropping their son off at college. the trip is a final attempt to figure out if there’s anything salvageable from their relationship after being divorced for 5 years. i will say this now: ellis planning the trip may be my roman empire.

wren & ellis have truly been through so much together & watching them work through all the raw emotions that come with their many challenges as young parents gave a sense of catharsis i wasn’t expecting. i felt utter relief when they worked through their big emotions & each went through different revelations about their relationship. it was almost as if i had gone through the turbulence of their relationship with them & that is evidence of some truly incredible writing.

there’s something to be said about a man who cannot seem to articulate his big feelings finally just letting go & finding that breakthrough. watching ellis break down the mental barriers that were preventing him from telling wren exactly what he was feeling, when he felt it throughout their entire relationship was incredible. this book took the concept of writing things down to sort through them to the next level. hats off to the ‘you’ve got mail’ nod - it was *chefs kiss*

i’d be remiss if i didn’t mention all of the moments where parenthood was beautifully reflected. when they drop sam off at college, wren’s reflection of time slipping away while you look to the next phase was so real & raw. as a parent, this is one of the things that scares me most. “what am i going to miss if i look forward to what’s next” & then you blink and you kid is going to college. i’d be lying if i said that one didn’t absolutely wreck me.

overall, this book was poetic, romantic & will be one of my infinity star reads forever & ever. i HIGHLY recommend it,.

After reading Savor It and now Left of Forever, I can officially say I’m completely in love with the big, boisterous Byrd family! Tarah DeWitt writes the kinds of characters I crave in romance—flawed but full of heart, willing to do the work, and learning that love isn’t about being perfect, but about growing together.

Left of Forever follows Wren and Ellis Byrd, childhood sweethearts who married young, built a beautiful life—and then lost it. Now divorced and living separate lives in their hometown of Spunes, Oregon, they are brought back together when their son leaves for college. A spontaneous road trip offers them one final chance to see if the pieces of their love still fit... or if it's time to finally let go.

Second-chance romances can be tricky, but DeWitt nails it. The idea of soulmates is woven into Wren and Ellis’s story without ever feeling forced. Instead, it’s layered with family ties, self-discovery, acceptance, and the beautifully messy journey of figuring out who you are—and who you want to be—after life knocks you down. This is the kind of story that will linger in your heart long after the final page.

What I Loved:

The pacing is pitch-perfect. While Savor It had to slowly set the stage for the Byrd family series, Left of Forever jumps right in and never drags.

The writing is vivid and relatable. DeWitt has a gift for sneaking in lines that instantly make you feel the characters’ hearts—like describing emotions as a "Heinz57 bottle of emotion, upside down and shaken, waiting for the inevitable plop." It's these small moments that make the characters feel so real.

Wren is a standout heroine. She's whimsical and funny, but her depth and vulnerability shine through every scene. I adored her. (Also, "Wren Byrd" is a name that makes me smile every time.)

Ellis’s character arc is exceptional. His emotional growth—especially through therapy—is portrayed with such sensitivity and realism. He was already lovable, but his evolution into a true partner made him unforgettable.

The emotional layering through letters, flashbacks, and dialogue weaves past and present seamlessly, making Wren and Ellis’s journey feel even more poignant.

The Audiobook:
I was lucky enough to be gifted a copy of the audiobook, narrated by Connor Crais and Megan Wicks. They brought so much emotional depth to Wren and Ellis's story—their performance is phenomenal, and I highly recommend experiencing the book in audio format as well. Whether you read or listen, you can’t go wrong.

If you love:
▪️ Marriage in crisis
▪️ Second chances
▪️ Small-town settings
▪️ Found family
▪️ Foodie romances
▪️ Firefighter heroes
▪️ Road trip adventures

…then Left of Forever needs to be at the top of your TBR!

Content Warnings: Ectopic pregnancy, infertility


📆 Pub Date: May 20, 2025

I absolutely loved this book. When I read Savor It last year, I yearned for a story about Wren and Ellis, and this book delivered! Wren and Ellis grew up together, and they became parents to their son, Sam, when they were teenagers. They were married, and when their marriage fell apart, their feelings still lingered for each other.

When Sam is moving into college, Ellis proposes that he and Wren go on a road trip to see if they can rekindle their relationship. This story is emotional and raw, but it's also filled with so much love and intimacy. Wren thinks that Ellis didn't do enough to show that he cared, and he became complacent in their marriage. He shows her that he has changed by planning a road trip full of surprises for her.

I loved the dual POV, and each character's emotions were shining their layers of pain. Their love showed that there is always room for a second chance with the one you were meant to be with.

The narrators, Connor Crais and Megan Wicks, did a fantastic job of conveying all of the emotion of each character. When they read the letters between Wren and Ellis, it brought me to tears. I also really enjoyed Connor Crais when he did the Australian accents for the teachers at the cooking class. It was hilarious!

Such a great second chance romance! I didn’t realize Wren and Ellis were characters from Savor It before I started this book — and honestly, I wish I had read that one first. I think it would have made me even more invested in their story from the beginning.

Even without that background, I really enjoyed this story of two people finding their way back to each other after sending their son off to college. The dual first-person POV worked so well, letting you really see how their different experiences shaped who they became and where they stumbled along the way. It made their relationship feel very real and relatable.

Overall, this was a heartfelt and satisfying story that I would definitely recommend — especially if you read Savor It first!

Contemporary Romance
*second chance
*small town
*family dynamics (co-parenting and post divorce relationships)