Left of Forever by Tarah DeWitt is a sweet second chance romance between Wren and Ellis Byrd who were once high school sweethearts. Wren and Ellis fell in love as teens and married after a teenage pregnancy. Life was not easy, and their marriage unraveled after many years together. Both stayed in the coastal town of Spunes, raising their son, Sam. The two co-parented, Sam, however kept physical distance from each other, while often thinking about each other privately.

Sam is accepted to a college in California and proposes that they all take a road trip to drop him off. After much hesitation, Wren agrees, and Ellis Byrd devises a plan to win over Wren Byrd's heart again. Ellis, not a planner in their marriages, plans the entire trip with much detail to Wren's special desires and a second chance at love begins to bloom.

This is a cute story with a cute little cross-over with the characters from The Co-Op (which I just read and still had on my mind).

The spice was little much.

The narrators did a great job.

Overall, 3.5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advance listen in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

♾️ stars

Best audiobook ever for the best book ever. I’ve read the earc for this one as well and being able to hear what I’ve read previously, especially what Ellis says to Wren was insane!!!! This man is the bookbf blueprint and I can only wish for everyone to meet their Ellis in their life because he has set the bar so high I fear …

What an absolutely amazing read! I cannot get over how this made me feel. The story, the humor, spice and the development. And what a relief it was that about 85% there wasn't some predictable break up then make up. Gah. I loved it so much. And the narrator, top tier!

Tarah DeWitt is one of few romance writers that can make me a believer in the second chance trope (and make me shed a tear while at it). In a way that is unique to her, she weaves Wren and Ellis' story together with heartrendingly big feelings, cackle-worthy humor and sexual tension.

I’m typically not a huge audiobook consumer, but I read the eARC of “Left of Forever” and loved it so much that I was desperate to consume it in any form that I could and this audiobook did not disappoint.

I don’t know if I will ever be able to adequately find the words to express how deeply I loved this book. I have been a fan of Tarah’s since she was an indie author and Funny Feelings was the first book of Tarah’s I read and have since been a huge fan. I have cried while reading each of Tarah’s books but never before have I been choking back sobs at the end, which is where I found myself at the end of Left of Forever.

Tarah has a remarkable way of diving into the messiness of life with such care, tenderness, and humor and the experiences of her characters are immensely relatable. I love how in each of her books, Tarah’s voice rings true as she delivers her signature humor, heart, big feelings that crack your heart ALLLLLL THE WAY OPEN, and perfectly imperfect characters.

Ever since Ellis uttered “she’s still a Byrd,” I have been on the edge of my seat for this story - and that’s a testament to Tarah’s writing that something like that single line had so many of us in its thrall. I am feral for a second chance and marriage in crisis/trouble, and while Ellis and Wren might not be together on paper anymore, their hearts are very much still tethered together. My heart ACHED as these two made serious strides to grapple with the fears, miscommunication, and heartbreak that led to their parting and OOF, it absolutely wrecked me. But In Tarah We Trust and she masterfully mended our hearts and this story will forever be imprinted on my soul.

The audio was truly brilliant and my god, the narration exceeded every expectation I had. The narrators were spectacular and I need to preorder the audiobook so I can cry all over again.

I absolutely love Tarah DeWitt books and this one lives up to the rest. This book is filled with yearning. The characters are learning so much about themselves apart from each other, but relearning what it means and what they want from being together. This book deals with emotionally deep and hard topics in a graceful, real way. It was also hot. I loved this book.

I had already had the pop to read (and loved) an eARC of this one but I was dying to see how it was done an audio. No regrets! Connor Crais was already a fave of mine, no notes he is perfect for Ellis. Megan Wicks is new to me, but she is ABSOLUTELY perfectly cast for Wren. This story I already loved is an audio delight.

Oh, my heart, 4.5 stars. I absolutely loved Ellis and Wren's story. This book felt like it was written with such care for the characters and for the audience. Ellis and Wren were both so emotionally vulnerable throughout the book and they did an amazing job communicating their raw feelings with each other without the intention of manipulation or malice. I love a book with emotionally intelligent characters. They were both great main characters and I couldn't help but root for them, individually, as parents, and as a couple. Tarah DeWitt did an awesome job building in an added layer of complexity with Wren being so entwined with the Byrd family. Silas's speech at the end was probably one of the sweetest things I've ever read.

If you are looking for a heartwarming second chance romance story with a little bit of spice, you need to read this. This has been my favorite Tarah DeWitt book so far, well done!

This was my introduction to Tara DeWitt, and my first read with a second chance romance book. I loved it!

I immediately bonded with the characters. This story made me laugh and think. It was thought provoking and emotional.

The characters are so relatable.

I will easily go for another of Tara’s offerings in the future and I am off to look up her past works and do some more reading. The endless TBR grows!

Thank you to @Macmillan.Audio, @St. Martin's Publishing Group, 2025 and @Tara DeWitt for the ARC of this book. I was so excited to dive into it after hearing so many good things.

I'm so in love with this title! I read the print version a little while back and was so excited to check out the audiobook. Ellis and Wren are such an amazing couple and I loved the story of their past and their journey back together. I loved Savor It and thought DeWitt wouldn't be able to top it, but Left of Forever was a next level love story. I really enjoyed both the narrators of this audiobook. I've listened to multiple books from the male narrator recently and really love his style of narration. The tone of his voice and performance style are excellent. The female narrator was equally excellent. I like that she had a tiny bit of grit to her voice and showed the perfect amount of emotion. She moved me to tears more than once. I would recommend this title to fans of Abby Jimenez and Rachel Lynn Solomon.

Left of Forever by Tarah DeWitt is a compelling second-chance romance that delves into the complexities of love, family, and the challenges of rekindling a past relationship. The story centers on Wren and Ellis Byrd, childhood sweethearts who navigate the ups and downs of life, including raising a family. Years later, they find themselves at a crossroads and embark on a journey that could either reunite them or lead them to move on.

DeWitt masterfully weaves together emotional depth with moments of warmth and humor. The narrative explores themes of forgiveness, personal growth, and the enduring power of love. Fans of stories that feature characters grappling with real-life issues and finding their way back to each other will likely appreciate this book.

The audiobook edition enhances the story with skilled narration. The narrators bring Wren and Ellis to life, capturing their vulnerabilities, their connection, and the emotional nuances of their journey. The audiobook format allows listeners to fully immerse themselves in the characters' world and experience the full impact of their story.

this was my first Tarah DeWitt book and it was cute & spicy, the chemistry is high between these two characters!!
i really enjoyed the road trip setting and how they used it to talk through the layers of their relationship over the years, the journaling made me so emotional.. i love childhood friends to lovers <3

This is possibly the best audiobook known to man. The narrators absolutely killed this reading and made it so enjoyable while simultaneously breaking my heart. It was agony and joy, their emotions were so intense and present in their voices. Ugh. 10/10. This story was so beautiful and I loved watching Wren and Ellis fall back in love and decide to take one more chance on each other. It was just perfection.

I think I’ve run out of ways to say I love Tarah’s book. The wit, the humor, the HEART.

This was the best second chance romance. I have no idea how I’m gonna love another one more. Wren and Ellis were made for each other in the same way I truly believe Tarah was born to write life-affirming heart stories.

I read this ARC last year, and reread it just recently (via audiobook) and I have to say the narrators killed it. They really brought Wren and Ellis to life in a way that felt true to the character.

What a beautiful journey we’ve been allowed to witness. My heart is so full. I will be thinking about this family for a very, very long time.

Thank you so much for the ALC!

Absolutely loved this book!!!!! Cried the full sobbing tears at the end. These characters are going to live forever in my soul. I don’t think there will be another romance this year that will top this one. Just read it. This is absolutely everything a second chance romance should be. No notes!!!

The audiobook is impeccably done. The actors portray the characters so well!

Thank you very much to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Wow. This book was breathtaking. It was what a second chance romance SHOULD be. It was real, raw, sexy, emotional, hopeful, and captured what EVERYONE wants love to feel like. It captivated me from the letters to the finale and everything in between was a beautiful story that captured love, friendship, family, parenthood, and forgiveness. I feel grateful to have gotten to read this book and it is one I’ll definitely recommend. The audiobook was also SO well done and captured so much of the emotion of the characters. It felt so authentic to the storyline.

This was a truly beautiful and loving story. Ellis and Wren’s personal battles to find themselves and each other were so real and honest. I loved how mature and immature these characters were which made the story more real and the characters flaws made them feel approachable. The narrators brought the characters to life and filled out the story wonderfully.

4⭐️. I thought this was so cute!! It’s not necessarily a story that will stick with me but I’m not usually a second chance girlie and this one was still so good. I don’t think it beats out Savor It for me but I really loved Savor It so that’s still high praise! Love Tarah DeWitt’s characters 🧡 I loved the narrators of this as well - they did a great job.

Wren and Ellis are everything in this book! I enjoyed reading it through audio better. The second chance chemistry was to die for.