This was my first book for this author but will definitely not be the last!!! I didn't even realize I like the second chance trope, but this story was so rich because of the shared history and backstory of the characters. I enjoyed the narrators and they kept me ready for more constantly.

This is how you do second chance romance. Even though these are stand alone romances, you should probably read the first one before diving into this one. This story felt very real and I loved the way they both put in the work...with and without clothes.

Unfortunately I lost interest early on. I did not find myself super intrigued in these characters but was curious enough to keep going. The plot road on getting back together felt too early for my taste, though, and I didn't feel compelled to keep reading. This may be something I come back to, though.

This book was so romantic and emotional. I was hooked from beginning to end, and was rooting for our two exes to get back together!

This book was a 5 star read for me!! Tarah DeWitt did such an amazing job of weaving together a believable and beautiful story!! The tension between the two main characters was not only realistic it was addictive!! After listening to this one- I immediately read the book before this one and devoured it just as quick!! I am a Tarah DeWitt fan for good!!!

I have never been big on second chance romance. However, I can say that the author did such a fantastic job at making a trope I am not a fan of, really work. Narration as well was great. I love listening to my audiobooks at 2x the speed, so I know the audiobook narration flow is great when I have no issues at 2x the speed.

Thank you Netgally for providing me with an audio ARC!
Left of Forever follows Wren and Ellis five years after they get a divorce. Ellis is busy with being a firefighter, and Wren is busy with her mom's bakery she is going to take over. When their son Sam moves away for college prompts Wren and Ellis to drive Sam to college and a road trip back with just the two of them. Wren and Ellis are forced to come to terms with their feeling for one another, and decided if they could be back in eachothers lives.

The audiobook was such a fun way to read this story. The voice actors where great and definitely sound like I picture the characters.

This is the first book by Tarah DeWitt I have read and I am obsessed! Ellis! That man is obsessed in the best way possible. I love his character growth and him needing to know if he can make things woek with Wren. Wren had her own character growth as well and she is as obsessed with Ellis as he is with her. This was such a cute adorable heartwarming and heartbreaking story. I cried. I laughed. I swooned. I smiled like school girl finding out her friend crush likes her back. I am definitely reading more of Tarah DeWitts books!

This book is FULL of spice! Like get yourself reading to be blushing each chapter because good lord it was so good. The characters were darling together!

Wow. This was an emotional rollercoaster in the best way possible. This is the kind of book that grabs hold of your heart and doesn't let go, even long after you've turned the last page—or in my case, finished the audiobook.

Wren and Ellis’s story is one of those deep, gut-wrenching second chances that feels so authentic and raw. One where they were once everything to each other, and I could feel the heartbreak of their separation throughout the entire book. Now, years later, they’re both trying to rebuild their lives, but you can feel that pull between them, that "what if?" they’ve never quite let go of. Watching them navigate their complicated relationship as they travel the beautiful California coastline is so magical. There is such a perfect balance of hope & tension as they start to rediscover what they lost and wonder if they can really heal the wounds of the past.

What makes this story so special is how real it feels. Wren and Ellis both have flaws, baggage, and mistakes they can’t undo, but the love they still share is undeniable. Their journey feels like one that would happen in real life, and their conversations are so intimate and vulnerable. It’s a love story about forgiveness, growth, and what it means to truly start over—not just for the sake of love, but for the sake of healing.

The narrators did a stellar job bringing Wren and Ellis to life, capturing the raw emotion of their interactions and really making me feel connected to their story. And that letter? It was the perfect gut punch that brought everything together in such an emotional way.

This is the kind of book that will have you crying happy tears, holding your breath during the intense moments, and cheering for the characters as they find their way back to one another. This was an unforgettable story.

I adored Savor It by oh my this one. LOVED IT!!

How can you not love the Byrd family!

Wren is amazing. Adored her. She was just one of those characters you'd want for a friend.

Ellis. Oh Ellis. The work he did to win her back. Swoon. So much growth. Adored him.

This is a second chance romance done right!

The audio was superb!!

Many thanks to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for an ALC, and St. Martin's Press for an ARC.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and St. Martin's Press for the complimentary audiobook. These opinions are my own.

This is such a beautiful book. It's a second chance romance featuring Wren and Ellis Byrd. They divorced years ago, but he suggests a road trip after they drop their son off at college. It's one last chance to see if there's still something between them.

It's incredibly emotional and heart wrenching. The writing brought me right into their trip with them. The writing choices were exactly the correct way to show flashbacks while also showing the current status. I consistently felt I understood what had gone wrong and believed that their relationship could be restarted into a lasting love. I joined his whole family in believing in them and wanting them to get back together. I found the written words they shared as powerful as their interactions. They tugged at me so much.

While Left of Forever could stand alone, I do recommend reading Savor It first. We meet Wren and Ellis and see their strained relationship dynamics there, so I think it sets this book up well. This is definitely my new favorite from Tarah DeWitt.

The narration by Connor Caris and Megan Wicks was perfection. I strongly recommend the audio format for this book.

4.5 stars rounded up

I really liked Left of Forever. The narrators did a fantastic job and made the emotions come through so clearly. They really pulled me into the story.

The plot was charming and heartfelt. It follows Ellis and Wren, a divorced couple who find their way back to each other. Their breakup was incredibly emotional and made a lot of sense, especially with everything they went through — dealing with a sick parent and a heartbreaking pregnancy loss. It all felt very real and well done.

Ellis and Wren were such likable, genuine characters. You could feel their connection and all the history between them. Watching them rebuild their relationship was really moving.

This was a full 5/5 for me. It’s a tender, emotional second-chance romance that stuck with me.

I have been putting off posting this because I truly have no idea what else I can come up with to say about this book, but I will do it anyway because it is so good; it deserves to be on every bestselling list on earth.

Funny context: Tarah was going to send me The Co-Op and she sent me LOF by mistake. I, still to this day, do not know how I didn’t pass away immediately when I saw it on my kindle so this was a very HAPPY mistake for me (and hopefully for Tarah because I haven’t stfu about it either). I remember talking to her about it and she said that it was going to be raw and emotional. It made me scared, but I think I didn’t expect to feel so intense about it as I feel after reading it.

Wren and Ellis’ story is much more than I anticipated when I read Savor it. This story is deeply nostalgic and romantic. My favorite part of a second chance romance is when they look back on everything that made them fall in love in the first place, the yearning and flashbacks make it so emotional always and Tarah did it so gracefully.

The storyline and pace were an amazing surprise. It’s so unique, and it has many elements that add SO much to the story. THE. SETTING. for this book ! I felt so immersed in every part of the book. Everywhere they go, she makes it feel like the most romantic place on this planet.

HM this book is so HOT. Tarah really delivered with Ellis like wow. what a man. Filthy mustache mouth and all🤌🏼👩🏽‍🍳💋 (what else could you need pls)

Left of Forever is a beautifully crafted story that made me cry, laugh out loud, blush, and scream. I haven’t been married, haven’t had a kid, or divorced said baby daddy, yet, the connection I have with them is out of this world. That is the Tarah DeWitt effect! She has the magic to make you relate to her characters even if you haven been through what they have been through and this book is a testament to that. It made me feel so much but in the end, it made me feel so hopeful. That things turn out okay, that we make it.

I am love with the Spunes universe! First I love the name Wren. Second, this has been my favorite second chance romance I have read to date! This was a very realistic take on what it could look like to getting married too young because of teenage pregnancy, then growing through the separation and finding each other again. Also, Ellis’s planning of the trip is, in my opinion, the most romantic act I have read!

Narrators, Connor Crais and Megan Wicks were Wonderful!

Thank you, NetGalley for the chance to read!

Second Chance Romance
Small Town
Reconnect Road Trip
Angst & Yearning
Family Meddling

5 ENTHUSIASTIC STARS.

"Left of Forever" by Tarah DeWitt is one of the best books of 2025. This is the greatest second-chance romance I have ever read. Absolutely incredible stuff here. I don't think I'll ever be able to properly convey how good this story is. Ellis and Wren are amazing characters from start to finish. They feel like real people. They are vulnerable, difficult, scarred, still healing, living, aching, breathing, loving, broken, connected people who have been through one of the worst things life has to offer. They split up through the pain, but are still stuck in and around one another in their small town with their still-connected families. With their son off to college, Wren and Ellis are getting a second chance to fix their happily ever after. Watching them rediscover each other was an absolute privilege. My god, the absolute poetry of the prose here. I cannot tell you how many times I BAWLED while reading this book because it is, frankly, embarrassing. Tarah DeWitt is one of my favorite authors, and I think this is her most fantastic book yet. She has this innate ability to take these complicated, shattered people and make her readers root for them to come together in an emotionally cathartic, genuine, happy-but-sad-along-the-way way. These are adult characters with adult problems written for adults who know what it's like to love, lose, and heal, but still feel like something is missing. DeWitt's stories are infused with humor, heat, and heart, and that's exactly what you'll find here. I am in awe of this book, and I appreciate the privilege of getting to read it. If you get the chance, it's also worth reading via audiobook. Connor Crais and Megan Wicks bring Ellis and Wren to life in incredibly deep ways.

Thank you to NetGalley, Tarah DeWitt, St. Martin's Press, and St. Martin's Griffin for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.

4.75 ⭐️
3 🌶️

As a lover of second chance romances, Left of Forever by Tara DeWitt checked every emotional box and then some. This beautifully written story is heartfelt, raw, and full of the kind of love that lingers long after the final page.

DeWitt masterfully crafts a story of healing, reconnection, and the complicated beauty of loving someone who's always been "the one." The characters are flawed in all the best ways—authentic, vulnerable, and so easy to root for. The tension, the history, and the slow unraveling of their past together made every page feel meaningful.

What really stood out to me was how the book balanced grief and hope, showing how love can be both messy and redemptive. It's emotional without being overly heavy, romantic without being predictable.

If you’re like me and adore a second chance love story with depth, heartache, and ultimately, joy—Left of Forever will not disappoint. It’s one of those books that reminds you why you fell in love with the genre in the first place.

I listened to the audiobook of this story thanks to an ALC from Netgalley. Connor Crais and Megan Wicks did a phenomenal job narrator this story.

Left of Forever is one of those books that quietly gets under your skin, in the absolute best way. From the very beginning, I felt pulled into the emotional gravity of the story. It’s tender and aching and deeply human. The writing feels intentional and intimate, with moments that really stop you in your tracks. It never tries too hard, and that’s part of what makes it so powerful.

What I appreciated most was how honestly it explored grief... not as something to “fix” or move past, but something you carry and learn to live alongside. The relationships were beautifully written, complicated in all the right ways, and it never shied away from the quiet, difficult parts of healing. There’s a softness to this story that felt so real and needed.

I genuinely loved this book. It stayed with me long after I finished, and I know it’s one I’ll return to. I’m already looking forward to whatever this author writes next.

I am a second chance girlie till the day I die, and Tarah DeWitt?? You ruined me. Thank you. 😂

I love a good second chance that ruins me, but this one really took the cake. I don't read many marriage second chances because I find that they tend to me "marriage in trouble" instead of a reconnection like this.

I felt like this was a perfect depiction of falling back in love with your person. Tarah handled so many difficult pieces with grace that I truly don't think other people would/could handle the way she did. Her words make you feel every single emotion.

The letter trope will always be one of my favorites ever, but I love the take on them this time around. It was a breath of fresh air, but still had me on the edge of my seat through the story, waiting for the plot to unfold.

If you love road trip romances and second chances, this will truly be one of your favorites of the year.

I am a sucker for romances with characters in their 30s. I was a little hesitant going into a second chance romance. I think a lot of times people split for a valid reason and those reasons don't disappear. Ellis really put in the effort to grow and be able to hear exactly what Wren needed. I loved their relationship so much. Being able to say this is what's wrong and have the other person hear and respond is so important. I think this is a beautiful story and Ellis is such an important character in a world full of morally gray men in romance. He's just a good guy who always tried to do his best for his people and someone's that caused him to stumble a bit.

Left of Forever is a stunning, emotional second-chance romance, and the audiobook version brings it to life in the most powerful way. Tarah DeWitt’s heartfelt storytelling is only enhanced by the exceptional narration from Connor Crais and Megan Wicks, who perfectly capture the soul of Wren and Ellis’s journey.

Their performances added incredible depth to each character—Connor’s delivery of Ellis’s quiet intensity and vulnerability was spot on, while Megan gave Wren a warmth and strength that made her instantly relatable. Together, they brought every moment of tension, tenderness, and hope to life. The chemistry between the characters was palpable through their voices alone.

This audiobook made me feel every beat of the story—from the bittersweet memories to the laughter, the steam, and the second chances. Whether you're new to Tarah DeWitt or a longtime fan, this is an audio experience you don’t want to miss.

Highly recommend for audiobook lovers and romance fans alike!