I think this is my 2025 read of the year—WOW. The communication?? YES PLEASE! The honesty?? HELL YEAH! The vulnerability?? YUP. The spice?? PHEW! From start to finish, I ate this book up; it was such a good second-chance romance; I devoured it.

My guy Ellis? What. A. Man. His steadfastness and strength were incredible. The strength and vulnerability of Wren were inspiring. The two of them? Everything.

The narration was also so well done and perfectly cast! I loved the dual dialogue with the letters and journals. They had me hooked from the start, and I was invested. Excellent narrators.

I just loved this book and want to reread it a thousand times because I had so much fun with it. 11/5 stars!!!!

This was a really cute and well written story. The spice at the end took away from the plot that sucked me in at the beginning, otherwise would have been a 5.

The characters were written in a way that really wrapped me into their emotions.

Thank you NetGalley for the audio ARC.

6/5 ⭐️
2.5/5 🌶️ Multiple explicit scenes. Mostly vanilla, but there’s some exhibitionism.
5/5 🎙️

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and of course Tarah DeWitt for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.

What an incredible second chance romance. Often times, there’s too much angst and not enough yearning for my taste in second chance romances. This book? This MMC? He was on his knees. Ellis Byrd. What a man…just such an incredible caretaker. Both of them are so well-suited for one another in that way. The fact that we get to witness the two of them really work on themselves and their relationship is such a wonderful thing. My favorite part about this book is truly how much Ellis truly just LOVES Wren. It’s absolutely clear—that is his WIFE still.

I cannot express how much I cried while reading this. I might be dehydrated now. Honestly, it was just so beautifully written—so honest, funny, and emotional. The spicy scenes were done really well and the timing felt good too. It didn’t feel like they jumped into things too quickly. They were hot, but they also had the emotional depth that I’d expect from a couple reuniting after five years. One of my favorite books of the year so far. The audiobook narration was absolutely incredible. Both narrators did an amazing job.

audiobook reread - April 26th

YOU KNOW WHAT? HELL YEAH FOR THE AUDIOBOOK. somehow it made the story even better and it fully deserves 5 stars. I literally read it last month and I enjoyed the reread even more. I’m giddy! I loved the narrators so much, they did such a good job and it must be one of my favorite romances out there. finished it in a day because I simply couldn’t stop.

thank you to Macmillan audio and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to listen to this early 🥹

March 8th 2025:

4.75 ⭐️ rounded up

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

this book just reminded me why second chance romance is my favorite trope. these stories are always so relatable, so raw, painful but also heartwarming.

sometimes I wanna read about people who find each other again, instead of everything being new and fresh and exciting. I want them to learn, I want conflict resolution, I want the missing and the needing.

“I missed you too sounds glib. You have been missing from me is more accurate. There’s a void where you lived in me.”

I just love a pining man. this was so good. he NEEDED her back and he was willing to work for it. they had their long time apart and realized that nothing quite compares and now they would do anything to make it work. forever.

and let me just say, the tension, the flirting, the banter, the spice, HOT. I loved them together.

“All I know is that if I found out heaven was real and got there first? I’d hang back in the waiting room and save you a seat.”

we know I love to cry while reading, so this one was perfect. final crying count: 4

watch me go and read all Tarah Dewitt’s books because now I’m obsessed.

thank you to bestie Lauren for recommending me this, it hit just the right spot. 🫶🏻

and thank you to NetGalley for gifting me this early copy!

If I could give this 6 stars, I would.

Thank you to #MacAudio2025 for a copy of this ALC for my honest thoughts.

The words on this book will be permanently etched in my brain. My love for this book began from one line in Savor It with "She's still a Byrd" and I have been anticipating this book ever since and it was just as amazing as I thought it would be.

Wren and Ellis finding their way back to each other was done in such a raw and real way. I can't wait to have this book physically in my hands so I can highlight and underline everything that I read and loved about this book. This book broke down a relationship and put it back together. I love novels that feature letters and I love road trips so this book was the perfect mixture of the two. I want to go to a town that doesn't exist. I want to go to Spunes! This gave me such "whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same" vibes.

Narration: Megan Wicks and Connor Crais did such an excellent job with this narration. They made all of the emotions burrow into your heart to break it and put it back together again.

Tropes:
Second Chance Romance
Road Trip Romance
Tight Knit Family
Dual POV
Small Town
Baker
Firefighter

Closed Door Mods: 4, 23, 29, 30, 33, 34

dare I say favourite book of all time???? I’ve read it 3 times already. my soul book.

bury me with this book. tattoo this book on my body. my soul characters. it is really hard for me to come up with the right words to describe how much this book means to me. i have never felt so connected to a bookish couple then i do with ellis and wren. this is the one book i will constantly come back to and no matter how many times i reread LOF it never looses its magic. if i’m not smiling or giggling i have tears streaming down my face.

tarah dewitts brain needs to be studied. the way she crafted these characters - each one painted with such depth, such aching beauty, they don’t just feel real but truly lived-in. there complexities hum with such vulnerability and tenderness you can’t help but route for them from the very first page.

second chance romances have always held my heart, but this one sits at the very top. there is something so aching beautiful seeing two souls who know each other so intimately find their way back. the homecoming that feels new, tender, and reborn.
some of my favourite parts of this book were when the smallest, most ordinary moments stirred daydreams of their shared history. glimpses of quiet intimacy and the echo of yearning that still lingered between them.
And beneath all of that softness lies something heartbreakingly real: the heartbreak of loving someone so fiercely, you start to wonder if you’re what’s holding them back. when you want the entire world for them, but carry the weight of your own darkness. it’s easy to believe that letting go is the selfless choice especially when you see the light in their eyes dimming. maybe that is the right thing. maybe it’s not. but that uncertainty, that ache, that’s what it is to be human. A messy, beautifully, flawed human, trying to love with everything they have, even if it means breaking their own heart.😭😭😭😭😭

tarah… your beautiful mind amazes me.

i could write a thesis on these two characters but maybe ill just journal about it instead lol. LOF comes out may 20th so pls….i beg you… preorder from your indie bookstore.

i also have to highlight the audio because my god it was perfect. these two narrators brought wren and ellis to life. i was seriously blushing hardcore whenever ellis was in my ear.

In LEFT OF FOREVER, the newest emotional romance from Tarah DeWitt, we follow Wren and Ellis as they embark on an extended road trip together - with the goal of seeing if they can give their relationship another chance.

Wren and Ellis fell in love young, had their son, Sam, young, and were convinced that they had everything they wanted for their lives - until they didn't. Now, they are taking their son to college and on their way back, stopping along the dreamy California coastline with the hopes of reconnecting.

After reading SAVOR IT, and the infamous line, "She's still a Byrd" - I knew a Wren and Ellis second-chance romance had to be in the works. And boy, Tarah delivered. Wren and Ellis are both dynamic and well-written characters. They both have been through so much, together and apart, and I loved how we saw their individual growth throughout the book.

Tarah's writing gripped me from beginning to end - I think this may be one of her best works yet. Her heartbreakingly beautiful words had me both crying and laughing on the same page, and I couldn't put this book down.

LEFT OF FOREVER releases on 05/20/2025.

Star Rating:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 / ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating:
🌶🌶.5 /🌶 🌶🌶🌶🌶

Thank you to St. Martin's Griffin and Macmillin for this advanced copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Wren and Ellis have loved each other almost as long as they've known each other. After getting pregnant in their teens, getting married, life, and then divorce, they have to decide if they are ready to try again.

This is one of the most hopeful and romantic books I've read. Wren and Ellis know so much about each other, and even after being divorced for five years they still do. I love that this starts with taking their son to college and then they embark on an epic road trip back home. The settings and scenery come to mean so much by the end of the book.
Ellis has amazing character development. Please give us more men who are willing to go to therapy and work on themselves! The way he learns to communicate with Wren and open up to her was so sweet. Wren's development is just as wonderful. The journaling that she does, initiating healing herself was top notch. And learning to trust Ellis again and let her feel her feelings. It was so good! The ending was everything I wanted and I hope we get to see more of the Byrd family!
5/5 for the audiobook. I really enjoy Connor Crais' deep voice and the emotion he brought to Ellis. Megan Wick was perfect for Wren. I loved her lower, husky voice and it immediately fit.

~Thank you to Macmillan Audio, Tarah DeWitt and NetGalley for this complimentary ALC. All opinions are my own~

(5⭐️) This was everything I hoped and more from Ellis and Wren’s story! The combination of physical and emotional intimacy is TOP TIER. Their love truly lasts in every lifetime!! The yearning in this from Ellis is just absolutely amazing!!! Everything about this was perfect. No notes. I definitely did cry while reading it, but in a good way.

Left of Forever

“She’s mine and I’m hers, and all my life’s greatest happiness can be traced back to her, so I kiss her because I want to, and forget the rest.”

Oh my heart, I’m still crying over this beautiful and heartfelt second chance romance. Me! Adoring a second chance romance! Who is she?! Tarah DeWitt, what have you done to me?!

Wren and Ellis have been close since they were kids. Fell in love at a young age, and got pregnant at a very young age. Barely kids themselves, they set out to raise their son and get married. Life happens and now their son is off to college, they’ve been divorced 5 years, but are taking time to see if they just need closure or to try again.

Y’all, I can’t emphasize enough how much I need everyone to read this book! Back in Spunes, where Sage and Fischer fell in love in Savor It, we get to see more of the Byrd family and the antics are wonderful. Ellis is tragically and wonderfully still head over heels in love with his ex-wife, and Wren starts to admit to herself that she could never let him go.

Just like. Go read it. Do it. Thank me later. And slide into my DMs when you get to the ice cream 🤣

The audio is absolutely delightful. The dual narration is incredible, and just made me swoon. I adored the characters coming to life off the page. Highly recommend the audio!

Check this out for:
- Road trip romance
- Second chance romance
- MMC who is down bad (still)
- Hilarious cast of nosy, matchmaking side characters
- Incredible, steamy banter
- Spicy firsts for a formerly married couple

Note: this follows Savor It, which you should definitely read, but it will be ok if you start with this one, and then go back to Savor It later when you need more of these characters.

Thank you so much to St. Martins Press for the ARC and Macmillian for the ALC! Left of Forever is on shelves May 20, 2025. My opinions are my own.

Read this if you like:

Longing and pining

Dual POV

Second chance romance

Road trip vibes

Pure love

Spice

This book checked alllll the boxes for me and as an audiobook I *applaud* the cast that was chosen. I loved the dual pov and I really felt like the characters and the story were really relatable!

The story follows Wren and Ellis (eeek, we all know I love that name!) who after getting pregnant at ages 17/18 they end up splitting nearly 12 years later. Now four/five years into their divorce, can they reconcile enough to send their son to college? Ellis decides to petition Wren to go on a celebratory road trip with him to see if they can come out as friends, or maybe even as something more again.

This story is ALL about second chances at love and how sometimes we lose our way but can find ourselves and happiness in the end. I loved the characters and didn't realize this was a book in a series. Now I am on hold for the one that came before this one haha! I loved how this book actually has a plot over spice (don't worry, the spice was SPICEY, definitely open door).

I love this couple so much and I felt as a married woman of about 9 years there were a lot of relatable parts.

One of my favorites for the year- I just felt with how much spice there was I can't quite fully recommend wholeheartedly to my audience but for those spice lovers who are looking for a next romance read- pick this up! You will want to reread it over and over again!

A HUGE thank you to NetGalley and to MacMillan Audio (honestly this is the best audio company around in my opinion- they ALWAYS deliver!)

I read the physical arc of Left of Forever before listening to it, and my goodness, Tarah DeWitt has created THE love story. The yearning and pure love that we feel from Wren and Ellis is perfect and it was paired by the best narrators that I could have asked for for these characters. Not only is the story by itself a romance that will change the genre for the better, but it is paired perfectly with DeWitt’s first book in this series, Savor It. I cannot get enough of DeWitt’s humor, romanticism, epic storytelling.

Oh, my heart. LEFT OF FOREVER is the ultimate second chance romance. Tarah DeWitt has gifted us a heartbreakingly real, raw, honest look at the effort it takes to save a marriage.

When readers are first introduced to Wren and Ellis Byrd in DeWitt’s SAVOR IT, it is clear there is still something between them despite their divorce, and I’ve been anticipating their story ever since. Let me tell you, LEFT OF FOREVER is worth the wait. (This can be read as a standalone, but I recommend reading SAVOR IT first to truly appreciate the nuances and depth of longing that exists between these characters.)

Parents at 17 and married young, Wren and Ellis watched their marriage erode despite their deep love for each other. Five years after their divorce, they are faced with their son heading off to college. Neither has moved on. Both still harbor deep feelings for the other. The energy between them crackles whenever they are together. When Ellis suggests they spend a week together after dropping their son off at college to see if they can rekindle the spark, Wren agrees.

But what is between them is so much more than a spark. It is a raging inferno and it is impossible to resist. While this is a steamy, blush inducing novel, it is so much more. The focus of rebuilding the relationship is on personal growth and communication; with Wren and Ellis learning to understand, accept, and communicate their feelings. These two put in the work and tackle the hard stuff head on. There is pain and tenderness and unwavering love. It struck an emotional chord and brought me to tears more than once. There are no shortcuts here and DeWitt’s writing cuts deep.

The audiobook is spectacular. Narrated by Connor Crais and Megan Wicks, Ellis and Wren come alive through their storytelling. The performances are packed with emotion which allowed me to get lost in the story and heightened my experience.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and St. Martin’s Press for the advance copies. All opinions are my own.

I've been waiting for these characters to get their own story since I read Savor It. SO WORTH THE WAIT. I want to reread this book every day for what is Left of Forever and will never tire of the character growth and emotions portrayed.

Pubs May 20th! BIG thanks to my besties at Macmillan Audio for the approval to read this one!

This story is EV.ER.Y.THING. I adored it. I was as obsessed as the rest of the Byrds with these two finding their way back to each other.

The FEELINGS in this one were so well-written; so deep, so easy to feel what the characters were feeling. The second chance trope is a favorite of mine and this one really did well with that. The process of getting to their second chance was at times painful, it was deep, it was also fun. The scenery descriptions were wonderful. All the food sounded wonderful. I laughed out loud so much during this!

If you skipped Savor It this will still be very enjoyable. Sage and Fisher are mentioned in this but it isn't central to the story to know what happened with them. The descriptions of Spunes are still here so you don't miss out on that. The closeness of the Byrds is shown well throughout this as well. I'd still recommend reading that one since I gave it 5 stars, but not necessary to dive into Ellis and Wren's story first.

Same note as with Savor It: This cover is GORGEOUS. The colors are so great.
Bonus points for the author is that there was NO THIRD ACT BREAKUP. Like THANK YOU SISTER, the adults actually talked about their feelings, got everything out in the open and moved forward.

Audio production notes: I loved both narrators. The voices were easy to listen to and stay in the story. They both really brought the characters to life beautifully. I loved that when there was a letter the character read it in their own voice, it almost gave dual narration vibes when there was one mid-chapter.

Tarah DeWitt never fails to deliver. She’s among the select few whose books I know I will love before I even read the first page. And it goes beyond the storylines and characters—she’s got a way of taking common sentiments and wording them in such a way that they inspire awe.

I’ve been lucky enough to both read the e-book and listen to the audiobook for this title, and both were stellar. Great choices on the audiobook narrators.

So, obviously, I loved Ellis and Wren’s story. Young love is sweet, but there’s something about people with a shared history coming back together that resonates deeper.

The book itself feels like a love letter to long-term relationships—something that’s hard to tackle in romance since most of it is about the beginning of relationships, not what comes after. It’s easy to love someone when everything is new and shiny. Much harder when life and disappointment and mundanity and heartache all get in the way. Wren and Ellis are two people who got sidetracked by all of this and still find their way back together.

Also, I am an absolute sucker for anything epistolary, so the letters, emails, and shared journal entries were a very pleasant surprise.

While this is a follow-up to Savor It, it can absolutely be read as a stand-alone. And if Tarah ever decides to revisit the Byrd family again, I’m all in.

Thanks so much to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced ebook and audiobook copies of this book, provided in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

The audiobook just cemented Left of Forever as my favorite book of 2025. I have seriously have no words to describe how phenomenal the audiobook was.

Firstly, the narrators were fantastic. They conveyed so much emotion and heart to the book that I literally shed a tear listening to their performances.

The production was also amazing, so much so that the audiobook of Left of Forever has made it into my list of my favorite audiobooks.

It was quite perfect.

Thank you NetGalley for the copy!

My first intro to this authors books!! I had no idea that this was a series so a friend gave me a little recap of savor, which I’ll be reading soon. I’m normally not a huge fan of Second Chance love but the audiobook did this beautifully. I was rooting for both the main characters. It tackles a heavier subjects so mind you please look into this before hand. It might be triggering to some. Overall, I enjoyed the characters in the story and once I read savor it, I feel like I can grasp the universe a little bit better. I didn’t realize I was gonna get approved for the arc for this so soon. 🥹 I’m so grateful because this has been one of my favorite second chance romances.

This is a heart wrenching story of first loves, second chances, and growing into yourself and your relationship. The narrators of this book are fantastic! Their voices matched how I imagine Ellis and Wren to a 't'. They brought such honesty and depth to these characters. Definitely recommend!

Thank you so much to Tarah DeWitt and Macmillan Audio for this ALC! All thoughts and opinions are my own 🥰

I am having such a hard time writing this review. I finished the audiobook a few days ago and like with most Tarah DeWitt books, I had to sit with my thoughts a while before writing a review.

Wren and Ellis’ story is one for the history books, I think. It is THE Second Chance romance.

Tarah has this gift where she truly makes the reader feel like they’re IN the book. I felt like I was right there in Spunes hiding in those bushes while Fisher was proposing to Sage.
I felt like I was there when Ellis first saw the pink box from the bakery.
I felt so MUCH while listening to this audiobook.

Megan Wicks did a phenomenal job with Wren. The tone and pitch of her voice felt so right for the character.

Same with Connor Crais! I don’t know that I’ve seen many audiobooks with him in it so I don’t know if I just am unaware or if he is new on the scene, but I am so floored and astonished at his performance!

Some of my favorite quotes:

“Have your people call my people” “your people ARE my people”

“We have whatever’s left of forever, you and me”

“I’ll save you a seat, Byrd”

10/10 her best book so far and I’ve loved every single one of her books. The yearning, the mutual pining, the pain of them being separate after so many years together was done so well. Wren and Ellis were perfect and I’m so happy they got their HEA (again)