Tarah DeWitt has done it again. Left of Forever is a second-chance romance that hits every emotional beat flawlessly—funny, gut-wrenching, and oh-so-swoony. It’s the kind of book that lingers long after you turn the last page.

From the moment we step back into Spunes, it’s like reuniting with old friends. The Byrds are as chaotic and loveable as ever, and their presence makes Wren and Ellis’ story feel even richer. Wren is a beautifully complex heroine—strong yet vulnerable, holding onto past wounds while trying to carve out a future. And Ellis? Oh, Ellis. A man who loves deeply, carries his own burdens, and proves that some connections are impossible to sever. Their chemistry is undeniable, their history tangled with pain and longing, and watching them navigate their way back to each other is both heart-wrenching and deeply satisfying.

Beyond the romance, this book is packed with humor, steam, and the kind of emotional depth that makes DeWitt’s writing so special. It’s a story about forgiveness, about finding your way back to the person who has always felt like home.

This might just be the year for top-tier second-chance romances, and I am absolutely here for it. Put Left of Forever at the top of your TBR—when it releases in May, you’re going to want to drop everything for this one!!

I’m a huge fan of Tarah’s writing and this book did not disappoint. I sobbed, I laughed, I swooned. I loved Savor It so I was thrilled to revisit Spunes. There was enough Sage and Fisher to satisfy. Here’s hoping we get books for all the Byrds. Tarah has a way of writing perfectly imperfect characters you fall in love with and Wren and Ellis did not fall short.

The YEARNING, omg, and the letter writing. I’m not typically one for second chance romance, but the way these two found their way back to one another made me so happy.

I am such a pushover for the trope of saving a relationship and this did not disappoint whatsoever. The characters were so gosh darn lovable that I wanted to smoosh them into a big hug. The author’s writing style really gripped me from the beginning this was such a pleasure to read I can’t wait to see how the rest of the series goes!

I absolutely adored this book! Ellis and Wren had such a beautiful story and I loved watching them come back together after never being able to truly part.

The love from the Byrd family and acknowledgement of how Wren was just as fundamental in their upbringing as Ellis was beautiful. I am rarely moved to tears by a book, but this one got me. I also laughed like crazy at Silas and Micah’s antics and the cooking class scene had me cackling.

This book truly does it all!

Wren and Ellis Bryd started their lives together from a very early age. Having a kid as a teenager was never their plan but they put their all into being the best parents they could be. They were soulmates until they broke apart. Their souls are still woven together though and they can both feel it. Will they find their way back to each other without repeating their past?

I loved this one! There was so much vulnerability and emotion in watching Wren and Ellis fight to get back together. Their second chance love story was so inspiring and these characters showed so much growth. I loved that they began communicating so openly with each other and addressed all the hard parts of their story instead of brushing them under the rug. They were truly meant to be together and I loved seeing their journey unfold!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin for the ARC!
4.5/5 Stars

Thank you Tarah Dewitt for ripping my heart into pieces and then putting it back together again WREN AND ELLIS I LOVE YOUR LOVE. Perfect heartbreaking wonderful sweet vulnerable lovely story. I need to read more of her books if this is the outcome; I loved the story, the characters and the writing. Can’t wait to read more

Ellis and wren are childhood lovers with lives that have been intertwined since the start. After having a baby young and letting life get the best of them we get a beautiful second chance love story. This book was full of so much angst, love, and all the emotions. I cannot wait to hear the audio version and get my hands on a physical copy. I love the Byrds. 🩵

Un libro interesante de segundas oportunidades y descubrimientos. Me gustó bastante la historia a pesar de que no soy muy fan de las segundas oportunidades. Ellis es un amor de persona! Pero a pesar de sus defectos es un personaje perfecto (demasiado perfecto)
Hubo varios detalles que no son muy creíbles:
#1: Wren y Ellis se escribieron cartas sin reconocer la letra del otro.
#2: Se divorciaron sin una razón real y sin comunicarse realmente al respecto. (Pero yo qué sé? Nunca he estado casada)
#3: Se dan cuenta que siguen enamorados por arte de magia, realmente no tienen gran conversación.
Pero también hay ciertas partes que me hicieron llorar y reír mucho, como las frases que dice Ellis son bellísimas, o cierta parte donde hay nieve.
En general me gustó y lo recomiendo, pero no es mi favorito de la autora.

We get to follow along Wren and Ellis who had a son at 17, got married a few years later to then divorced at 28. Five years later they are about to take their son to college and are trying to find themselves again, together as one or separate as friends.

This book!! It meant so much to me. My husband and I have been together for over 11 years and married for 9 and it’s not always easy. Tarah Dewitt put words to these struggles in the most amazing way. It was so relatable reading about Wren and Ellis's journey on so many different levels. Tarah writes about the battles and hardships of a relationship in such a beautiful and unique way without any resentment or grudge being held between the characters.

Chapter 33 broke me and put me back together again. I… I have no words 🥺 5 fucking stars. I will most definitely read it again when it releases in May and I have my pre-ordered copy in my hands 🥰

Dont get me started on the playlist for the book. A masterpiece! I think Tarah’s a mind reader. Heartbeats by Jose Gonzalez has been one of my favorite songs since high school (that was 15 years ago). Francesca by Hozier was one of my most played songs last year AND I had just scored concert tickets before getting this arc. I mean…it’s some kind of sign right?!

First off I thought the MMC on the front of the cover looked like Pedro Pascal and I was like SIGN ME UP. “Left of Forever” didn’t disappoint. While I’m normally not a fan of the second chance or later in life trope this book had both and it was great

It was good to be back in the small town of Spunes, Oregon. Wren and Ellis have been divorced for 5 years, but haven't been able to fully move on from each other. After dropping their son Sam off at college, Ellis talks Wren into taking a road trip on their way back to see if they can rekindle the relationship they once had. Their banter had me laughing, but it was also nice to see the emotional side of them as they shared their feelings with each other about what happened with their relationship in the past. It did seem like they got back together a little too quickly for it to be realistic after 5 years of basically no contact, but overall it was a sweet love story that I enjoyed!

Spiciness: 3/5 🌶️

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martins Press for the ARC!

3.5 rounded up!

A second chance romance where he still calls his ex wife by his last name even though they’ve been divorced for 5 years.. Yes, thank you.

The quotes in this book hit hard being a wife and mom myself, I don’t usually highlight but this had some really touching topics that made me think. Some of the things the mmc would say had me swooning but other times they just felt too forceful and kind of cringey. The second half of this book felt like they got back together too easily and quickly. If it was longer and more slowly paced it would have felt more believable and real in my opinion! But the yearning from his side was there and I ate it up.

Left of Forever was one of my most anticipated reads of the year, and it absolutely delivered. After glimpsing Wren and Ellis in Savor It, I was already invested in their dynamic—the tension, the history, the way they still felt tethered despite everything. Seeing their full story play out was everything I hoped for, and as always, Tarah DeWitt didn’t just meet expectations—she exceeded them.

Second-chance romance is my favorite trope, and this book nails every element that makes it work. Wren and Ellis’s history isn’t just referenced—it’s felt in every glance, every hesitation, every quiet moment that crackles with unspoken words. They didn’t just break up; they unraveled, yet their lives remained deeply entwined, co-parenting their son while carrying the weight of everything unsaid. From tense bakery encounters to a road trip packed with unresolved feelings, every scene holds that perfect push-pull of longing and hurt.

This isn’t just a small-town romance with a baker and a firefighter—it’s a deeply emotional story about love that never really left. Their role in raising Sam and Ellis’s younger siblings adds another layer, making their second chance feel all the more earned. The intimacy is masterfully paced, brimming with slow-burning tension, lingering touches, and all the quiet moments that hit just as hard as the steamy ones.

I already want to reread this book, but I need a moment to recover emotionally first. Left of Forever is stunning, heartfelt, and unforgettable. Huge thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for the ARC!

Sexy second chance story that will make you feel all the feels. Divorced couple Ellis and Wren head off on a chaotic road trip and realize they still love each other along the way. Great pacing, perfect banter, lusty edging and humour break up the heartache.

I laughed, I cried, I swooned, I laughed some more.

Tarah has a way with leaving me speechless after reading her stories. She approaches the heavy topics with grace so they don’t feel as heavy. And it never fails, I always see parts of myself in her characters.

Left of Forever was no exception.

e being THE second chance lover, there are some things I would've chosen to write differently if this were my dream second chance book but it didn't stop me from adoring ellis & wren's story. this was emotional and heartwrenching while also being so damn romantic. the back half of the book punched at my chest and had me fighting tears. I love their love and their happy ending is so deserved. this is the type of love I long to have. this is definitely my second favorite tarah book to date. can't wait for everyone to read this one. thank you to Netgalley and St Martin's Press for the ARC

With every of Tarah's book, you know you are in for journey you won't want to leave. By giving us a glimpse of the second chances that Ellis and Wren give each other, Tarah expertly opens up your heart and your mind to the experience. I couldn't wait to make my way back to Spunes and continue meeting the Byrd family.

A very enthusiastic thank you to the publisher, the author, and NetGalley for the absolute honor of being able to read and review Left of Forever.

Like so many others, I fell head over heels with Wren and Ellis in Savor It and could not wait for their story to be written. I'm not sure how many of you read acknowledgements at the end of a book, but I really encourage everyone to read this one. There was a deeply personal connection that Tarah had with this book, and it showed. She is so good at writing about big feelings and getting the reader to feel what she is feeling, what her characters are feeling; it's a gift. Being in a relationship with someone for so long, having them become your other half in every sense of the word - the way Tarah described these things that make up our biggest relationships is just so dang relatable. Falling in love is one thing, staying in love and choosing each other every day is another. She articulates how I have felt so often, I'm not sure I've ever had an author do that as well as she does.

This journey with Wren and Ellis is special. We are honored guests in the lives of these Byrds (and Indy and Fisher, of course). Getting to learn more about their love stories and their lives is a privilege. This novel gives light and hope in the tunnel of darkness, and all of the moments in between. I really have nothing but great things to say about how healthy the whole act of trying again was for them. Learning to communicate, telling each other what went wrong ... knowing the small stuff doesn't really matter in the end. Chef's kiss, seriously, bravo!

One last thing I want to call out is a scene near the end which I will not spoil, but here is what I will say: Silas could not hold back a sob, and the emotion broke free of him like an uncontrollable dam, and that, my friends, is when I lost it (in the best way possible).

Tarah, thank you for writing these beautiful stories. I look forward to many more!

this was so achingly tender and emotional and romantic. I could be nitpicky about a few things, but overall i was really fighting the tears. I could feel how much ellis and wren loved each other and the back half of this book really stole my heart

A stand out from Tarah DeWitt. Left of Forever is tenderhearted, introspective, all consuming, warm and fuzzy, and hopeful.

DeWitt is a master of character development and banter. Left of Forever is shining proof of her attention to detail and impactful dialogue.
I love the Byrds and can't wait for more of their stor. Wren and Ellis forever!