I fear this might be tarah’s best work to date!! I knew immediately when we were introduced to wren + ellis in savor it that their book would be unlike anything i’ve ever read and that it was going to wreck me in a handful of different ways. without spoilers, let me just say, tarah executed the rekindling between wren + ellis perfectly. the pining was a dream. the raw journey we get to experience is definitely going to hit home for a lot of readers that can relate to the many factors that make wrellis who they are. the most unique second chance love story that will 100% have you ugly crying. the way tarah creates these characters that have so much depth and the story that is created amongst these characters is so special.

tarah has have gifted us with such a unique and quirky world in Spunes!! it’s always a breath of fresh air reading anything she has written — her sense of humor is constant within LOF, the spice is IMPECCABLE and the love story is one that we won’t be able to shutup about!!!

also she is a QUEEN at feeding us when it comes to little easter eggs of characters from her other books!!!!!

This is a second chance romance with forced proximity that was definitely a slow burn.

Wren and Ellis were high school sweethearts when a teen pregnancy upends their lives together. Now 18 years later this son is off to college and the pair decide to road trip together. While I enjoyed the concept of this novel I found the characters to be flat despite having dual POV and past/present timelines. I felt the conflict between the pair was extremely shallow and unrealistic which then made it hard for me to root for the couple to get back together.

I also found the dialogue to be choppy and didn't really feel the tension between the two main characters. This is an open door, slow burn novel with minimal spice (🔥/5).

My God... I had tears streaming down my face at the end and needed to redo my skincare routine. This is my first Tarah DeWitt, and I am in love, with her writing and with this town and these characters.

I loved this book. I give it 4.75 stars (rounded up to 5). Thank you to whoever made the decision to put this on the Read Now Section for 24 hours because you just helped me bump all of Tarah's books up on my tbr.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Tarah DeWItt for an Arc of this novel.

I love this book! Great romance book for lovers of second chance romances.

Ellis and Wren were both relatable and the story was beautifully written. I think this is a book so many people could easily enjoy. I was captivated by the writing. I didn’t wanna put down the book because I was so invested.

Left of Forever Review
✨4.5/5

When I saw this sequel to Savor It was a second-chance romance for Ellis and Wren, I couldn’t get my greedy little hands on it fast enough. Overall, it was a solid, swoony read and I LOVE when it’s about a couple who has a long loooong history like these two.

I do wish we got maybe just a tiny bit more tension between the two characters before they rekindled their relationship, but I felt like they did a good job communicating the second time around and working through their issues. This book does have some heavier topics discussed, so check the content warnings to make sure it’s right for you. If it is, I really hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Thank you to NetGalley, Tarah DeWitt and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC!

After reading and absolutely adoring Savor It, I was so excited to be back in Spunes, and to unravel the beautiful love story that gave us all that famous line, “She’s still a Byrd.” Unfortunately, while this one is winning hearts all over the place, mine sadly has not been moved this time.
Typically, second chance romance works for me because the angst is intense, and we usually get dual timelines helping us to discover why and how the couple originally fell in love-then we get invested and we really believe that they belong together, and we’re ready for them to right their wrongs and come back together. This time, however, it’s a single timeline, helped along by some journal entries from Wren, where we hear about when they first met, became friends, etc etc. I liked this creative way of getting us into their original love story, without committing to a full dual timeline.
Unfortunately, basically the minute Wren and Ellis start their road trip together, the journal entries basically stop entirely, thus ending our trip down memory lane to finding out how and why their love was so strong that it’s still burning 5 years after their divorce. This made the current timeline really difficult for me, especially since it felt like every time they were starting to have a meaningful conversation, they would end up in a spicy situation instead, and we were robbed of the emotional re-connection in favor of the physical one.
I am a friend of spice, but I do have a hard time when I feel like the spice is getting in the way of the actual story for me, and this did happen for me here. I wanted them to really get into their past and their pain and figure out how to do better this time, and I felt like the last 25% of that journey was spent in a spicy scene where I would have liked more talking instead. Does this make me old and cranky? Probably. But that’s where I am with this one.
I do feel like we’re not done in Spunes (??) and I’m ready to go back there again, but this second chance just missed the mark for me.
I gave this one 3.5 stars on the apps that allowed for half stars.

This was a second-chance romance that had gripped me right from the start. Tarah Dewitt captured the story of Ellis and Wren so well, and I was immersed in their heartache the whole novel as they found their way back to each other. I loved how, as the reader, you are learning about the demise of their initial relationship, while also falling in love with them as they navigate their trauma they never discussed and learning to love one another with their scars.

“Ellis didn’t put me on a pedestal. He put me on a shelf where he had to strain to reach me. I stayed there because I couldn’t risk him seeing me in pieces, knowing he’d take all the blame.”

“I’d thought we could love each other through our hard times, but maybe we should have fought our way through them, too.”

“Left of Forever” is a story about growing through pain and learning to open your heart up again after going through something traumatic. This story highlights how people can grieve differently, despite experiencing the same thing. As a couple, their differences in grieving became a wedge between them, and they didn’t know how to communicate through that. Tarah Dewitt does a phenomenal job of navigating their fears after heartache and the walls one puts in place to prevent further sorrow.

“I’ve only learned to barricade my heart. Like maybe that’ll protect other people from my debris.”

“Living my life in pencil, because I don’t think I can get shit right the first time.”

I love a romance story with strong communication between the main characters, and Dewitt did not disappoint. This story is ingrained with honesty, openness and healing; I was rooting for this couple to work through their barriers and find their way back to their deep love for one another. The dialogue between the two was tender and gentle, giving maturity to their story that correlates well with their age and lived experiences. Dewitt’s narrative made me believe in the love they still had for each other, despite their years apart.

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

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

Another beautiful book from this author. For me, she doesn’t miss often, and I easily become immersed in the story she is telling. She seems to only get better with each new release, and I’m so grateful for the ARC from her and Netgalley.

I would have DNFed this book if I didn’t need to review it for netgalley. It is offered as an interconnected standalone so I didn’t read the first book and honestly I think it probably really limited how connected I felt with any of the side characters. It felt like their deeper personalities other than the bare bones were missing.

I was also disappointed by how the secret letters were handled, it was an interesting premise but then it was ignored for 90% of the book and the “conflict” got resolved in one page.

The roadtrip premise felt like the pacing was off and I honestly could not tell you anything they did besides the carnival and aquarium, after that it’s like “ok how do we get them to the next iteration of hotel room so they can kind of talk but mostly fuck?

When they did end up talking and exploring their marriage and what they actually want I thought it was good, but I’m not sure if I actually saw any character growth besides Ellis just thinking “I’m going to do whatever wren wants me to now”

The spice was ok but I was pretty bored by the rest of it.

I didn’t realize this was part of a series or a novel that’s intertwined with Savor It. Maybe I would have liked this one better if I would have read savor it. It can definitely be read as a standalone but I felt I was missing something.

This book was fantastic!!

I find it hard to really connect to characters sometimes as an over-30-mom, but this second chance romance delivered everything!!

The small town setting, found family, second chance romance had flashbacks from a life together- I was eating up the stories of their youth and when love was fresh, and watching them grow up and face hardships (check the trigger warnings!) pulled at my heart strings.

The spice was some of my absolute favourite!!! It was swoony, spicy and just BINGEABLE!!!


highly recommend this read!!

Second chance romance readers rejoice.. this is THE second chance romance book. I’m not joking. I’m really picky about this trope because I love it so much and this book was just.. everything I wanted and hoped it would be and more.

This book was so romantic. The roadtrip. The adventures. The love Ellis and Wren had for each other was so endearing and raw. It takes a lot to surprise me but their love story was full of longing and surprises and LOVE and I loved watching them fall for each other AGAIN. It was so so good.

I felt everything really deeply in this book. I think this is a testament to Tarah DeWitt’s writing and how much care she puts into her characters and her craft. I really loved Savor It too but this one just did something to me. Maybe it’s the absolutely hopeless romantic in me.

5 stars all around I love this world of Spunes (not to be confused with Forks). I loved all the character cameos from Savor It and love how much it builds this small town romance. I’m off to read everything else this author has ever written.

IF I COULD GUSH ABOUT THIS BOOK ALL DAY I WOULD.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press- St. Martin’s Griffin for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This book was a beautiful letter to second chances and how people can change for the better. Ellis and Wren have topped my favorite couples list - their connection was phenomenal and I’m so glad to be back in Spunes again!

Tarah writes the swooniest, most enjoyable romances. I love her stories and this one may be at the top of my list!

Ellis and Wren have been through a lot together, but their second chance might be just what they need. Having been divorced for a few years, there’s some tension and hesitation when they first try to reconnect. But their chemistry is undeniable and I loved reading their journey!

I would definitely recommend this read!

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted ARC

Left of Forever has completely captured my heart. As a huge fan of second-chance romances, this story took me on an emotional journey. The author does a phenomenal job with the character growth and development throughout the book. The chemistry between Ellis and Wren is so palpable, you can practically feel the tension and yearning between them. I loved how considerate Ellis was and how dedicated he was to bettering himself for their relationship. The origami and letter writing added such a beautiful, personal touch. There were also some hilarious moments at the winery that had me laughing out loud. Above all, I was deeply moved by their love story. It felt as though I was right there alongside them, watching them fall in love all over again. I can't wait for this book to reach readers everywhere—I know they'll fall in love with the Byrds just as I have.

I mean, has Tarah DeWitt ever disappointed me? So far, no. I'm iffy about second chance romances but got this one for two reasons: 1) Tarah DeWitt and 2) the scene in Savor It in which Ellis says "she's still a Byrd" in response to his ex-wife, Wren. Ellis and Wren had a baby as teenagers, got married a few years later, and worked for a long time until life got in the way. Wren initiated the divorce after years of brutal infertility issues, and the two of them have tried to remain friendly while being supportive co-parents to Sam. Ellis is still in love with Wren (as his comment in Savor It suggested), and after some secret identity letter exchanges, he talks her into extending the road trip the two of them will take back to Spunes, Oregon after dropping their son Sam off in California for college. I loved both Ellis and Wren and thought that DeWitt did an excellent job exploring what happens to you when you find the love of your life too young and have to grow through too many hard things together. I laughed and cried, which is par for the course for me with Tarah DeWitt's books. Content warnings for infertility, fire danger, and death of parents (prior to the story).

Thanks to Netgalley & St. Martin's Press for the
E-ARC! Tarah does it again!! Loved so much. Beautiful story & fun romance. Loved the setting too. Fav author alert!

this was simply incredible!!!! I seriously can’t stop thinking about this book. just such a beautiful story with the best characters in the world. I cried so hard I almost threw up. everyone needs to read this.

4.25 stars.

I wanted to read Ellis and Wren's story ever since Savor it. "She's still a Byrd", ugh. Second chances are growing on me and I honestly never saw that coming.

Reading bout Wren and Elli's love truly felt like you were experiencing a childhood love that blossomed into adulthood. Having all your firsts with your favorite person blended with life forcing them both to grow up a bit too fast and prolong a lot of emotional healing that happens to most people in their 20s (ish?? lol). Seeing them go back and rework a lot of their miscommunication while also going through the process of understanding their defense mechanisms and rewriting a healthier version of them felt like a mega therapy session. I liked that I got to see them both as "the bad guy" instead of one person shouldering a lot of the blame. Both of them definitely had a lot to learn before their happy ending.

This story was beautiful. It did feel a bit predictable which is why it's not a 5 stars. Maybe predictable isn't the right word but I think I would have just needed a bit more oomph to push it to 5 stars.

HOWEVER, THE ENDING. Definitely cried a couple times at the end. It was just so satisfying and felt like a warm hug. The joy their love brings to the people around them was felt so deeply.

5/5! STRAIGHT TO THE TOP OF MY LIST FOR THIS YEAR. This is a second chance marriage trope which I did not anticipate enjoying, however please don’t let that stop you from reading this. It turns out this is a set up for all of my favorite aspects of romance. You get the depth of characters who know each other well and have deep and meaningful interactions. I also don’t typically love a friends to lovers because they usually have misconceptions and perils of defining the relationship, which didn’t happen with this story. They also display the beauty of seeing how change can happen in your life as you grow as a person. I loved hearing Ellis and Wrens story and look forward to more books from Spunes. These characters will stay with me for what’s left of forever.

If I could give this book infinity stars, I would. Possibly a favorite book of the year and it’s not out yet.
Wren and Ellis made my heart ache in the worst and best ways. Watching their second chance romance was emotional and hopeful. I love that even though they divorced, neither had gotten over the other. And a man who puts in the work and goes to therapy? Yes please. I loved the journey and the peaks of other Spunes characters. I’ll be grabbing the audio and a physical copy as soon as they’re available. I need this one in every format possible.

Thank you to St. Martins for the early read. All opinions are my own.