Wow, one of my favorites to date from @authortarahdewitt ! Can I please campaign for more advanced age, married, mature conflict characters?? Thank you @stmartinspress for my early reading copy- LOVED IT! Out May 20, 2025.

LEFT OF FOREVER takes us back again to Spunes, Or- this time to cozy in with Wren + Ellis Byrd, who have been the loves of each others’ lives since the literal age of 6. But, as life often does, along the way real struggles and the comfortableness of daily life comes between their fiery love. So much so that when the novel picks up, they’ve been divorced for 5 years.

As suspected, they have both tried to move on and are still just in love with each other as when they were young.

I loved the opening search for two horses, I LOVED the letters, the open dialogue between them, I left like I was strolling on a beach with them in So Cal! Dewitt does an amazing job (like seriously, did she herself just drop a kid at college??) of making each scene realistic and FIRE at the same time. The thoughtfulness of Ellis, the vulnerability of both characters.

I loved that the characters were different than 5 years ago, and that they were scared, but willing to take chances on what is right.

Chef’s kiss.

There is some language, FYI, in case that is something you’d like a head’s up about.

Read this if you love:
Second Chances
Reunited Love
Bakeries
Firefighters
Writing Love Letters
Empty-Nest + College Parents
Childhood Sweethearts

What’s a novel you’ve read recently with adult characters + mature, adult problems? I am feeling the vibes from this genre and need more recommendations!

Tarah DeWitt has done it again—Left of Forever is an achingly beautiful second-chance romance that delivers on every front: emotion, longing, and the kind of love that lingers long after the final page.

Wren and Ellis’s story isn’t just about rekindling romance; it’s about untangling years of heartbreak, regret, and the undeniable pull of a love that never really faded. Their dynamic is charged with history, and DeWitt does a stunning job of making their past feel just as present as their current journey. Every glance, every touch, every unsaid word is thick with meaning, making their road trip reunion as tender as it is tense.

And let’s talk about the steam. DeWitt has always had a knack for balancing emotional depth with palpable chemistry, and Wren and Ellis? They burn. The tension between them simmers, building in a way that feels earned, making every intimate moment all the more satisfying.

But what really makes this book stand out is how deeply felt it is. Beyond the romance, Left of Forever is a story about healing, about learning when to fight for love and when to let it go. Wren and Ellis’s journey—both literal and emotional—is written with so much care that it’s impossible not to root for them.

If you love second-chance romances packed with yearning, well-earned heat, and characters who feel heartbreakingly real, this one is for you. Tarah DeWitt proves once again why she’s a must-read in the genre.

I was really enjoying this book and then I feel like it turned into nothing but spicey scenes. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a spicy book but I feel like it took too much away from the actual story.

2.5 stars.

This was the first Tarah DeWitt book I've read and it did not disappoint. Wren and Ellis' relationship was so special. If you are a fan of second-chance romances, you'll love this story of a divorced couple who find their ways back to each other after their teenage son heads to college. This was such a quick read filled with moments that will make your heart melt. Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley.

Thank you so so much to NetGalley for this eARC!!!

You guys, this was EVERYTHING to me. I am super picky about my second chance romances and don't always love this trope, BUT Tarah DeWitt blew me away with Left of Forever!!!

This book and our couple Wren & Ellis had me immediately sucked in and feeling so many emotions right off the bat (and continued throughout the entire book). I had butterflies the whole time and was constantly swooning as we went back and forth between Wren & Ellis's POVs. They both yearned for each other and their angst jumped off the page. They were raw, realistic, dynamic, and so well fleshed out. Also, the writing ???? Stunning!!! I truly think this is some of the author's best work and I will be thinking about this couple for what's left of forever!!!!

Read of you like:
- second chance romance
- childhood friends to lovers
- road trips
- anonymous letters
- found family
- small town
- hot fire-fighting dads

Tarah DeWitt writes dialogue that is so natural and witty! Wren and Ellis feel so real, like your real life friends who you are championing to get back together because you can feel their love. Left Of Forever is a 5 star book that will stay with me, well, forever! Thank you Tarah for the ARC!!

I love second chance romances! I’d venture to say that it’s probably my favorite troupe of any romance book. When they are young and they break up for some silly reason and one moves away and then when they come back to town the connection is undeniable and they can’t fight it anymore and they get back together. Swoon!

What we usually don’t see is the second chance where they are divorced, still live in the same town, they are raising a son together and they are still wildly attracted to each other so much that they no longer speak to each other unless it has to do with something for their son. That leads to some buildup tension and when they drop off their son at college and spend a week together trying to figure out if things can work again after 5 years apart is when all the tension comes to a head and what we got was one of the best second chance romances I've read.

What makes a good second chance romance?

Love was never the problem
There was a major event ( not cheating) that fractured the relationship
They both still have feelings of love and compare every other man/women to the person

This book checked all the boxes for me and I was gushing the whole time while reading it. I wanted them to find their way back to each other and I was the biggest cheerleader for these two ever since “She’s still a Byrd” in Savor it. That line alone was one of the swooniest things I've ever read.

That anticipatory feeling I had the entire time reading this book kept me glued to this story. You wanted these two to get it right this time and push through all the issues in the past and start fresh. It was palpable how much these two were so right for each other.

Ellis was very much the strong silent type but around Wren he became a new and better man. He knew exactly what he wanted and when he decided he still loved Wren and wanted her back, he did it so patiently but also with enough force to let her know what his true intentions were. Wren had so many mixed emotions about trying again with Ellis and set her boundaries but she was also open minded and allowed herself to not put any emotions in concrete and see where this trip took them.

A beautiful emotional charged story of second chances and reconnecting when love was never the problem and life sometimes just gets in the way.

I really don't know that I have words for this book. I was so caught up in the Birds. It was beautiful.

I was super excited for this one and I wasn't let down! I was inspired to read Tarah's books after a friend recommended them and I wasn't steered wrong!

Tarah has a way of captivating her readers with stories that although are fiction, feel so real! When she mentioned in a meet&greet I attending that her next book would be about these two I literally cried! The history between these two characters! The love! The friendship! Ugh everything about this book feels like home! It was so devastatingly beautiful to read. This is a book you need to sit back and dive headfirst into it. The complexity of these characters can’t be explained in a short review! So I’ll leave it to you all to grab the book and a box of tissues and your favorite baked goods because by the end of it, you’re gonna feel like your heart was repaired from something you didn’t know was broken and it’s gonna feel so good!

I locked onto these two the moment Ellis said, “She’s still a Byrd,” in Savor It. Their love is so deep that it’s woven into their literal DNA. I loved the quote, “I grew up with my great love, so I think maybe my heart took shape around his.” Ugh. **Clutches heart and squeals**
My heart hurt.
I laughed.
I giggled and kicked my feet.
There is just something about a man who wants nothing more than to get his woman back.
"...because if he can carry all of them, I can carry him."

Thank you so much to Tarah DeWitt and NetGalley for the early copy to devour!

this is honestly one of my favorite books so far this year. following Ellis and Wren’s story was truly amazing and i had all the feelings from kicking my feet giggling to tearing up and crying. second chance romances with forever be my favorite & this is officially the top of that category. the true love of these to characters, the banter, the way Ellis listens, the adventure they go on, the side characters okay in everything, and above all Tarah’s writing was just amazing!!!!! I couldn’t say more good things about this book!

thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this advanced readers copy!

I held off on reading this for a minute because I knew it was going to wreck me and I knew once it was done wrecking me I would want to wipe my memory and get wrecked all over again for the first time. Unfortunately, haven't figured out the memory wiping bit but I will be listening on audio once that comes out and I cannot wait.

There is something so very special about Tarah DeWitt's writing that makes me feel everything in such a big way. I'm constantly rereading sections as I go because I just want to hold on to every little bit and not let go.

I love this little town she's created and the whole Byrd family. I was so glad to get to know the others more and getting to spend time with Sage filled my heart so full.

Ellis and Wren were everything. For me, for each other, for Sam, and their family. I adored these two in Savor It and was fully prepared to set aside my bias towards second chance romance after THE Town Hall moment. It was more than worth it.

All the tears were worth it. To watch them grow and work so hard to get back to each other.

I cried in the prologue. I cried in the first chapter and nearly every chapter after that. Don't get me wrong! I laughed just as much. I really thought I was doing good and holding it all together at the end but the last two sentences cracked my heart wide open. Wren and Ellis Byrd you will be with me forever.

This was such a great second chance romance. I loved supporting Wren and Ellis, along with their family, on their journey back to each other. Thank you for the opportunity to read this and I am sure anyone who reads this book will love Wren and Ellis as much as I did!!

4.5!!

i’m not really sure what to do with myself…how do i move forward knowing ill never find a love like Wren & Ellis.

i want to go lay in the dirt and let the earth consume me. i’m at a loss for words. Savor It fell flat for me (womp womp) but when i first learned of Wren & Ellis i knew i wanted their story ASAP. this one did not fall flat for me, instead it was the complete opposite of flat.

I don’t typically gravitate towards second chance romance books, but this book? these characters? this town? consider me gravitated.

this story was so fun, vulnerable, and emotionally deep. the letters, the road trip, the communication and vulnerability UGH i need to go scream into my pillow. this book was STUCK to my hands, i didn’t want to put it down, in fact I couldn’t put it down even if i wanted to. (i obviously had to put it down because of work and life and all that fun stuff, but i didn’t want to put it down willingly)

I am REELING, I can’t promise a coherent review, i just loved this book so much inject into me RIGHT NOW

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 🤣

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! Left of Forever is on shelves May 20, 2025. My opinions are my own.

This book wrecked me. I was crying from page one and honestly have no idea how I managed to read through all the tears. Wren and Ellis completely stole my heart in Savor It, and this book just cemented them as one of my all-time favorite couples. Their story was heartbreakingly beautiful to read, two people who drifted apart as they try to keep the other from hurting to finally find their way back.

Even though Wren and Ellis spend most of the book outside of Spunes, Tarah DeWitt still managed to capture the small-town vibe, and I loved that. Every character, no matter how little page time they got, felt real, like people you’d actually meet in any small town. And can we talk about one of my favourite micro-tropes ever? When the MMC goes to therapy, not just for himself but because he wants to be a better partner? Perfection.

I have no idea if DeWitt plans to write more stories in this world, but if she does, I’ll be first in line.

This is a book that lived up to it’s hype! We have been pining for Wren and Ellis since book one almost as much as Ellis has been pining for Wren since their divorce. (I’m very proud of that play on words). This is a second chance romance for a couple that knows they are meant to be, but cannot overcome their problems. With their son going away to college, they decide to give their relationship one last try and it was beautiful every step of the way. This was two adults, choosing a mature, healthy, happy relationship, and I absolutely adore this book! So far best romance I’ve read of 2025.

Thank you #netgalley for the ARC in exchange run on this review.

This is the kind of book that makes you believe in love. The kind of love that is both a choice and second nature. It is in Ellis and Wren’s bones to love each other, despite their divorce and the tragedy that caused it. But, in the process of their reconciliation Wren and Ellis choose each other over all else: their own comfort, their own fears, their past mistakes. Left of Forever is deeply romantic and deeply realistic. Filled with hope, heartbreak, and top tier yearning this is one of the must read romances of 2025

Left of Forever by Tarah DeWitt is a heartwretching second chance romance that will pull on all your heartstrings!

Once married and now divorced, Wren and Ellis once were the perfect couple. They married young, had a child and did life together until it all fell apart. I think one thing I really liked about this story is that you see how two people can love each other so much but still need to be apart to have their own personal growth. I think that it really speaks how we're not all perfect but we can work on ourselves and choose to try again and have someone that stands by us even if we aren't together. I think theres something about DeWitt's writing that she creates flawed but human characters that are messy, chaotic, sometimes don't make the best choices but thats life and thats how we are as humans but seeing them join again and be civil for their son is where all that tension and romance ensues. I loved seeing their letters, their flashbacks, seeing them learn to communicate and advocate for each others needs and choose each other. I loved this book so much. It's so angsty and beautifully written. It is a must read!