Left of Forever is my first foray into Tarah DeWitt’s writing, and I really enjoyed it.

I loved the setting and all of its details. This felt like such a rich story, and I’ll definitely go back to read the first book in this series.

There was so much emotion between the lines of these pages. Wren and Ellis burned for each other, and I felt the steam coming off them. I swooned as they rekindled their relationship, and my heart warmed as they healed.

I recommend this for readers who enjoy spicy, angsty romances with characters in their 30s.

What to expect:
💕 marriage in crisis / divorced couple
✨second chance romance
🧁 she owns a bakery
👨‍🚒 firefighter MMC
🚙 road trip
🏘️ small town
🥵 hot and spicy

My rating: 4.25⭐️

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC!

Infinity stars!!
I have loved all of Tarah's books, but this one is on another level for me. This is an all time favorite book that I will be rereading endlessly. Left of Forever is not just a romance book. It's full of found family, heartbreak, tender moments, self discovery, healing, and hope. I found myself relating so much to these characters. This is a soul book for me. Each page made me ache in the best way. By the end, it had completely unraveled me and left me raw. I could seriously go on and on about the masterpiece that this is.

Left of Forever is a second chance romance between Wren and Ellis Byrd. They fell in love as kids, had their son, and then life happened. They end up getting divorced. They're both trying to figure out life without each other. The painful yearning that I felt from them both had me crying several times.

Left of Forever has:
- Second chance romance
- Small town
- They write notes to each other
- Found family
- Firefighter MMC
- Baker FMC
- Road trip
- One tent
- top tier YEARNING

I will be shouting and crying about this one into eternity

★★★.5

i really enjoyed the storyline for this book, but i found it very slow in the beginning. i was also hoping for more out of the letters ellis & wren wrote to each other in the beginning of the book. also, the plot felt very rushed when it came to the road trip and reconciling.

overall i enjoyed this book and will reach for more books by this author.

thank you netgalley for the e-arc!

what to expect:
- second chance
- road trip
- childhood friends to lovers to divorced to lovers
- it’s always been you
- small town

When I saw the cover for Left of Forever, I knew I needed to find out more. I haven’t had a chance to read the previous book (Savor It) yet, but I had no issues jumping right into this one.

Left of Forever was an emotional and angsty second chance romance. It’s about love, family, and friendship, but also how love can grow, shift, and sometimes break. For me, the second chance romance trope hinges on the reason for the separation and this one nailed it. It’s so rarely just one thing that breaks a relationship. It’s the culmination of unsaid words, resentments, and ultimately deciding to not to keep choosing the other person. I’ll admit that some of the moments in the book hit especially close to home and I could 100% relate to both Ellis and Wren and understand how everything fell apart. I do wish there would have been an even bigger focus on them communicating honestly with each other instead of physically, but I understand that closeness is a language in itself. I loved how united the Byrd family was (especially in their meddling) and it was beautiful to see everything come full circle in the end.

I read half of the book via ebook and the other half via audiobook. Both narrators did a great job, but I loved Connor Crais’s performance so much, I almost went back to relisten to the first half. lol It was a fun treat to have the audiobook feature duet style text messages and letters too (ie: Connor Crais narrates letters/messages from Ellis while Megan Wicks narrates those from Wren). This was a really wonderful listening experience.

Audiobook Review
Overall 4.5 stars
Performance 5 stars
Story 4 stars

CW (from the author):
Ectopic pregnancy—occurs off page
Conversations referencing infertility in the past
Explicit language
Explicit sexual content
Death of an unknown character that occurs off page, caused by a fire

*I voluntarily read and listened to a review copy of this book*

LEFT OF FOREVER had me in an absolute chokehold. Tarah DeWitt crafts an emotionally rich story full of tender, lived-in moments that I found myself completely swept up in.

Wren and Ellis were clearly made for each other, and watching them navigate their history, their pain, and their undeniable chemistry was electric. These characters felt so layered and real, the yearning between them intense and beautifully drawn. I was screaming. Giggling. Full-on kicking my feet.

The interwoven past/present narratives, the internal monologues, the emotional depth…it all came together in such a moving, meaningful way. Tarah gave us real people with complicated hearts, and I ATE. IT. UP.

The yearning?? The emotional depth?? The laugh out loud moments?? Sexy mustached firefighter lifting her against a wall?? MA’AM.

Anywayyyy, I devoured this book in two days after being stuck in a brutal reading slump, so I would personally like to thank Tarah for tossing me a lifeline (and letting me scream in your DMs about how much I loved this)!

LEFT OF FOREVER is tender, steamy, funny, and emotional. If you crave depth with your romance, this one delivers.

🧡 FEELS LIKE: Slipping into your favorite oversized sweater: cozy and warm and perfect.

🧡 READ IF YOU LIKE: second chance, road trips, marriage is crisis, small town, found family, childhood friends to lovers

I can’t even put into words how much I love this book. I read most books in a day, half a day. I was starving myself like a psycho and only reading in small increments in order to stretch out how perfect this book was written. Not only did I cry multiple times, big fat sobby tears in a public park one time. Ones in the break room at the hospital. One time as I was answering the door for food delivery and I’m sure many people were worried. Lol when it ended I didn’t even set my ereader down I moved back to the beginning and reread it over the next two days. Previously savor it was my comfort read and now to be able to read them in a row just completes something inside me.

Small town love with big time feelings 💜 I really enjoyed reading about Wren and Ellis Byrd’s friends, to lovers, to exes journey and navigating all those dynamic feelings that come with a shared history. This is a independent story but the second in the Spunes small town universe written by Tarrah DeWitt. Tarah’s writing style is easy to follow and pulls you in; I felt really invested in the main characters from the start and appreciated their adult relationships challenges. It was refreshing to read about mature issues without vindictive and resentful exes being their own worst enemies (I really need to stop reading YA 😝).

Thank you to @stmartinspress for approving my ARC request; this is a really special book and I’m so grateful to share my review with all of you 💜 This book releases May 20th and @meetcutebookshop is hosting a release party and book signing event with @authortarahdewitt I highly recommend signing up to get your copy of this book!

#bookreview #bookstagram #tarahdewitt #leftofforever #bookevent #meetcute #romance #exestolovers #smalltown #suppoetlocal #independentbookstore

Thank you Netgalley, MacMillan audio and st martins Press for the e-Arc and alc. My opinions are being left voluntarily. What an absolute perfect book top to bottom. I loved the dual narration I loved the second chance I loved the connection after years I loved the whole thing. This is her best book and I will absolutely need a copy for my shelf.

5/5☆

Suggest giving it a try

The moment I saw the cover and synopsis for Left of Forever, it instantly became my #1 most highly anticipated release of 2025. Thanks to St. Martin's Press & NetGalley, I now get the honor of telling you why you need to pre-order this book expeditiously.

In case you couldn't tell by that gorgeously angsty cover, this novel exudes "it's always been you" energy. Wren and Ellis Byrd prove that sometimes, it really is the right person at the wrong time. (Or, in this case, wrong domino-effect of circumstances & unhealed/pre-therapy responses.)

The thing I love most about this book – and why it is so successful as a second-chance romance where many books within the trope fall short – is how Wren and Ellis talk through the hard things, the places their relationship went wrong, what they would do differently this time around, and re-enter their romance with eyes and hearts wide open. These are two individuals who have independently done the work in therapy to understand themselves and their role in the demise of their marriage, meaning they could now come together again with honesty and vulnerability. The end result is an achingly romantic story I simply couldn't put down, one that will make you believe in the power of soulmate love.

My favorite book couples are the ones who truly get each other, those with a deep, doting intimacy that permeates every interaction. We get that in spades with the Byrds. Yes, this of course makes their steamy scenes all the hotter (Ellis knows the precise spots to make Wren forget her name, for example), but I most appreciated it in the smaller moments. Knowing without speaking how the other is feeling. Small gestures the other would appreciate. Their ability to slot together again with ease.

While Left of Forever is technically a standalone from Savor It, you need to read Savor It to get maximum enjoyment/appreciation out of this story. A significant portion of this story takes place outside of Spunes, but the cast of characters you're introduced to remain. The road trip angle made for some great forced proximity moments, and you can't help but love their family rooting for their reconciliation from the sidelines.

Selfishly, I wish it was a little longer, but long story short: this is Tarah DeWitt at her prime. If you liked Savor It, you will LOVE Left of Forever.

Wren and Ellis are childhood sweethearts. 5 years divorced, their lives are still intertwined and they continue to see each other and wonder: is the spark still there? With a trip to figure it out, this second chance romance is going to sweep you off your feet!

This is my first book by this author, and I absolutely loved it. The writing between the two main characters had me so immersed that I truly couldn’t put the book down. This is a standalone in a series, and I didn’t have a connection to the other cast of characters and found their parts clunky and a little confusing. Maybe going back and reading the others in the series will help with this! Highly suggest if you enjoy spicy, second chance romances!

I kind of felt like I was going to be reading this forever. I could not get into it… Then Ellis asked Wren to go on that road trip and I locked in. I could not wait. I think I could have missed the first like 10 chapters.

I am a second chance romance hater friends.. but good lord I guess none of them were Ellis! The way this man spoke about his girl was enough to set me on fire. I also appreciate that they chose to get divorced and grow as people before trying again.

The burn was so slow but once we got there?! Whew.

This book RUINED me! Ellis and wren are perfect. This book is perfect. I have NO NOTES. I take 10 more Tarah books!

5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

LAWD, this one wrecked me. A gorgeous second-chance romance where I blamed neither party and ached for both. If you’ve read Savor It, chances are you’ve been rooting for Wren and Ellis for a while now. I’m not typically a fan of second-chance but I adored Spunes and I really wanted to see where Tarah DeWitt would take this story. My dears, she slayed. I don’t know that I have ever been so invested in two characters in a romance novel. It was raw, earnest, funny, and sexy all at the same time. I loved every second of it. Flawless - no notes.

A divorced couple take an empty nest road trip - not such a unique story, but adding super-spice to the mix made this an unexpected read.

Wren and Ellis Byrd drop their son off at college and explore the unlikely idea of
reconciliation. Their teenage romance led to a pregnancy they were unprepared for and readers get to examine the mistakes they made along the way as they reflect on their past relationship. Will spoken words, written words and physical attraction clarify how the future might play out? Will they have the courage to listen to the voice that really matters?

On their way back to their small town in Oregon the most pressing question seems to be, “Will they find their way home?”

Thank you St. Martin’s Griffin for the early copy in exchange for my honest review.

Tara DeWitt has quickly become an instabuy author for me. This series has consumed my whole heart. I didn’t think she could top the first novel yet here we are. This is a love story for adults. They have a past and the story embraces it rather than shy away or sugarcoat the pain they’ve caused each other. This is a story with heart, humor and OH LORDY heat. 10/10 no notes, will be rereading. Truly, the number of times a line hit so good I gasped. Perfection.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This story offers a refreshing and realistic take on second-chance love, especially when a child is part of the picture. It captures the emotional complexity of rebuilding a relationship with authenticity, showing that love isn’t always neat or easy.

Rather than leaning on a perfect “happily ever after,” it explores the kind of love that grows through real-life challenges. It reflects what many modern families face—uncertainty, healing, and the hard work of choosing each other again. A grounded and honest portrayal that stands out in the genre.

Thank you NetGalley and St Martins Press for this gem!

this book was absolutely everything. i have so many words and i find them difficult to say.

wren and ellis are such epically beautiful characters. they are so perfect for each other in every way and seeing them try so hard and fall so deeply and being unable to resist was just so special.

i loved everything about this book. the childhood friends, the second chance, the forced proximity, the romance. it was perfect and TDW’s best book and the fact that i can’t read it again for the first time hurts me.

thank you so much st. martin’s press for the arc! love TDW with all my heart 🫶🏼

miss tarah dewitt will always have a special place in my heart 🥹

wren and ellis are everything to me after being taken on their second chance, marriage in crisis journey. they bring tension, heartbreaking moments, banter and spice, all while rediscovering each other.

left of forever is a book that will have you cancelling plans because you cannot put it down. it will suck you in and make you feel every emotion.

also, THE PINING 😭😭😭

I laughed, I swooned, I clutched my chest. Tarah so beautifully builds the characters and their stories in a way that feels so real and authentic. This is one of the best books I’ve read in a long time, and that means a lot coming from someone who usually hates a second chance romance. I just can’t say enough good about this one.

this book was good! I really do love a second chance romance and this was one was at it at its best. I enjoyed seeing some glimpses of the past and how it mostly stayed in the present. I also loved seeing characters from book 1... I sense this will be turning into a small town series and I cant wait for the next book! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for gifting me this arc.