4.5 stars rounded down.

I loved this book soooooo damn much. I am a sucker for second chance romance! The ONLY reason I'm not giving it a full 5 star rating is because I think second chance romances are best with dual timelines. That way, the reader gets to experience the downfall of the relationship and not just hear recaps of what happened. Regardless, this was incredible.

ELLIS ORION BYRD THE MAN THAT YOU ARE!!!!! Hooooly moly when I tell you I'm obsessed.... the words that came out of this man's mouth in just a conversation had me giggling and sweating more than any smut scene I've read recently. WHEW!!!

I had only ever read Tarah DeWitt's novel "Funny Feelings" and liked it okay, so I wasn't sure what to expect going into this. Needless to say, I just found a new second chance romance favorite.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me an e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you for the ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I feel so privileged to have Tarah, one of my favorite authors, be one of my first ever ARCs.

"There are different kinds of hurt. There's the kind you inflict sharply and quickly -- like emotional blunt force trauma -- and then there's the other kind, like a slow-building poison in your veins. I think it starts with withholding love, but maybe it starts with withholding hurt, too"

From the moment I met Wren and Ellis in Savor It I knew I needed to know more about them and this did not disappoint and I wish I could accurately put into words how beautiful this story was. I was laughing, crying, screaming inside, then laugh crying all at the same time it felt like.

How do you save a love you thought would never end to begin with?

"Even the most consuming love doesn't necessarily mean happiness in the end."

Written in dual POV we follow Wren and Ellis through their separate and eventually joint journeys through reconciliation and the rollercoaster of healing and working through all their pain and heartbreak. This was written so beautifully, from the banter to all our favorite side characters, to the descriptions of the places they were visiting.... it was raw, emotional, honest, and relatable and I found myself having to stop to take a breath from how emotional I was getting. There are some stories that you read that imprint a piece of themselves into you and this is one of them.

The way I loved this book 😭 it was perfect. The angst, the maturity of the relationship, the emotional history we went through with Wren and Ellis - all of it. Dewitt did such an amazing job writing these characters and giving us flashbacks to the times that caused them to separate. It was clear Wren and Ellis never stopped loving each other, they just didn’t know how to love each other how they both needed to at that time. It made the reconciliation that much more meaningful.

I will always love a letter writing trope in a romance and this one had it so perfectly woven in the story. By not realizing she was writing her husband, it was a way for her to be as open and honest without feeling like she’s off loading her trauma onto someone close to her. The fact it was Ellis helping her thru these things was just so sweet. And he took notes of places she wanted to travel and made their road trip as close to that as possible without leaving the country.

I want to reread this one already - it was so emotional, heartfelt and beautiful. I hope we get more from this town, I’m fully invested in this family!

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!

Tarah DeWitt is such a beautiful storyteller.
The way I savored this book because I didn’t want it to end. I laughed. I cried and cried again lol..
I love when a book can bring out so many emotions.🥹🥰.

This book is a work of art. A masterpiece. A love letter to the second chance trope. A love letter to the romance genre. This was everything. Books like THIS are the reason why I love reading so much.

I’m not new to Tarah’s beautiful writing, but this was next level! The pacing, the banter, the dialogues, the way these scenes were so perfectly written, it felt like somehow I was right there with Wren & Ellis. At times it felt so intimate, it almost felt like I was about to get caught for spying on them or something.

I absolutely loved reading about these two very real, raw and relatable characters finding their way back to each other. Back to themselves as a whole. I adore the Byrds. This was so emotional, it broke my heart into a million pieces just so it could slowly put it back together. This book will stay with me for a long, long time.

Thank you NetGalley & publisher for the advanced copy. Opinions are my own!

this was so cute!! but that ending DRAGGEDDDDDD

i never thought i would say this but… i wanted a better third act break up!!

yes, they deserved that happiness but i also wanted the book to end!! still, read it!!

“all i know is that if i found out that heaven was real and got there first? i’d hang back in the waiting room and save you seat.” (infinite stars!)

easily one of the best second chance romance stories i have read … ever. tarah dewitt has filled “left of forever” with such raw & vulnerable love that i had to pause to let my eyes clear from the tears they were forming! ellis & wren are the epitome of “i’d always choose you” and being able to read about their love was beautiful, heartbreaking, and so so real.

thank you to netgalley, tarah dewitt & st. martin’s press for the arc!

♾️⭐️ this has to be the most romantic book I have ever read! It’s also now my new favorite romance!!

I don’t even know where to start. This book consumed me. Second chance romance books are my favorite because you have that history and previous love for each other. This specifically is between Wren and Ellis who have been divorced for 5 years and just dropped their son off at college.

The yearning and chemistry they had was so tangible. I swear I have never read a book with this much yearning and tension. I was pretty much melting at one point for them to kiss! The road trip and letter/journal aspect added so much to the story and I just loved how real these characters felt.

I could literally go on and on about how this book has altered my brain chemistry! The tattoos, the oragami, the road trip locations, the letters!! I was absolute mess by the end and had shed so many tears.

I will probably think about Wren and Ellis every day because their love is “left of forever” 😭

💗 second chance
💗 divorced couple
💗 childhood lovers
💗 roadtrip
💗 yearning
💗 firefighter mmc

My 4th book from Tarah Dewitt and definitely a favorite. Fleshed out, mature characters experiencing a second chance at getting things right. After being divorced for 5 years, Wren and Ellis take a trip meant to put everything on the table, the good & the bad.
Ugh, this storyline is one we don’t get often, but as someone who also married her sweetheart before frontal lobes were developed…it hit hard! So much history between these characters, I could feel it in every moment they interacted. I just wanted to push their little heads together until they kissed and made up 😂 but really, the pacing throughout is what made this so good! The letter writing was the spark, and the road trip was the flame! Both worked together to ignite something sincere, & evocative.
. Thank you NetGalley and St.Martin’s press for a digital copy in exchange for an honest review!
This book will be released May 19, 2025

This book was so cute. It was such a comfortable, easy read and I absolutely flew through it. Even having not read any of Tarah’s prior work, I feel like I fell right into the world of Spunes, OR and I’m not sure I’ll be the same. Second chance romances are some of my favorites, and Ellis and Wren’s story is absolutely no exception. I can’t wait to check out more work from Tarah moving forward. I look forward to recommending this book when it comes out in May 2025!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin, Tarah DeWitt, and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Left of Forever was a beautiful second chance romance book filled with one devoted and passionate hero. This is an interconnected standalone, so while it’s not necessary to read the book, Savor It, I would recommend too just for better backstory and context.

While it is dual POVs of the main characters, Wren a bakery owner and Ellis a firefighter, there were more chapters from the heroine’s POV. There are some amazing tropes though like: a road trip, letter writing, forced proximity, and a second chance and small-town romance.

The overall premise was heartbreakingly beautiful. While it was a bit slow-paced there were still some tearful, amusing, and heartfelt moments. I did enjoy the first half of the story a lot more than the second half, as the pen-pal aspect was sweet and emotional.

The second chance romance was filled with so much angst, heartache, and love. I absolutely loved how committed and devoted the hero was on making things work between them again. He put in the work and went to therapy, which I loved.

However, it was a bit frustrating that they took so long to realize their feelings for each other never really went away. So, this was more of them realizing they still loved each other instead of them re-falling in love again, if that makes sense. While we do get some discussions regarding their divorce and issues, it did feel a bit rushed as well. I wanted them to communicate and discuss more about what happened before they got physical.

In regards to other people, as they had been divorced for almost 6 years, they each had fleeting romances with others, including physical intimacy. But none of those relationships were ever serious.

There was no third act breakup as the story really just centered around them getting back together, so I did appreciate that there was no conflict. The ending and epilogue were truly amazing and I just loved seeing the Byrd family all together.

Overall, just a beautiful and heartfelt read.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book definitely hit a little too close to home. I feel like the storyline was deep in a very meaningful way and truly portrayed the magnitude of a situation such as marriage, communication, lack of being in the right place at the right time so powerfully. I would have loved if there was more of a gut punch when it came to the backstory and maybe a little more of the letters. The letters were definitely the parts the grabbed me in so fast. I loved the raw moments that went into them. And the way Wren found out and put the pieces together was wow. Overall, such a cute but also sad read.

Wow. This may be my favorite story I've read so far this year!

Thanks to St. Martin's Press for the gifted ARC via NetGalley. All opinions are my own and given freely.

Left of Forever is a second chance romance between Ellis and Wren. If you've read Savor It- you've already met them there as a divorced couple, connected to Sage and Fisher. But it gave hints that there was perhaps something still there, something simmering beneath the surface with Ellis' "She's still a Byrd." SWOON. I am happy to report that was exactly the case. But it came with almost a lifetime of memories, and much hurt and pain too.

This story pulled me in from the very start. The angst. The longing. The memories. The emotion. Their love story is tender. Raw. And feeling. I FELT it. But the author writes it in a way that is also flirty, sensual and sexy. I hung on to every word. And never rooted for a couple or a HEA more. I could nit pick. I mean: how didn't she recognize his hand writing? But in the end, I really just didn't care to. I just let the story vibes take over and I enjoyed every moment. One of my favourites was "We did good. You did so good, baby." I had no idea that scene would make me cry like it did. Most of this book had me on the verge of tears to be honest. It just oozed feelings off the pages, and I was just so invested. There could be no better reading experience than that in my opinion!

I truly hope there's more to come. I would love a story for Silas, among others! If your a fan of second chance romance then look no further and give this one a whirl!

“I'll save you a seat, Byrd."

*Sensitive topics are included in this book. Seek the author's CW's at the start of the book if needed.

"If you're lost, I'll find you. I'll give you my body, my heart, and my soul. I'll cherish every bit of yours in return. I'll fight with you. I'll fight for you. I'll love you for everything left of forever, in every lifetime we get."

This is one of those agonizing reviews for me to write, because there is no possible way my little words will do credit to this book with the accolades it deserves. I don't know how she does it, but Tarah DeWitt can distill raw and mature emotion into sentences that make my heart physically ache in my chest. Reader, I wept.

We first met Wren and Ellis Byrd in Savor It, which was one of my Top 3 romance novels of 2024. I could not wait to read their story. The pining you could feel from both of them manifested so palpably in those pages, and I was overjoyed when Tarah announced that they would be getting their Second Chance. It was worth the wait.

My husband and I have been married for 21 years, and our kids are now teenagers. I could relate to so many of the thoughts and feelings of both Wren and Ellis. It was like reading about the highs and lows of my own marriage, even if the exact circumstances they've experienced are different. Readers who have not been in a decades old partnership and raised children together will not be able to understand just how true to life this story is. The grace and poignant understanding that Tarah extends to both Wren and Ellis throughout the novel is so beautiful. There is no bad guy here. Any true love story is far too complex for that.

I think the novel is masterful in its exploration of vulnerability in communication. At the beginning of the book, Wren and Ellis are essentially not speaking at all to each other about anything other than their only remaining and tangible link (Sam). Their hearts start to open in writing through what they assume is a neutral third party. They then start speaking to each other, and it's about their shared present experiences. When they open to each other completely and absolutely desperately they free themselves and each other by sharing the pain of their past. And it is only then that they come together sexually in the most physically and emotionally vulnerable way they can ever be with each other.

This book really made laugh, cry, and think seriously and critically about my own marriage, and resolve to be more present for and with him as our children grow into adulthood. I want to recommend this book be read together in couples therapy!

This was my first Tarah DeWitt book and it won’t be my last! She evokes such real, mature characters. My only problem here was the book was too short - it didn’t flesh out Wren and Ellis’ way back together enough to feel satisfying. Cute nonetheless though!

Savor It is one of my favorite books of all time. I immediately fell in love with Wren and Ellis. I was so excited for their story and their journey back to each other.

These two lovebirds got together at a young age, and unfortunately, life came at them as it usually does. They had an unexpected pregnancy, the burden of taking care of younger siblings due to the loss of Ellis's parents, and another parental illness to get through. That isn't even touching on the heartbreaking infertility journey. These struggles were written authentically and I truly felt for these characters. The love between them was always there. The thing about relationships that can be hard is communication, especially in times of struggle. It's also hard when a couple have been together for so long and from such a young age. Sometimes they can lack the skills needed to communicate properly.

I didn't know how I felt about the penpal portion at the beginning, but I let it go. Whatever it took to get Ellis to start that path to winning back Wren, I was there for. I loved that Ellis decided to go to therapy and work on himself.

The main story starts when Ellis and Wren decide to take a one week road trip together after they drop their son, Sam, off at college. Ellis is clear about his intention for the week. He loves Wren and wants her back. From the moment of the dropoff, I was emotional. These two characters knowing they did the best they could, and they did, with their son as they said goodbye to him had me in tears. No matter what they put their problems aside to be the best co-parents they could be. I loved the destinations that Ellis picked for their road trip and why they were chosen. They finally talked about how they felt and about the things they had gone through in the past. There was never any doubt in my mind that these two were meant to be. I know they are just fictional characters but it still breaks my heart that they had any time apart at all, but witnessing them come back together was wonderful.

The ending of the book had me in tears. The emotions shown by the family when they knew they had decided to be together again. I love when people are genuinely happy for others. I am not going to quote the last paragraph of the book here since I think it should be read while enjoying the book, but it made me sob.

The thing I love so much about both Savor It and Left of Forever is this family dynamic. The Byrds are so amazing. Each and every one of them. I love their meddling. They make me laugh, cry, and have all the good feels. If I could get sucked into any fictional book town, it would be this one. I think I would probably get arrested for stalking Silas, but that would be my own burden to bear. Speaking of Silas, I really, really hope we get his story. I need all the stories from the town of Spunes.

Tarah is such a fabulous writer. I can't wait for the next story she blesses us with.

Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy.

this book actually means everything to me 🥹🫶🏼

I don’t think I have ever read a book that felt so real and raw. As a young mom who married my high school sweet heart who I met at 16, there was so much truth to so much that Ellis and Wren said and went through.

knowing a person so deeply for so long and not only growing from kids to adults together but becoming parents together at a young age. It’s such a unique experience to get to love and witness so many multiple versions of someone, it’s amazing but also so hard and the truth of that was reflected so beautifully in this book. But even with that, the balance of deep conversation and connections to humor and romance and spice was just so perfect.

I will be re-reading this book and recommending it for what’s ‘left of forever’ 🥹😭🫶🏼✨

I am so fully obsessed with this book that I wish I could inject it into my veins. This was one of most anticipated books of this year and now I have to live with the fact I will never get to read it for the first time ever again.

Tarah's talent for writing romance that is yearnful and rips at your heartstrings is a talent not many possess. She is a master and this book is her best yet. Ellis and Wren are a display of what happens to so many marriages. Even from the very beginning of this book you can't help but be team Ellis and Wren. The missteps and misconceptions that they went through were maddening but also made your heart ache.

You feel so many emotions throughout Tarah's writing. Heartbreak and joy. Sweetness and spice. Laughter and tears. I can't tell you how many times I teared up while reading this book.

I fully believe there isn't a single person who could hate this book. It will quite honestly make you want to get married, get divorced and then go on a roadtrip to fall back in love again.

Wow, wow, wow! This was absolutely soul wrenchingly good! I had to take a few days afterwards to process the feelings I had after finishing Wren and Ellis's story. Their story was just so real. It's so easy in a marriage to leave things unsaid, to bury feelings, to feel that defeat when you think of fighting for it. Gosh, this book literally ruined me and then put me back together. 🥹

This second chance romance is everything I've been looking for! The longing between these two made my heart ache. The YEARNING y'all! 😮‍💨 Ellis had so much yearning for Wren that I. 👏🏼 ate.👏🏼 that. 👏🏼 up. 👏🏼

Years after their divorce, the longing and connection is still there. The way they were so careful with each others feelings while they explored the possibility of each other again was beautiful. The humor, their openness with each other, the rawness of what happened and all the truths left unsaid was heart wrenching but just so damn lovely, too. Wren and Ellis just exuded "soulmates," and seeing them wade through all the turmoil to make it back to each other was so damn worth it! Watching them heal and fall in love all over again, choose each other all over again was everything. Absolutely magical, Tarah! ✨️