Left of Forever was so sweet and raw and I loved it! I don't read a lot of second chance romance, but this one definitely proved that I do, in fact, enjoy the trope.

The dialogue in this book was so real and I really felt the emotions of these two characters. I loved that the author took the time to dive into the topics of divorce and how "in sickness and in health" isn't just a phrase we say and that it's actually something that really does come up in life.

I will most certainly be reading more books from Tarah DeWitt and look forward to seeing what she puts out in the future.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was so excited when I heard that this book was coming out after reading an ARC of Savor It (it hurts me to spell that without the u). I honestly adored both books. They had the perfect blend of the difficult and beautiful parts of romance and love. This book really expanded on the family themes and the importance of surrounding yourself with people who have your back. The pacing was perfect for me, especially because it allowed for the perfect build-up of tension. I literally started crying when I read the last sentence so let that tell you all you need to know. If you love romance, do yourself a favour and read this one.

Tarah Dewitt. This woman has committed what I consider an egregious action. And that is making me sob at words written on paper about fictional characters. I was lucky enough to snag a copy of this eARC through NetGalley, and man am I so glad that I did. I read this book in two days and absolutely fell in love with the setting and the characters.

If there's one thing about it me, it's that I LOVE a second chance romance and this was one of the most natural and perfect ones I've read in a while. The letters, the trip, all the little moments where we really came to understand how much these two characters knew about each other was just perfect. I loved how we slowly collected all the pieces of Ellis and Wren's past and watching how when we did find all of them we watch them slowly knit each other back together.

The meddling from their families was also just absolutely perfect. For every funny moment, there was an equally gut wrenching one. I never got bored with this story and found myself rooting for this couple the entire way through. Tarah Dewitt can do no wrong and you can bet $10 on the fact that I will be running to pick up a copy of this book when it comes out. And YOU SHOULD TOO!!

I LOVED this one and it was the perfect read to end February for me! Everything about this was so deep and raw and romantic. It was the way the characters went through so much together, separated, worked on themselves and found their way back to each other that was just written so perfectly.

By now I have read every book by this author, and this one is definitely the best one in my opinion. The main characters were well developed, and so were the side characters. Based on the authors note at the beginning I’m curious if Micah and Silas are also getting books, since I also think I spotted some possible clues as to who their love interests could be. Both their stories could be very interesting just based on where they’re currently in their life and their struggles. Back to Wren and Ellis. I liked how he was clear from the beginning on what his intentions were, and i enjoyed his constant efforts to be honest and open with Wren. Though he kept one secret to the end it was obviously needed for some third act angst. I appreciate that there was not a melodramatic and unnecessary break up and that the little miscommunication did not feel dragged out, mainly because Wren did not keep bringing it up in her pov. The reasons for them being apart in the first place were completely understandable, and I think their way back to one another was quite believable and deserved at the end. There’s just two aspects of the story that kept me from giving a higher rating, but they’re more personal preferences or wishes, more than critiques on the book. One thing I was left unsatisfied with was the relationship between Indy and Sam, and how they left things, and I figured that there might not be more of them. Unless they’re brought up in the hypothetical books from the other two brothers. I get they’re small characters so it shouldn’t be a big deal. And one “small” thing (for me it’s quite big) that bothers me in any romance book it happens… when an MC tries moving on and talks about being intimate with another person. It’s not explicit nor does it happen on page, and I’m obviously it doesn’t happen while the MC’s are together. But it’s a pet peeve of mine when it’s confirmed that the characters haven’t only been with their love interest, it just gives me the ick. This is of course not a flaw of the story, and I guess it’s realistic, and serves to demonstrate to the characters that they’re meant to be together, but it just something that I wish didn’t occur. That’s of course my unrealistic, delusional and hopeless romantic point of view, where I expect them to only be with their love interest EVER, and if they’re not together then to be miserable the whole time and not even have the mind to think of even looking at anybody else, let alone date or sleep with them. Neither of these things made it a bad story at all, and I really enjoyed to the point I finished it in less than a day. I’ll most likely read what this author publishes in the future, whether it’s in Spunes or a separate projects.

I’ve missed you; I’m home 🥹

I think I enjoy Tarah’s romance novels more than any other in the genre 💕 this is now my 3rd time as an advanced reader for her books and my 6th time falling in love with her writing, and I’m only more convinced she speaks to my heart (and hopefully yours 🫶🏼)

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
🌶️🌶️

Side characters in her novel, Savor It, grab the spotlight in their own second chance romance book, featuring Ellis & Wren Byrd.
A small town named Spunes, Oregon (not to be confused with Forks, Wa 😉) is equal parts friendly and quirky, with a whole lot of drama. Our divorces couple find themselves in the middle of the latest gossip and decide it’s best to put aside their differences on a road trip dropping their son off at college.

If you are looking for a romance that hits home and brings real life problems to the surface, read this book. Tarah doesn’t shy away from the trials of marriage and parenting and shows us it’s possible to love someone through all stages of life.

A special thanks to @authortarahdewitt @stmartinspress @netgalley to this advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

I think I’m going to be a minority on this one.
The first 50% I absolutely loved then the back half lost me and I felt was filled with moments that made me cringe and want the book to just be over? The cooking class scene was just absolutely ridiculous in my opinion. I can definitely understand why people will love this book but it just felt like a miss for me. Looking forward to future books from this author.
Thanks netgalley for the arc!!!

Second chances
Marriage in crisis
Slow burn
Road trip
One bed

When I saw it was kind of a marriage in crisis book I wasn’t super-excited, but I’m eating my words.

Wren and Ellis have been in each other's lives since they were 5, together as teenagers, had a child at 17 and married at 21. We started 5 years after their marriage fell apart. Nothing big happened, just life, drifting away and not knowing how to fix it with everything else going on.

Their son is going to college, and it’s at this point that Ellis wants the Wren back. He proposed a road trip on the way home from dropping Sam off to see if they could be together again.

God, I loved these two. Their communication was flimsy at first, but both made a point to work on it. I loved that these two who have known each other at every phase of their life and got to see each other in a new light, develop a new relationship and falling in love all over again.

This book had tension, banter, realness, heartbreak and the redefining of a relationship with openness, hard truths, growth, love and compassion.

I absolutely loved this book and can’t wait for Silas’ and Micah’s books!

4.75⭐️

"i'll love you for everything left of forever, in every lifetime we get" 🧡🌲🌻

thank you netgalley for this arc!!!

this book was one of my favorite second chance romances i've ever read! the moment i read about wren & ellis in savor it, i knew i NEEDED their book and let me tell you this did not disappoint!!!

the love that wren and ellis have for eachother is so sweet and genuine, it made me tear up multiple times

here's to hoping micah & silas get a book because i am not ready to leave this world yet!!!!

Tarah truly never misses. I ADORED this book. Perhaps I'm biased, I adore most of Tarah's books. I truly feel like we need more books like this. I love a good romance and I feel like we should see more books representative of marriages going through it or second chance after divorce. Ellis and Wren are everything. I swear I squealed and kicked my feet every time he called her Byrd. I felt for Ellis. It truly felt like this was the first time in his life he got to truly focus on what he wanted. He had to step into a parent role so young for his siblings and then was thrown into parenthood as a teenager with Wren. And don't even get me started on their struggles later on in their marriage. I loved the journey Tarah took us on with them to find their way back to one another.

Five stars!!

Somehow this series is getting better as it goes on - and it already started on an incredible high note with Savor It!

Wren and Ellis quite literally stole hearts in Savor It and they continue to make you absolutely SWOON in Left of Forever.

This story is so full of heart and emotion that I was quite literally clutching my chest at certain points in the book. The journey these two have gone through, and continues to go through, in order to get back to one another was so moving. Marriage reconciliation stories are starting to have an uptick in the romance genre, but they’re not easy to pull off. Left of Forever leaves you feeling like an exposed nerve as Wren and Ellis navigate co-parenting their newly 18 year old son, meddling family members, and their own harbored feelings for one another that never truly disappeared.

There’s something so beautiful and about watching two people who belong together stumble their way back to one another while healing themselves as individuals as well - and that’s what is delivered in this book. There are moments of sweet declarations of love, opportunities for delicious banter, off the charts tension and chemistry, and scenes so full of angst your chest throbs - and still within all of that we get to see two people who refuse to let themselves disappear.

Ellis calling Wren his wife even after years of being divorced just does something to you in a DNA
altering way. Wren being fearless and choosing herself while going after the love of her life is magical and inspiring. And to top it off we get some of the most FUN cameos from Sage and Fisher along with all of the other quirky cast of characters that make up the small town of Spunes, Oregon.

Some of my favorite highlights:
• Silas antagonizing Fisher in a way only he is capable of.
• All and any peeks of Indy!
• A cooking class that goes terribly wrong, (but then terribly right).
• Letters written in pencil.
• Eating homemade baked goods as a love language.
• Men who go to therapy
• Byrd as a pet name
• “You’ve Got Mail” inspired declarations
• Calf grazing and it’s HOT 🥵

I’ll probably edit this review to add more highlights because there are so many good one! Regardless, READ THIS BOOK!

5/5⭐️

🕊️💌"We have whatever's left of forever, you and me."💌🕊️

i'm always hesitant to give a contemporary romance 5 stars bc for some reason it's really rare for them to get that kind of reaction out of me. but THIS??? girl, she deserves her flowers fs.

Something about Tarah DeWitt's writing always immediately draws me in, I love her witty and colorful characters, and the humor woven into her stories. But also the way she absolutely nails including raw emotion and healing and imperfection and utter realism. I eat it up every time.

I was so excited when I found out Ellis and Wren were getting their own story after catching glimpses of them in Savor It. And I know how the author said this story was gonna get a little emotional. I did not however expect to be tearing up by chapter 3. Hence, the five stars bc any book that elicits that kind of reaction is a winner in my book. And the rest of the story is just as emotional and heartwarming and incredibly romantic. I absolutely loved it.

Left of Forever releases May 20th!!

thank you netgalley for the arc!!💋

Tarah DeWitt never disappoints and she sure as hell did not drop the ball with Left of Forever. I SAVORED the failed marriage/relationship aspect of the story and it made me yearn for their story and reunion like no other.

I can't recommend this book enough!

I have loved all of DeWitt’s books so I couldn’t wait to start this one! Overall I loved it! I will say that I enjoyed some of her other works better…
Ellis is the star of this book in my opinion! He does the work, he takes a leap and suggests this trip, and it felt like he never wavered.
On the flip side, I found Wren to be frustrating, having these expectations but not living up to them herself. The way their views are presented to the reader didn’t help. His was always wanting her and hers was trying to move on and then flipping as soon as they spend a couple consecutive hours together.
Overall I thoroughly enjoyed this book! It had me laughing, crying and the spice level was fantastic! I just wish Wren’s wishy washy feelings/behavior felt more authentic.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
4.5 stars

Wren and Ellis are the divorced parents of Sam, who find their way back to each other after five years and a romantic roadtrip after they drop their son off at college. A must read for fans of second chance romances and roadtrip stories! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I am notoriously a second chance romance hater, but this one managed to be enjoyable even for someone that hates the trope with a passion. It's probably because my day job is to get people divorced, but it my mind, people get divorced for a reason and any reconciliation is usually temporary or just a bad idea.

That being said, the loathing I usually feel for this trope never came! I absolutely adored the characters and the setting! It gave me the perfect PNW small town vibes that I love along with really fun locations along the Pacific Coast. The characters felt real and wholesome.

My main complaint with this book, besides the whole second chance of it all, was just how quickly the both fell back in love with each other. It felt like they both just realized they were still in love rather than truly falling back in love.

Over all, I think this is a solid entry into Tara DeWitt's catalogue!

This was a beautiful love story that shows how when two people truly love each other they can and will find their way back to each other. It was wonderful going back into this world that I fell in love with in the book Savor It. And I really appreciated the "special appearances." This author never disappoints.

When I picked up this book I truly wasn’t sure what I was expecting. I was thinking I would have fun. I was thinking that a gruff Charlie Swan/Tom Selleck mmc was gonna be fun. That I’m not normally a second chance romance girlie, but this was a type that was new & fresh I’ve never read before. MAN, WAS I NOT PREPARED.

Wren & Ellis have had their love story: pregnant at 17 & 18, married, &, after years, unfortunately divorced. The two have lived five years divorced but still in each other’s orbit in their small town of Spunes. Wren remains best friends, as she always was, with his siblings, but it never fails to invoke some hard feelings about the past. Also including missing and pining for each other. So, when Ellis proposes to Wren that as they drive their 18 year old son to college, they make a trip of it through California, Wren hesitantly & hopefully agrees. & SO OUR JOURNEY BEGINS.

I cannot describe the beast that crawled into my skin & read the last 50% of this book in a mere few hours. I consumed it at an alarming rate. This book is. SO. FABULOUS. INCREDIBLE. BEAUTIFUL. It meant the whole world to me!!! I loved Wren so much & watching her go through the stages of hope (you heard me) successfully was a JOY. & ELLIS. ELLIS. *TEARS HAIR OUT*. * CLIMBS A MOUNTAIN JUST TO SCREAM AT THE TOP*. I. LOVE. HIM. I was gasping, blushing, tears in my eyes. He has literally reached my upper echelon of romance book men that is only inhabited by Charlie Lastra & Miles Nowak. & THAT IS SAYING SOMETHING. This was a perfect book about hope, growth, & about how sometimes love stories aren’t just linear. & that’s okay. There is something so special here in this story, & I cannot wait for everyone to be able to experience it.

Thank you so much to NetGalley & to St. Martin’s Press for this e-arc!!! I was truly blessed!!

This is not a drill! The second Tarah Dewitt Spunes romance book is here! The oldest Byrd sibling, Ellis, recaptures his life's greatest love.

Wren and Ellis were high school sweethearts who got pregnant at 17 and eventually divorced. Now, their precious son is off to college, and it's time for them both to admit that their feelings for one another never went away.

Oh, how excited I was for this book, and though it's nice as a sexy escape, I didn't quite buy into what it was selling.

I'm tempted to say there is too much going on as it's starting out, but I'm not sure that was the problem as much as it just felt too choppy and disorganized? If you don't want tiny spoilers that have to do with the first 15-20% of the book, skip the rest of this paragraph, as I want to dig into something specific to explain myself real quick. I think the letter saga was meant for Ellis to realize the depth of his feelings for Wren, but...I didn't like it. First, it was disingenuous, second, it was a weak way to tie into Ellis' job that had no bearing on what the story ended up being, third, it was kind of unbelievable she would bear her soul to a stranger to the level she did, it never went anywhere, and also it came off kind of...idyllic? Immature? She's writing to a fire team HOURS away from where she lives about the safety of some horses that were caught in a wild fire? I think it didn't feel supported enough in her characterization throughout the rest of the book. In a nutshell, it wasn't a strong start for me.

Later the two of them end up going on a road trip to drop their son off at college, making a vacation of it and trying to see if they can work out their differences and reconcile. Again, just a very cheesy premise for me. I think it didn't seem to match up with their rich depth of history and their genuine soul connection to need all this cheese to get back to where they belong. The narrative device was just too visible for me.

HOWEVER, the actual romance between them felt so authentic. These two grew up together and were family for just as much of their lives as they hadn't been. I don't doubt for a second that they belong together. That aspect of the novel was very successful. Also, if you're into a little spicy spice - you'll enjoy this!

I think I'm being so hard on this book because I'm such a huge fan of Tarah Dewitt usually. Savor It was so good, and my favorite of hers, Funny Feelings, is must read romance material. This one is okay. Many others have loved it. I was just anticipating...more.

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Loved this one so much! There’s a bit of a slower start but once it picks up, it’s so good. I kept switching back and forth between 4.5 and 5 stars for this one too.

I’ve always been a fan of second chance romances. The yearning between characters is just so good. I love seeing them rebuild the connection.

I really liked when they slowly start to tease each other and flirt. I felt giggly over these interactions. The fact that we can see how this must’ve been them younger and seeing them get back to this point was so cute and fun to read about. I really loved seeing them work through their issues and find happiness again. Overall I really enjoyed this and would highly recommend!

second chance romances are always emotionally heavy for me and so i always need to wait for the perfect time where i can not only handle those feelings, but can actually feel all those feelings in a good way. i only had to wait 5 days for that perfect timing.
i read this one slower (well i tried, i still finished it in a little over two days lol) because i didnt want it to end
i loved the set up of the rekindling, i loved the road trip
i loved Ellis being quiet and shy and serious, not JUST a grump
i loved Wren loving him, and being upset with him
all the Byrds and the town Spunes
Tarah is another one of my perfect writers and I’m so glad she continues to write
thank you Tarah <3