Tarah DeWitt said she never intended to write an interconnected Spunes series, but Ellis and Wren’s story demanded to be told—and now I get it. Individually, they are both such rich, fully realized characters—unique, memorable, and utterly endearing. But together—UGH. Together, they are an explosion of longing, desperation, empathy, and so much passion.

Nobody builds tension like Tarah DeWitt. Wren and Ellis put in the hard and necessary work to find their way back to each other after five years of divorce and a lifetime of love that never faded. The intention and care they showed in working through their past absolutely wrecked me. It was raw, emotional, and profoundly moving. Not once did I question their love—it felt real in a way that settled deep in my bones.

And Tarah’s writing style is actually flawless. It’s the perfect mix of sharp wit and deep emotion. She doesn’t just tell a story—she PULLS you into it, making you feel every stolen glance, every unspoken word, every aching bit of longing. The dialogue flows effortlessly, with moments of subtle humor that had me smiling without even realizing it. It felt less like I was reading this book and more like I was living inside it.

I fear I may have read my favorite book of 2025 only two months into the year. Sheer perfection, 11/10, not a single note because it was everything I wanted and more.

It's fine. I only sobbed twice. 😭😭🖤💥

But really though - if you like second chance romances - you're going to love this. It's so heartwrenching and exactly what I wanted it to be.

I'M HERE FOR THE LATE 30's ROMANCES MM'KAY?!

There's just too much to love about Wren and Ellis (and they seem like they have THE sweetest origin story??)!! I loved their story so much and I'm normally never a fan of looking back!

**Thank you to St.Martin's Griffin for the advanced reader copy. I received this book for free, but all thoughts are my own. – SLR 🖤

4.5 stars! Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martins Press, and St. Martin's Griffith for this advanced copy! You can pick up Left of Forever on March 20, 2025.

Tarah DeWitt never fails to make me feel all the feelings with these gut-wrenching, hope-ridden romances. I absolutely devoured Savor It last year, and I was overjoyed to have a chance to read Left of Forever early this year. And it did not disappoint.

I immediately clocked Wren and Ellis in Savor It as a couple needing their own love story told, and I ate UP this second chance romance. What really struck me about this story is how present we are with Wren and Ellis's pain as much as their love. The truest, most devastating forms of love cut as much as they heal, because the person holding the knife is someone you trust above all others. And watching Wren and Ellis build that trust again was beautiful.

I loved the pen pal storyline (though I wish the reveal at the end had been handled a bit better), because we see Ellis finally start to open up and acknowledge his feelings for Wren. When they take the road trip over the summer, each date was romantic as hell and full of delicious tension and yearning.

But my only complaint is that so much of Ellis's character growth occurs off-page. He goes to therapy for several months to work on his communication skills and ability to open up, so when we (and Wren) meet him several months later, he feels like a much different MMC. More self-actualized and self-aware, open and vulnerable, and very much the opposite of the rough and gruff older brother who was thrust into a fatherly role too early in life. I would've liked to witness his transformation more alongside Wren, but as it is, I loved seeing them work through past issues together to form a new future.

And the spice? Let's just say I didn't know Wren and Ellis (and Tarah DeWitt) had it in them. Some truly jaw-dropping scenes in the best way and slipped in so innocuously (though I could've done without the whole pepper burn dick thing).

Safe to say if you loved Savor It or love a good rekindled love/second chance romance a la The Parent Trap, this is the book for you!

This was such an amazing read and I knew it would be but it still exceeded all my expectations. DeWitt has a way of bringing forth every emotion and writing those hard hitting topics. I’m usually not a second chance romance kind of reader but the snippets DeWitt released on social had me so excited to get my hands on this book and as impossible as it may seem, I like this one even better than Funny Feelings.

The communication and dynamic in this book was so healthy! There was no manipulation or secrets, these characters were so clear on what they wanted from this trip and each other and it was so refreshing to see a book focus on the love and the heartbreak without adding unnecessary drama. I laughed and cried through every page and I can’t wait to get my hands on the final published version.

Oh, this book. I laughed, shed a tear and swooned from the first page to the last. In this book, Tarah DeWitt weaved a beautiful second-chance romance, which had a wonderful balance of both emotional and lighthearted moments, starting from the tension between Ellis and Wren when we first meet them, to the way they found their way back to each other in the end. The storyline is simple - a little road trip after dropping their son off at college - but that's okay because with a second-chance romance, we're here for the emotions and the pining, the fights and the healing... which Tarah delivered in spades.

Special mention goes to the most lovable side characters (hello Byrd family!) that are clearly rooting for the couple alongside us, and the most bizarre cooking class disaster I've ever read. I admittedly and unfortunately don't remember much of Savor It (I should do a re-read but by no means was it necessary to have read that in order to enjoy this one), and Tarah's books have kind of been a bit of a hit-or-miss for me personally, but after this? I'm a convert. Sign me up for all of Tarah's books from now on. This is her best work yet.

Love love love! I love a rekindled live story! I can’t wait to read everything else you write! You have become a must read author for me!

the first 50% DRAGGED i’m ngl. i kept waiting for something to happen and when i realized the couples’ trip was barely beginning halfway through, i was appalled. the latter half was honestly a bit unbelievable? i don’t see how their issues were resolved the way they were (granted it was book time, irl it would’ve happened differently) but i couldn’t suspend my disbelief at their entire relationship beginning, middle, to end.

there were a few emotional bits that i think were handled well and this got an actual sob outta me in the last third of the book but the build up towards that moment was lacking 😫 i feel like i just wanted *more* from them

i thought it couldn't be worse than my experience with <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6175115647">savor it</a>, i mean, there was nothing wrong with that one, it's just that i simply got bored halfway through, but i thought this second change was going to do it for me— i was wrong.

i don't want to sound rude, or unreasonable, but i think i had a problem with every aspect of this book.
* the dialogue was a mess, and i'm not talking about punctuation because that was also a problem sometimes. i'm talking about the fact that the way the two main characters communicated made me realise why they had broken up. this is a couple who gets together when they are teenagers (14, i think), and most of the time it felt like their frontal lobes hadn't developed because they communicated the same way my 14 year old cousin does.
* the whole pen pal, secret letters thingy was cute, if you ignore the fact that at the end of the day, this "new relationship" they are developing has started being a farce, a trick. i mean, i at least would have be mad, and it woud've taken me some time to come to term with the fact i've been lied for months. obviously, our main character didn't have a problem seeing as she forgave him immediatly— if i was the main character, this book would've been a contemporary novel with no happy ending, not a romance.
* they broke up because they didn't have a conversation. if only they had known how to properly communicate, this book wouldn't have seen the light of day, because it took them however many years to have one conversation, and for him to go to therapy, to realise they had issues.
* i also found de male main characters relationship with his sibling a bit troublesome, because they have spent their entire lives depending on him, and he spent his life taking care of them, but they take her side in the divorce (when it was no ones fault) and this man found himself with no one to talk to— it's literally alleged his sibling might not trust him that much. how messed up is that?
* the sex was a bit cringy, not going to lie.

thank you NG, tarah dewitt and st. martin’s press for the arc

I really really liked the concept of this book and it had so much potential but I feel like it missed the mark. The delivery was off and I didn’t feel all that emotionally attached to the characters the way that we were supposed to.

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

I don’t care that it’s only February, I feel confident saying that this will be in my top 10 reads of the year. Wren and Ellis are everything. They are endgame. I need this book to come out immediately so I can talk to everyone I know about it. The prose is breathtaking. The heartache is so visceral. I'm in love with this book and this family and I want to move immediately to Spunes, Oregon (not to be confused with Forks, Washington).

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT:
-Second chance romance
-Divorced couple
-Road trip
-Emotionally intelligent characters
-A tender treatment of infertility
-5/5 spice
-TW: mentions past infertility, ectopic pregnancy (off the page), death by fire (off the page)

WHAT I LIKED:
-Everything. Seriously. This book is perfect from the dedication until the last word.
-I loved the shifting perspectives between Wren and Ellis. Experiencing their story through both of their eyes brought so much more depth and emotion to the story.
-The sex scenes are unfathomably hot, my god.
-I loved every character. This book stands independent but interconnected with Savor It, which I haven’t read but am immediately adding to my TBR. Every character in this book is so rich and vibrant and really jumps off the page, no matter how major or minor their role in the story is. The universe of the book feels very complete and dimensional.
-This is one of the most moving, tender books I’ve read recently and treats some really difficult subject matter with such care. The raw grief and pain around infertility is so deeply accurate and really resonated with me. I felt so seen and my own infertility experience felt so validated reading this.

WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE:
-That it ended. I have no notes, I loved this book so thoroughly.

Left of Forever comes out on May 20th - pre-order now. This will be your favorite book this year. I’m so grateful to have had the chance to read this and cannot wait for you all to get your hands on this one.

I absolutely loved this story. As someone who’s been married for a decade to the boy I fell head over heels for as a teenager—and have loved deeply every day since—it hit me right in the feels. Growing up alongside the person you love is such a rare and beautiful experience, and Left of Forever captured that so perfectly.

What made this story even more special was how it explored the complexities of love, especially when it’s tested by life’s challenges. Seeing Wren and Ellis navigate the delicate process of finding their way back to each other after taking a break felt so real and raw. It was a powerful reminder that love isn’t always easy, but it’s worth fighting for. This story was heartfelt, emotional, and deeply touching—one that will stay with me for a long time.

The minute I read, "she's still a Byrd" in Savor it, I knew I needed more of Wren and Ellis. Left of Forever is Ellis and Wren's second chance. Ellis was the guardian of his siblings at 18 and also had a baby with Wren around the same time. They weathered many storms together, but ultimately got divorced 5 years prior to when this book takes place. Tarah did a great job of showcasing how the circumstances of our life, grief and poor communication can take a toll on even the strongest relationships. The circumstances around their divorce and witnessing Wren and Ellis relive their worst and best memories was heart wrenching. Tarah just a wonderful job writing complex characters with such genuine feeling. It is moving to read her writing and I am so happy that I got to go on this journey with Wren and Ellis.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the ARC!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 highly recommend!

4.5/5 ⭐

Whenever I read something by Tarah Dewitt, I know I'm going to get my socks knocked off at how beautiful and poetic it is. Tarah *always* is able to write emotion so well, like these characters hearts are bleeding straight onto the page. I was invested after meeting Wren in Ellis in the previous book. I was heartbroken by their story, childhood lovers to spouses due to a teen pregnancy, and then getting divorced due to heartache. I was so patiently hopeful that Tarah would write them and give them the happy ending I wanted and she did not disappoint. Tarah begins this journey with Wren and Ellis dropping off their son at college. They've been divorced for five years, yet neither of them truly has closure nor have they stopped loving eachother. At Ellis's request, they embark on a road trip, taking the scenic route home and finally having the heart to heart discussions they've been long overdue. As they journey together, they finally start communicating, forgiving one another, and falling in love for each other once again and it is absolutely beautiful to see. I loved getting to live through Wren and Ellis's memories in their letters and adored that Tarah chose to go this route instead of the flashbacks that are typical for these kinds of stories. There is also something so unique about falling in love with someone and growing up alongside them and Tarah captured that here so beautifully, highlighting the complexity of how their childhoods influenced their marriage. This story was full of hope, vulnerability, and an open honesty that was so refreshing. This felt like a rare gem among so many others in the romance genre, and definitely left a lasting impression.

I wanted Ellis and Wren's story since they were introduced to us in Savor It. This more than delivered. Ellis and Wren were everything to each other until it just got too hard. They never stopped loving each other though. After avoiding each other when possible, they realized that they hadn't moved on at all. With misunderstandings and poor timing making things guy wrenching at times, they embark on a road trip to feel things out. They put in the work, opened their eyes and got their forever. Now we need everyone else's story, including Indy.

the 5 star streak for books about Byrds continues🌲🌊🐦‍⬛🥹!!! my expectations for this book were SO high from the snippets we got of them in Savor It and i’m so pleased to say that Tarah not only met my expectations but exceeded them in so many amazing ways!!! i love them so much🥰🥰🥹🥹🤭🤭

thank you SO much to the publisher & netgalley for the free e-arc in exchange for my honest thoughts!

context: i have only ever read funny feelings by tarah dewitt and not the first book in the series. they are standalone, but i prob missed some easter eggs. also, i was emailed the ARC. i liked funny feelings but am def a fan after this one 🫶🏻

synopsis:
a baker from oregon who has been divorced for 5 years from the love of her life and the father of her child decides to write to a random firefighter in colorado to see if two bonded horses were rescued. these letters allow her to have some level of "intimacy" (they just bonded, not romantic interactions - she poured her heart out on paper and romanticized their exchanges) since her separation. the anonymous firefighter turns out to be her ex - honestly, i don't know how she didn't think this was a possibility since he is always working away from home. he holds onto these exchanges until the horses are found (alive and together) because these are the only moments he can see into her mind. after cutting off their correspondence, he makes it his goal to get her back by learning how to ~express emotions~ because it is obvious she misses him just as much as he misses her. this leads him to devise to plan a trip to celebrate their child going off to college as "friends" and their story goes from there.

this was beautifully written and was the best second-chance i have read. i usually don't like them because they need a lot of depth for them to be believable or have you rooting for the characters to reunite. these characters were so believable and definitely had you rooting for them to end up together - their TENSION and their deeply, sentimental love for one another. the minor complaints are about the book's structure (i.e., the prologue felt out of place and would have been more impactful once it got to that point in the story), but it did not negatively impact the reading experience for me.

my detailed pros and cons list contains spoilers so it will be on my goodreads.

honorable mentions:
- pepper dick scene (YUP)
- silas, i love him and am his #1 fan
- their playlist was pretty good and did not make me cringe like some books' do
- if i had a nickel for every time a MMC gets a wren tattooed on him without her knowing because the FMC's name is wren, i would have two nickels (cannot remember the name of the other book atm)

This book is precious. The Byrd family is so full of wit, hope, and love that one can only truly ever wish to find something comparable. God bless Ellis Byrd’s mustache.

5⭐️
I wanted to read this as soon as I saw the gorgeous cover art. Then I found out it was a second chance romance with a couple that had been married. How can it work? I had to know.

I loved this book! Ugh, the feelings, the letters, the mutual pining, the family rooting for them. Swoony.

Wren and Ellis have been divorced for 5 years. Neither has moved on. They have coparented their son the best they could and stayed civil. Now their kid is off to college and both are wishing things were different between them.

Ellis is fighting a forest fire and happens to pick up a box donated by his ex wife with baked goods and a letter. He writes her back anonymously, and they start exchanging letters. They both confess somethings, and when Ellis writes “I still love my wife” it’s heart breaking.

Later Ellis suggests a road trip to drop off their son at college, and to spend time together with Wren. They are open with each other about hoping for more and actually talking about hard stuff. It’s romantic and sweet, sexy, and sad in some parts.

Can be read as a stand alone. We get a cameo of Deacon & Laryn from The Co-op, and lots of Fischer and Sage from Savor It.

Content Warnings for fertility issues, miscarriage, death of parents in the past.

4.5 🌟

i knew i wud love this and i.did.

obsessed with these two and the healing that they did UGH making me believe in love fr

*read as ARC from netgalley*

I love the way Tarah writes emotion. I can feel these characters hearts bleeding onto the page and fell in love with them immediately.

I was a young mom/wife and related so much to the ups and downs of forming a relationship while also trying to figure out who you are and how to raise a child.

I was fully invested in watching Wren and Ellis fall back in love, their growth and communication was beautiful.

One thing I love about second chance are the small but significant things that pop up in the story that are only important and sentimental to them because of their history. This story was full of these moments and I loved every one.

I highlighted so much of this book because Tarah is a master at how she captures emotions and translates them on page.

This book is very spicy so I wouldn’t recommend to everyone but overall I loved the story and the characters so much and nothing felt forced or cringe worthy.

Every word of this book was perfect, when the title came into play I had goosebumps. I am a stickler for a good ending. The last chapter of a book can really affect how I feel overall. The last two sentences of this story perfectly wrapped it all up and made me cry. This a beautiful story about second chances, hope, and fighting for your love.

Favorite Quotes:

“[we] let life chip and file away at us until our edges were too dull to catch on each other and keep hold”

“Time does that, I suppose. When you spend so much of it looking forward to the next thing, it can easily slip out from under you.”

“I’ll beg you every day if I need to. I’m begging you to fight with me, do anything with me. Just be with me.”

CW: explicit language, multiple open door