Why did this book make me want to divorce my husband just to remarry him again!? This was my most anticipated book of the year, and it DID NOT DISAPPOINT. Tarah DeWitt, I hope you get all of the accolades and attention you deserve for this masterpiece!!

Thank you, thank you, thank you for approving me for the eARC! What a brilliant, passionate display of love lost, and how we can find it again if we're meant to.  Ellis and Wren will be with me for a LONG time. This was a stunner.

I could not stop thinking about Wren and Ellis since the moment we met them in Savor it. They consumed my every thought and I'm not exaggerating.
I've never felt this attached or anxious to know more about book characters than I did with them.
At first I was terrified of starting this book as my anticipation turned almost overwhelming, but boy if it wasn't everything and more in the end.
I laughed and sobbed so many times I lost count, the emotions Tarah can evoke with her words and the rawness of her characters is out of this world.
I felt physically sick at times, but to me that's the biggest sign there is that a book is good GOOD. Marriage reconciliation and the angst and pining that entails will forever be beautifully heartbreaking to me.
I cannot wait to reread this when it officially comes out because Left of Forever singlehandedly reminded me what a joy reading is and will be staying in my heart forever.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the ARC!

Honestly probably a 5?????

I've read my fair share of second chance romances (lol) but I don't think I've read one as well paced and as well developed as this one. Don't get me wrong: this book is sloooow. And yeah, their road trip is only for a week. But the planning and thought Ellis had gone into the process was <i> immaculate </i>. The build was worth it in the end to make the story enjoyable and three dimensional.

I also appreciate the dual POV, linear timeline of the book :)

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

This was so good! I found myself rooting for Wren and Ellis from the very beginning. Silas speech was one of my source things in this entire book- honestly Silas is prob my fav character besides Ellis. I love how this story got to the point pretty quickly but I also feel like the main issue here wasn’t really discussed during the huge “moment.” I feel like that took away from the plot for me. Other than that, this was such a cute book and I enjoyed the ride!

Tarah Dewitt never misses. She writes some of the best, most heart wrenching books I’ve ever read, each one better than the next. Left of Forever is absolutely beautiful. I fear this has taken over as my top book from Tarah. this book was heartbreaking and made me cry.

I am not normally a second chance romance girlie, however the way Tarah wrote this left me hanging on to every word. I could feel the hurt and longing. Wren and Ellis have such beautiful souls and I loved the tough conversations. I was so moved by their beautiful love story. These characters have gone through so much, have lost so much, yet still made their way back to each other and learned to live in the way that the other needed. This story was just so beautiful and i am honored to have been able to read it. This made me feel so much. She never misses. This is a book I feel I could pick up again and again. Everything about this book was wonderful.

Tarah has given us something so special with the Byrd family, and the lovely Town of Spunes. She writes familial relationships and friendships that leave me so envious when reminded these characters are fictional and not part of my circle in real life.

This story has great pacing, the characters are so well-developed, and the dual POVs are balanced just right. SO MUCH history, angst, pining and rediscovering between Wren and Ellis. From the crumbs we were given in ‘Savor It’, I knew Wrellis was going to be a favorite ship in this series, and Tarah delivered tenfold.

As with every Tarah DeWitt novel, the tenderness and maturity of the characters is truly unmatched. AND THE SPICE? Her hottest yet, but no less emotional. The connection between the characters is on, quite literally, a chemical level.

This is one of those stories you immediately want to turn back to the first page and start again. Absolutely flawless.

Wren y Ellis fueron novios desde adolescentes, se convirtieron en padres y se casaron jóvenes. Pensaron que su amor lo vencería todo, pero años después, la vida pasó y terminaron lastimándose y divorciándose. Cinco años después, siguen amándose, pero es doloroso, por lo que apenas interactúan. Sin embargo, cuando su hijo se dirige a la universidad, deciden llevarlo y, de regreso, hacer un viaje familiar (solo ellos), en el que finalmente hablarán de todo lo que salió mal. Será la oportunidad para solucionar todo y decidir si darse otra oportunidad o cerraran el ciclo y se irán cada uno por su lado.


Pequeños spoilers:

Me gusto, pero no me encantó. El tiempo que les tomó hablar me pareció demasiado, sobre todo porque convivían todos los días. Pensé que, al esperar tanto, sería más complicado solucionar las cosas, pero les bastaron solo unos días para arreglarlo, lo que me hizo sentir que desperdiciaron años.

Mi reacción al leer que él tuvo algunas relaciones: 😡
Mi reacción al leer que ella tuvo citas: 🥳

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

ᯓ★ˎˊ˗ net galley review
Thank you so much to St. Martin's Press for providing me with the ARC of this book.

I am honestly not the biggest fan of second-chance romance books, but I think that Ms. Tara DeWitt changed my stance on that, because this book was good. When she said that this time they would get it right she damn sure meant it. This couple was everything I wanted them to be. They were sweet and spicy, but filled to the brim with raw emotion. I am so sad that I finished reading this and pray for my dementia days so I can reread this with a fresh set of eyes. The story had great pacing and nothing felt like it was being rushed or moving too slow. Overall, I love this book and need to read more of DeWitt's writing because the way I ate this up is despicable and questionable to my mental health.

There’s always something so exceptional about Tarah DeWitt’s writing, and her latest novel is a prime example of that. Left of Forever follows divorced couple Wren and Ellis Byrd. Although they amicably co-parent and maintain a friendly relationship, they still harbor residual feelings for each other. When their son Sam gets accepted into college, Ellis uses the opportunity to ask Wren to take a trip with him to see if they can rekindle their relationship. From sightseeing to reminiscing, Wren and Ellis revisit what went wrong during their marriage and unearth miscommunications and past regrets.

Wren and Ellis are both vulnerable and relatable individuals. From getting pregnant at a young age to later getting married resulted in them maturing much faster than their peers, but their love for each other exceeded the difficulties they’ve experienced. Wren’s struggle with her health problem and her fear of disappointing Ellis was heartbreaking, yet her persistent strength to build her own life and move on was inspiring. Ellis, on the other hand, is the epitome of a man who yearns, a man who wants to better himself for the woman he loves, and a man who silently carries his struggles within himself. Both Ellis and Wren grew as individuals during their separation, but together they learned more about themselves as they healed pieces of themselves they both concealed during their marriage.

Tarah DeWitt tenderly wrote an evocative and poignant novel about the complexities, regrets, and sacrifices of marriage, family, and relationships. While Left of Forever is a second chance at love again romance, it also focuses on the themes of uncertainty, fears, and failure to communicate properly. Moreover, it is also a reflective story of hope, forgiveness, and possibilities. This is perhaps DeWitt at her most vulnerable as she embeds parts of her personal experience into her writing, and it’s one of her best works yet. This is a story I’ll tuck away and revisit whenever I need the encouragement, and it’s a story so personal I feel honored to have had the opportunity to experience it.

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

LEFT OF FOREVER is one of my favorite second chance romances of all time!!!!!!! It is so remarkably well written with such emotional depth, believability, rawness, tension and tenderness that I was invested in - borderline obsessed and smitten with - the characters and their story the entire read. Wren and Ellis Byrd have known each other since they were 3 and were in love for nearly just as long until five years ago when they divorced. For reasons they haven't explored or wanted to admit why they haven't moved on, Ellis proposes which Wren finally agrees to a road trip on the way back from dropping their son Sam off at college for the chance, time and space to either finally get closure or give their relationship one more chance and to understand what led to distance now between them. I loved the premise so much and enjoying Ellis and Wren rediscovering each other out while also discovering new parts about one another and the ways they've grown and evolved the last five years. So many beautiful moments and lines and exceptional banter that made for a flawless love story. I've always enjoyed this author's work but this book made this author one of my absolute favorites. It feel like an honor and privilege to read Wren and Ellis's story and to witness and experience their love. Those two have a special place in my heart. And thank god we get to see in to Ellis's mind because oh my god....what a heartfelt and endearing softie of a man he is!!!!

Much gratitude to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

Tarah De Witt has truly outdone herself with this one. This book had me absolutely swooning. Following Wren and Ellis, a divorced couple who've loved each other since childhood, on their emotional road trip to rediscover each other is both heart-wrenching and uplifting. The chemistry between them is undeniable, but it's the raw, real moments where they face their past and try to rebuild that make this story unforgettable. This story blends love, loss, and the complexities of life, making the characters so relatable and human. Wren and Ellis’s journey is one of healing, forgiveness, and rediscovery, and it’s impossible not to root for them every step of the way.

as we all know, second chance romance is my favorite trope and i think its safe to say that this is, hands down, one of the best second chance romances ever written. i will hear no arguments! i have been waiting for this book since i finished savor it on dec 31st 2023 & it did NOT disappoint. it was EVERYTHING i wanted and more.

wren and ellis are two characters who you can tell tarah crafted with precision, gentleness, and love. they are so unbelievably well written, carry so much depth and relatability. they are so real to me it HURTS. i could cry just thinking about it. wren & ellis are literally the epitome of soulmates, truly some of the best characters i’ve ever read and one of the best love stories i have ever laid my eyes on.

tarah dewitt takes us on the most emotional, heart wrenching, hilarious, healing and entirely beautiful ride that is wren & ellis’s love story. childhood best friends who then become lovers, facing the challenges and the fear of a teenage pregnancy, and taking on the responsibility of so much more. two people are so ingrained in each other, who somewhere along the way lost sight of it all & watched their great love crumble in front of their eyes. two people who, after five years, take a roadtrip with their hearts packed with hope and undying love and figure out if they can find their way back to each other.

i cannot put into words how perfectly written this was. tarah dewitt has always done an incredible job at placing you smack dab in the hearts & minds of her characters, but something about this one… i was IN IT from the very first sentence. you can literally feel the YEARNING, the desperation, the fear and the hope, and the LOVE radiating from this book. tarah put the complicated and overwhelming emotions that come along with giving love a second chance – the hope, the fear of hoping too much, the anger and regret, the sadness and the longing, the loneliness and confusion. it was so raw, vulnerable, and REAL. their chemistry, the tension, the intimacy, the EVERYTHING. I CANT HANDLE IT. I DONT EVEN CARE IF IM NOT MAKING SENSE.

wren & ellis are perfect to me. two people who deserve so much good in their life, all things wonderful and happy and full of love. these two mean so much to me, i was so invested in their story and everything wren & ellis byrd. they are so beautiful, they are so hot (i started sweating while reading this), they are so desperately in love with each other that it makes me SICK. the ending was genuinely one of the most beautiful things i’ve ever read, i was SOBBING MY EYES OUT. i literally dont even know what to say, ive been rendered speechless.

i’m already considering picking it back up to reread & i literally finished it like twenty minutes ago. i cannot recommend this book enough, i cannot wait for wren & ellis to be out in the world so you can all fall in love with them too. READ IT.

OH AND ONE LAST THING: SHE’S STILL A MF BYRD.

this book was so such a delight, the Byrds were such a delight to see and actually their story from their pov. These two own my heart and everything in my. I cried and had fun and laughed. god I just... I cannot wait for people to actually read them and enjoy and cried with them.

Tarahs written it was so powerful and so raw I felt it in every bone and this was not the exception on how to feel every emotion on your body about them. I love them very much and This book will one they will stay forever with you because they are just THAT couple.

If I want to sob, laugh, swoon, blush all while reading the greatest romance novel, I go to Tarah DeWitt's books. I admit I found her fairly late to the game but I haven't looked back since. She started this delightful and steamy series with Savor It but Left of Forever is another level of incredible. A divorced couple that have been in love with each other since they were kids take a road trip to see if they can and if it's worth finding their way back to each other. I will forever tell you how much I love Tarah's writing and the way she weaves love, romance and all kinds of things we go through in life that are not always easy all together and making her characters real and raw. I loved getting to know Wren and Ellis better. I knew from the moment I met them in Savor It I would die for their story–and I did. They were perfect for each other and seeing them yearn for each other to slowly-but-surely finding their way back to one another was such a joy. I loved being back in Spunes and when I tell you I can't wait to get my hands on the next book, I mean it!

“The way I have felt about you has been the only thing that’s felt like—like it can’t be contained in one body or lifetime."
•
SHE’S STILL A BYRD, Y’ALL!!!!!

honestly, I could wax poetic about Left of Forever endlessly, but I’d never do it justice. so, I’ll keep it as simple, short, and sweet as possible.

this book is absolute perfection. it’s equal parts hilarious, heartbreaking, and hopeful. it’s achingly beautiful…a hug of emotions filled with depth and soul.

witnessing two people find their way back to each other with years of hurt and hope between them is its own kind of medicine. Wren and Ellis are on a top tier unreached by all others. and if anyone will make you believe in love, it’s them.

with Tarah’s lyrically magical writing, you'll laugh and cry in abundance, oftentimes simultaneously. it’s truly all I could have hoped for and so much more. Tarah does no wrong when it comes to her writing, but this is another level of artistry. a magnus opus type of work.

Left of Forever is the kind of love story dreams are made of.
•

this and that:
♡ anonymous penpals
♡ baked goods
♡ cable cars
♡ chaotic cooking classes
♡ childhood friends-to-lovers
♡ cow eyes (you’ll understand later)
♡ divorced co-parenting
♡ dual pov
♡ finding your way back to each other
♡ firefighter x baker
♡ flashbacks
♡ forced proximity
♡ glamping
♡ healing
♡ heat heat heat 🥵
♡ he’s obsessed
♡ hope on hope on hope
♡ hurt x comfort
♡ liver and onions
♡ mature characters making safe spaces for the other person to genuinely communicate
♡ new beginnings
♡ one bed
♡ open door spice
♡ origami birds
♡ picnics
♡ pining
♡ roadtrips
♡ sad girl music
♡ second chances
♡ slow burn
♡ small town
♡ therapy
♡ twilight soundtracks appreciation (anyone who loves the twilight soundtracks as much as I do is destined to be a best friend)
♡ unfortunate, albeit comical, encounters with capsaicin
•

triggers:
☞ divorce
☞ infertility x miscarriage
☞ grief
☞ loneliness

Left of Forever


This was at the top of my list for 2025 releases, and I cannot emphasize enough how much it did not disappoint.

As a (very) happily divorced person, I sometimes find marriage-in-crisis / second chance stories hard to read, but wow, did Tarah deliver something special with LoF.

The believable and earned character growth was one of my favorite parts of LoF. It’s such a balancing act to have there be believable conflict that doesn’t make the reader hate the characters, but Wren and Ellis are both believable and sympathetic at every turn.

They both grow so much during this story, in measurable and reasonable ways. It often frustrates me when MCs just magically stop doing the “bad” things that drove the characters apart because “love healed them” or some nonsense. Nope, not here. Ellis doesn’t just magically change - he listens to his siblings and takes their observations of him to heart, he spends time sitting with his emotional reality and realizes he wants something different, AND he goes to therapy.

And Wren - the path back to trusting Ellis is realistic. She doesn’t sugar coat how much she wants him back and how scared she is of that, and she actively decides to stop catastrophizing and trust Ellis. She knows it’s a leap of faith, and that’s part of what made it so powerful to me. She’s terrified, and she chooses it anyway because she’s seen that there’s still a chance for something great.

Aside from the beautiful arc of two wounded, tender people finding each other again, there’s the humor - only Tarah DeWitt can make me guffaw out loud multiple times during a very hot, very spicy scene (all puns intended, IYKYK).

The thematic details that weave throughout in LoF are also a masterpiece. One of those is the idea of making a mess, what does it mean to be messy, in what senses can/should someone have needs and be messy?

I loved these two. I loved seeing them grow and decide to trust again. I loved that there wasn’t shame that either of them had tried to move on during their time apart, no possessive anger that they’d slept with others (real hurt, yes, but not over the top jealousy). I loved Wren’s piercing sadness and loneliness toward the beginning, and I adored Ellis’s absolutely beautiful pining down bad-ness throughout the entire book.

I could keep going, but suffice to say, Tarah DeWitt just keeps getting better. I think this is my favorite TDW book yet.

Oh, and of course, I can’t wait to go back to Spunes again for Silas’ and Micah’s stories someday.

*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review

There's a special kind of feeling that comes after finishing a book like this. Where your heart is aching, your eyes are red from crying, your face hurts from laughing, and your soul just feels... full.

I'm not actually sure how to put into words what and how exactly this book makes me feel but I'll try.

This is a story about heartache and a love so deep there was nothing left to do but leave it. About growing pains and growing together and growing apart. About wanting and a yearning so deep you're desperate to start finding your way back as soon as possible. About happiness and the memories that feel robbed when they're shadowed by loss. This is a fucking story about hope.

Wren and Ellis have woven their lives together since they were 5 years old. It's sometimes incomprehensible to me that two people could know each other so well and so throughly like Wren and Ellis do. But damn. Tarah made it believable and painful and so fucking earnest my teeth ache with it.

They worked so hard at getting it right, at wanting to be better for each other, at listening to what the other needs and working at it, and it felt like a triumph every step of the way. That final match, when the bare bones and the ugly truth comes out? I'm not sure I've ever read a scene so viscerally heartbreaking but at the same time so god damn healing.

I don't know, yall. I have a million more things I want to say about this but I think you all should just experience it for yourself. You'll laugh, you'll cry, honestly it'll probably make you a little bit horny with how good the spice is, and frankly, it'll just make you fall even more in love with contemporary romance stories.

Thank you, Tarah and SMP, from the bottom of my heart, for the ARC. This is an honest(raw messy) review in exchange.

LEFT OF FOREVER
by @authortarahdewitt
🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿
I had the immense pleasure of beta reading this heartwarming, flawless, angsty book featuring our man determined, Ellis Byrd and our tender but strong woman, Wren. I was here for all of the letter writing, apron strings, glimpses of Deac & Rynn, GARY, chilli peppers, and so much more. Tarah writes with such heart, it sometimes makes mine feel like it’s going to burst out of my chest.
🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿

I actually don't have the words to convey the vast amount of emotions I felt while reading this book.

I will have a much more detailed review come release day but WOW. This book is a masterpiece. I live for a book with a pair that have been through it all and really want to come out of the fighting fight stronger and better and that is exactly what we have here.

Two people with very real and complex issues working through an entire life they've spent together. You can feel every emotion on the page through your entire being, it's moving, it's honest, it's desperate in the best of ways. There is a lot of beauty in heartbreak, in growth, in love. People are constantly changing. Sometimes you need to grow apart to be able to grow some bigger roots together.

I think it's so apparent from the jump how much Wren and Ellis love each other. How much they care and desperately want to try. If this book doesn't have you rooting for them and crying and laughing and maybe needing to take a lap because some of those spicy scenes are... Spicy. Bless you, Tarah.

Sometimes being annoying and desperate pays off. I'm so grateful for the chance to read this very incredible piece of work. I cannot wait to share even more of my unhinged thoughts come May.

Thank you to Tarah, SMP, and NetGalley for the ARC <3

The fact that Tarah had me crushing haaaaard in a second chance romance is saying something. I don’t gravitate to second chance usually but this delivered EVERYTHING I love. Secret pining and tension and discovery and quippy banter. I can’t WAIT to reread this via audio once it’s released.

An absolute FAAAAAVE of the year.