10/10 her best book so far and I’ve loved every single one of her books. The yearning, the mutual pining, the pain of them being separate after so many years together was done so well. Wren and Ellis were perfect and I’m so happy they got their HEA (again)

Thank you to NetGalley for the arc of this book! I really enjoyed this second chance romance. I did struggle a little bit in the beginning getting into the story line because it was different from what I was expecting. But then I couldn’t put it down reading about Ellis and Wren and how they navigated their past while trying to rebuild their relationship! This story was unique and offered a fresh perspective of the second chance romance genre. The author created a perfect environment for the characters to reconnect and face their past.

I got this as an arc copy and I’ll be forever grateful. I don’t know what Tarah is putting in these books but it’s stunning. 10/10. I’d like 100 more please.

I’ve never been a huge fan of second chance romance. But between this and Happy Place, I’ve changed my mind. There are so many real life quotes in this book. I just really love it.

I really enjoyed these characters and was very invested in their emotional (re)connection. I love a second-chance / marriage-in-crisis book, and this one was particularly angsty, sweet and moving. However, I hadn't read DeWitt's previous books and I felt this didn't 100% work as a stand-alone; there were a lot of side characters that regular readers likely know well, but as a new reader it was easy to get a bit lost and bored in these group scenes. My other reservation was the epistolary / hidden identity element of the plot (it happens near the beginning, but I won't say much more in case of spoilers); it felt really redundant to me.

But overall, a solid and emotional second-chance story, and I'll definitely try more of DeWitt's books. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC!

Left of Forever
Wren and Ellis started dating in their teens, accidentally got pregnant, got married, built a life together. And well, life happened to both of them in between. Their marriage fell apart and now they’ve been divorced for five years. But the threads to each other never really left. Wren is still very much a part of the Byrd family (“she’s still a Byrd!”) and Ellis finds himself longing for any attachment to her when they become accidental anonymous pen pals. Months later, he gets up the nerve to suggest they do a celebratory road trip together after they drop their now-grown son off at college. He makes it clear that he also wants to reconnect and hopefully give them another chance and a fresh start. Wren reluctantly agrees to the trip on the condition that they both agree to unpack everything together with as much brutal honesty as they can muster, while also discovering each other again. What ensues is a beautiful fusing our souls who were always meant to be together and - even when separated - were never really far apart.

Rating: the easiest ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I’ve ever given
Spice: 🌶️🌶️

I don’t even know how to begin processing this book.

Most romance books are about falling in love. But STAYING in love is a completely different beast. It is waking up every day and making the same choice forever. It is grit and work and fight and pain and joy and laughter. It is exposing every raw thread of yourself and asking someone else to hold onto those things for a while because sometimes doing it on your own is too hard and too heavy. It is trusting that they will know every ugly piece of you and never use it against you. Falling in love is easy, staying in love is hard.

That’s what this book is about.

Left of Forever is a masterclass in redemption, forgiveness and second chances. It is the most real representation of the true work necessary to sustain a marriage. Wren and Ellis two have been through it all and didn’t make it. I love, love, love that they were already divorced. It puts a completely different lens on what it means to reestablish the relationship.

Tarah Dewitt, you have truly outdone yourself. You wrote these characters so real, raw and authentic, from the way they fought to their inside jokes. I admired how they laid it all out on the line for each other. They engaged like people who had nothing left to lose because, well, they had already lost the most important thing. May we all love so bravely. (“What is bravery if not hope in action?”) The recurring symbols throughout the book like the cranes and the “save you a seat” were poignant nods to a bone-deep relationship.

The whole damn Byrd family is to be adored. I love that you get to know all of them so much better in this book than Savor It. I so hope that the other Byrd brothers get their day. I would love a Silas book (pretty sure that is happening). I would love a Sam book! I love that you get to see more of Sage and Fisher’s engagement. And I won’t spoil the end but holy shit, I loved the end.

This is the movie A Marriage Story meets Jessica Joyce’s The Ex Vows. This is undoubtedly a top read of the year for me, if not in my top books of all time.

🫡 Tropes deployed: second chance, marriage redemption, road trip, single parents, young parents, grief, small town, tight knit family

This was phenomenal. The second chance romance of my dreams. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for gifting me this arc.

"“Nice of you to join us, Meridian,” O’Doyle declares flatly. Wren appears to ignore her, but someone says something low from the corner of the room. “Excuse me?” O’Doyle calls. “Did someone else have something to say before I begin?” “I said,” the voice says louder this time, and every head in the room turns toward Ellis. “She’s still a Byrd,” he firmly states. Sage’s fingers dig into my arm. Wren closes her eyes like she’s stung." - savor it

This was the moment I became obsessed with Wren and Ellis! Im so so grateful that they got their own book.
I can’t pinpoint why but this story was so emotional to me, I think I cried my way through half of this book! The characters were so real! I will repeat myself again and again and again but having a companion novel series is just the absolute best! It was so fun to see all of these characters again!! I loved the family, how close they were, that they were always there for everyone! This was also so funny at times.
I really could feel the love from both mcs, it was the little things that made me swoon.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for this arc! Thank you Tarah for writing such a beautiful story!!

Left of Forever is one of the best books I've read in a while. I flew through it because I COULD NOT put it down. It was emotional and real.
Ellis showing up and doing the WORK. Wren opening up and being honest about how she feels 🥹 And the spice?!?! SO GOOD.
Rarely does a book make me cry, but this had me crying a few times. I will tell literally anyone who will listen about this book.

My favorite second chance romance that I’ve read and possibly my favorite romance of the year. 6⭐️

Wren and Ellis’s love is so sweet, I have been rooting for them since I read Savor It and was not disappointed with their story, everything about it was perfect. The letters were beautifully done, I felt all of the emotions, and i didn’t want it to end! I hope we get the see more of the Byrd siblings.

Thank you Tarah and NetGalley for the pleasure of getting to read this early. 😍 I cannot wait to get my hands on a physical copy in May, I will treasure it forever.

One of the most romantic books I’ve ever read. Breath taking prose. A story about true love, hardships, and second chances. Tarah Dewitt is a genius!

Dear Stranger,

Do yourself a favor and read this book. It will tear your heart out and put it back together with the perfect blend of humor, romance, and emotion. After reading Savor It, I could not wait to dive into Wren and Ellis's story. I was not disappointed and already know this will be one of my top reads of 2025.

"I grew up with my great love. So I think maybe my heart took shape around his."

The book hits on some heavy topics - teen pregnancy, guardianship, secondary infertility, and divorce - to name a few. Tarah was able to write about these topics in such a beautiful way while capturing how hard it was for the characters. Wren and Ellis are childhood friends who fell in love. They had a kid when they were still basically kids themselves and got married young. After growing apart and divorcing, they still have to co-parent their son, Sam, and coexist in their small town. Ellis convinces Wren to go on a road trip on their way back to Spunes after dropping Sam off at college to see if they can give their romance a second chance. They take the opportunity to get to know each other again and have tough conversations while making memories traveling the Pacific Coast.

This book made me laugh; it made me cry. It was everything I wanted it to be.

The story also had some of my favorite microtropes: only one bed & secret tattoos

Thank you St. Martin's Press, Tarah DeWitt and NetGalley for the eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

If I could give this more than 5 stars I would because it is deserving of 100. Right from the start I was hooked and fully invested in Wren and Ellis's story. There are not two people more deserving of a second chance as these two are. They learned and grew from their past mistakes in a prominent way. No one was settling. It shows how true love will find a way.

These characters were all amazing. I loved being back in Sprunes and seeing all of our favorites and catching up with what they have been up to. Wren is such a strong character. I loved how she is unwilling to settle for less than she is worth. Her story truly resonated with me. While I may not be married, I am able to take her message with me as I go through my own bad relationships. I want to be like her and refuse to settle and find something that excites me.

Ellis is the blueprint. If men were like him and could actually learn and take accountability for their mistakes then this world would be a better place. He knew that he was to blame in their failed marriage, and while it took him a bit to get there, he finally began to work on himself. I appreciate that he did not just say he would put the work in while simultaneously win Wren back, but took the time to actually heal and grow before winning her back. He put words into action and showed that he is not afraid of hard work and that Wren is worth the time and effort.

I am so obsessed with this book. Like Wren and Ellis, I think this story changed by DNA.

Thank you to Tarah DeWitt and the publisher for an eARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you for the ARC! I was so excited to read about Wren and Ellis after Savor It (which was a 5 star read for me). However, it was really hard to believe that #1: Wren and Ellis wrote letters to each other without recognizing each other’s handwriting. #2: After being together basically their whole lives, her being an honorary member of his family, and them having a child together, they got divorced without a real reason and without really communicating about it. #3: It took two conversations for them to realize they wanted to be together still. I would’ve believe that if they hadn’t lived in the same town and weren’t always around each other for their son’s sake. I just needed more from them, their relationship, and their issues individually and as a couple. It didn’t feel planned out well in my opinion, and it kind of felt like Savor It #2, because we got more meaningful scenes between Sage and Fisher than the main characters of this book.

♾️ stars

i need to re-hydrate from all the tears before i can sit here and try to find the words to adequately say how spectacular this book was.

--
ok it's been a few hours and I am still sitting here trying to put all of my feelings into some sort of coherent thought to share..

This is Tarah's best work! It was truly phenomenal and her talent just continues to grow with each new release. Her writing was beautiful, filled with so much heartfelt emotion! Her characters and their hurts felt viscerally real to me. Even just now writing my review and thinking back to the book, I feel overwhelmed!! We got to see two people who lost each other, but that never fully let go, fight their way back to one another and it was everything! A story so full of yearning and longing you could drown in it! I felt an ache in my chest the whole way through and I loved every single second of it. Truly one of the best second chance romances EVER!

I knew these two would wreck me the moment Ellis said "She's still a Byrd." in Savor It.

Ellis and his damn sexy mustache, his tender heart and his willingness to do whatever it took to get the love of his life back had me in shambles. This man was determined but still so respectful of Wren, her feelings and her fears! The true desperation he felt to not fuck up this second chance was palpable.

I also feel the need to mention that the tension between them was heady!! The intimacy, whether it was emotional or physical, was all-consuming.

I'm honestly just sitting here feeling ruined because that was easily one of the best romances I've ever read. How do I move on from Ellis & Wren!? *sobs* I don't think I ever will.

Thanks @netgalley @smpromance and especially @authortarahdewitt for the chance to read Left of Forever. It releases on May 20, 2025.

I already know this is going to be one of my top books of the year. I’ll be thinking about Ellis and Wren finding their way back to each other for a long, long time.

This book exemplifies what is so magical about second chance romance. They have so much history (good and bad) and have to find a new, honest way with each other to have what’s left of forever together. Tarah writes emotion better than anyone, and it makes you want to protect Ellis and Wren at all costs. But it’s also SO FUNNY and HOTT. The pepper burn scene manages to do both. I was 😬😂🫣😳🥰. I just love the way Tarah’s brain works ❤️

Wren and Ellis Byrd fell in love as teenagers and got unexpectedly pregnant at 17 and 18. They raise their son together, managing to carve out a lot of happiness despite their struggles. But after too many things went unsaid and resentments and space grew between them, they divorced. Now, five years later, they drop off their son at college and Ellis asks Wren to do a roadtrip home to see if they have something worth saving. Can they find their way back together?

Steam: 🔥🔥🔥
Tropes: second chance romance, SO much pining/angst, roadtrip, only one bed, only one tent, let’s try new things 😈

The absolute perfect second chance romance! I was hoping there would be a Wren/Ellis book since i read Savor It and this surpassed all expectations i had for their story. Tarah DeWitt writes such well-developed characters and stories and this was my favorite book she has written yet.

Some books change the way you see love, and Left of Forever did just that for me. As someone who has been with my husband since we were 17 and 18 years old, this story resonated in ways I never expected. Tarah DeWitt masterfully weaves a tale of two people finding their way back to love, and every word felt like silk in my soul. I wanted to highlight every line, to wrap myself in the beauty of her prose. This book doesn’t just tell a story...it immerses you in a world so rich and emotionally raw that stepping away feels impossible. If you’re looking for a novel that will sweep you off your feet and make you believe in love all over again, Left of Forever is it. Savor it, cherish it, and let it pull you into a place you’ll never want to leave.

Per usual Tarah DeWitt does it again. I’m a sucker for he fell first, second chance, make up for lost time tropes and boy did she deliver!

The ice cream scene. THE ICE CREAM SCENE. Literally shouldn’t have been so hot (pun intended) but it was.

Can we talk about the “did you tell her yet” scene?
Actually having a productive fight and fully expressing their past feelings and miscommunications to bring them closer and they actually understand each other’s wants and feelings… unthinkable. It was such a good expression of what broke them apart in the first place and actually made them stronger together.


Top quotes:
“But what if it’s not burnt? I think. What if it just didn’t turn out like it was supposed to? Couldn’t you walk through the recipe and figure out where you went wrong—“

“Why are you freaking out?” Because I want to spread you wide on these pristine white sheets and taste you. —- f*** you until we both forget the time we lost. Until we both forget our names.”

“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.”

Thank you to NetGalley, for providing me with an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All thoughts are my own and are in no way influenced by early access to this title.

THIS BOOK!!!

I fear I will not recover. My brain and my heart have been altered by this book and I will never, ever get over it.

this—this is the epitome of what a second chance romance should be. It was EVERYTHING— from start to finish. It hit home, hard, for me in more ways than one and I want to take this book and imprint it on my soul somehow 🥹

The love—the LONGING— between Wren and Ellis had me overjoyed and also felt like my heart was being ripped out of my chest at the same time. It was raw, it was real… it was so damn perfect. The tension was palpable, the angst was ANGSTY in the best way, and the LOVE behind it all just had me feeling all the things.

Ellis was everything you could want in a MMC. He was so, so kind and caring and I cannot put into words how much I loved him. His growth was beautiful to see throughout this story and Wren.. my sweet baby Wren I just want to hug you and tell you how much I love and understand you😭

This book was impeccable. funny, heartwarming, beautifully messy perfection. I want to hold this book in my heart and never let it go 🥺 I know with certainty it will be one of my top reads of this year! 🫶🏼

And the spice?!?! 10/10 !!!!!
…dare I say it was….Capsaicin? 🤣🌶️
(IYKYK hehe)

Thank you so much to Netgalley for providing me with this digital ARC!!

Thank you the NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book! Below is my honest review.

Ugh, I don’t hate this book, but it certainly wasn’t for me. We have two 30-something year old adults (Wren and Ellis) who got got married too long, got divorced five years ago for unknown reasons, and they share a teenage kid together. Ellis proposes to rebuild the relationship with Wren to see if things can go back to it once was. A second chance romance.

My problem with this book was that I felt like they did everything backwards, and maybe that’s just my preference. But they have this large huge explosion of feelings and emotions towards the end of this book, when instead they could have talked it all out towards the beginning of this trip and then worked on building the relationship from there. It’s all nice that we got the first-date feelings and giggles, so we know the attraction is still there. But it felt like we ignored the main causes of the divorce until the end, which then got resolved in all of two seconds with “but I love you and I always have!” And then they decide to get married shortly after this trip is over. I don’t know. I don’t understand this book. I’m glad other people liked it but it was not for me.