My first book from Tarah DeWitt but what a fabulous start!

The tension, the yearning, the spice... I've never been the biggest fan of second chance romances but this one really worked for me.

This book takes a second to get going. and by that, I mean they don't actually go on the road trip to fix their relationship until way past a third of the book. But the backstory was key and laid the groundwork. making this book so incredibly enjoyable.

Ellis is just *chefs kiss*. I'm always here for an emotionally intelligent man who goes to therapy.

I love interconnected standalones and will definitely go back and read book 1, but you definitely don't need to read book 1 to enjoy this one! I think I may be adding Tarah DeWitt to my auto buy author list in the future. Praying that Silas' book is next!

I loved this book!!
Wren and Ellis were childhood sweethearts. They had a child and got married really young but have been divorced for 5 years. Now in their 30s, they still haven't moved on. Do they still have feelings for each other? Can they find their way back to each other?

I'm always a bit cautious with second chance romances as I struggle to relate. How can they go back after all the hurt. But it's not always that simple. Sometimes people grow apart, or they lose each other when they lose themselves, but the love is still there. I love this journey of them finding each other again. The letters had me giddy and the cooking session had me in fits of laughter.

The characters had such great chemistry. The banter was everything. Even the side characters were loveable. I have since realised this is book two in the series so I need to go back and read book one, and I cannot wait for future books in this series. I am hoping Silas is next!! I want to be part of the Byrd family.

I didn't realise this would be a therapy session for myself but there were some insightful points in this through the characters journey of healing which I will remember. Intimate and healing with some hot spice. This book will make you believe in fate and soulmates.

Thank you to Piatkus and Little, Brown Book Group for this advanced copy.

Lyrical, tender, and hot as hell – just gorgeous

This book was absolutely stunning – lyrical, emotional, and packed with all the grown-up, messy beauty of a second-chance romance done right. At its heart, Left of Forever is about redemption and love rediscovered after divorce, and it absolutely delivers.

Wren and Ellis’s story is intimate in every sense – their connection feels real and lived-in, and when the heat hits, it’s deliciously steamy in a way that’s also tender and believable. I was completely swept up in it.

The prose is beautiful, the setting atmospheric and vivid – I felt like I was there with them. The humour is pitch-perfect too, not overdone but natural and genuinely funny. It’s a story full of wit, joy, heartbreak, found family and healing.

By the time I reached the final chapter, I was crying happy tears – this was such a satisfying, emotional ride. A perfect summer love story that left me full-hearted and grinning through the tears.

Thanks to NetGalley and Little Brown Group for the ARC. This is my honest opinion.

I absolutely adored Tarah DeWitt’s Savour It when I read it last year and was hoping that we might get a Wren and Ellis second chance romance ever since the ‘she’s still a Byrd’ moment and boy oh boy did DeWitt deliver. Left of Forever is the most gorgeous second chance romance that’ll hit you in all the feels.

Wren and Ellis Byrd fell in love as kids, had their son and before they were twenty and built their life together in Spoons. They were made for one another, until they fell apart. Now in their 30s and five years separated they still can’t seem to get one another out of their minds. When their son Sam is accepted to college they offer to drive him there and then decide to journey back together and see if there is any hope in salvaging what they once had. But the two still have to contend with their tumultuous past in order to move forward. And when spoken words fail, sometimes the written word must bridge the gap.

This was such a beautiful, tender, hopeful and deeply real book. You just couldn’t help but root for Wren and Ellis throughout. There had been so many missed chances and hiccups leading up to their road trip where we as the audience could see how much they cared for one other and yet they kept seeing the wrong thing. And yet you know what, I think that worked perfectly, they needed the chance to reconnect and find one another again without the distractions of their home town and its inhabitants. They needed those chances to talk, figure out what they wanted and needed, what went wrong and where they might go next.

The duel pov worked so well, you could really feel just how deeply these two cared for one another but also how very scared they were too. They’re both such strong, rounded and developed characters, who along with the other Bryds (and Fisher) you’ll totally fall in love with.

I simply adored this novel.

Not to be dramatic but this book saved me😍

Life has been crazy lately and I’ve been in a bit of a reading slump and nothing has hit the way I needed it to but I had high hopes for this book and ooooh it delivered!

I love second change romances and this was an amazing one! After being divorced for five years, Ellis convinces Wren to go on a road-trip after dropping their son off at college. This trip is their opportunity to see whether they can give their relationship one more chance and upon realising they both want to be together again, they do everything they can to ensure they get back home together.

Wren and Ellis were great characters! They knew each other deeply and even after years apart they still knew each other so well. Ellis did change a lot during their time apart (most off-page I’d say, with therapy and lots of reflection) and it was great to see him surprise Wren and actually do the work and actively fight to be more open and honest with Wren, even when his natural instinct would be to keep things to himself or fight alone (even though he always had good intentions).

I loved seeing them talk through their past and not only the problems thy faced and how they reacted to them, but also reminisce about the good time and all the wonderful memories they made together throughout the many years they knew each other. They had some great conversations and I loved seeing them open up and be vulnerable together.

I also loved the way this book focused so much on the present, and not too much on the past as second chance romances often do. And the use of the letters and diaries? Incredible! It’s something I haven’t seen often and I just adore this format, the insight it gives you into a character and how beautiful it is.

Beautiful, raw, funny and sometimes heartbreaking. Left of forever was sometimes hard to read because it was so well written I felt like I was experiencing the multitude of wild emotions Wren and Ellis go through.

Such a beautiful heartfelt take on a second chance romance.

"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."

This novel was unbelievably beautiful! I feel so lucky to have discovered this stunning gem of a book on netgalley. I've already pre-ordered a physical copy so I'm able to admire it on my bookshelf!

It was real and raw and exhilarating! The blend of angst and explosive passion was divine. The emotions of these characters completely enveloped me. It was poetry. Every second of it.

This was an intense read! The author has done the perfect job of capturing the longing, heartache, and melancholy of these two fantastically well-rounded characters! Wren and Ellis were out of this world! I adored the massive crushes they had on each other despite having been together for over a decade. There were so many heartwarming, touching, exciting, and thrilling memories shared between them. And oh the YEARNING!

I married the love of my life last summer after 7 years and many hardships along the way, and I felt this story so deeply. I connected so much with Wren and Ellis and their fears and struggles. This novel felt so realistic and full of depth. I really loved the progression of our characters working so hard to express themselves and re-learn each other.

I also loved the little flashback scenes to the very beginning of their relationship, as well as moments when the relationship was crumbling. It helped to build such a full picture, and many of the scenes were so adorable.

I don't usually read second chance romances, but this one has completely changed my perspective. It was electric and so so beautiful; and made even more beautiful by our two love interests healing the rift in their relationship and falling back into love all over again.

Definitely check the trigger warnings for this one, as it's an emotional read, but it's so so worth it!

Thank you so much to the author, NetGalley, and the publisher for giving me the chance to read and review this!

*I received this book as an Advance Reader Copy (ARC) for free in exchange for an honest review*

I loved this second chance romance, I knew very early on into the book that this book was going to give me all the right feels.

Left of Forever is the second book in an interconnected standalone series and while you can read them seperately, I highly recommend reading them in order to get the best experience.

This book follows Ellis and Wren, now in their 30s and 5 years post divorce. They were childhood sweethearts and teen parents, their son is on his way to college soon. The pair intend to road trip him to college, settle him in and make their way back together. Along the way old feelings and memories back their way back into the forefront of their minds and so the re-kindling begins 😍

This two were honestly made for each other, their story made me so happy. I felt all their emotions, this book is beautifully written.

Honestly I loved this book so much, being able to follow Wren and Ellis throughout this story was so fun and I loved every moment, seeing the love between these two rekindle in a way was so sweet

Left of Forever is the second book in an interconnected standalone series by Tarah DeWitt. The first book is Savour It. I have not read Savour It. I jumped straight into this book.
Firstly, let’s start off with the rating. I gave this 3.5 stars and 2 chilly peppers for spice. It was a heartwarming and beautiful second chance romance.
The book follows our MMC Ellis and our FMC Wren. They were childhood sweethearts and fell pregnant when they were 17. Something traumatic happened in their marriage that ultimately pushed them towards a divorce. Left of Forever picks up 5 years post divorce and we follow them on their journey of understanding and navigating their feelings for each other.
It’s a truly beautiful second chance romance, I’d highly recommend. I will say that I think I’d have more of an emotional connection to the characters if I’d have read the first book in the series. However it’s not detrimental to your reading experience.

This was a sweet second chance romance book. I adored how realistic and believable their romance was made to be as we got glimpses both into the past and the present of their relationship. To be seen as clearly as Ellis sees Wren is the dream.

I don’t think I can put into words how much I loved this book. It just had everything I wanted. I honestly couldn’t see a time where Ellis and Wren just weren’t still in love and pining. I absolutely adored everything about this book. From the letters at the start to the whole Byrd family to the road trip they took. And the cooking class and chilli scenes were some of the funniest I’ve read. I absolutely adore this couple!! Everything fell into place for them but that’s exactly how I felt it should have been. I am absolutely devastated that this book had to end because I could read them forever!!

This was the perfect second-chance small-town romance! Though they can be read separately, I would defiantly recommend reading the first book in this series as it beautifully sets up the town and characters, making this read all the more anticipated.

The reader follows Wren and Ellis around four years after the their divorce on a week-long road trip home from dropping their son off at college. I loved the set up of this book, which I was surprised at as I've never considered myself a fan of second-chance romances but this book strayed from the usual ones. Neither party was too vehemently in the wrong that they couldn't be forgiven and more than anything this book showed how we can get in the way of our own happiness and how it is all too easy to let the good things in our life go. The breakdown of their relationship was really accurately shown and I felt so much sympathy for both characters, so desperate to be with each other again but scared they would be heartbroken all over again.

I loved their relationship together and the respect and patience they each had for the other. It really was beautiful to read both point of views and experience the yearning in what felt like real time. I was genuinely so obsessed with how Ellis saw Wren and I was rooting for them so much. Such a great, thoughtful and sincere summer romance!

4.5 stars

This may be one of my favourite second chance romance reads, it was just done perfectly. It’s always been a hit or miss trope for me, but this was definitely a hit.

It follows Ellis & Wren, who were once high school sweethearts in love and had a baby in their teenagers, they got married and then unfortunately divorced. Five years post divorce, they are now in their 30s, living in the same small town with the same friends & family. They know how to co-parent but thats as far their relationship goes. Both of them have never really moved on or settled down with anyone else & it’s obvious they still have a connection even if they don’t know it yet. Their now teenage son is moving away for College & Ellis suggests that on way back from moving him in they take a little road trip. Old feelings and memories resurface, deep discussions about their marriage take place, and the re-kindling begins…

Ellis & Wren deserve each other and are compatible in every way. The way they re-kindle their love was written beautifully, it wasn’t just about loving each other again, it was about remembering the love they had but also diving into the hurt and bad times they experienced the first time around.

This book really surprised me, it had me laughing, giggling but also quite emotional at times, I would definitely recommend

Thank you Little Brown Group & Netgalley for the arc to review

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

⭐️ 4.5 stars ⭐️

I was not expecting to love this as much as I did! Second chance romance hasn’t usually been my go-to, but this book might have just changed that. The pacing was spot on, and the slow burn was so well done—you could feel the tension and chemistry between Ellis and Wren from the very first page.

One of my favorite elements was the use of letters. Getting a glimpse into Ellis’s emotions before anyone else added such depth, and when it’s revealed that he has a tattoo of a wren? My heart. It’s clear he never stopped loving her.

While I really enjoyed Savour It, this one has officially become my favorite in the Spunes series. Tara has seriously raised the bar, but I’ve no doubt she’ll continue to deliver in the rest of the series. Fingers crossed the next installment is Micha and Kirby’s story 👀

This is officially my fav Tarah Dewitt novel EVER! She writes the most sweetest and swoon worthy small town romances.

What I adored about this what the fact that Ellis x Wren get to explore themselves, each other after being parents since there were teenagers and being divorced for 5 years. They got to be childhood friends again, and get to know each other. That is why I loved the pace of this, it wasn't rushed, and yet it didn't feel slow.

Ellis is utter perfection. He is quiet, broody and pining for the woman he has loved since forever. The yearning is *chef's kiss*.

🕊 She's still a Byrd <<< this is gonna destroy me 😭

Wren is a wonderful and realistic character. Wanting to move on, find some sort of happiness out of her comfort with Ellis. She is very self-aware and the writing is at times on the nose. I loved her unapologetic humor and the rapid-fire stream of consciousness unraveling.

I need more books where MCs are in their 30s. I feel like these kind of characters get overlooked, but there is always a story to tell.

Second chance romances are one of my (if not my top favorite!!) tropes and Tarah wrote one of the best second chances ever. we get the angst and delicious tension that left me sat! and the epilogue made me weep it was so good. AND thank you Tarah for the no third act break up (I know you hate those 🤭)

T R O P E S
💕second chance
💕divorced MCs
💕road trip / forced proximity
💕one bed
💕meddlesome siblings
💕found family💕

Thank you to Netgalley and the UK publishers for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I hadn't realised this was the second book in a series when I first requested it, so I went back and read the first book before trying this one. I definitely preferred the story in this installment.

If you're a fan of second chance romance and mixed media, you will love this. My favourite part was the first half where the majority of letters, journal entries, and emails were sent. It really got me in the feels.

The second part of the book is very cute too, but there were a couple of moments where I felt it went a bit too weird. Chilli scene anyone?

But I would still recommend this one with chest!

There are no words to accurately describe how much I loved this book. As someone who is not usually a fan of second chance romances, I was unexpectedly excited for the sequel to this series. Tarah did such a great job showcasing Wren and Ellis' story as a sub-plot in book one that I could not wait book two. It far exceeded my expectations and might be her best work to date! I've also read Funny Feelings and Savor It by this author, and this was my favorite one of them all (and I loved the other two)! Could not recommend enough. Will be sharing my full review on my IG stories on June 1st. Nothing but five stars from this satisfied reader, makes me secretly wish for a book 3 to Spunes!

This was my first Tarah DeWitt book, and certainly won't be my last (Savor It, I'm looking at you first!). She had me feeling all the feels, and has created such magic between Ellis and Wren.
I started by listening to the book playlist and knew I was going to be in for a bumpy ride. Following Ellis and Wren's story of heartbreak, hope and honesty as they rediscovered their relationship was beautiful. I adored how we saw glimpses of them in letters, flashbacks and journal entries, in addition to their conversations and actions.
I have rarely felt such warmth whilst reading - this book has melted my soul, and I hope everyone gets to experience this special kind of love at least once in their life, even if it is just reading Left of Forever.

A well written second chance romance is a guarantee of tears for me. This was no exception.

She writes with a lot of heart and emotion and this one got me.

I’ve read most of her books now and I think she’s become a must-read author for me. Hard to put down, funny, heart warming and excellent tension. All the things I need from my CR.