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.
Details
Title:: Left of Forever
Author:: Tarah Dewitt
Genre:: Contemporary Romance
Publisher:: St. Martin’s Griffin
Length:: 336 pages
Audio Length:: 10h 48m
Audiobook Narrator:: Connor Crais and Megan Wicks
Published:: May 20th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 3-Stars
Spice Rating:: 4
If you liked this book, check out…
Savor It | Tarah Dewitt
When Alec Met Evie | Jenn Proctor
Where the Black Line Ends | Meagan Williamson
