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Spunes, OR #3
Lost and Found
10 hours, 33 minutes
A stunning novel of romance and redemption set in the Spunes, OR world, filled with heartbreak and hope from "master of emotion" (Rachel Lynn Solomon) USA Today bestselling author Tarah DeWitt.
Bea always wanted to be a mom. But she never expected she’d have to lose her best friend to do it. Armed with nothing but her best friend’s eggs and a bucket list to complete, Bea’s world is a sea of changes.
When she needs a place to stay, her longtime friend Silas steps in to help. A firefighter grappling with the aftermath of an accident, Silas has his own challenges to work through that have left him cautious and vulnerable.
At first, they expect nothing. But as these two former sunshines knit together in a love that has been unfulfilled until now, a new beginning comes out of the ashes of the past—one that will lead to a love that can withstand all the slings and arrows, joys and triumphs, that life can throw.
Tarah DeWitt's novels
"Pure magic." - Elsie Silver
"[Filled with] melt-your-face off intimacy." - Jessica Joyce
"Aching and sexy." - Julie Soto
A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin’s Press
A stunning novel of romance and redemption set in the Spunes, OR world, filled with heartbreak and hope from "master of emotion" (Rachel Lynn Solomon) USA Today bestselling author Tarah DeWitt.
Bea always wanted to be a mom. But she never expected she’d have to lose her best friend to do it. Armed with nothing but her best friend’s eggs and a bucket list to complete, Bea’s world is a sea of changes.
When she needs a place to stay, her longtime friend Silas steps in to help. A firefighter grappling with the aftermath of an accident, Silas has his own challenges to work through that have left him cautious and vulnerable.
At first, they expect nothing. But as these two former sunshines knit together in a love that has been unfulfilled until now, a new beginning comes out of the ashes of the past—one that will lead to a love that can withstand all the slings and arrows, joys and triumphs, that life can throw.
Tarah DeWitt's novels
"Pure magic." - Elsie Silver
"[Filled with] melt-your-face off intimacy." - Jessica Joyce
"Aching and sexy." - Julie Soto
A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin’s Press
Audible Audio
First published August 4, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,856 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
⭐️ 4.5 ⭐️ Please tell me why I haven't read anything by Tarah DeWitt before? Where have you been Tarah? I've been searching for an author who writes romances that feel like a passionate kiss by someone who knows how...From unspoken feelings and tender caresses, this right person-wrong time story never felt as emotional as it had in this book! Wow! I felt every soft spoken and unspoken word, every hug, every light touch..I felt lost, then found. Everything about this book felt introspective. Incredibly likable characters with so much yearning, heartfelt conversations and personal emotional scars--all felt like a warm hug. I haven't read the first two books in the series but didn't feel like I was missing out on much. All I can say is: cherish the beautiful moments you've created.
What's the story about?
Bea is struggling with grief and inability to conceive. She's considering IVF but fails to get support from her family, especially her mother. Her life is also upended after her long-time best friend passes from breast cancer, leaving an unexpected gift behind: her frozen eggs. A long time friend of Bea's, Silas, tries to help her out by offering a place to live after Bea's mother kicks her out..but Bea and Silas have history full of unspoken feelings and emotional wounds. Living together brings them closer, allowing for them to explore a possibility of a future together.
Before I started this book, I finished a very beautiful duology that wrecked me. Coming down that high, I wanted something sweet, short and mindless.. little did I know this story leaned heavy into emotional storytelling. We have two very compelling protagonists that carry emotional weight from the scars they accumulated yet they became each other's safe place during difficult times.
Bea Marshall lost her best friend, Merritt, to breast cancer. She's reeling from this loss and grief is consuming her. She's somewhat stuck in this grief bubble but is trying to do her best to move forward. As someone who lost several family members to cancer, her sadness, desperation and all of the aches and pains felt especially familiar to me.
Through flashback, we are shown what kind of person Bea was and how much of the past played a role in her present. First and foremost, Bea was a wonderful person and an amazing friend to Merritt. The unwavering devotion, time and support that Bea offered to Merritt was beyond what most people would offer nowadays. She went above and beyond for her friend and took on so much that in the process she lost a little piece of herself. I can't say the same for Merritt because despite her cancer journey, I didn't think she was a good friend to Bea. To me, she came across as selfish, self-centered and somewhat indifferent towards Bea. Even with leaving her eggs to Bea is a bit emotionally manipulative, wouldn't you say? Not only it raised a lot of ethical questions, I also thought it was a very selfish way to forever bind herself to her memory, to her forever lingering presence. I didn't like her very much and at times I felt that she overshadowed the love story and was a thorn in Bea's life.
So when Bea moved in with Silas, a firefighter recovering from a traumatic accident and also her childhood crush/friend, their personal/emotional scars brought them together and helped them find themselves in the process of rebuilding a life after tragedy. Silas...that man will lay himself bare and will do anything and I mean absolutely anything and everything for Bea and her well-being. They have been orbiting around each other since childhood (with Merritt always standing in their way) but no more. Tarah DeWitt does not hold back when she transitions them from friends to lovers. It feels earned and satisfied, like it's always meant to be. The level of yearning and tension is next level. They have a strong emotional connection from the very start--I was desperate for him to receive the love that he deserves. This was mature on so many levels & exactly how I prefer my romances to play out.
Lost and Found is not a light book. It's not a fluffy romance, an escape from reality. It's intense, heavy in survivors guilt, infertility, death. It's a story about unspoken feelings and beautiful memories we hold on to. Its heartbreak, its redemption, its about a friendship that stays a lifetime. It's about finding yourself amidst the chaos or sadness.
I will be reading the first two in the series!
Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martins Press and the author, Tarah DeWitt for an early ARC.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillian Audio for an early ALC!
Narrators: Adam Gold, Samantha Brentmoor, Tarah DeWitt
Duration: 10 hours 35 minutes
Speed: 1.75x
Publication date: August 4, 2026
What's the story about?
Bea is struggling with grief and inability to conceive. She's considering IVF but fails to get support from her family, especially her mother. Her life is also upended after her long-time best friend passes from breast cancer, leaving an unexpected gift behind: her frozen eggs. A long time friend of Bea's, Silas, tries to help her out by offering a place to live after Bea's mother kicks her out..but Bea and Silas have history full of unspoken feelings and emotional wounds. Living together brings them closer, allowing for them to explore a possibility of a future together.
Before I started this book, I finished a very beautiful duology that wrecked me. Coming down that high, I wanted something sweet, short and mindless.. little did I know this story leaned heavy into emotional storytelling. We have two very compelling protagonists that carry emotional weight from the scars they accumulated yet they became each other's safe place during difficult times.
Bea Marshall lost her best friend, Merritt, to breast cancer. She's reeling from this loss and grief is consuming her. She's somewhat stuck in this grief bubble but is trying to do her best to move forward. As someone who lost several family members to cancer, her sadness, desperation and all of the aches and pains felt especially familiar to me.
Through flashback, we are shown what kind of person Bea was and how much of the past played a role in her present. First and foremost, Bea was a wonderful person and an amazing friend to Merritt. The unwavering devotion, time and support that Bea offered to Merritt was beyond what most people would offer nowadays. She went above and beyond for her friend and took on so much that in the process she lost a little piece of herself. I can't say the same for Merritt because despite her cancer journey, I didn't think she was a good friend to Bea. To me, she came across as selfish, self-centered and somewhat indifferent towards Bea. Even with leaving her eggs to Bea is a bit emotionally manipulative, wouldn't you say? Not only it raised a lot of ethical questions, I also thought it was a very selfish way to forever bind herself to her memory, to her forever lingering presence. I didn't like her very much and at times I felt that she overshadowed the love story and was a thorn in Bea's life.
So when Bea moved in with Silas, a firefighter recovering from a traumatic accident and also her childhood crush/friend, their personal/emotional scars brought them together and helped them find themselves in the process of rebuilding a life after tragedy. Silas...that man will lay himself bare and will do anything and I mean absolutely anything and everything for Bea and her well-being. They have been orbiting around each other since childhood (with Merritt always standing in their way) but no more. Tarah DeWitt does not hold back when she transitions them from friends to lovers. It feels earned and satisfied, like it's always meant to be. The level of yearning and tension is next level. They have a strong emotional connection from the very start--I was desperate for him to receive the love that he deserves. This was mature on so many levels & exactly how I prefer my romances to play out.
Lost and Found is not a light book. It's not a fluffy romance, an escape from reality. It's intense, heavy in survivors guilt, infertility, death. It's a story about unspoken feelings and beautiful memories we hold on to. Its heartbreak, its redemption, its about a friendship that stays a lifetime. It's about finding yourself amidst the chaos or sadness.
I will be reading the first two in the series!
Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martins Press and the author, Tarah DeWitt for an early ARC.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillian Audio for an early ALC!
Narrators: Adam Gold, Samantha Brentmoor, Tarah DeWitt
Duration: 10 hours 35 minutes
Speed: 1.75x
Publication date: August 4, 2026
July 26, 2026
જ⁀➴ 1.75 ✰
I don’t know, I feel gaslighted and lied to because I really thought I was going to love this story like everyone else but what was this?? 😭 First of all, who in their right mind decides to have a baby because her dead friend told her to? 🤨 I mean, it’s fiction, so I guess anything is possible and I’m no one to judge the way someone grieves… but getting pregnant with that friend’s eggs? It’s just such a weird and kind of unnecessary plot, at least in the way it happened. I’m surprisingly a lover of the pregnancy trope, I know that’s an unpopular opinion but I love it, and that’s why I thought I was going to enjoy this book. I don’t know what I expected to happen but it was NOT this.
‼️spoilers might be mentioned in this review!!
The main reason why I disliked this book: Merritt.
The alleged best friend, Bea’s “soulmate.” She is one of the most toxic characters I have ever read in my life. The fact that she basically obligated Bea to have her baby says everything. I know some people may say Bea did it because of how much she loved their friendship but I truly don’t think she felt like she had a choice. Merritt left her a letter and an expiration date for the eggs… that doesn’t sound like someone who had different options. It felt extremely manipulative, especially considering Bea wasn’t in the financial position for either the treatment or a baby, and Merritt, being the incredible friend that she is, didn’t leave her anything except her eggs.
I DESPISEEEE the fact that Merritt’s crush on Silas played such a huge role in the story. Bea was ALWAYS scared of even looking at Silas and constantly felt guilty for having feelings for him. Idk, I’d like to think that if I were really close with my friend, I’d be able to tell her about the guy I liked, even if it happened to be the same guy she liked too. Also, they were kids!!! I feel like Merritt’s "love" for Silas was more of a silly crush everyone has on the hot guy than actual love, and I hated how many restrictions she put on Bea because of it. Bea couldn’t even dance with him at prom because Merritt got mad. Wtf. She KNEW Silas wasn’t into her and still kept chasing him. Like girl, take a hint. I truly hate how much control she had over Silas and Bea’s relationship even from the grave.
I also think Bea was very codependent on Merritt. It felt like she didn’t have opinions of her own and that everything had to be exactly how Merritt wanted it. I feel like if an author is going to add a dead friend to a story, that friend should at least be likable, and Merritt was everything but that. All of the flashback chapters felt like Tarah was trying so hard to make me love Merritt and demonstrate why they were “soulmates,” but all they did was show how unhealthy their friendship really was. I really hope I never have a friend as selfish as Merritt, never. It also felt like this was Merritt’s book instead of Silas and Bea’s. She was mentioned in every chapter, in every conversation. Everything was about her. Merritt this, Merritt that, she said yes, she said no, she would’ve done this, she would’ve hated this. IT WAS JUST SO ANNOYINGGG.
All that being said, Merritt wasn’t the only reason why I didn’t like this book lol. The pacing was also so badly executed. For the first 70% of the book, it was all about how Bea couldn’t be with Silas and how she needed to keep everything to herself. Then out of nowhere, the story did a complete 180 from one chapter to the next and suddenly they were saying "I love you." It was so inconsistent and so hard to believe that she really loved him because for the most part of the book, it felt completely one-sided. Then she suddenly drops the L-word after they make out??? like okayyyy. The last 30% was so rushed and most of it felt underwhelming, they got a positive pregnancy test and their response was to immediately start acting like a family 🧍🏻♀️everything was just so weird 😭
Maybe I’m a heartless person, I might be a terrible person idc, but I didn’t feel anything for Bea. I know she was grieving but I honestly couldn’t have cared less. I felt like I never really got to know her, I never learned what she liked or who she was outside of Merritt.
And Silas, my love, Silas. The two stars are only for him. Was he a little underdeveloped? Yes. Was he more like a side character in his own story? Unfortunately, yeah. But I still love him. He was so caring and supportive of everyone: his family, his friends and Bea… He is definitely the only reason why this book could be worth reading, even though his chapters are short asf and it still feels like we’re an arm’s length away from actually getting to know him. Yes, we read about his trauma and how he feels after his accident but everything is glossed over and pushed into the background after a few mentions. I truly hated that for him.
Their relationship was also very mid, and that’s because 🥁🥁🥁🥁 this was more of a Bea and Merritt book. Which was so unfair to Silas. This was supposed to be HIS story, his ending and his closure, and instead we got a story about toxic friends and a dead person who was still haunting everyone who was alive.
This feels very similar to promise me sunshine, which is my all time favorite book. And I’m aware I shouldn’t compare books but this was a similar plot (everything was the kinda same except the pregnancy) with a terrible execution that I just couldn’t help it.
tropes:
-it’s always been her but is has NEVER been him :(
anyways, disliked this so much that I had to comeback here and write a lengthy review even though I haven’t done that in months🤪 read this at your own risk.
___________
one of my most anticipated reads of this year and I’m scared I’m going to hate it 🫢
_________
the best thing smp have ever done is putting this book on read now😭😭
_________
FINALLY SILAS’s BOOK!!!!!!! I prayed for time like this
I don’t know, I feel gaslighted and lied to because I really thought I was going to love this story like everyone else but what was this?? 😭 First of all, who in their right mind decides to have a baby because her dead friend told her to? 🤨 I mean, it’s fiction, so I guess anything is possible and I’m no one to judge the way someone grieves… but getting pregnant with that friend’s eggs? It’s just such a weird and kind of unnecessary plot, at least in the way it happened. I’m surprisingly a lover of the pregnancy trope, I know that’s an unpopular opinion but I love it, and that’s why I thought I was going to enjoy this book. I don’t know what I expected to happen but it was NOT this.
‼️spoilers might be mentioned in this review!!
The main reason why I disliked this book: Merritt.
The alleged best friend, Bea’s “soulmate.” She is one of the most toxic characters I have ever read in my life. The fact that she basically obligated Bea to have her baby says everything. I know some people may say Bea did it because of how much she loved their friendship but I truly don’t think she felt like she had a choice. Merritt left her a letter and an expiration date for the eggs… that doesn’t sound like someone who had different options. It felt extremely manipulative, especially considering Bea wasn’t in the financial position for either the treatment or a baby, and Merritt, being the incredible friend that she is, didn’t leave her anything except her eggs.
I DESPISEEEE the fact that Merritt’s crush on Silas played such a huge role in the story. Bea was ALWAYS scared of even looking at Silas and constantly felt guilty for having feelings for him. Idk, I’d like to think that if I were really close with my friend, I’d be able to tell her about the guy I liked, even if it happened to be the same guy she liked too. Also, they were kids!!! I feel like Merritt’s "love" for Silas was more of a silly crush everyone has on the hot guy than actual love, and I hated how many restrictions she put on Bea because of it. Bea couldn’t even dance with him at prom because Merritt got mad. Wtf. She KNEW Silas wasn’t into her and still kept chasing him. Like girl, take a hint. I truly hate how much control she had over Silas and Bea’s relationship even from the grave.
I also think Bea was very codependent on Merritt. It felt like she didn’t have opinions of her own and that everything had to be exactly how Merritt wanted it. I feel like if an author is going to add a dead friend to a story, that friend should at least be likable, and Merritt was everything but that. All of the flashback chapters felt like Tarah was trying so hard to make me love Merritt and demonstrate why they were “soulmates,” but all they did was show how unhealthy their friendship really was. I really hope I never have a friend as selfish as Merritt, never. It also felt like this was Merritt’s book instead of Silas and Bea’s. She was mentioned in every chapter, in every conversation. Everything was about her. Merritt this, Merritt that, she said yes, she said no, she would’ve done this, she would’ve hated this. IT WAS JUST SO ANNOYINGGG.
All that being said, Merritt wasn’t the only reason why I didn’t like this book lol. The pacing was also so badly executed. For the first 70% of the book, it was all about how Bea couldn’t be with Silas and how she needed to keep everything to herself. Then out of nowhere, the story did a complete 180 from one chapter to the next and suddenly they were saying "I love you." It was so inconsistent and so hard to believe that she really loved him because for the most part of the book, it felt completely one-sided. Then she suddenly drops the L-word after they make out??? like okayyyy. The last 30% was so rushed and most of it felt underwhelming, they got a positive pregnancy test and their response was to immediately start acting like a family 🧍🏻♀️everything was just so weird 😭
Maybe I’m a heartless person, I might be a terrible person idc, but I didn’t feel anything for Bea. I know she was grieving but I honestly couldn’t have cared less. I felt like I never really got to know her, I never learned what she liked or who she was outside of Merritt.
And Silas, my love, Silas. The two stars are only for him. Was he a little underdeveloped? Yes. Was he more like a side character in his own story? Unfortunately, yeah. But I still love him. He was so caring and supportive of everyone: his family, his friends and Bea… He is definitely the only reason why this book could be worth reading, even though his chapters are short asf and it still feels like we’re an arm’s length away from actually getting to know him. Yes, we read about his trauma and how he feels after his accident but everything is glossed over and pushed into the background after a few mentions. I truly hated that for him.
Their relationship was also very mid, and that’s because 🥁🥁🥁🥁 this was more of a Bea and Merritt book. Which was so unfair to Silas. This was supposed to be HIS story, his ending and his closure, and instead we got a story about toxic friends and a dead person who was still haunting everyone who was alive.
This feels very similar to promise me sunshine, which is my all time favorite book. And I’m aware I shouldn’t compare books but this was a similar plot (everything was the kinda same except the pregnancy) with a terrible execution that I just couldn’t help it.
tropes:
-it’s always been her but is has NEVER been him :(
anyways, disliked this so much that I had to comeback here and write a lengthy review even though I haven’t done that in months🤪 read this at your own risk.
___________
_________
the best thing smp have ever done is putting this book on read now😭😭
_________
FINALLY SILAS’s BOOK!!!!!!! I prayed for time like this
Did Not Finish
June 5, 2026DNF...
I don't read for a month, and this is the book I start with 💀
This book should be lost and never found, because what the hell was that?
My friends and I decided to go in blind with this book, and boy, were we wrong. The premise is just so messy and toxic. The FMC's best friend, Merritt, dies and gives her eggs to the FMC, Bea, and Bea takes them. So Bea goes through pregnancy, childbirth, and all this hassle only because her dead friend asked her to. I'm sorry if I sound insensitive. That's a load of pressure to put on your friend after your death.
Also, Merritt was VERY toxic. She literally sleeps with someone's boyfriend and treats Bea like crap. I'd say Bea dodged a bullet if you ask me. I know Bea says it's her choice, but it genuinely doesn't feel like it. It felt like she was manipulated by the letters her friend sent and the grief of losing her. Bea needed to grieve properly.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and St. Martin's Press (St. Martin's Griffin) for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
«────── « ⋅ʚ♡ɞ⋅ » ──────»
˖ ֹ੭୧pre-read:⊹ ࣪ ⑅
Hey, everyone. I haven't read anything in a month due to personal matters, but I'm getting back into it now because I miss it. Let's hope this is a win! I miss you all, and just give me time to catch up on your reading updates!! 🩷
Buddy reading with the lovelies Vicky and Kat 🩷
My first book by this author, so let's hope it doesn't disappoint. Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC.
I don't read for a month, and this is the book I start with 💀
This book should be lost and never found, because what the hell was that?
My friends and I decided to go in blind with this book, and boy, were we wrong. The premise is just so messy and toxic. The FMC's best friend, Merritt, dies and gives her eggs to the FMC, Bea, and Bea takes them. So Bea goes through pregnancy, childbirth, and all this hassle only because her dead friend asked her to. I'm sorry if I sound insensitive. That's a load of pressure to put on your friend after your death.
Also, Merritt was VERY toxic. She literally sleeps with someone's boyfriend and treats Bea like crap. I'd say Bea dodged a bullet if you ask me. I know Bea says it's her choice, but it genuinely doesn't feel like it. It felt like she was manipulated by the letters her friend sent and the grief of losing her. Bea needed to grieve properly.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and St. Martin's Press (St. Martin's Griffin) for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
«────── « ⋅ʚ♡ɞ⋅ » ──────»
˖ ֹ੭୧pre-read:⊹ ࣪ ⑅
Hey, everyone. I haven't read anything in a month due to personal matters, but I'm getting back into it now because I miss it. Let's hope this is a win! I miss you all, and just give me time to catch up on your reading updates!! 🩷
Buddy reading with the lovelies Vicky and Kat 🩷
My first book by this author, so let's hope it doesn't disappoint. Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
࣪ ˖ ֪ꮽ᱖܄ 3.5 stars˚ִִ꒱꒱ ִ݂
⤻ no spoiler review . disclaimer: this book contains a huge theme of grief. i have personally never lost someone uber close to me, so please do not take my word on how well done it is;; make sure that you are in the right headspace to read this 🫶🏻
i am so surprised at how good this book was! admittedly, i haven’t read the first two books of this series, but i decided to request this book because 1. it was on “read now” 2. the cover is absolutely breathtaking. i went in with no expectations, but now i will definitely be on the lookout on tarah dewitt’s instagram waiting for her new releases 👀.
་ 💭 ⊹ ࣪୨୧ preface. ‘lost and found’ follows silas (si) and bea (she has a million nicknames in the eyes of silas) reigniting their friendship after extremely unpropitious shifts in their lives. they are both entering new chapters in their lives and walk through the door with all the sunshine and happiness that they have left, finding it in each other along the way.
⸝⸝ the characters ⁺໒꒱
ᡣ𐭩 — bea. i LOVED her. throwback to my disclaimer: i have not dealt with grief before, so take my words about this next part with a grain of salt. i think the grief was really well done in this book — specifically with her character. the anger she dealt with and showed was palpable, i felt like i truly empathized with her in the scenarios where the most “random” anger was showing up, and i especially loved how she realized what was the root of it and didn’t just take it out on the harmless surrounding peoples. there isn’t one perfect way to grieve (obviously), but i think that she was incredibly mature about it. bea realized that she was internalizing her grief and knew that she had to do something about it (therapy). what i’m trying to say is, she handled it in a sensible way. this book made me realize that people who deal with grief in books don’t necessarily have to be annoying to the readers; i’ve read many a books that have turned their grieving characters into nuisances that are headaches to read about, and i was relieved to witness bea being a fresh interpretation of the vicissitudes of grief.
ᡣ𐭩 — silas. a thousand more silas’ better be pumped into the world because if my man is not like him, i don’t want him!! he would DIE for her. he was such a sweet, caring, and intimate man. he understood bea, he waited for her, and he nurtured her. i loved how he understood her spiritually; he had so much patience with her and let her decide how to move forward with the relationship and how she wanted to live her life and fit him into it.
𖥔 ݁ ˖ ⌗﹒ the reason that i didn’t give this a higher rating was because while i deeply appreciated the characters and adored their personalities, i didn’t really feel connected with them. yes, they were great and i feel a deep respect for both of them.. but unfortunately that didn’t equal a bond.
৻ꪆ ᩚ : the relationship was my favorite part of the book 😭. the thing that stood out to me in this book was the small and intimate ways that they tributed and treated each other. one dream i have in life is to have someone that can predict my every move, someone that knows and remembers, and that that is shown in every move they make for me. bea and Silas treated each other with so much veneration and deep understanding that i really enjoyed reading about.
﹏﹒✦ overall, i enjoyed this book so much more than i thought i would. tarah dewitt is going to become an author that i’m going to be keeping an eye on (in fact, i’ll probably be reading the rest of the series backward). one thing that i treasured was the epilogue 🥹. it was so freaking beautiful and emotional, and i’m sure the people who read the first two books will thoroughly sob. thank you bunches to netgalley for gifting me an ARC of this book, i am so grateful! 💞🪷🌟
⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹
˒˒☁️ pre read ˒˒࿐· started apr 18・xxvi 𖦞.˖
i really need to catch up on my ARCs, and i thought this one looked great to start with 🧡 hopefully it's good!
𑁦ꗃ thank you netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ 1.5/5
is the best friend in the room with us? Bea girl, be so for real.
Merritt was a terrible friend. I don't want to talk ill about the dead (fictional or not), but I genuinely cannot find positive words to describe her. I only made it through because I was looking forward to Silas's book and I was hoping for some redeeming quality in the plot.
I think the part that makes me the most mad (aka fills me with so much rage) is the fact that Merrit basically expected Bea to use her eggs and carry a child - Merritt's child....and she does all this knowing Bea's financial situation. If you wanted someone to carry a child for you, best friend or not, you should be providing ample funding that they would need for the whole process.
So now, Bea has to come up with the funds and also be in the best headspace all to birth and take care of a child for someone that truly doesn't give a crap about her. This thing is from reading about Merritt, I don't see her as Bea's best friend, she's literally a leech. I think if Bea had enough time to properly grieve and think with a clear mind, she might have come to the conclusion that doing all that for a woman that gives zero shits about her would be pointless.
Also, Merritt's mother already has grandchildren and another daughter. I know that will never cease the pain that Merritt's absence will make for her, but Bea was acting as if this was the only way for Merritt's mother to have a grandchild, like what the fuck.
My thoughts about why Merritt it a terrible friend (just the highlights or we'd be here all day):
- the letter
It screams let me torture you from the grave.
- when she interrupts bea's and silas's dance.
It's one thing to have a crush, but another thing when you know the person that you have a crush on, has eyes for someone else.
- the toxicity
She slept with someone's boyfriend. That would be my final straw with someone. I would not be friends with someone like that....and the amount of gaslighting...holy shit.
The more I find about her, the more I am in shock that Bea decided to continue being her friend and also birth a child from her eggs.
Bea's mom was harsh at times, but I think she's the only character that was saying the truth.
The fact that this is supposed to be a book about Silas Byrd, yet the supposed friendship between Bea and Merritt took up so much, to the point that I wasn't able to enjoy the relationship between Silas and Bea.
I enjoyed Left of Forever and even Savor it, but this book wasn't what I expected for Silas.
Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for this arc!!
--------
pre-read: omg one of my most anticipated for this year and I got the arc 🤭
is the best friend in the room with us? Bea girl, be so for real.
Merritt was a terrible friend. I don't want to talk ill about the dead (fictional or not), but I genuinely cannot find positive words to describe her. I only made it through because I was looking forward to Silas's book and I was hoping for some redeeming quality in the plot.
I think the part that makes me the most mad (aka fills me with so much rage) is the fact that Merrit basically expected Bea to use her eggs and carry a child - Merritt's child....and she does all this knowing Bea's financial situation. If you wanted someone to carry a child for you, best friend or not, you should be providing ample funding that they would need for the whole process.
So now, Bea has to come up with the funds and also be in the best headspace all to birth and take care of a child for someone that truly doesn't give a crap about her. This thing is from reading about Merritt, I don't see her as Bea's best friend, she's literally a leech. I think if Bea had enough time to properly grieve and think with a clear mind, she might have come to the conclusion that doing all that for a woman that gives zero shits about her would be pointless.
Also, Merritt's mother already has grandchildren and another daughter. I know that will never cease the pain that Merritt's absence will make for her, but Bea was acting as if this was the only way for Merritt's mother to have a grandchild, like what the fuck.
My thoughts about why Merritt it a terrible friend (just the highlights or we'd be here all day):
- the letter
It screams let me torture you from the grave.
- when she interrupts bea's and silas's dance.
It's one thing to have a crush, but another thing when you know the person that you have a crush on, has eyes for someone else.
- the toxicity
She slept with someone's boyfriend. That would be my final straw with someone. I would not be friends with someone like that....and the amount of gaslighting...holy shit.
The more I find about her, the more I am in shock that Bea decided to continue being her friend and also birth a child from her eggs.
Bea's mom was harsh at times, but I think she's the only character that was saying the truth.
The fact that this is supposed to be a book about Silas Byrd, yet the supposed friendship between Bea and Merritt took up so much, to the point that I wasn't able to enjoy the relationship between Silas and Bea.
I enjoyed Left of Forever and even Savor it, but this book wasn't what I expected for Silas.
Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for this arc!!
--------
pre-read: omg one of my most anticipated for this year and I got the arc 🤭
July 9, 2026
Every cloud (your best friend dying) has a silver lining (you inherit her frozen eggs). Every time god closes a door (can’t date the guy you like because she had a big crush on him) he opens a window (that’s not really an issue anymore). The joy (learning how to cope with trauma) is in the journey (the trauma). Romance is a rich, complex genre, and DeWitt took some risks here that pay off — Bea and Silas are both imperfect and lovable, some of their choices are unorthodox, and we get to watch it all happen with the bittersweet knowledge that this our last visit to Spunes. (Until you reread the entire series, which you totally can it’s not illegal or anything). I love you, Byrds.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I did really enjoy this overall, I loved Bea and Silas and their beautiful story, but I thought this was going to have a much heavier impact, emotionally, than it actually did...
It was still an incredibly emotional story filled with grief, guilt, healing and an IVF journey, I just didn't fully connected to it..
After her best friend dies Bea is struggling with her grief, but Merritt left her her frozen embryos and Bea is determined to have the baby.. After her mother kicks her out, she moves in with one man that always understood her, but one she couldn't have.. Living together, spending time together, finishing the list of things Merritt wanted to do and getting closer while doing it has them blurring the lines of their friendship..
I absolutely adored Silas, he was so caring, a rock, always understanding and loving. Him thinking, even for a moment, he wasn't anyone's first choice killed me.. He deserved so much good in his life, after everything he's been through, he deserved everything!! I wish we got a bigger glimpse into his story, his chapters were honesty too short.. Bea drove the story, which is okay, but I wish we got more of him too. The book treated him like a second, just like he sometimes felt, and that made me sad..
I loved Bea too, her grief was all consuming, but she fought and learned how to live with it.. She was brave and determined and I enjoyed seeing her happy again. It was a slow and painful process to healing, but so worth it in the end.
Their love story was years in the making, from the first moments, through high school, through estrangements and the night that meant so much, through pain and suffering, through friendship and all the way to the love that conquered it all. The way he gave her a safe place to land, the longing, the patience, the wait, the dance, the meals, the Milky Way, the cat, the sourdough bread, the boat, the family, the support, the choice, the golden necklace.. Every moment was meaningful and the way they both saw each other so clearly and how they healed together, it was unbelievably special.
I do feel like they moved rather quickly to becoming a family when things started changing, I wish we got more of them before jumping head first into everything..
My main complaint is that it didn't carry the punch I was expecting. I had this book for a while and I held off on reading it because I wanted to be in the right headspace, but I only cried once and instead to feeling like what Bea was doing for Merritt was a way to honor her friend and something that she truly wanted, it felt like she did it for Merritt alone. It didn't feel like any decision was hers alone, for instance the guilt she carried because Merritt had this crush on Silas that wasn't ever serious, it kinda felt like every decision Bea made was colored by Merritt's wants.. I never connected to Merritt and those flashbacks didn't really change my mind on it and while I do feel sorry her life ended far too early, I don't think she should've left her embryos to Bea or ever implied she should use them. Asking that of someone feels selfish in a way, especially with such a close deadline, and I just dont believe such a big decision should be made while you're actively grieving...
I enjoyed the small town setting though and I loved all the characters and the sense of family. I also adored the writing, so I can't wait to read more!! I need to read the first two books, especially the one about Ellis and Wren.
*Thank you to Netgalley and to St. Martin's Press for providing me with an ARC.*
It was still an incredibly emotional story filled with grief, guilt, healing and an IVF journey, I just didn't fully connected to it..
After her best friend dies Bea is struggling with her grief, but Merritt left her her frozen embryos and Bea is determined to have the baby.. After her mother kicks her out, she moves in with one man that always understood her, but one she couldn't have.. Living together, spending time together, finishing the list of things Merritt wanted to do and getting closer while doing it has them blurring the lines of their friendship..
I absolutely adored Silas, he was so caring, a rock, always understanding and loving. Him thinking, even for a moment, he wasn't anyone's first choice killed me.. He deserved so much good in his life, after everything he's been through, he deserved everything!! I wish we got a bigger glimpse into his story, his chapters were honesty too short.. Bea drove the story, which is okay, but I wish we got more of him too. The book treated him like a second, just like he sometimes felt, and that made me sad..
I loved Bea too, her grief was all consuming, but she fought and learned how to live with it.. She was brave and determined and I enjoyed seeing her happy again. It was a slow and painful process to healing, but so worth it in the end.
Their love story was years in the making, from the first moments, through high school, through estrangements and the night that meant so much, through pain and suffering, through friendship and all the way to the love that conquered it all. The way he gave her a safe place to land, the longing, the patience, the wait, the dance, the meals, the Milky Way, the cat, the sourdough bread, the boat, the family, the support, the choice, the golden necklace.. Every moment was meaningful and the way they both saw each other so clearly and how they healed together, it was unbelievably special.
I do feel like they moved rather quickly to becoming a family when things started changing, I wish we got more of them before jumping head first into everything..
My main complaint is that it didn't carry the punch I was expecting. I had this book for a while and I held off on reading it because I wanted to be in the right headspace, but I only cried once and instead to feeling like what Bea was doing for Merritt was a way to honor her friend and something that she truly wanted, it felt like she did it for Merritt alone. It didn't feel like any decision was hers alone, for instance the guilt she carried because Merritt had this crush on Silas that wasn't ever serious, it kinda felt like every decision Bea made was colored by Merritt's wants.. I never connected to Merritt and those flashbacks didn't really change my mind on it and while I do feel sorry her life ended far too early, I don't think she should've left her embryos to Bea or ever implied she should use them. Asking that of someone feels selfish in a way, especially with such a close deadline, and I just dont believe such a big decision should be made while you're actively grieving...
I enjoyed the small town setting though and I loved all the characters and the sense of family. I also adored the writing, so I can't wait to read more!! I need to read the first two books, especially the one about Ellis and Wren.
*Thank you to Netgalley and to St. Martin's Press for providing me with an ARC.*
August 5, 2026
4 ⭐️? 4.5 ⭐️? TBD.
Miss Dewitt, you KNOCKED IT OUT OF THE PARK with this one. One of my new favorite love stories I’ve read. 🥺🥹
The spice was a taddddd excessive for me at times, but these characters, the raw human emotion, & the deep, deep love (in all forms) - beautiful.
Also, the shoutout to 2 of my 5 ⭐️ authors in the acknowledgments? The cherry on top.
Miss Dewitt, you KNOCKED IT OUT OF THE PARK with this one. One of my new favorite love stories I’ve read. 🥺🥹
The spice was a taddddd excessive for me at times, but these characters, the raw human emotion, & the deep, deep love (in all forms) - beautiful.
Also, the shoutout to 2 of my 5 ⭐️ authors in the acknowledgments? The cherry on top.
April 26, 2026
ARC provided by St Martin’s Press. I almost don’t have words for this. I am so uncomfortable.
Firstly, the plot itself sounds like a joke. It’s absolutely ridiculous. Imagine this… Your best friend dies and leaves you custody of her frozen eggs without telling you first. Then leaves a note telling you to use them. But she left behind no money to continue to store them while you make your decision so you’re basically forced to immediately start IVF while you uproot your entire life to fund the treatment. You’re 30 with no real life and trying bring A WHOLE PERSON INTO THE WORLD. And since she doesn’t explicitly tell you NOT TO, of course using the guy your dead best friend had a crush on her entire life as a sperm donor is totally normal decision not weird at all!
Merritt was the most ridiculous character I’ve probably ever read. Her and Bea’s wildly unhealthy relationship and codependency was creepy and weird. It felt violating and almost inappropriate in a way. No one should ever be expected to be surrogate for a dead person’s child and then forced to raise the child as their own, because that’s what the dead person “would’ve wanted.” Honestly, it’s unhinged. The only two people who were against this erratic fiasco were villainized–meanwhile they’re the only normal ones in the entire book!
Besides the fact that a book with this premise shouldn’t exist in the first place, it was just so boring and relied way too heavily on flashback scenes to convince the reader that the main characters had chemistry. All I got was the ick because I couldn’t get past the horrid storyline.
Firstly, the plot itself sounds like a joke. It’s absolutely ridiculous. Imagine this… Your best friend dies and leaves you custody of her frozen eggs without telling you first. Then leaves a note telling you to use them. But she left behind no money to continue to store them while you make your decision so you’re basically forced to immediately start IVF while you uproot your entire life to fund the treatment. You’re 30 with no real life and trying bring A WHOLE PERSON INTO THE WORLD. And since she doesn’t explicitly tell you NOT TO, of course using the guy your dead best friend had a crush on her entire life as a sperm donor is totally normal decision not weird at all!
Merritt was the most ridiculous character I’ve probably ever read. Her and Bea’s wildly unhealthy relationship and codependency was creepy and weird. It felt violating and almost inappropriate in a way. No one should ever be expected to be surrogate for a dead person’s child and then forced to raise the child as their own, because that’s what the dead person “would’ve wanted.” Honestly, it’s unhinged. The only two people who were against this erratic fiasco were villainized–meanwhile they’re the only normal ones in the entire book!
Besides the fact that a book with this premise shouldn’t exist in the first place, it was just so boring and relied way too heavily on flashback scenes to convince the reader that the main characters had chemistry. All I got was the ick because I couldn’t get past the horrid storyline.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
What is bravery, if not hope in action?
I finished this book with my heart in my hands, snot running down my nose, and an ache for something that I can’t quite describe. It felt as if someone pressed a little too hard on a freshly healed wound. But it also felt cathartic.
Tarah accomplished something incredible with this book. She wove together a friends to lovers romance and a journey through grief, sprinkled it with lighthearted, humorous moments, and a story that had everything to be oppressive and dark, tuned into something hopeful and tender. Bea’s love for Merrit is felt in every single page and it’s, in my opinion, the heart of this book. It’s a beautiful and heartfelt love letter to friendship.
I felt a strong emotional connection to Bea and Silas. I felt their pain as if it was my pain, but I also felt their joy as if it were my own. They were both in dark places, dealing with grief and loss, but I felt so proud watching them embark on their healing journey.
Everything about their romance was written perfectly. The combination of two of my favourite tropes - friends to lovers and second chance- was exceptional! I could feel Silas and Bea's history, all the yearning and the love they had to swallow and keep hidden for years. I devoured their banter like it was the most delicious meal I’ve ever tasted. My body caught fire when they finally gave in to their most primal urges. And I cried when they bared their souls to each other. The understanding, compassion and acceptance they showed each other was touching.
Spunes remains one of my favourite fictional places, and the Byrds one of my favourite fictional families. The love and support these people show for each other warms my heart.
The epilogue quite literally reduced me to a sobbing mess. It’s one of the most beautiful epilogues I’ve ever read and I want to absorb every word that Tarah wrote into my bloodstream. Reading it felt like receiving a hug. Life is so beautiful and love is the most precious thing we can hold in our hearts. After experiencing a big loss, feeling joy again is a reminder that love continues to pour in the most beautiful way.
[thank you St. Martins Press for the e-arc 🤍]
✨✨✨
"I'm happy we were girls together," she whispered. "I had the time of my life.”
Shades of blues and purples, innumerable freckles of stars, and the Milky Way running through the middle like a fissure in the universe, a faint orange glow seeping through. There. That's where whatever souls are made of go. Nothing involving pearly gates or wings or malevolent, all-knowing beings. But some place that defies my understanding, still.
"But you know what? Not all pain, yours or mine or anyone's, has to have a purpose. You are not obligated to learn something or find a divine purpose in this. Sometimes it just fucking sucks. This terrible thing stays terrible, what you lost stays lost, and you carry on anyway because life is worth it, and maybe the only things you gotta find are whatever those things are—the things that make it worth it.”
Maybe grief isn't just a place or person you can't go back to, but somewhere you've never been and someone you're scared you'll never get to know.
One of the things I've learned over the last few months. mostly because of you, is how easy it is for two things to be true at once. I can be grieving and hopeful. I can feel terrified and excited. I can...I can want something and be wary of it. You can be scarred and beautiful. Broken and still whole.
What if we keep asking each other for what we need? And what if we just keep showing up? What if I keep on loving you?
Love is always having pieces of your heart walking around outside your body.
I finished this book with my heart in my hands, snot running down my nose, and an ache for something that I can’t quite describe. It felt as if someone pressed a little too hard on a freshly healed wound. But it also felt cathartic.
Tarah accomplished something incredible with this book. She wove together a friends to lovers romance and a journey through grief, sprinkled it with lighthearted, humorous moments, and a story that had everything to be oppressive and dark, tuned into something hopeful and tender. Bea’s love for Merrit is felt in every single page and it’s, in my opinion, the heart of this book. It’s a beautiful and heartfelt love letter to friendship.
I felt a strong emotional connection to Bea and Silas. I felt their pain as if it was my pain, but I also felt their joy as if it were my own. They were both in dark places, dealing with grief and loss, but I felt so proud watching them embark on their healing journey.
Everything about their romance was written perfectly. The combination of two of my favourite tropes - friends to lovers and second chance- was exceptional! I could feel Silas and Bea's history, all the yearning and the love they had to swallow and keep hidden for years. I devoured their banter like it was the most delicious meal I’ve ever tasted. My body caught fire when they finally gave in to their most primal urges. And I cried when they bared their souls to each other. The understanding, compassion and acceptance they showed each other was touching.
Spunes remains one of my favourite fictional places, and the Byrds one of my favourite fictional families. The love and support these people show for each other warms my heart.
The epilogue quite literally reduced me to a sobbing mess. It’s one of the most beautiful epilogues I’ve ever read and I want to absorb every word that Tarah wrote into my bloodstream. Reading it felt like receiving a hug. Life is so beautiful and love is the most precious thing we can hold in our hearts. After experiencing a big loss, feeling joy again is a reminder that love continues to pour in the most beautiful way.
[thank you St. Martins Press for the e-arc 🤍]
✨✨✨
"I'm happy we were girls together," she whispered. "I had the time of my life.”
Shades of blues and purples, innumerable freckles of stars, and the Milky Way running through the middle like a fissure in the universe, a faint orange glow seeping through. There. That's where whatever souls are made of go. Nothing involving pearly gates or wings or malevolent, all-knowing beings. But some place that defies my understanding, still.
"But you know what? Not all pain, yours or mine or anyone's, has to have a purpose. You are not obligated to learn something or find a divine purpose in this. Sometimes it just fucking sucks. This terrible thing stays terrible, what you lost stays lost, and you carry on anyway because life is worth it, and maybe the only things you gotta find are whatever those things are—the things that make it worth it.”
Maybe grief isn't just a place or person you can't go back to, but somewhere you've never been and someone you're scared you'll never get to know.
One of the things I've learned over the last few months. mostly because of you, is how easy it is for two things to be true at once. I can be grieving and hopeful. I can feel terrified and excited. I can...I can want something and be wary of it. You can be scarred and beautiful. Broken and still whole.
What if we keep asking each other for what we need? And what if we just keep showing up? What if I keep on loving you?
Love is always having pieces of your heart walking around outside your body.
January 11, 2026
Tarah DeWitt has done it again! Readers are in for the sweetest treat with this duo 💕 Beta read ☑️
April 11, 2026
man down so bad he plans to get over his cat allergy by sheer force of will just because she adopted one on a whim
praying at the altar of tarah dewitt
Bookstagram | Blog
praying at the altar of tarah dewitt
Bookstagram | Blog
August 9, 2026
I can confirm I cried SO MUCH :)
𝗽𝗿𝗲-𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱｡ꪆৎ ˚⋅ let's cry together shall we? heard amazing things so fingers crossed
𝗽𝗿𝗲-𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱｡ꪆৎ ˚⋅ let's cry together shall we? heard amazing things so fingers crossed
November 19, 2025
Hey so I did in fact bawl my eyes out reading this. More thoughts to come closer to the release date💕
July 10, 2026
This is everything I love about Tarah DeWitt’s writing. Her characters feel like real people, her world feels lived in, and while she embraces familiar romance tropes, she never relies on fantasy or convenience. Everything unfolds in a way that feels grounded and believable.
I also think this is some of her most emotionally mature work. She tackles heavier topics with so much care and grace that it’s obvious this story comes from a deeply personal place. But as incredible as that is, the real magic is the yearning. No one writes yearning like Tarah. She gives us crumbs for hundreds of pages, building one of the best slow burns and right-person, wrong-time romances I’ve ever read until it all pays off perfectly.
Between the writing and that epilogue, this book hit me in a way very few romances do. It’s one of Tarah’s strongest books and the perfect sendoff for the Spunes trilogy.
I also think this is some of her most emotionally mature work. She tackles heavier topics with so much care and grace that it’s obvious this story comes from a deeply personal place. But as incredible as that is, the real magic is the yearning. No one writes yearning like Tarah. She gives us crumbs for hundreds of pages, building one of the best slow burns and right-person, wrong-time romances I’ve ever read until it all pays off perfectly.
Between the writing and that epilogue, this book hit me in a way very few romances do. It’s one of Tarah’s strongest books and the perfect sendoff for the Spunes trilogy.
Did Not Finish
June 1, 2026dnf 💙🧡
to say the least, this book was not for me. i'm sure there's someone who will absolutely adore this one, but that someone is not me. i was a bit wary of the book going into this one- the concept of having your best friend's eggs after she died was an interesting idea, and i was curious. however, i feel like the execution just wasn't there. for starters, her best friend leaves her these eggs in hope that she might be able to help her leave a legacy and have a piece of her. this, i don't mind. what i do mind is that the "best friend" leaves this letter that almost makes carrying the eggs an expectation. there's no easy way to say no to something like this and to make matters worse, the fmc had to tear her entire life apart to make this work. now, as someone with a chronic illness who has lost people to chronic illness, this is a burden i would never put on another person. i've experienced grief and loss, and i just don't think this is the way to handle it. in addition to this, in the flashback povs i never felt connected to merritt, the best friend. if anything, they made me dislike her even more. there were scenes where i felt as if their problems could have been solved very easily if they had talked to each other a bit more. and i get it, it's hard to talk when you're mad, but if a man is getting in the way of things the way silas did, i think there's an issue. which brings me to my next point: silas just happens to be the dead best friend's crush who liked the fmc. but the fmc's best friend also gets a little mad when they do something as simple as dance with each other, and that makes the whole situation a little more awkward. now, all of this being said, i really did not get very far in this book, so please take this with a grain of salt. as i said before, i'm sure there's someone who will like this book, but unfortunately it wasn't for me.
thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an arc! big thanks to salma and vicky for reading this with me as well <3
- preread 💙🧡 -
i haven’t read any books by the author, but this one was highly recommended, so why not?? i’m a little iffy on the whole dead best friends baby thing, but we shall see. fingers crossed that it hits 🤞
buddy reading with my besties salma and vicky
to say the least, this book was not for me. i'm sure there's someone who will absolutely adore this one, but that someone is not me. i was a bit wary of the book going into this one- the concept of having your best friend's eggs after she died was an interesting idea, and i was curious. however, i feel like the execution just wasn't there. for starters, her best friend leaves her these eggs in hope that she might be able to help her leave a legacy and have a piece of her. this, i don't mind. what i do mind is that the "best friend" leaves this letter that almost makes carrying the eggs an expectation. there's no easy way to say no to something like this and to make matters worse, the fmc had to tear her entire life apart to make this work. now, as someone with a chronic illness who has lost people to chronic illness, this is a burden i would never put on another person. i've experienced grief and loss, and i just don't think this is the way to handle it. in addition to this, in the flashback povs i never felt connected to merritt, the best friend. if anything, they made me dislike her even more. there were scenes where i felt as if their problems could have been solved very easily if they had talked to each other a bit more. and i get it, it's hard to talk when you're mad, but if a man is getting in the way of things the way silas did, i think there's an issue. which brings me to my next point: silas just happens to be the dead best friend's crush who liked the fmc. but the fmc's best friend also gets a little mad when they do something as simple as dance with each other, and that makes the whole situation a little more awkward. now, all of this being said, i really did not get very far in this book, so please take this with a grain of salt. as i said before, i'm sure there's someone who will like this book, but unfortunately it wasn't for me.
thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an arc! big thanks to salma and vicky for reading this with me as well <3
- preread 💙🧡 -
i haven’t read any books by the author, but this one was highly recommended, so why not?? i’m a little iffy on the whole dead best friends baby thing, but we shall see. fingers crossed that it hits 🤞
buddy reading with my besties salma and vicky
May 8, 2026
this book felt like a horror movie, my god. i genuinely had the jaws music playing in my head the more i read.
you have to be fucked in the head not to be inherently disturbed by a dead woman gifting her frozen eggs to her best friend who now feels morally obligated to be a surrogate while in a grief-stricken depression as deep as Tartarus. Merritt’s eggs are only viable for another year or two, barely giving Bea the chance to truly contemplate whether carrying the baby of her dead best friend is even remotely what SHE wants.
Merritt and Bea’s friendship is written as this epic (platonic) love story, and is why Bea decides to carry Merritt’s eggs… but the more i read about Merritt, through flashbacks and reminiscent anecdotes, the more i discovered that she’s always been an awful friend. from the moment they met to the moment she died. she was petty, spoilt and entitled, and i really did not understand why Bea wanted to 1) be friends with her 2) sacrifice so much of her life and love for Merritt. i didn’t empathise with Bea’s grief because honestly… Merritt dying actually freed Bea from her shackles and it was the first time Bea could actually live her life without Merritt’s constant toxicity. but even then she still manages to stick to Bea like a parasite from beyond the grave.
so their big epic Susannah and Laurel, Thelma and Louise, Blair and Serena duo friendship meant absolutely nothing to me and just disturbed me more than anything, because Bea’s life got infinitely better once Merritt was gone. it was the type of friendship every girl looks back on as an adult and thinks “thank GOD, i am no longer friends with her. how on earth did i convince myself that girl was my friend?” i saw another review say “who needs enemies when you have a friend like Merritt?” and i have not resonated with anything more in a long ass time.
i really held out hope that Bea wouldn’t go through with the surrogacy. i never truly believed she wanted to mother Merritt’s biological child, it just came across as her being a self-sacrificial martyr. i am just really glad Silas wasn’t the bio-dad, because i think i would have launched myself in front of a bus if the baby was biologically Silas and Merritt’s… iykyk.
gotta part ways with Tarah DeWitt. i can’t any more.
you have to be fucked in the head not to be inherently disturbed by a dead woman gifting her frozen eggs to her best friend who now feels morally obligated to be a surrogate while in a grief-stricken depression as deep as Tartarus. Merritt’s eggs are only viable for another year or two, barely giving Bea the chance to truly contemplate whether carrying the baby of her dead best friend is even remotely what SHE wants.
Merritt and Bea’s friendship is written as this epic (platonic) love story, and is why Bea decides to carry Merritt’s eggs… but the more i read about Merritt, through flashbacks and reminiscent anecdotes, the more i discovered that she’s always been an awful friend. from the moment they met to the moment she died. she was petty, spoilt and entitled, and i really did not understand why Bea wanted to 1) be friends with her 2) sacrifice so much of her life and love for Merritt. i didn’t empathise with Bea’s grief because honestly… Merritt dying actually freed Bea from her shackles and it was the first time Bea could actually live her life without Merritt’s constant toxicity. but even then she still manages to stick to Bea like a parasite from beyond the grave.
so their big epic Susannah and Laurel, Thelma and Louise, Blair and Serena duo friendship meant absolutely nothing to me and just disturbed me more than anything, because Bea’s life got infinitely better once Merritt was gone. it was the type of friendship every girl looks back on as an adult and thinks “thank GOD, i am no longer friends with her. how on earth did i convince myself that girl was my friend?” i saw another review say “who needs enemies when you have a friend like Merritt?” and i have not resonated with anything more in a long ass time.
i really held out hope that Bea wouldn’t go through with the surrogacy. i never truly believed she wanted to mother Merritt’s biological child, it just came across as her being a self-sacrificial martyr. i am just really glad Silas wasn’t the bio-dad, because i think i would have launched myself in front of a bus if the baby was biologically Silas and Merritt’s… iykyk.
gotta part ways with Tarah DeWitt. i can’t any more.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
4.5 stars
THIS MAN CAN YEARN AND I WAS SO OBSESSED!?!?!?
I was as bit skeptical about this plot, but this book was the definitely of right person, wrong time, which is one of my favorite tropes of all time. Silas and Bea have been into each other since high school, but Bea's best friend has always liked Silas, so he was off limits to her. Now, Bea's best friend has died of cancer and left her eggs for Bea to use to have a child of her own. Due to circumstances, Bea doesn't have a place to stay, so Silas offers his place. Being around each other so much makes it hard for them to ignore their feelings for one another...
Silas was a man obsessed and I loved how much he loved Bea from afar for so many years. We get a lot of flashbacks to them dancing around each other over the years, and it made me just love Silas's character so much more. I do think it was unfair that they weren't together because of Bea's friend having a crush, but I do love a messy romance and this one delivered on that drama and angst. They were fighting SO HARD not to be together, but obviously they could only fight so much before they gave in. This also had so many fun small town elements. I don't love the IVF storyline and thought it was unfair of Bea's friend to put her in that situation, but the romance absolutely sold me and made me love these characters.
THIS MAN CAN YEARN AND I WAS SO OBSESSED!?!?!?
I was as bit skeptical about this plot, but this book was the definitely of right person, wrong time, which is one of my favorite tropes of all time. Silas and Bea have been into each other since high school, but Bea's best friend has always liked Silas, so he was off limits to her. Now, Bea's best friend has died of cancer and left her eggs for Bea to use to have a child of her own. Due to circumstances, Bea doesn't have a place to stay, so Silas offers his place. Being around each other so much makes it hard for them to ignore their feelings for one another...
Silas was a man obsessed and I loved how much he loved Bea from afar for so many years. We get a lot of flashbacks to them dancing around each other over the years, and it made me just love Silas's character so much more. I do think it was unfair that they weren't together because of Bea's friend having a crush, but I do love a messy romance and this one delivered on that drama and angst. They were fighting SO HARD not to be together, but obviously they could only fight so much before they gave in. This also had so many fun small town elements. I don't love the IVF storyline and thought it was unfair of Bea's friend to put her in that situation, but the romance absolutely sold me and made me love these characters.
Read
June 3, 2026dnf @30%
I went into this book not reading the synopsis at all and that probably wasn’t the smartest idea to do. I could not get behind this premise at all. What do you mean her best friend dies and leaves behind her frozen eggs that are about to expire in two years to her. Like I’m sorry who comes up with that idea. The eggs were left behind for Bea our fmc who decides after reading a very guilt trippy and manipulative letter to have her best friend child. Mind you she doesn’t have the financing at all to have a kid resulting her having to change her whole life to have her friend child. Who mind you is a toxic friend. Also she is forced immediately to make a decision in her depressive state and is shock that her mother doesn’t accept her decision. Bea literally went on to say that Merritt (her friend name) mother really would love another grandchild and I’m here like so, she has other grandchildren. This is a burden to take for someone dying wish.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to my girlies salma and kat for hate dnfing with me.
—————————————————————-
𐙚⋆°. preread
Buddy reading with my gorgeous girlies salma and kat so excited this read this book as it would be my first one by this author.
I went into this book not reading the synopsis at all and that probably wasn’t the smartest idea to do. I could not get behind this premise at all. What do you mean her best friend dies and leaves behind her frozen eggs that are about to expire in two years to her. Like I’m sorry who comes up with that idea. The eggs were left behind for Bea our fmc who decides after reading a very guilt trippy and manipulative letter to have her best friend child. Mind you she doesn’t have the financing at all to have a kid resulting her having to change her whole life to have her friend child. Who mind you is a toxic friend. Also she is forced immediately to make a decision in her depressive state and is shock that her mother doesn’t accept her decision. Bea literally went on to say that Merritt (her friend name) mother really would love another grandchild and I’m here like so, she has other grandchildren. This is a burden to take for someone dying wish.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to my girlies salma and kat for hate dnfing with me.
—————————————————————-
𐙚⋆°. preread
Buddy reading with my gorgeous girlies salma and kat so excited this read this book as it would be my first one by this author.
July 24, 2026
🩵 2nd read July 2026 (alc): I mean 6 stars what else
🩵 1st read Feb 2026 (arc): can’t see through my tears oh my god. 6 stars
🩵 1st read Feb 2026 (arc): can’t see through my tears oh my god. 6 stars
August 5, 2026
“What is bravery, if not hope in motion?”
I am speechless. Absolutely nothing I could say would do this story justice.
I was waiting a long time for Silas and Bea.
Needless to say, this went above and beyond my wildest expectations.
If you haven’t yet, do yourself a favor and read this series.
Each book is better and better, and I don’t know how Tarah could ever top this story for me.
Several different heavy and sensitive topics are covered in this book so definitely read the authors note going in, but this is one of those stories that will live in your heart forever.
And just a sidenote, but excuse me! I have never read such a sweet golden retriever, have the mouth of a dark romance mmc.
Silas Byrd is “two things at once.” IYKYK 😫😭
Just read this series! You won’t regret it!
I am speechless. Absolutely nothing I could say would do this story justice.
I was waiting a long time for Silas and Bea.
Needless to say, this went above and beyond my wildest expectations.
If you haven’t yet, do yourself a favor and read this series.
Each book is better and better, and I don’t know how Tarah could ever top this story for me.
Several different heavy and sensitive topics are covered in this book so definitely read the authors note going in, but this is one of those stories that will live in your heart forever.
And just a sidenote, but excuse me! I have never read such a sweet golden retriever, have the mouth of a dark romance mmc.
Silas Byrd is “two things at once.” IYKYK 😫😭
Just read this series! You won’t regret it!
Currently Reading
March 29, 2026✨💫 Lost and Found 💫✨
I’ll be sharing my full review closer to publication date.
💖 What to Expect
• Friends to lovers
• Grief & healing
• Found family
• Small town
• Firefighter MMC
• Fertility journey
• Second chance
_ _ _
📅 Pub Date: August 4, 2026
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.
I’ll be sharing my full review closer to publication date.
💖 What to Expect
• Friends to lovers
• Grief & healing
• Found family
• Small town
• Firefighter MMC
• Fertility journey
• Second chance
_ _ _
📅 Pub Date: August 4, 2026
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.
July 25, 2026
Such a sweet ending to the Spunes series!! I love Tarah’s writing style and the chemistry between Bea and Silas was everything❤️🔥
April 6, 2026
Thank you NetGalley for this eARC!
In all fairness, this is my own fault. I hate any kind of pregnancy trope in a romance, so much. But I loved the last two Spunes books and therefore needed to read this regardless. Bad choice.
From the get, the whole concept just gave me the ick. Your best friend dies and leaves you the eggs she froze (weird) with extremely vague instructions on what to do with them (rude), so you opt to have her baby to honor (/clone) her, and you do it all with the dude she was in love with her whole life? And your mom and your friend’s sister are the bad guys for thinking this is a terrible idea?
Also, the relationship between Bea and Merritt was so obsessive and weird and toxic. I don’t even have the energy to get into it, but it was too much.
I’m giving 2⭐️ because I like Silas and I love a mental health rep, but honestly that’s kind of a stretch because I don’t know if I would ever recommend this to anyone.
Please tell me I am not alone in these feelings! But ugh, I’m sad about it.
In all fairness, this is my own fault. I hate any kind of pregnancy trope in a romance, so much. But I loved the last two Spunes books and therefore needed to read this regardless. Bad choice.
From the get, the whole concept just gave me the ick. Your best friend dies and leaves you the eggs she froze (weird) with extremely vague instructions on what to do with them (rude), so you opt to have her baby to honor (/clone) her, and you do it all with the dude she was in love with her whole life? And your mom and your friend’s sister are the bad guys for thinking this is a terrible idea?
Also, the relationship between Bea and Merritt was so obsessive and weird and toxic. I don’t even have the energy to get into it, but it was too much.
I’m giving 2⭐️ because I like Silas and I love a mental health rep, but honestly that’s kind of a stretch because I don’t know if I would ever recommend this to anyone.
Please tell me I am not alone in these feelings! But ugh, I’m sad about it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 19, 2025
the love story equivalent of a warm crackling fire, a quilted blanket and fuzzy socks, and a hot london fog latte in your favorite mug, after days outdoors in below freezing temperatures barely evading frostbite. more to come closer to release day.
✰ 5 stars, I knew there was no way tarah would retire the mustache
special thank you to tarah for your online friendship and the opportunity to beta read for my favorite romance author. I love your weird, and I'm so grateful to have become part of your reader family.
***
pre-read review:
ain’t no way tarah is retiring the mustache
✰ 5 stars, I knew there was no way tarah would retire the mustache
special thank you to tarah for your online friendship and the opportunity to beta read for my favorite romance author. I love your weird, and I'm so grateful to have become part of your reader family.
***
pre-read review:
ain’t no way tarah is retiring the mustache
August 3, 2026
with every book in spunes i find myself falling more and more in love with the byrds! these characters just scream family to me and the way tarah dewitt writes makes me feel like im part of it too if that makes sense!! i loved silas and bea’s story, i loved coming back to this world once again, and i loved seeing all the characters from the previous books!! fingers crossed we will have one more book for micah in the future because i cannot get enough of spunes!!
August 2, 2026
thank you St. Martin’s Press & Macmillan Audio for the ARC & ALC, all opinions are my own.
Tarah Dewitt continues to solidify why she’s one of my absolute favorite authors! 🥰
this story had me so deep in my feels, between the grief rep of losing your best friend, & Silas never truly feeling wanted or good enough 🥹
I absolutely adored Bea & Silas together, having chapters in the past to build their history, and their undeniable, unwavering pull in the present
Silas’ wish 😭 got me so good.
And his convos with Ellis? 🥹 I love that man too.
THE BYRDS - I’ll miss them terribly.
🎧 dual narrated by two of my absolute favourites, Samantha Brentmoor & Adam Gold truly brought Bea and Silas to life.
✦ tropes & more:
💫 childhood friends
🏡 roommates
❤️🩹 grief + PTSD rep
💔 right person, wrong time
🫶🏼 family + found family
🌳 small town
💞 dual 1st person pov
🎧 audio + ebook | ⭐️: ♾ | 🌶️: open door |
📖 Lost and Found by Tarah Dewitt
📚 book 3 • Spunes OR series
💜: contemporary romance (mf)
🎙 narrated by: Samantha Brentmoor & Adam Gold (dual)
*Connect with Me*
🤍 Instagram 🤍 Blog 🤍
Tarah Dewitt continues to solidify why she’s one of my absolute favorite authors! 🥰
this story had me so deep in my feels, between the grief rep of losing your best friend, & Silas never truly feeling wanted or good enough 🥹
I absolutely adored Bea & Silas together, having chapters in the past to build their history, and their undeniable, unwavering pull in the present
Silas’ wish 😭 got me so good.
And his convos with Ellis? 🥹 I love that man too.
THE BYRDS - I’ll miss them terribly.
🎧 dual narrated by two of my absolute favourites, Samantha Brentmoor & Adam Gold truly brought Bea and Silas to life.
✦ tropes & more:
💫 childhood friends
🏡 roommates
❤️🩹 grief + PTSD rep
💔 right person, wrong time
🫶🏼 family + found family
🌳 small town
💞 dual 1st person pov
🎧 audio + ebook | ⭐️: ♾ | 🌶️: open door |
📖 Lost and Found by Tarah Dewitt
📚 book 3 • Spunes OR series
💜: contemporary romance (mf)
🎙 narrated by: Samantha Brentmoor & Adam Gold (dual)
*Connect with Me*
🤍 Instagram 🤍 Blog 🤍
August 2, 2026
Lots of heart! Audiobook narration was fantastic and I definitely recommend going that route if you love a male and female narrator for your romance book. I didn’t think the author leaned too cliche and cheesy with this story. I lost a bit of interest midway but still was entertained.
February 11, 2026
YALL ARE GOING TO LOSE YOUR MIND WHEN YOU READ THIS!!!! TARAH DEWITT AT HER BEST TRULY!!! A GORGEOUS BEAUTIFUL BOOK ABOUT GRIEF AND HOPE!!
Ahhh!! I don’t wanna give my full review until closer to release day… but gosh i love the byrds so much. They feel like family to me. Spunes will forever be such a safe space for me. There is so much depth woven into this book it’s actually insane. The epilogue??? I WAS CHANGED. I laughed. I cried. One of my top reads of the year FOR SURE!!!!
Ahhh!! I don’t wanna give my full review until closer to release day… but gosh i love the byrds so much. They feel like family to me. Spunes will forever be such a safe space for me. There is so much depth woven into this book it’s actually insane. The epilogue??? I WAS CHANGED. I laughed. I cried. One of my top reads of the year FOR SURE!!!!
August 8, 2026
Lost and Found by Tarah DeWitt (Aug. 4, 2026) Thank you, @youhadmeathea and @macmillan.audio for the gifted digital and audio copies! #macaudio2026
Bea's life has been turned upside down. She lost her best friend to cancer a year ago, has been swimming in grief ever since, and discovered she's inherited her friend's frozen eggs - along with a bucket list. Grateful for a soft place to land, she moves in with her friend Silas Byrd, a firefighter carrying his own lingering trauma from a terrifying accident. They've got a long, complicated history, but they're determined to (platonically) support each other through this season of change. As their friendship deepens, so does an undeniable romantic connection - one they'll have to face down grief and fear to hold onto.
Set in Spunes, Oregon, this final book in the small-town series is just as stunning as the first two, and the entire Byrd family gets a pitch-perfect sendoff to a series that has wrecked me in the best possible way. Bea and Silas have a connection that feels real and raw, full of emotion and conflict, and DeWitt masterfully builds that complexity through flashbacks, childhood stories, and dual-POV recollection. True to the rest of the series, this book perfectly balances intense emotion with deeply quirky humor. And the epilogue…I read it four times in a row and could not stop crying (in the best way).
It was genuinely interesting to read in DeWitt's acknowledgments how she set out to reimagine the typical small-town tropes into something entirely her own.
Audio Performance (10 hrs, 33 min): Adam Gold and Samantha Brentmoor are perfect in this dual narration. I honestly can't imagine other voices for Silas and Bea. Loved every minute.
Book: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
🎧 Audio performance: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
🔥 Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Bea's life has been turned upside down. She lost her best friend to cancer a year ago, has been swimming in grief ever since, and discovered she's inherited her friend's frozen eggs - along with a bucket list. Grateful for a soft place to land, she moves in with her friend Silas Byrd, a firefighter carrying his own lingering trauma from a terrifying accident. They've got a long, complicated history, but they're determined to (platonically) support each other through this season of change. As their friendship deepens, so does an undeniable romantic connection - one they'll have to face down grief and fear to hold onto.
Set in Spunes, Oregon, this final book in the small-town series is just as stunning as the first two, and the entire Byrd family gets a pitch-perfect sendoff to a series that has wrecked me in the best possible way. Bea and Silas have a connection that feels real and raw, full of emotion and conflict, and DeWitt masterfully builds that complexity through flashbacks, childhood stories, and dual-POV recollection. True to the rest of the series, this book perfectly balances intense emotion with deeply quirky humor. And the epilogue…I read it four times in a row and could not stop crying (in the best way).
It was genuinely interesting to read in DeWitt's acknowledgments how she set out to reimagine the typical small-town tropes into something entirely her own.
Audio Performance (10 hrs, 33 min): Adam Gold and Samantha Brentmoor are perfect in this dual narration. I honestly can't imagine other voices for Silas and Bea. Loved every minute.
Book: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
🎧 Audio performance: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
🔥 Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
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