This is the second book by Tarah Dewitt that I have had the pleasure of reading and she did NOT disappoint! This felt like a rom com with truly great comedy as I found many moments where Sage and Fisher’s banter or inner monologue had me laughing out loud. The author does a great job of intertwining mental health in a real and relatable way, which just makes her stories even better. I appreciated that there was a good split in Fisher vs. Sage’s POVs, as it never felt like we were getting more of one than the other. I’m finding that I love anything Tarah writes and can’t wait to read her other books. I think one thing i maybe would have liked to get from this story was a little bit more of the side story of Wren and Ellis and why they aren’t together ( the romance reader in me sees them as another book in a “could be” series, as a second chance romance…maybe one day!)

All in all, I loved this book and will certainly recommend it to others! Thank you Net Galley for the opportunity to read this as an ARC.

Fisher hates small towns, but after a meltdown that took his Michelin star and his job, he doesn’t have much choice but to head to Spunes, OR for a new gig. Sage, the girl next door, shows him that there’s more to small town life and living big might mean staying somewhere small. The romance is a delight, and the normal miscommunication tropes that plague rom-coms are refreshingly no where to be found. An absolute treat of a novel that you’ll want to savor!

I can't help but gush about the delightful journey that Tarah DeWitt takes us on in "Savor It." From the very first page, I was hooked and now find myself yearning for more of her captivating storytelling. This was my inaugural encounter with DeWitt's work, and let me tell you, it won't be my last. I am officially a devoted fan, eagerly awaiting the moment I can devour more of her literary creations.

"Savor It" unfolds in the enchanting coastal town of Spunes, Oregon, a place that quickly became as vivid and charming in my mind as the characters themselves. Sage Byrd, our resilient protagonist, is intricately woven into the fabric of this small world. I found myself rooting for her, empathizing with her struggles, and celebrating her victories. DeWitt's portrayal of Sage's journey through heartbreak to newfound strength is nothing short of masterful.

The plot is an intricate dance of emotions, sprinkled with the perfect blend of spice and summery-romance feels. Sage's life takes an unexpected turn when her five-year relationship crumbles, and her ex, the town's golden boy, announces his engagement. Enter Fisher Lange, a once-hotshot chef from New York City, grappling with loss and responsibilities. The accidental kiss that sparks dating rumors sets the stage for a strategic alliance that propels the story forward.

The Festival of Spunes, the annual summer competition, adds a delightful layer to the narrative, creating the perfect backdrop for Sage and Fisher's journey. The fake dating trope, small-town charm, and dual POV narration added layers of depth and complexity that I thoroughly enjoyed. It's a story that skillfully combines heartwarming moments with sizzling romance, making it an absolute page-turner.

I particularly appreciate the dual perspectives that DeWitt employs, allowing us to dive into the minds of both Sage and Fisher. Their chemistry is palpable, and as their relationship evolves from a strategic pact to steamy rendezvous, the emotional nuances are delicately portrayed.

This book is a rollercoaster of emotions, a perfect blend of sweet and spicy that left me utterly enchanted. The characters are vividly brought to life, the plot is engaging, and the writing style is both captivating and evocative. "Savor It" is a masterpiece, and I am eagerly counting the days until I can get my hands on a physical copy. Thank you, Tarah DeWitt, for this enthralling experience, and to NetGalley for providing the digital review copy that allowed me to savor every moment of this literary gem. Five stars doesn't feel like enough—I'd give it more if I could!

Tarah DeWitt is officially a new favorite author of mine. I kid you not, as soon as I was done reading Savor It, I went out and bought a copy of Funny Feelings—I needed it immediately.

Savor It is funny and sweet and heartwarming. The dynamic between Fisher and Sage was wonderful to read, each had their own charm and wit. The small town felt so cozy I kept picturing scenes from Practical Magic while reading.

This book was such a delight I kept thinking what if I too can be like Sage and have my own little farm of animals and live in a coastal town.

Been thinking about rereading it ever since I finished it!

Feels feels feels
Def my fave of 2024
This story is emotional and cute
Can’t wait for more
This is my first read by this author ❤️

** I received this as an e-ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are honest and my own**

There was so much I liked about this book, but ultimately, I struggled to get through it. I enjoyed the small-town aspect and the characters, but I really struggled with the pacing. There was far too much set-up and it just felt so long. I really struggled to stay interested in the story and even though I was liked the FMC and MMC, I just wasn't invested in their relationship. I appreciated the funny bits, and the chemistry was there, but then there are all these other unnecessary details, and I would lose interest.

I feel like there are a lot of people who would really enjoy this, but unfortunately this wasn't for me.

I have been a fan of Tarah's for a long time now, and I am so happy that I was able to partake in the joy that is "Savor It".

All in all, I loved this novel. I appreciated the underlying sentiment of enjoying the here and now, and always going out of your way to make the small things big. I really resonated with Sage, her journey through/after grief, and her desire to find spaces where she might fit in. Fisher was so, so sweet. and his feeling of this emptiness, regardless of his accomplishments impacted me greatly. I loved how gentle they were with each other, and how so much of what we saw was them genuinely wanting to get to know and understand each other, despite their obvious attraction. The communication and honesty between the two of them, considering the novel's tropes, was also refreshing. I loved Fisher's journey with Indy and wish we had more moments like the "so what?" that we got. I also wish we had more moments of Sage and Fisher discussing grief and loss - it was such a large portion of the narrative component of the novel, but wasn't incredibly present in the dialogue.

I will say that I do agree with the reviews that highlight the lack of dialogue as well as occasional word choice. The dialogue between Sage and Fisher in the latter half of the novel was wonderful and truly reflected their personalities to the reader; however, I wish more of this was used throughout. Several sections felt more narrative-heavy and could've used a bit more balance, especially when building their relationship. Some word choices definitely impacted the flow of the narrative and dialogue and took me out of the story. It's not a bad thing to use simple words at times - honestly, simple words make things more impactful if people don't have to ask themselves what is really being said. I struggled to pull myself back in when word choice felt forced and didn't really make sense in the context of the sentence or the narrative surrounding the particular word.

I was able to access an ARC of this novel when it was available under the "read now" section of Netgalley for 24 hours. Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press/St. Martin's Griffin for the ARC.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC!

'Savor It' was the story I needed after returning home from two weeks of a life changing international adventure. The duality between Sage's steadfast & humbling understanding of herself coupled with Fisher's lack of direction provided a safe space to empathize with myself.

Normally, I read a book and fall in love with characters for who they are. This was a book where I was looking for the characters to tell me more about myself and understand what choices I would make in their place. DeWitt put on the page what we sometimes struggle to admit to ourselves and brandied about a mirror of candid truths.

Some of my favorite and most searing quotes below:

"I think sometimes some people make us different versions of ourselves, where we meant to let them or not".

"That a few days with someone by my side should not fundamentally create an auto-response like that".

"It's as if my subconscious had my best interests at heart by being hesitant to reach for more connection with him, knowing it would be temporary".

"People can't follow your rules if you don't make them clear. This applies in all your relationships: parenting, love and friendships alike. If you don't tell people what is and isn't okay with you, they have no way of knowing".

I discovered Tarah Dewitt last year and quickly devoured her backlist. When I saw this book on netgally I was so excited. Now I’m a very staunch seasonal reader I love to read in the season I’m in. I was nervous about starting a very obvious by the description summer read in January but wow was I transported to the beauty of an Oregon summer.

One of the best parts of this small town romance is how layered and genuine it feels. I felt like I could see Sages farm and like I was in the kitchen with Fisher. The quiet love is my favorite in a romance because it feels authentic. I loved watching these two complex people fall in love amongst the quirky town and crazy animals. The funny canoe training, and trivia studying…library scene anyone.

The hardest and best part of this book was how they handled the topic of grief, I myself am in the fresh process of losing my mom and this book hurt and also everything was handled with beauty and love. I’m such a fan of these characters and cannot wait for more of this series. I need that second chance that has to come next!!!

This is my first book by Tarah DeWitt, but it won't be my last. This was a beautiful story that brought tears to my eyes. I loved reading Sage and Fisher's relationship grow and progress throughout the novel. Their struggle was so real, but the way they relied on each other and open up was wonderfully written. The supporting characters added so much to this novel (hoping we get another story out of this). And the banter, omg! Love the dual POV. Well done!

This is my first ever read by Tarah DeWitt and I can tell you one thing:
I. NEED. MORE. OF. HER. BOOKS. ASAP!
Sage Byrd has lived in a small coastal town her entire life. She loves everything about it, that is until her 5-year relationship ends and her ex suddenly ends up engaged.
Sage needs a win, somehow, someway. Her town, Spunes, has an annual summer competition that Sage thinks will be the best way to get that win.
Fisher Lange had it all. A great paying job, a michelin star restaurant, a great sister, and an amazing niece. Whenever the loss of his sister left him feeling numb, his boss sends him away to Spunes, Oregon to consult on a restaurant opening. When an accidental kiss with Fisher's new neighbor, Sage, leads to dating rumors, they make a deal. Sage will help Fisher with his image if he helps her in the summer competition.
I loved all of the spice, the summery-romance feel, small-town charm, fake dating, and more. I also was obsessed with the dual POV, as it is a favorite of mine. I will absolutely be grabbing this book the minute it hits the shelves!
Thank you Tarah DeWitt and NetGalley for this ARC!

The world needs more Fisher’s. This is one of the best romances I’ve read in a long time. I loved the dynamic between Fisher and Indy. I feel like we don’t often get MMC’s that recognize their faults and the areas in life they felt short and then do whatever it takes to correct it. To normalize therapy and being able to apologize. I ate it up. I’ll read anything Tarah DeWitt writes. Thanks to the publisher for this ARC!

I had a lot of fun reading Savor It! I have read a few of Tarah DeWitt's other books so I was super excited to read this one.
Sage lives in the same town she's always lived in and has recently been dumped by her long term boyfriend. She needs a win and she has decided that win will be the town's annual summer competition, The Festival of Spunes. However, she needs to find a partner. Enter Fisher, a successful chef who recently became not so successful. On top of that, he has become the legal guardian to his niece; his late sister's daughter. He is drowning and he takes the job of consulting on the menu of a new restaurant his boss is opening. He moves into a rental house next door to Sage.
Sparks fly between Sage and Fisher almost immediately, and a deal is stuck between the two. Sage will improve Fisher's image with the town and Fisher will be Sage's partner for the festival. But as the two grow ever closer, the end of summer, along with Fisher's departure, is approaching faster than they would like. Can they protect their hearts, or are they destined to hurt each other?

With equal parts sharp wit, delicious tension, and aching intimacy, Savor It immediately captivated me and refused to let go. Tarah DeWitt expertly crafted Sage and Fisher into fully realized, beautifully imperfect people and made me fall in love with them just as surely as they fell in love with each other. The title might as well be a promise, because I savored every gorgeous word until the very last drop.

This book was so sweet. Grumpy x sunshine on the surface that turned into one of the sweetest love stories I've read. Losing parents or siblings and finding a way to truly live in spite of their sorrow. Finding laughter and light in the dark. Loving with an end date, even if only for the summer. Honestly, it was just absolutely beautiful.

If you love contemporary romances, this book is definitely for you.

Content: strong language and explicit s*x

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's for the advanced reader copy of this book. This review is voluntarily written and the thoughts and opinions contained in this review are my own.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC. I was enjoying this until somewhere along the way I was no longer enjoying this book. It felt like the pacing fell flat in the middle and I was struggling to be entertained. Also I wasn’t too much of a fan of the FMC, in my personal opinion I’m not a fan of the ultra quirky FMC where it gets pointed out how different/quirky she is every few sentences, in both the MMC & FMC POV’s. That being said - I do see a lot of other people on Instagram and goodreads enjoying this book! It just wasn’t for me personally.

In hindsight, I didn't like the cover, but loved the story. It's rare to find two self-aware people working hard to make things work in and amidst the hot-messes their lives are. So goes this tale and you can't help but root for them. The dialogue is punny and snappy and made the story...along with the geese. I adored it...and wish I could try Marionberries!

I really enjoyed this book. It is a fast-paced, small town romance set in the Pacific Northwest. Sage is a young woman who lost her parents when she was young and grew up with a bunch of brothers. She's added in a bit of found family (people and animal) and is just getting over a break up when she meets Fisher. Fisher is in town from NYC to help get a new restaurant started and had brought along his niece who had also lost her mother. The pair keep getting thrown together in ridiculous situations and end up helping each other navigate all of the recent changes in their lives. It can only last for the summer though, so how will they savor it?

It is a cozy read that also takes a thoughtful look at grief and figuring who you are before finding someone to share your life with. Being a romance, you know there'll be a HEA, but you don't get there in the way you think it's going to happen. The playful relationship between the main couple is fun to read, but so are all of the side characters. The descriptions of all of the places in the town of Spunes makes you want to plan a weekend trip.

I would love to give this a full length review . I love and adore this author very much. However, SMP needs to take accountability for the harmful things that were said by an employee. I will still be reading this book and sharing it privately with those who want to read it

I enjoyed this story so much. The romantic leads were flawed but came together and made each other better versions of themselves. The ending was perfect. I cried!