3.5 stars (the extra half star is for the writing)

Tarah DeWitt’s ‘Savor It’ is a quiet, gentle romance that explores whether we should we try and make our lives bigger, better and faster. Or do we savour what we have and lead a life on our terms?

Fisher Lange is a burnt out Michelin star winning (and losing) New York chef sent by his boss to Spunes, Oregon to oversee completion of her new restaurant. In tow is his teenage niece Indy. Both are in therapy and grieving the loss of Indy's mum/Fisher's sister, and, for Fisher, the loss of his award-winning career.

His new neighbour, Sage Byrd knows all too well about grief, having lost her parents young and was raised by her three older brothers. Sage is a people-pleaser, committed to Spunes and desperate to win the town's annual festival competition.

Tarah DeWitt has such a lovely way of writing their instant connection and banter, plus their observations about their growing relationship and how the other makes them feel. Through Fisher, Sage learns to not make herself smaller and to demand better for herself. while through Sage, Fisher learns to heal, and enjoy the present and live a life on your own terms instead of what others think. I also enjoyed the exploration between small towns and small mindedness. Yes small towns do have that, but there can still be community and connection.

However I think this book really dragged with unnecessary side characters and plots which didn't do much more than reinforce to the negatives of small-town life. I find myself wanting to skip over the same reptitive inner thoughts of both Fisher and Sage. The whole competition and the animals were superfluous and should've been removed. As a character I also found Sage a tad too much on the 'quirky t-shirts/sunshine/small towns are great girl'. (Also, for the love of god, you've only known each other a few weeks. I don't care if you're both 'clean' and she's on birth control, use a damn condom!)

Instead I'd have loved to see Fisher and Indy bond more, instead of a rushed scene at the end. I also find it annoying that in the thesis to show you don't need bigger or better and remaining in your small town if you're happy is okay, that there's still a slight sneer at city life=bad.

While I didn't quite connect with this book as others have, there's hints of this being a series with a second chance Ellis and Wren that I would be really curious to read.

Thanks to St Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC.

"Savor It" by Tarah DeWitt is a captivating novel that earns a solid 4-star rating from me. This story takes place in the charming coastal town of Spunes, Oregon, and it masterfully explores themes of love, loss, and the power of human connection.

The characters, especially Sage Byrd and Fisher Lange, are well-developed and relatable, making it easy to become emotionally invested in their journey. DeWitt's writing skillfully depicts the picturesque town of Spunes and its inhabitants, immersing the reader in its small-town charm.

The plot revolves around Sage and Fisher's strategic alliance, which evolves into a passionate romance, adding depth and complexity to the narrative. The story is beautiful yet heart-wrenching, highlighting the fragility of time and the importance of seizing the moment.

This was my first Tarah Dewitt book and after finishing it I am going to be running to buy her other books! I was hooked from chapter one! This has become one of my favorite romance books! If you love small town romance and fake dating you will love Savor it!

The romance in this story was so good, lots of banter and tension, but it had so much more to it. I loved the character development you see and relationship building between Fischer (MMC) and his niece. There are some heavy topics in this book but Tarah Dewitt writes it all in such beautiful way. I found myself wanting to highlight so many quotes!

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

I will be recommending it to everyone!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an early copy of Savor It by Tarah DeWitt. This is the first book I’ve read by Tarah. It’s a cute romance with Sage and Fisher and with reading longer books this was a nice pallet cleanse because this book is a nice length for a quick easy read. In the beginning, it took a little bit for me to get into the book but I think that’s because I haven’t read a book by this author so I had to get used to writing but once I was into the book I just wanted to keep reading. Overall this book was a cute read and I might have to pick up another Tarah DeWitt book!!


If you enjoy:
-small town
-grumpy/sunshine
-fake dating
-grief/Healing
You will love this book

“𝐈 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞—𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞—𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞”

Rating: 3.5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Pub Date: 5/21/24

Thank you @netgalley and St Martins Press for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was my first book by this author, and I enjoyed her writing for the most part. I loved that this book was based in my home state of Oregon, and the small town romance trope.
I did feel the connection between the main characters, but I did not feel invested in either one. They were just OK characters, nothing special or charming. There was however, the perfect amount of spice in this story without being over the top. I’m all for open door scenes. 🌶️

The conclusion and ending felt very rushed, where the beginning was descriptive and built the foundation for or the characters and the plot.

Worth the read if you like small town romance, some spice, and HEA endings.

Fisher is struggling with his career after a meltdown so he spends the summer in Spunes where he meets Sage. Summer romance ensues.

I struggled through this one. So many things that seemed like they were major plot points were awkward and didn't flow: the competition, the ex, even the restaurant. The last 20% was really good but I found it hard to connect to the story for most of the book.

Net Galley ARC:
After being obsessed with Rootbound and the Co-Op I was really excited for this book, but it took me a long time to get into it. It was overall enjoyable, but just didn’t feel as well developed as Dewitt’s other stories have been

*will post on @youhavetoreadthisnow closer to pub date*

SAVOR IT by Tarah Dewitt ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This is was such a satisfying romance. I loved the main character Sage. She was smart, independent, kind, and felt confident in who she wanted to be. The characters had all experienced so much loss and it added so much depth to their relationships watching them grow and navigate their grief. There was no miscommunication trope and they were so honest and vulnerable with each other about what they were going through. If you want a romance that will make you laugh, cry, and warm your heart, this is the one!

Fishers life is in shambles and he is given a chance to start over by relocating to a small town for 3 months. Sage happens to live in the small town next to where Fisher will be living. Both of them need to prove themselves to this small town so they strike a deal with each other to win the towns summer competition!

Perfect if you like:
•Fake dating.
•Small town romance.
•Complicated families.

Pub. Date: May 21, 2024

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Mood: 🌮🍩

🚪: 18, 20, 21, 24, 26, 31
⚠️: explicit language.

A quintessential small town romance that is easy to devour. There is great banter between Sage & Fisher, and thankfully it is dual POV so we really get to see into both of them, which I love. This one has a lot of puns and a lot of heart, and will be a perfect summer read for 2024. My only grievances with this one are that some of the plot points kind of got lost along the way, and there is one plot point that is pretty abrupt and doesn't really add anything to the story, in my opinion.


Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley for a an early copy of this very beautiful book. Sage and Fisher are each broken or healing and find themselves in forced proximity to each other but only for a summer. The writing made me laugh out loud. Each character is lovable in their own unique ways. There are a lot of characters introduced very quickly in the first few chapters, which threw me a little. Indy, Fisher’s niece of whom he is the guardian, is a bad ass and I would love to see a sequel about her.

Also there are lots of food refs and cute animals in this book which is a double win for me!!

Spiciness level on this book: 🌶️/5

I was a big fan of Funny Feelings so was happy to go on my second ride with Tarah DeWitt.

This book!!! Bravo to Tarah for having a 3rd act conflict that makes sense and is NECESSARY for the story - not just a check box item. This book is filled with heart, love, sadness and joy. The characters and relationships are just amazing (Indy and the goose?!). I’ll be thinking about this one for a long time to come

This book was so amazing! I have read one other book from this author but it had been awhile and I didn't remember much. But this one will definitely be a comfort read for me! Sage and Fisher were the perfect character to fall in love with. I do think the pacing was a little off at times, but I still loved this book.

I received an advanced copy of this book for an honest review.

Sage and Fisher's story was cute! But there were definitely some issues with pacing and being able to connect with the MCs. It felt like the story definitely needed either another round with the Beta readers or an editor to help with the choppy story and really let this story shine.

I first discovered Tarah on Instagram and previously loved all her other books so when I got lucky enough to get this one I was sooo excited!

I loved the location of Spunes. I grew up in a small town. On a farm. With a bunch of animals, so reading this book really brought me home. 😭
I loved Sage and Fisher so much! You can feel the chemistry come off the pages!

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC!

This book was cute! I enjoyed it alot! I loved getting both Sage and Fisher's perspectives throughout the story. At times i did feel like it was a tad long, and some parts could have been cut out. I would have liked to know more about Indy and her future with Sage and Fisher. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a light hearted rom-com.

I was fortunate enough to receive an ARC of this book, my first read from this author, and I ADORED it. It hit all the feels—I felt hope, I felt joy, I felt the heat and the tension, I laughed and I cried. And I just couldn’t get enough! The backstories of the two main characters, their families, Indy and her angst and dreams, the small town quirks, and just the pure dichotomy of the whole juxtaposition of expectation versus reality, misplaced assumptions, big city versus small town, and how being in the present while being stuck in the past can impact one’s soul. I loved Sage and her outlook on life. She was super relatable and such a mixture of pleasing people and standing her ground with just this effervescent joy and appreciation for what makes her happy, underpinned by insecurities from her past (and those layered in by her ex). Fisher and his grumpy/cinnamon roll duality was charming and caring, while also trying to cope with his past, his present, and what he really wants for his future, all while trying his best as a new caretaker. But I think my absolute favorite parts of this book were not only the moments of tension between Sage and Fisher, but the way that they spoke about and to each other. It was just so endearingly lovely and it made me, as the reader, yearn for that kind of love, understanding, and appreciation—all while not only building their partner up just as they are, but helping them heal and giving them purpose. Plus you could just FEEL the love. The way Sage observed Fisher when he was cooking for her you could just picture it and feel the same. And when the spice came, and oh the spice was chefs kiss, it wasn’t JUST the spice aspect—it was uniquely poignant in its representation of the love and luck and sense of urgency laced with pure joy and I just thought it was such a pleasure to read. Definitely highly recommend this one and will be reading more of their work!

“And I decided a long time ago that life being too short and too beyond my control meant that I’d let the small stuff feel big.”

This book was heartfelt and delicious! I am so impressed by the way DeWitt built this town and its people with so much detail and heart, I definitely felt like I knew Spunes well by the end of it.

Sage and Fisher deserve nothing but love and happiness forever and ever and ever. I love when authors let broken people mend and break over again because that’s what makes the characters feel even more alive, and the characters in Savor It were vibrant and real and flawed and lovable all the same. I wanted to stay in Spunes forever and find out where everyone’s stories lead.

This was a cute book, I did enjoy see the progress of sage and fishers story. I enjoy when authors add in more deeper topics to their story as I think it adds more depth to the story. I will say about halfway in the book I did start to get a little bit bored. The plot was a little hard to follow at times. Overall, I would rate this 3.5 ⭐️ thanks to NetGalley and St. Martins Press publishing for the ARC in return for an honest review♥️

I anticipated a lot from this, being a huge fan of "Funny Feelings" and "The Co-op" however, my expectations weren't met. I struggled to connect to the romantic plot because there's very little tension there. There's nothing keeping the characters apart and no reason why they can't simply be together, so there's not much story happening in that regard. I just wish there had been more depth throughout.


Thank you netgalley and publisher for giving me an ARC in exchange of an honest review.

I loved everything about this book. I loved how quirky the female main character was and how she marched to the best of her own drum. I thought the male main character was portrayed well as a grumpy chef. I the character development throughout the books was great, with each main character going through their own individual struggles. The competition element provided a gray way to add some comedy. I highly recommend this to anyone looking for a romance with a chef and small town vibes.