Title: Savor It
Author: Tarah Dewitt
Length: 331 pages
Format: ebook arc
Pub Date: May 21, 2024
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Rating Out of 5: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Spice Level: open door
Summary:
Sage Byrd has always loved her life in Spunes, Oregon, but after a breakup with her ex, Ian, and his sudden engagement, she’s desperate for a win. The Festival of Spunes offers the perfect chance to show everyone she’s moved on, but she needs a partner.

Fisher Lange, a former NYC chef reeling from personal loss and career setbacks, is sent to Spunes for a sabbatical with his niece. When he clashes with locals and a kiss with Sage sparks dating rumors, he agrees to a deal: he’ll help Sage with the festival if she helps him with his restaurant.

As their arrangement turns into a steamy romance, both Sage and Fisher start to heal and savor their time together, realizing their summer together is slipping away too quickly.

Thoughts:
This was the first book by Tarah that I’ve read, but now I feel the need to explore all of her books because this one was just such a delight! First of all, Sage is such an adorably quirky, pun-loving, free spirited, genuinely kind character that you can’t help but love her. And then you’ve got grumpy Fisher who can’t even stay grumpy for one second after meeting Sage. AND THEN you’ve got all the wonderful side characters that just build up the story even more. AND THEN you’ve got all the cute animals that play an important role in this story as well. This was just the perfect amount of tender romance + small town vibes + summery spice + mild third act breakup + trauma that needed working through. Highly recommend!

Special thanks to the @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the arc in exchange for my honest review!

I will be withholding an actual review on this book until St. Martin’s Press addresses the concerns of their readers and influencers. This is the bare minimum, and it’s very frustrating that they haven’t spoken up yet.

“𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘦𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘳𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯.”

Savor It by Tarah Dewitt

✶ small town romance
✶ opposites attract
✶ friends with benefits
✶ dual pod
✶ 4/5

Tarah Dewitt has crafted the delightful town of Spunes, Oregon, with impressive skill (and yes, it's distinct from Forks, Washington, haha). In many contemporary romances, the setting is either a real place or a vaguely described fictional one. However, Spunes is vividly brought to life, with detailed descriptions of its architecture, quirky residents, and rich history, making it feel like a town you could genuinely visit.

I was particularly impressed by the sensitive handling of grief. The story explores the difficulty of losing a loved one, no matter how much time has passed. While the focus is primarily on Fisher's (and Indy's) path to healing, Sage's perspective offers a glimpse into living with loss over many years. Sage's understanding and support for Fisher are beautifully portrayed. Everyone needs someone like Sage to brighten their lives during dark times.

The romance between Fisher and Sage develops slowly but sweetly. They are instantly drawn to each other, yet due to Fisher's grief and Sage's caution about a summer romance, they choose to build a friendship grounded in vulnerability and trust. Fisher finds someone who can relate to his grief and offer unwavering understanding and love, while Sage discovers someone who truly appreciates her for who she is—including her quirky robes and witty T-shirts.

The pacing was somewhat uneven at the beginning and towards the end. The first third of the book moved slowly as it set the stage, which was understandable. However, the last portion felt rushed, with several time jumps and rapid sequences that read like a montage. It seemed hurried because the first 80% delved deeply into the characters and their emotions, with a few subplots woven in. By the end, when these subplots needed resolution, they were wrapped up quickly and with little focus. It would have been more satisfying if the race and the restaurant opening had played more significant roles, given that the race brings Sage and Fisher together, and the restaurant is Fisher's reason for being in Spunes. Although all loose ends were tied up, I feel these two subplots deserved more attention.

Ultimately, the authenticity of this story shines through, as everything about it resonates with realness. Just as the town seems tangible, the characters also feel incredibly authentic. Fisher, Sage, and Indy have all endured significant loss and heartache, and their journeys of coping and healing are portrayed with realism. The events throughout the story are plausible and never feel forced, which is a refreshing change. What I admire most about Tarah Dewitt's writing is her ability to make every element come alive.

Thank you to Tarah Dewitt & Netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

"Savor It" is a very good "grumpy meets sunshine" romance set in a small town out in the middle of nowhere. It features hometown-girl Sage Byrd and her grumpy new neighbor (and chef in hiding) Fisher Lange, who is raising his orphaned niece while coming to terms with some major upheaval in his life.

For Fisher and his niece, Spunes, Oregon, is just a temporary stop on the way back to NYC. It's the penance that Fisher has to do to get back into the good graces of his boss and culinary society. It's also the opportunity for him to see if he can reclaim the passion he's lost for cooking.

For Sage, Spunes is home and there's no place that's better. Sure, her social life is a bit stale. But she loves her town and all of its quirky residents. And she's got her hands full with all the rescued animals she has adopted.

So, when Sage and Fisher meet, it seems they don't have anything in common. But one things leads to another, and in finding their way to each other, they each find their way back to themselves as well.

I enjoyed every minute of this story and look forward to reading more books from this author in the future!

Thank you to Tarah DeWitt, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for an advance review copy.

This feels very cozy, I love the Pacific Northwest setting, and the Gilmore Girls tone. A slow burn in a small town just hits the spot. I appreciated how Tarah approached grief, and found that to be a huge positive in her favor. However, I do feel that pacing can be worked on. The beginning of the book felt slow rolling, and the ending did feel hectic (especially the time jumps). This was my first Tarah Dewitt and I thought it was adorable! I will be reading more!

I loved the relationship build between these two. It felt sweet and soft and natural. The way Sage shows Fisher how to slow down and be present in his life, to appreciate things for what they are and in turn he does just that by appreciating her for exactly who she is. It was easy to love and relate to Sage and Fisher, both on different journeys of grief and healing, flawed by trying to grow. Reading Savor It felt equal parts nostalgic and aspirational.

Savor It is the perfect summer romance read!

The characters, the setting, and situations of this small town romance really kept me engaged. There are enough interesting side characters that I hope Sage’s brothers get their own book and this becomes a series. The romance scenes were steamy, and I was rooting for this couple to get together and find their happily ever after.

4.5 rounded up

This is a reread and Tarah, omg, I swear your books are a drug. Sage and Fisher and Indy - my heart aches that I finished this book because it’s just too damn good.

This is such a charming small town romance with undeniable chemistry. Fisher and Sage both compliment each other so well and I love how their relationship blooms from their friendship. Their story has the perfect balance of goofy and serious moments. Seeing Sage find someone who embraces her, quirks and all, and Fisher work through his grief will leave your heart filling full. I did feel like the pacing was slow at times and wish we got a little more from the ending but overall a fun romcom.

Sage Byrd has always lived in the small town of Spunes, Oregon. After her five-year relationship ends and her ex quickly finds someone new, Sage needs a win. Enter Fisher Lange, a former New York chef in Spunes to help open a new restaurant. The locals aren't thrilled about the new place, which complicates Fisher's efforts to rebuild his life and care for his teenage niece after his sister's death.

Sage and Fisher meet in a hilarious incident involving a robot vacuum and an accidental 911 call. Their story is heartwarming and funny, filled with moments that made me laugh and cry. DeWitt handles themes of grief, redemption, and love's healing power expertly. The chemistry between Sage and Fisher is palpable, and their dynamic is perfect.

DeWitt's creation of Spunes, Oregon, is vivid and detailed, making the town feel real. The characters and their experiences are realistic and relatable. This authenticity, combined with a sweet and spicy summer romance, made "Savor It" a delightful read.

This book has put me back in my small-town romance era. If you love heartfelt stories with charming towns and genuine characters, "Savor It" will be your latest obsession. With its engaging plot and well-developed characters, this rom-com exceeded my expectations and earned five stars.

This was my first Tarah Dewitt story and it was exactly what I needed when I needed it. I needed something light and fluffy and while there are parts that are more serious than I'd expected, I found it allowed me to enjoy the fun, punny, full of chemistry characters even more. Sage lives up to her name in the story, without even realizing how integral she is to everyone in her life and those new to her life as well. Fisher is flailing in both his professional and personal life. He isn't looking for much more than finding his cooking mojo back. What he finds in Spunes, Oregon goes way beyond what he'd expected. I loved all of the characters (even Ian) in the story. They added depth to the circle that was Sage and Fisher.

Tloved this book so much
this book was
cooking as foreplay and just. The intimacy, falling in love with the quirkiness of another, taking care of each other, developing a partnership. Obsessed, it was so good.

This was one of my most anticipated reads this year and I am so sad and disappointed that I didn't love it.

I know that I'm in the minority here, and I hope this doesn't discourage anyone from picking this book up and hopefully falling in love with the story and the characters.

I tried my best to connect to the characters and love them, but I couldn't. They have no chemistry whatsoever and there's no development. The story itself feels pretty bland and boring; at times it seems that I was just reading words on my screen with no context. Considering how excited I was to read this, it was really frustrating.

Maybe I'll give this one another chance in the future, who knows, but now is definitely not that time.

Overall, this book was excellent. It really tugged on the heartstrings by tackling serious topics including loss of a parent/loss of a sibling but still keeping it a lighthearted small town romance. I personally love the meddlesome townspeople trope (a la Gilmore Girls), but others may not so keep that in mind. The author did an excellent job building the relationship between Sage and Fisher. Overall, highly recommend.

This was a sweet, sweet book like I've come to expect from Tarah DeWitt. Sage felt a little too much like she was not like other girls (derogatory) but since that's pretty standard in romances I was able to overlook it. Overall I had a good time!

Small town slow burn romance! I loved this book so much, the characters are very well developed and the romance was written beautifully between them. It was also quite spicy but written in a good way, not a cringey way. I recommend this!

4⭐️ 3.5 🌶️

Savor it is overflowing with small town vibes, where everyone knows everyone in this quirky town. Life long resident Sage is the town good girl with a heart of gold and also gang of animals that had me cracking up, especially the gophers.

Sage and Fisher are both dealing with grief and loneliness and just happen to end up temporary neighbors for the summer. What was supposed to be a summer job to get Fisher and his niece somewhere quiet that they could reset turned into so much more, because well it is impossible to be near Sage and not get sucked in by her kindness and huge heart.

The desire between Sage and Fisher is palpable and let me tell you this was a slow burn but when it finally happens, there is no shortage of steam.

I laughed, swooned, had so many feels and moments of such happiness seeing the love between the characters in this small town. This is one of those books that about half way through you tell yourself that if these characters don’t end up together you will be devastated.

Thank you to netgalley and the author for the arc. All opinions are my own.


Small town
Slow burn
Spice
Dual POV
Teacher + Chef
Single Guardian
Grief Rep

“Please bring me home” 🥹🥹

“Sometimes thoughts just need space to roam before you can sort them through”

“Sometimes courage is just quietly trying again”

“Life is short, go to the library, live a million different stories, and see a million different places in one. You might not have control over some thing’s but you always foster your imagination”

Review:
This is my first Tarah Dewitt book and I absolutely loved it! It was so cute and parts were so funny to me, I liked the level and amount of spice in this, wasn’t too much but kind of just the right amount. The ending did feel a bit rushed.

First of all, I love a good small town romance and this one was pretty much perfection. I absolutely loved both main characters and I think anyone who loves romance books needs to read this immediately!

Ok if you know me I am a sucker for fake dating and this did not disappoint. It was loving and fun and at points deep. It was written so well. And watching them fall in love was amazing. They are both just made for each other