★ ★ ★ ★ //5
🌶️🌶️🌶️
Savor It

I want to thank the author for giving me the opportunity to read this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

Do you love a book that:

💜 Small Town Romance
💜 Opposites Attrract
💜 Summer Time
💜 Fuzzy Feelings Feelings
💜Chef Vibe

THOUGHTS:

I thought that this sweet small town romance was perfection. I loved the fact that it had not too much and not too little spice, the characters were lovable and relatable in ways and I just adored them. This book gave me all of the feel good feels that I would expect it to and the plot/storyline was my favorite.

We have Fisher who moves to a small town after losing his job and he moves next door to the adorable Sage. I loved their dynamic and the chemistry that ended up building between these two. This book will have you swooning and giggling with the banter and back and forth with these two.

Please put this on your TBR, you will absolutely not be disappointed.

Dnf @ 38%

AAAAAA one of my most anticipated books and i ended up dnfing it :((( So sad that I don’t feel any chemistry between them at all. And also i find them annoying too sometimes lol

This was SO sweet and Fisher was equally as sweet and had me blushingggg. I love a small town romance where one person is originally against the idea of living in a small town and it not being enough but realizing it’s more than enough when the person/people you love are there. I also LOVED Sage’s character. Her doubts/insecurities were very real and relatable. When she talks about herself being a lot of “nots” and made sure Fisher knew that her being “too nice” did not mean she was weak?? Instantly fell in love with her.

Fisher and Sage’s chemistry was undeniable! I loved all the side characters and am really hoping we get to learn more about them (I need Ellis and Wren to be together). Based upon the description I had thought this was a fake dating book, it’s not and it’s better for it. I loved how honest both Sage and Fisher were about their feelings for each other and wanting to spend what little time they had with each other. I find with fake dating there’s more miscommunication in that each character is trying to hide that they’re actually falling - Fisher and Sage never did this and absolutely used their actions to back up their words. Loved this!

I loved savor it! Great character development, realistic relationships between all the characters and just enough humour.

I am hoping this will become a series since I am dying to read about a second chance romance for Wren!

Tarah Dewitt has a way of deftly balancing the three things romance novels need: humor, angst, and heart. If you’ve read Funny Feelings, you know exactly what I’m talking about. Dewitt’s 2024 book, Savor It, is another beautifully crafted novel.

When NYC Michelin-Star Chef Fisher Lange is sent to the small coastal Oregon town of Spunes, love is the last thing on his mind. After the death of his sister and a viral meltdown in front of a food critic, Fisher finds himself unemployed and attempting to parent his teenage niece. His mentor sends him to Spunes for the summer to get a new restaurant up and running with the promise of his old job back in the fall. His eccentric animal-adopting new neighbor, Sage, lost her parents when she was young and was raised by her older brothers. Early tragedy has shaped so much of her outlook, and she is committed to living a big life in the small moments. When the busybodies in this quirky small town attempt to block the restaurant, Sage and Fisher launch a fake-dating plan to win him favor with the townspeople and get her a partner for the annual town canoeing contest. As they grow closer, and Sage helps Fisher build a relationship with his niece, the fake begins to feel very, very real. But, as summer draws to a close and Fisher’s return to NYC draws near, things are bound to end in heartbreak.

This book has one of the best quirky small towns, so many fantastic family and friend characters that I need more details about, food as a love language, and SO MANY adorable animals. It also has thoughtful, tender, kind main characters in Sage and Fisher and an important message about how we define home, success, and love. PLUS, BABY GOATS AND MINI DONKEYS.

Many thanks to @netgalley, @stmartinpress, and @authortarahdewitt for an advanced copy of this charming book in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks netgalley for an advanced copy of this book. So often the formulaic small town romances are repetitive and trite, but Savor It felt like a comforting breath of fresh air. The small town trope is so cozy when done well, and I felt like it truly was executed nicely in this book. The story follows Fisher, a disgraced chef who is struggling with some personal demons, who travels to Spunes, Oregon with his niece in tow. He’s there to work on the opening of a new restaurant and gets off to a rocky start. Then he meets Sage, a lively and captivating local. Organically, the two begin to collide and collaborate (as partners in a race), and before long, feelings….

4.5 star

Tarah has done it again! Savor It was such a tender, beautiful endearing story with fun and relatable characters that was just so perfect.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin's Griffin for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAH. Tarah never disappoints. I definitely SAVORED this book. Sagebird is for all the mirrorball girlies. Fisher is so real, he has struggles that many of my friends (i.e., me) relate too.
This is one of the only romance booms that is not only about the MCs but the people around them. I *CANNOT* wait for the next book.

***ARC Provided by NetGalley***

As someone who absolutely loved Funny Feelings (trust and believe I have 2024 rereading plans) I went into this with high expectations and unfortunately it didn’t not deliver. Firstly, I felt as though Sage and Fisher’s relationship moved too quickly for my personal tastes (I am utterly obsessed with slow burns so definitely just a me thing). But honestly that’s okay! I’ve read and enjoyed many books that weren’t slow burns and so that isn’t a big deal! Just a warning to avid slow burn lovers. Secondly, I started this with the understanding that it was going to be an emotional read and was excited as to how Tarah was going to showcase grief and rebuilding from loss and these supposed Big Feelings™️ and I didn’t find that. There was no deep drive into those emotions, nothing heartfelt and any attempt felt extremely shallow. Thirdly, the way the blurb was written I was under the impression that Indy and her struggles would play a bigger role especially with the forming of Sage and Fishers relationship or with Sage and Indy sort of bonding over their similarities but Indy was rarely on the page and any bonding between either characters was off page and told to me not shown.
And lastly, it was just boring. And there’s no fixing that.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with this ARC!

Alsooooooo Sage suddenly has a long history of suffering from severe migraines??? Ever since childhood? Which you don’t find about until 80% in and it’s glaringly obvious it was just to steer the plot in a certain direction 🥱🥱

Savor It was such a brilliant romance! Dewitt is a new to me author and now I’m itching to read her backlist. Sage and Fisher’s romance was everything.

Loved this book! The story was a fun, moving romance and definitely an adult read. Loved the well written detail and no silly teen angst (well, sure from the actual teen). A definite addition to your TBR list, do not miss this one!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me access to the E-arc.

4.75*

I love the way that Tarah DeWitt writes a romance. She weaves hard topics into her swoon worthy romances. I personally feel that grief was talked about in a realistic and digestible way. I will definitely be thinking about there story for a while. I love the main characters in this novel. Sage and Fisher are an amazing book couple.

I highly recommend this novel to any adult who loves romance.

as st Martin’s press remain silent on the blatant racism allegations they have been under for months now and as myself a woman of color, I will not review and promote this book until accountability is taken, even if I nicely received an advanced copy. books are political no matter what has been said

It usually takes me a while to get into any new story. This tale of a Michelin starred chef who has lost his way captivated me from the beginning!

I savored (pardon my pun) this wonderful, romantic book. The characters were charming and quirky without being a bit cartoonish. I was truly invested in their relationship. Tarah DeWitt is a new writer to me. I'll be consuming all of her books after this one. 4.5⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin's Griffin for this complimentary ARC. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I absolutely loved this book. I am truly a sucker for small town romance and this book did it right! I loved how the femal MC was out small town girl with a big city male MC, you dont see it very often but I am defiently a fan. I found myself rooting for Sage and Fisher from the very beginning!

Tarah DeWitt is slowly becoming one of my favorite romance authors. This book was so good and the slowburn was done so well. I've binged all her books recently and I'll be sad now that I will have to wait even longer for a new one!

🛶 Three things you can count on in a Tarah Dewitt novel:
- characters with depth
- laugh-out-loud moments
- spicy scenes without the cringe
And her newest novel Savor It, which is out in May, is no exception!

🛶 This is definitely one you’ll want to add to your beach bag this summer! I mean, falling in love over a summer in a small coastal Oregon town— need I say more?!

🛶 This one had all the quirky characters of a small town, plus two very lovable MC’s. There’s open communication throughout and only real life issues to hurdle. I recommend this to any romance reader but especially if your favorite tropes are…
- small town romance
- fake dating
- single dad
- self discovery

🛶 Sending out a big, big, BIG congrats to @authortarahdewitt who has killed it as an indie author and this is her first book under her new PUBLISHING deal! Her agent was right: she belongs on the shelves! And thanks to @stmartinspress, @smpromance & @netgalley for the sneak peek at this. Again, it’s out in May and you should be adding it to your spring/summer TBR’s NOW!

This was my first by this author and it was a very enjoyable read. I liked the character development of not just the main characters but all the supporting characters. It was very Hallmark small town but with some spice and not too over the top. Thank you netgalley!

Can I give this 10 stars?? I loved every single second, every single word of this book. Everything. Tutto.

The cast of characters were perfectly complimentary to Sage and Fisher's journey, and to the development of their individual characters but also their relationship.

Their growth, together and apart, their pure love...CHEF'S KISS. I loved that there was just enough comedy, just enough light-hearted banter, just enough to diffuse and balance out the heaviness.

Sage is a wonderful main character. She is kind, gentle, a bit outgoing and a bit introverted, balanced in her joy and her grief. Fisher is a grumpy sweetheart, who loves and meets Sage exactly where she is - never asking too much, never taking too much, and wears his heart on his sleeve.

I loved this, and I can't wait for this to be released and for Tarah to continue to shine as she rightfully deserves.

Sage is the sweetheart of a small town in Oregon where everyone knows her story and the heartbreak she’s experienced throughout her life. She’s a middle school teacher who is enjoying the summer on her farm with her quirky animals, when new neighbor Fisher moves in next door. Fisher is a Michelin starred chef who recently went through a very public fall from glory in New York City. He is also the guardian of his angry teenage niece after the sudden death of his sister. They are there for the summer so that Fisher can oversee the opening of a new restaurant that isn’t wanted by the locals. He starts a friendship with Sage, and they make a deal that benefits them both- she will help him get the town’s support for the restaurant and he will be her partner for the big summer festival and competition. They end up falling for each other (obviously)!

This small town romance was easy to read, with funny moments balanced out by warmhearted and serious ones (plus some spicy scenes! 🌶️). It has characters you want to root for, meddlesome neighbors and misfit animals. However it was pretty predictable, and the constant use of the word “savor” throughout was a bit overkill in my opinion. It felt like the author was trying too hard to make the title of the book fit when she really didn’t need to. But it was still an entertaining story and I enjoyed escaping into it. Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book!