Such a cute romance with a timelessly classic fake-dating trope. This was cute and quirky. Set in a small coastal town, Sage is split from a 5-year relationship with the town hero who just got engaged to someone else. Fisher is a chef who just lost his Michelin star and passion for cooking, who relocates to consult on a restaurant and ends up being Sage's neighbor. This was a cute and fun read. Was a little predictable, and though entertaining, it just didn't wow me. Fans wanting a cute lighthearted uncomplicated story, and those fans of Tarah should check it out. Thanks so much to Tarah DeWitt, St. Martin's Griffin, and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this e-arc.

Something I think alot of folks struggle with is "telling over showing" and I think DeWitt does a fabulous job of making it all feel organic and natural.
Who doesn't love small town, slow burn, friends to lovers, it was all just so stinkin' cute! It was beautiful, hilarious, fun, bit of spice but balanced with very moving moments about the journey of recovery through loss and burnout! I need a book about each one of her brothers, PRETTY PLEASE!!!!

I was looking forward to this title with all the raving reviews. Unfortunately, it took me way too long to get to 40% and realize that I didn't remember or care about what was happening between the main characters. I may try again at another time, because I like Fisher and Indy's history and I would like to see what happens there. Other than that, I wasn't invested in Sage and Fisher. DNF @ 40%.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you so much to @stmartinspress @netgalley for the ARC!

💜 𝙈𝙮 𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 💜
This is such a sweet summery read that will really urge you to enjoy life and be in the moment! It features Sage, local small town teacher in Spunes, Oregon and Fisher, visiting out of town chef who needs a reset on life. Along with Fisher, is his niece Indy, who he is now parenting.

Sage and Fisher are neighbors for the summer, and when it seems Fisher and his business are not exactly welcomed to small town life, Sage volunteers to help him win over the townspeople and he wants to help her in return. The two start forming an easy bond, and the chemistry is sizzling and something they can’t resist.

I love the challenges that Fisher faces in this book and how much he seems to learn from Sage on making the most of the moment and of each day. Fisher seems to not know what makes him happy anymore, and Sage knows how to guide him naturally.

I also love how Fisher makes Sage loosen up a bit, and savor the moments they have together. Sage is not a fling type of a person, but both of them can’t resist one another and are drawn to living in the moment.

The small town atmosphere and warmth seems really present in this story as well. It literally made me feel like I wanted to adopt a herd of unwanted animals and go lay down in a field of flowers. It paints a simplistic life view, that not everything that makes us happy has to be super wild and adventurous, but can be lived daily and with the small things.

I highly recommend this sweet love story!

💜 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚:
🩷 Small Town Romance
💜 Professional Chef/Teacher
🩷 Single Dad
💜 Summer Fling
🩷 Grumpy Sunshine
💜 Nosy Neighbors

Tarah DeWitt is the author of the summer.

Savor It is a gem of a book. It feels like a hug that only a small town romance can deliver. I laughed out loud, but was touched by the two characters and their lives. It is rare to read a story with characters that feel so close to earth and relatable to your own life. But DeWitt masterfully writes a romance that centers around two flawed, but incredible characters that grow, love, and just plain live. Plus, there's animals.

An absolute hit for this author and I look forward to more from her soon.

Thank you St. Martin's Press for my gifted copy.

This was so cute - I adored Sage and Fisher and Indy and most of all, every single one of Sage's animals. Def pick this up to read!

“I fell in love with you, and with this place, and it should've been enough to make me stay. I should've been able to show Indy that, too, but I was scared to fuck it up again. We're better than how you found us, but we're still working on ourselves.”

Thank you Netgalley and St Martin's Press for the honor of reading this book before publication. I waited to review the final copy when I saw that Zachary Webber was narrating .

Zachary Webber killed it as Fisher , he really has narrated the majority of my fave books of 2024, if he narrates I am running to listen. He adds passion, vulnerability and such joy to the characters he portrays.

Tropes:
✨ Pacific Northwest setting
✨ small town romance
✨ he’s a big city chef struggling with burnout
✨ she’s a small town teacher who finds happiness in her garden
✨ grumpy x sunshine
✨ single parent (to orphaned niece)
✨ adorable farm animals
✨ Gilmore Girls / Stars Hollow small town vibes (nosey neighbors, town hall meetings)

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

Sage made a huge difference in everyone's lives. She was a light and color when Fisher had been living a continuous grey existence since his sister died. He took Indy his niece in, and in this summer of slowing down he was able to open his eyes to what was truly important. The life in the here and now, the small little moments of sharing . Her smile, her laugh , and Indy fell for Sage and the animals too. Sage saw you, and listened. This small town made you want to move there, and this wont be the last book I read of Dewitt's I love her prose and the feeling she evokes .

"Sometimes courage is just quietly trying again."
Fisher had growth in this book. Probably the most of any I have read this year. He gets a chance to get his boss's new restaurant opened, develop a new menu , and get his old job back in the city.
But is being a Michelin star chef everything? He learned that other peoples opinions are not as important as being present and passionate in life. Fisher fell in love with creating menus again from the inspiration of farm to table, and the bounty of the Pacific NW.

• “It’s been a privilege to fall in love with you, Sage,”
• "She’s the woman who has taught me to let go of so much so that I can wish and dream for more. I plan to savor every bit of it."

The best HEA I have read in 2024.

Savor It by @authortarahdewitt is an incredible love story that pays homage to small towns. 💜

Blurb: Summer won't last forever.

Sage Byrd has lived in the coastal town of Spunes, Oregon (not to be confused with Forks, Washington) her entire life. She's learned to love her small world, with the misfit animals on her hobby farm, and her friendships with the town’s inhabitants. But when her 5-year relationship ends and her ex, town-golden-boy Ian, suddenly gets engaged, Sage needs a win―something that will convince everyone to stop pitying her all the time, and to put Ian in his place. The Festival of Spunes, the town’s annual summer competition, would be the perfect opportunity. She just needs a partner.

Fisher Lange was a hotshot chef in New York City until the loss of his sister left him numb, grieving, and responsible for his teenage niece Indy. When Fisher loses his Michelin star along with his love of cooking, his boss sends him and Indy to Spunes on a much-needed summer sabbatical to consult on a restaurant opening. But when clashes with the townspeople threaten his last chance to redeem himself and a kiss with his new neighbor Sage leads to dating rumors, a strategic alliance might just be the best way to turn things around.

A deal is struck. Sage will improve Fisher’s image in the eyes of the town and remove the roadblocks he is facing with the restaurant, and Fisher will be Sage’s partner for the competition. But as their pact quickly turns into steamy rendezvous, emotional wounds begin to heal, and the pair tries to savor every moment, they start to realize that summer is racing by much faster than they would like...

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Savor It was one of those feel-good romances that sticks with you for a long time! I fell in love with both Sage and Fisher because of their kind personalities and amazing banter. Their relationship felt so genuine and down-to-earth, it was honestly so lovely and refreshing! The scene when Sage and Fisher’s meet-cute occurred is hilarious yet so sweet! I also related to Sage because she struggles with chronic migraines, as do I. The eclectic cast of characters in the small town of Spunes are wonderful as well, especially Indy, Wren (SHE’S STILL A BYRD), Ellis, and Silas.

Savor It had one of the BEST plots in the history of romance. It made me smile, laugh, and cry all at once. As soon as the book finished, I wanted to reread immediately afterwards. Tarah’s expertise in crafting unforgettable stories honestly should be studied. I cannot wait to read all of the her other books, as she instantly became a must-read for me.

Tarah is a contemporary romance voice you do not want to miss! Please buy and enjoy Savor It whenever books are sold. 😊💕👨🏽‍🍳💐✨

Thank you to the publisher and @netgalley for the opportunity to read/review this novel! 🤩📚

🏷️: #savorit #tarahdewitt #review #bookrecommendation #bookstagram

Small Town romance, slow burn, friends to Lovers, dual POV are all the tropes I typically enjoy but this one didn't quite hit the mark.

What a great summer read! What a refreshing story! Sage loves her small town in Oregon. Fisher arrives from New York City with 15 yr old niece. What started as a fake dating scheme becomes real life and love.

Having lost a Michelin Star and creating a scene while working at his NYC restaurant, Fisher knows he needs to take a break from the kitchen and go back to the beginning and find why he loved cooking. He and his neice head west to a small town in Oregon and stay at an Airbnb as he helps get a new restaurant off the ground. When he meets Sage, he is not prepared for how much she will affect him. Bold, genuine, and unapologetically honest, Sage captures Fisher's attention. Her zeal for life begins to bring him back to life and give him inspiration for the kitchen. As they grow closer, they realize the chemistry between them is undeniable, but the reality of a relationship is non-existent. Agreeing to be friends with benefits for the summer until Fisher leaves, they have fun. But what will happen when it's time to leave, and their attraction is too great?

3 ⭐ it was okay!

Narrators: Karissa Vacker and Zachary Webber
Length: 9 hours and 5 minutes

Thank you so much Macmillan Audio, Tarah DeWitt, Netgalley, for the gifted #Audio and #ARC #MacAudio2024 🎧

I loved these narrators! Full of emotion and entertainment. It was easy to follow along and engage with the story. I did read the beginning on my kindle but truly think the audio was a much better experience. Was this my favorite from this author? No but still okay :)

So what did I enjoy?
- I have always enjoyed the way Tarah creates and sets the characters. They are relatable, funny, honest, and entertaining.
- Small town romance
- Good communication
- Heart tugging moments

What could have been better?
- The love story felt a bit forced and not natural? Almost like an insta love attraction that they just fed into because of the proximity. I just did not feel the connection between the main characters. Everything was pushing them together but I just didnt get the attraction and love. They were great separately but together: meh.
- What was that ending??? It just did not make sense to me.

Please check trigger warnings!!!

Read if you like:
👢small town romances
👢slow burn
👢funn moments
👢grumpy x sunshine

After reading about 25% of this one, and consistently picking up any other book other than this one, I'm throwing in the towel. I cannot make myself care about these characters or this story.

This was my first book by Tarah DeWitt and I am looking forward to reading more by this author. There were parts of this novel that felt a little slow, but once I got through the book to the end, I realized they were needed. I really enjoyed the development between Fisher and Sage. I was unexpectedly emotional at certain parts of the story as well. Overall, the small town aspect plus the town gossips and the path Sage and Fisher take through life really had me enjoying the story.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest opinion.

Tarah never misses 😤 Such a soft and tender story about love and the different ways to have a fulfilling life

Thanks so much to St Martin Griffin for my copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

“Sometimes courage is just quietly trying again.”

Ok I’m not sorry but I literally cried I loved this book so much. I don’t know if it was the right place right time or whatever, I. Loved. It.

Tarah takes the idea of living in the moment and creates a story so compelling you just can’t put it down. I loved Fisher. He was messy and broken when we met him, and all the more real because of it. A disgraced chef struggling with so much, Fisher is an incredible MMC who finds kindness and hope and contentment in the little things despite the rough hand he’s been dealt.

I also loved Sage. A school teacher with way too much history wrapped into the small town around her, she embraces life to the fullest and comes into her own now that someone (see: Fisher) is finally encouraging her to be herself. I loved her heart, how she was so kind and supportive of everyone around her, and how she had to come to terms with the idea that she also needed to be kind and supportive of herself.

I loved this story because it was imperfect but perfect. We were given a small town with multiple library scenes, hand clenches, banter, and lots of sage advice. Not everything is wrapped up with the perfect little bow, but it didn’t need to be. (There is an HEA so please don’t misunderstand that lol.) It just reminded the reader that even when life goes to sh!t, you can still find hope/happiness in it when you have it all rooted in the right place.

Another cute, laugh out loud funny, swoon-worthy romance from Tarah Dewitt. Her books are always so easy to read and just plain enjoyable and this was no different. The chemistry between Fisher and Sage is off the charts and their connection is so authentic. Then throw in all the funny side characters and animals. It’s the perfect combination!

3.5 stars! This book was exactly what you want from a small town romance. I enjoyed the way the setting itself played a role in the story, and how the characters have the trope of coming from two different worlds: one a big city guy and one a small town gal. I enjoyed the way that the characters interact and how my favorite tropes are used: friends to lovers and fake dating to real feelings. I definitely really enjoyed this story. I think the thing that was missing for me was more time to establish the relationship. I felt like at first the pace was slower, but then I felt it pick up in a way that felt disjointed to me. Overall I really enjoyed this one and will definitely recommend it

My first Tarah Dewitt and I absolutely loved every single thing about this god damn book. I listened to it on audio and the narration was PERFECT and these characters were FUNNY and STUPID and SILLY and PERFECTLY IMPERFECT and all! of! the! animals! And Fisher! And Sage! And Sam! And Indy!

Excellent. Heartwarming. Sweet. Steamy. Wonderful. I’m obsessed with it gimme 14 more of em immediately.

This was a cute book! I wish it delved a little deeper into the feelings that Sage and Fisher had about things other than one another, and maybe touched on their grief a little more, but it was a cute book. I would've enjoyed hearing more about the town and townspeople, though I feel like maybe it's setup so there will be more of these books? Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC.