I didn't care for this book that much. I thought I'd enjoy it because it was a small-town romance set in a location similar to Washington (Oregon), The characters didn't feel fleshed out completely and I couldn't feel the chemistry between the two main characters. I wanted more townfolk meddling, something that's always included in the small-town romances. I will say that I'm not the biggest fan of the fake dating trope unless it's done perfectly and I didn't find that in this book. All in all, I think this book just wasn't my cup of tea, but other people have really enjoyed it so I'd still recommend it for the romance readers to give it a shot.

I think I love small town romances more than anything. Having experienced one myself, I think this book had me a little nostaligic in the best way possible.

I saw a lot of my mutuals posting on goodreads about how much they enjoyed this book and I knew I had to check it out. This is my first book by this author, but certainly will not be my last! The characters are easy to fall in love with like and I appreciate that they were able to communicate and open up to each other. These days, I feel like some romance authors glamorize toxic relationships where the main characters can't communicate AT ALL and then wind up together in some fairy tale ending.

There were also a lot of good life lessons and a beautiful journey towards healing that felt realistic. Fisher's relationship with his niece was pretty stand out and I loved reading about their interactions.

I can't wait to recommend this to my friends in May 2024.

Well done!!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, NetGalley, and the author for an eARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.

Highly recommend to romance lovers. I loved the small town setting and that Sage lived on a hobby farm. The animals was one of my favorite parts. I also appreciated that miscommunication wasn't the source of conflict. It's not often that I wish a book was longer, but I felt like we didn't get to go deep enough into the plot points. And the steamy scenes escalated very quickly and were a little jarring to me for that reason. But I loved the characters. They felt very real.

This book was like a really good meal (yes, that is a reference to the fact that Fisher is a chef), I wanted to inhale it and drag it out at the same time, and believe me, this was a book to be savored. Savor it follows Sage and Fisher in the small town of Spunes, Oregon as they fall in love in the most spectacular way.

This book had everything I loved; some tension and bickering, cute little animals, the single-parent trope, and such immense love and adoration from both of them. Everything about this book had me grinning or crying because it was just so sweet. Sage and Fisher were such enigmatic, fleshed-out characters and I loved watching them interact with each other and just bring out the best in one another. I really think that they complemented each other so well, I loved that they did not expect the other to change and just loved each other for who they were completely.

I thought that the writing was beautiful and made you keep reading while also asking you to savor each word and really take in their story. Dewitt created this incredibly memorable small town and I thought that the town and the minor characters each had such distinct voices that just made you fall deeper in love with the town of Spunes and also with Sage and Fisher as she shows him around this town that she loves so much.

I really did not want this book to end and I stretched it out as much as I could. This book was incredible and I honestly just wish there were more of it.

"Savor It" by Tarah DeWitt is a delectable journey into the world of culinary passion and self-discovery. The novel follows protagonist Ava as she navigates life's challenges through her love for food and cooking. DeWitt's prose is flavorful, weaving a narrative that tantalizes the senses with vivid descriptions of dishes and the emotions they evoke. The characters are richly developed, and the story explores themes of resilience, friendship, and the transformative power of pursuing one's passions. "Savor It" is a savory blend of culinary delights and heartfelt moments, offering readers a delicious escape into the joys of savoring life.

I finished this absolute gem in gut wrenching happy sobs. It has been a long while since I took this long to read a book but I did exactly what the title said and I savored it. Sage and Fisher were amazing, their story mixed with all the hard stuff that life throws made me feel like I was living in spunes right alongside them. Plus I loved every single side character that was introduced (I totally need an Ellis and Wren redemption story). I was absolutely enamored and there's literally no other possible rating than 5/5 stars.

Sage and Fisher are are love interests that remind me why I love romance so much. They’re unapologetically human and came off as authentic people that were smitten over each other.
I love how Sage’s mind works. I can’t wait to get a physical copy of this book so I can highlight some of Sage’s dialogue because it felt like she was putting words to feelings I’ve had my entire life.
As we’ve established before, I love the single parent/guardian trope and I love a man that can cook, so Fisher checked multiple boxes for me right off the bat. Romance heroes aren’t always incredibly multifaceted, and while I don’t mind a generically hot love interest, I really appreciated the depth to his character. His anxiety and how he handles it (and doesn’t handle it sometimes) made me feel seen.

Small town romances are usually something i find overdone and therefore not worth my time, but I think Savor It pulled it off perfectly. It was such a cute read and Sage and Fischer's story pulled me in immediately. While I admit I initially only picked this up because I judged it by the cover (it's gorgeous, can you blame me?), I was delighted to find the contents being everything I could ever hope for in a romance novel. No notes, utter perfection.

I am thrilled when I read a book by a new-to-me Author and am completely blown away by how much I love it. Savor It is one of those books for me! Tarah DeWitt completely slays it with this beautiful rom-com that will capture your heart, break it and put it back together again all while keeping you smiling, laughing and turning the pages with wild abandon.

Fisher and Sage are a couple for the ages, both dealing with their own insecurities and demons, finding their way forward and right into each others hearts for what is supposed to be a brief summer fling. Unfortunately, life is never easy nor does it ever go as planned.

Fisher and Sage were so human and relatable, reading their thoughts and feelings made me feel like I was a part of the story and knew them personally. This was no doubt attributable to the excellent writing from the author. My emotions were on overload by the end, tears were running down my face at times and I couldn't wipe the smile off my face at other times. I was left totally blown away by an ending that left my heart bursting. I definitely did what the title suggested and savored it, reveling in all this story offered me. I'm so glad I did. This is one exceptional read that you do not want to miss. If it's not on your TBR list, it should be!

this book was so quirky, cozy, & emotional. sage is so beautifully herself. she is a nurturer at heart and truly spends every second of her life making sure she’s living it filled with joy. i love how sage makes even the little thing feel so monumental. i’ve truly never read a character like hers before.

fisher needed to break out of his funk. things were not going well for him and after being sent to spunes, oregon to help oversee the development of a new restaurant he’s able to let the stresses of life go, fall back in love with cooking, and just breathe again. i loved getting to see him feel more comfortable in his role as indy’s guardian. and seeing indy making friends and discovering her self was everything to me. i think both indy and sage really helped fisher grow.

the most beautiful thing about this book (outside of tarah’s detailed descriptions) was getting to see every single character grow. they all helped each other open up so much. the storyline was so unique and fun but i definitely think this is a character driven book. i really enjoyed all the deep dives we got into the internal monologues of sage & fisher. seeing the way they viewed life and the way they viewed each other was truly beautiful.

i truly enjoyed this one

Fisher and his niece Indy move to a small town in Oregon after escaping drama in New York. Spunes (not to be confused with Forks) is a small town where everyone knows everything about each other. Sage lives near the house that Fisher and Indy are renting for the summer. A high school teacher, Sage grows flowers and tends to a small animal menagerie in the summer. Sage helps Fisher when he can’t track down Indy and an alliance is struck when they realize fake dating could benefit them both. Fisher is only in town until the end of the summer, so can Sage and Fisher make a (fake) relationship work or will they have to be content with savoring their summer?

I absolutely loved Sage and her small menagerie of animals. While Sage has been told that she’s too nice, she resents this because it implies a lack of agency. I loved how Sage had confidence in herself and her choices. Fisher and Sage are the epitome of a grump/sunshine couple, with strong Hallmark themes. Sage and Indy also develop a great relationship; Sage helps give her purpose and grounds her. There’s a strong Gilmore Girls vibe- this is a small town (with town meetings!) where everyone is in each other's business but they always want the best for each other.

I thought Sage’s internal dialogue was hilarious and it quite literally made me laugh out loud. Sage and Fisher make a lot of excellent jokes about Hallmark movies, despite some strong parallels to their meeting and relationship. I appreciated the mental health rep and portrayal of complicated grief. Readers who enjoy grump/sunshine, fake dating, and small town romances will love this book. Savor It is a cozy, warm romance with an excellent heroine. Looking forward to more stories from Tarah DeWitt!

Thank you to Tarah DeWitt, St. Martin’s Griffin, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For publisher: My review will be posted on Instagram, Goodreads, Amazon, Storygraph, and Barnes & Noble etc

Tarah is one of my favorite authors and this book just proves that over again. I absolutely fell in love with Sage and Fisher! Their chemistry and respective personal growth was spot on, and this book both broke my heart and put it back together again. Absolutely recommend reading this book!!
Thank you NetGalley for this arc!

Like a naughty hallmark movie in book form. More character depth, emotion and believability than a made for tv movie, but made me all cozy and happy like one! Absolutely recommend, and I’ll be checking out more from this author. A very high steam rating, but added to the story instead of overwhelming it.

I loved the depth of characters and their problems while still being cute and funny. Several lol moments in this book, and a few shed tears. I enjoyed the unique take on an easily over done theme of small town life, “small town” girl and “big city” chef trying to find themselves. I especially appreciated the male lead being “Big City” but not rude or condescending like the typical troupe. Favorite part of all for me are all the animals and their sweet quirks. Best read in a long time.

I’m just going to get my pickiness out of the way so that I can get to gushing about this book but I found the names absolutely cringy. The main character is Sage Byrd. She gives… sage advice…. She lives in the fictional town of Spunes. The love interest’s name is also culinary which I guess is related since he’s actually a Michelin star chef from the “big city”…Fisher Lange. Together they make Sage Fish you can eat with a Spoon… These are the kinds of things I think about in the mornings as I drink my coffee.

Besides the unfortunate names, this book was perfectly romantic and utterly heartwarming. Fisher’s trying to navigate grief, raising his teenage niece and a career upheaval and Sage by virtue of her just being whimsical, compassionate self helps to navigate these big changes. It certainly helps that he's rented the house next door to her for the summer. So they agree to help each other out but not catch feelings because he’s leaving at the end of the summer. The proximity certainly doesn’t help, neither does her big heart, growing house of farm animals and her meddling brothers.

The characters have great banter and a wonderful dynamic that provides a lot of tension and satisfaction. It has all the charms of a small-town setting and a grumpy v. sunshine romance.

DeWitt laid the foundations for what should be a very lovely second-chance romance between two of the supporting characters so I’m sure we will be seeing more of our Sage Fish in the near future. In the meantime, mark my words, this will be the romance novel everyone is talking about this summer.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for providing an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Tarah DeWitt is becoming one of my auto-reads! The connection she builds with the other lead and the supporting cast is top notch! I really love that is love story was a slow burn but in a new fresh way. Fisher Lange wanting to savor Sage is just beyond words.

I love the small town aspect. It shows all the wonderful parts of a small town and some of the annoying parts like being held to your old self, at least in your own head.

Thank you for allowing me an early copy! I can’t wait to share this with friends.

Wholeheartedly loved this book. Sage & Fisher had such amazing chemistry throughout the whole book. Even the side characters are amazing with the brothers, Sam, Wren, Indy, and the rest of the town (minus Ian and the new fiancé who’s name I refuse to remember out of principle).

Would LOVE to see a second chance romance with Sage's brother and Wren.

i absolutely devoured this book, i’m obsessed with sage and fisher, they are everything. the characters are so lovable. i adore romcom’s and this one just perfectly represents what i love.

If you know me it might not surprise you that I've kinda been struggling with romance this year. A lot of romances to me feel like they follow the same exact formula, with the same minimal stakes.

Enter Tarah Dewitt.

Tarah I can always count on to bring me an emotional, grounded in reality romance. And tbh? I don't think everyone wants that. I don't think Tarah is writing for *all* romance readers and that is okay. She's writing for me and so many others who LOVE intertwining love stories with real life issues, real life joys and finding the magic in between.

I loved Savor It. I love how this book has real stakes. What kept this couple apart (much like in Funny Feelings) was so honest in this world of Spunes, OR. This world feels lived in and I love romances that show that the small things can be just as valuable as the big things.

This book is also insanely funny between Sage's word vomit, Gary the goose and Fisher's frazzlement.

I love that this book has tropes, but doesn't rely on them to write the story.

This book is emotionally intelligent, nuanced, not overt, sexy, heartwarming, and so gosh darn relatable. I have so many quotes I screenshot here that made me go, "yeah! That's what it really feels like!"

Read all of Tarah's work pretty please and thank you.

I hope this isn’t the last we’ve seen of Spunes, Oregon because I ate this book UP.

Sage & Fisher are both such delightful characters who are deep and complex without being too corny. I loved the ways in which they were vulnerable with one another as they warmed up to a friendship & beyond. Could have very easily veered into Hallmark territory with the big shot NYC chef looking to remake his career in small town PNW, but it was funny and poignant and so well written.

The additional characters (grumpy niece, lovable barnyard animals) definitely faded into the background of this sweet romance but it all came together for a surprisingly emotional and delicious read. Spicy and tender at the same damn time.

Well-written story with compelling characters, steamy romance, and a thoughtful exploration of the meaning of happiness. Will definitely be checking out other books by this author..