I completely devoured this book in a day! Oh my goodness! I am so OBSESSED I cannot wait to buy a physical copy!! This is the best romance I’ve read in such a long time! It was such a wonderful journey and I saw myself in both of them! I loved watching them grow together and learn to communicate and open up to each other!

Savor It is a touching small-town romance told in alternating first-person POVs by the MMC (Fisher Lange) and MFC (Sage Byrd). Fisher is in Spunes, Ore., for the summer with his niece, Indy. Fisher was a rapidly rising chef in Manhattan until his life started falling apart. His professional success has left him feeling empty, disengaged and unsure of his what he wants from his career. Then, his sister Freya, a single mother, is killed in an accident, leaving Indy orphaned. He and Indy leave New York for Spunes after Fisher gets into an altercation with a food critic while eating at another restaurant. His boss sends him to Oregon until things cool off and charges him with coordinating the build out of new restaurant in Spunes as well as developing a menu.

The house that Fisher rents in Spunes is the property next door to Sage’s home, and Sage manages it as a favor to the owners when they are out of town. She’s a high school teacher, who was raised primarily by three older brothers after losing her parents and has lived in Spunes her entire life. Her five-year relationship with Ian Carver, son of the mayor and a police officer, ended about a year ago. After the break-up, Ian started dating one of Sage’s friends and the couple are now engaged.

Both Fisher and Sage have suffered some serious losses and as their relationship grows from neighbors to friends to lovers, they learn how to help each other to heal their wounds and find a way forward. Although Sage is definitely the sunnier personality, both Fisher and Sage find the strength to trust each other and open up about painful aspects of their pasts. This communication helps them to build a supportive relationship where they can be there for their partner.

Although there are some serious challenges for the couple, the story also contains a lot of lighter interactions and fun banter to balance out the tone. Another strength of the book is the interesting cast of secondary characters. Fisher’s efforts to be a better, more involved guardian for his teen-aged niece are especially nicely handled.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #StMartinsPress for the ARC.

DNF at 30%

I really loved funny feelings and was excited to pick this book up, but from the first chapter, it felt like it was written by a different author.

The book felt like it was written with a thesaurus in hand, I was googling words from the second page. It was just distracting from the story, and felt pretentious.

There were so many page breaks and often in spots that were completely unnecessary, with not even a jump in time.

The comments that really bugged me were made from Fisher about a teenage character. Mainly this line: “Lanky, thin, skinny wrists and sharp elbows - probably in some state of nicotine addiction”. This feels very inappropriate.

I was not having a good time so decided to stop reading at 30%. Thanks to Netgalley for providing this ARC.

Thank you so much for the ARC! Tarah DeWitt is one of my favorite romance authors, and this book absolutely hits. Funny Feelings is one of my favorite romances of all time, and the only reason I knocked a star off is I didn't quite connect to these characters and the build-up of their relationship like I did with Farley and Meyer, and there were a few things that didn't quite have the payoff I wanted — this is me saying I wanted MORE GOOSE. Still, once I was in Sage and Fisher's romance, I was IN IT. The library scene??? Top notch. Fisher and Sage are really cute together, and I found myself rooting for them once their romance really takes off. If you've enjoyed Tarah DeWitt's other books and like strong but complicated and a little messy main characters with your romance, definitely pick this one up.

This book was simply incredible. Imperfect characters working through their struggles, helping each other and the small town at large, being vulnerable, the puns. One of my favorite books of the year!

I wanted to slow down and savor this entire book, but couldn’t slow myself down. Sage and Fisher are so imperfectly real, and I love Tarah for it because it helped me see myself in both of them. I laughed out loud, I cried, and I love them all - even Indy and her many moods. If only Spunes was real, I’d be on my way already!

My only piece of feedback to adjust, during the scene when Fisher is washing dishes and Sage is talking to him, he mentions her biting her bottom lip and he almost slips and drops the dish. When he talks about her lip there's a typo and it says "When she chews her bottom slip one of the plates almost slips" it should say lip. I don't have a page number because I read on my kindle, but it's 49% through, and the location on my kindle says 2004.

I can't wait for whatever Tarah writes next. Her characters are so well done and the worlds she's able to create suck me in immediately.

A quirky teacher/hobby farm owner/nail polish aficionado (Sage) and a moody chef (Fisher) meet cute and spend a summer learning more about themselves and each other as they fall in love. The only problem is that Fisher is only in Sage’s hometown for a couple of months….

This is a cute story and Sage and Fisher have great chemistry. The plot of fancy big city man comes to small town and initially clashes with the townspeople gives off some Hallmark vibes (though with much more steam).

I enjoyed the read and would have enjoyed it more if Sage had a clearer or more consistent characterization. I didn’t really feel like I got to know her. Even so, Sage and Fisher are easy to root for as a couple. 3.5 stars.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a copy.

I SAVORed every moment of this book! Haha see what I did there?! It never felt too rushed and enjoyed the fluidity of each scene. This reminded me of my favorite genre, early 2000’s rom coms, and it did not disappoint!

Hooked, in the first few pages and by the time I knew it, the Sage and Fisher love story was coming to a close and I did NOT want it to end! Thank you Tarah DeWitt for a masterful piece!

I acquired this book free of charge, but I feel obligated to financial compensate the author for bringing me out of the nastiest fantasy book hangover with this sweet small town romance.

even if you're not a fan of certain romance tropes, I promise you tarah dewitt will sell you on them. she's quickly turning into an auto-read author for me.

✦ 4 stars

arc kindly provided by St. Martin's Press
release date: May 21 2024

That was another beautiful book! Probably my new favorite actually with Funny Feelings a close second. It was sweet and spicy. The characters were wonderful with their own flaws and completely loveable.

This was my first Tarah DeWitt novel and I loved it. The writing was engaging and sucked me in immediately. I finished it in one sitting. The town was charming, the people were vibrant and had depth, and the love story was beautiful. I will definitely be reading all of Tarah’s backlist now.

Savor It by T. Dewitt, published by St. Martin's Press, is a full length, stand alone romance novel.
Sage and Fisher's journey is a beautiful one. A mix between warmth, love, sweet romance, but also with some dark elements.
This one's a winner for sure.

This book was so good that it changed something in me. The central theme was finding joy in the present moment, conveyed through the love story of two extraordinary main characters. I both laughed out loud and cried during their journey. As says the title, I finished the book with the biggest smile on my face and wanting to savor life a little more. I cannot recommend this book enough and will definitely reread in the future. The writing transports you and will definitely make you feel all the feels, as Tarah does in all her books.

You’ll find yourself rooting for these characters in this funny yet poignant story. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

If there is one word to describe this book it would be longing. Some romances are frothy, fun, and lighthearted. And some romances are infused with heart, melancholy, and painful and beautiful emotions. Savor It is definitely of the latter camp.

Fisher Lange is a Michelin-starred chef from NYC who has seen his career explode after an ugly run-in with a critic. Burnt out and looking to find the magic (and career) he's lost, his former boss sends him across the country to Spunes, Oregon (not to be confused with Forks, Washington) with his niece, Indy.

Sage Byrd is Spunes' biggest champion. A high school teacher, amateur florist, and hobby farm owner, she's reeling from the disintegration of a long-time relationship with a man who's quickly moved on with her best friend. Sage is a people pleaser, but she owns it. She can't see her value but wishes others would.

The two connect as next-door neighbors, eventually entering into a fake (but barely for a week) relationship to help Fisher bring his new restaurant online.

However, the fake dating trope isn't really the focus here. The story is ultimately about healing. For Fisher, it's figuring out what his career means to him and whether he wants the accolades he's chased this whole time. For his niece, Indy, it's figuring out how to grapple with the anger and grief she feels from losing her mom. Sage has to figure out her worth and hope others see it as well. This kind of emotional writing is what Dewitt does well, and I think I see a lot of parallels in the book to Rootbound.

While I know that the fake dating/ quid-pro-quo relationship (Sage gives Fisher capital in town, Fisher gives Sage a partner for a yearly competition) storyline moves some of the early action in this book and that tropes are the currency of contemporary romance, I ultimately don't think it was necessary here. Both Sage and Fisher had pretty immediate chemistry and I'm not sure they were ever "fake" to begin with (maybe the author wouldn't even classify the relationship that way) and it's abandoned quickly.

* Thank you to St. Martin's Griffin and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review! *

Well, Savor It by Tarah DeWitt hits all the beats for a romance story with the added attraction of spice thrown in, but unfortunately I did not find it all that compelling of a read. Most of the time I was trying to keep up with the cast of characters in this small town. Who are they and why are they in this story? I felt like I was listening to someone telling me a lot of stuff about their friends and other people I don't know. FMC Sage is the local HS teacher but also running some kind of a rescue farm along with a lot of gardening. Apparently it takes her no time at all to manage all of this. FMC Fisher has lost one of his Michelin stars and although I can understand grief sidelining his career path it's harder to believe one month in a small town with the chick next door would finish him off.

I don't know but this story did not work for me. Thank you Tarah DeWitt, NetGalley and St Martin's for the ARC in exchange for a review.

This book was like drinking hot cocoa on a cozy evening in front of a fire. I was lucky enough to get a chance to read an ARC and I’m so grateful. It was a true delight. The characters will have you enamored from the first page. Sage and Fisher are a couple you want to root for and the menagerie of animals only make the story more endearing. I loved getting to know Sage as a truly empathetic woman with a few scars and heart as big as her small town. Fisher was a wonderful male lead who has his own scars but has the ability to see through his past mistakes, trust in therapy and his love for his family and Sage to do what’s right for each. I just really adored this book and am so happy to have another amazing Tarah DeWitt novel to enjoy.

Another wonderful book by Tarah Dewitt! Funny Feelings still remains my favorite, but the love Sage and Fisher share is so beautiful. I’m excited for Spunes 2!

Loved this small town romance! It was so good, heartwarming, and fun to read! Sage and Fisher’s story is like all of the good things in a Hallmark movie put together. Definitely recommend this book!!

I’m sorry but are you actually kidding me with this, Tarah?! You have ripped my heart out, served it to me on a silver platter, and had me saying “thank you” at the end. I thought it could not love anymore more than Farley and Meyer but I have never been more happy to be wrong. Mr. Darcy crossing the meadow at twilight with food he’s made?? Goes to therapy to better himself and improve his relationship with his niece?? And let’s not even start with the whole “I just have a lot more nice things I’d like to say to you right now…” line. Gives a whole new meaning to the phrase, “Yes, Chef.”