This is one of those books that put me through the emotional wringer but also made want to say ‘thank you for doing that’ because it was a beautiful journey in the end. It was refreshing to have a good, emotional read that didn’t put the characters through a bunch of overly dramatic outside obstacles. They just have real life challenges that they have to navigate and find their way to the other side of.

Sage is content with her life in her small town of Spunes, Oregon (as stated: not to be confused with Forks, Washington 🤭). She’s got a menagerie of misfit pets, a garden she’s proud of, and a town full of people to care for and who care about her. Fisher is an award-winning chef suffering from burnout and loss who lands in Spunes with his niece, Indy, for a summer to regroup. He and Sage keep finding each other in ways that lift them, break them, and make them question what they thought they knew about their lives.

I loved both Sage and Fisher as individual characters and the relationship they built together. Sage doesn’t agonize over being happy in her small town and not having dreams of living a “bigger” life. Sure, there are still things she wants from life, but she has a strong sense of self and appreciates the ‘now’ as she lives it. Fisher is struggling with changes in his life and career, but he’s so genuine and earnest about *trying* and he’s putting in the work to sort through his challenges and come out on the right side. They find an authentic balance with each other that felt like it grew organically and with mutual care and respect.

I was trying to explain the book to a friend and had a hard time putting the feeling I got as I was reading into words. The story moves along kind of like a gentle wave. There’s not a lot that’s necessarily *exciting* happening (I meant that in a genuinely good way), but it keeps flowing. I was halfway in before I felt like it was really getting somewhere as far as advancing a plot, but getting there didn’t feel like a chore or tedious or something I had to push through. I was just enjoying the ride and getting to know Sage, Fisher, and, by extension, Indy. Things were happening to people outside the relationship bubble, but none of it felt vitally important, and sometimes that’s ok. It helped create the community to be featured in future pieces of the series, but didn’t feel like filler even without there being a major impact on the relationship. The exception to the relationship impact being Indy obviously, as she and Fisher are a package deal and he is determined to do his best for her. It was simply life happening around Sage and Fisher in a natural way and it allowed them to support in each other as things came.

For a book that didn’t feel like it was burning with drama or intensely high stakes, I was deeply invested and stressed when I had only 10-15% left, genuinely wondering how they would find their HEA. I held onto my faith in getting there as promised by the genre. It was delivered in a way that felt hard-earned and lasting.

I think this might be Tarah Dewitts best book so far! I read this in one sitting and to be honest I have been left with the biggest book hangover ever since.

Fisher and Sage are just the loveliest characters I have ever read about and I really wanted them to have their happy ever after.

I did like how the story dealt with grief it was done very well.

On a final note, the library scene and the canoe…..that is all!!

Now I just need the release date so I can own a copy of my own!

In this sweet romance, Fisher and his orphaned niece arrive in the small town of Spunes. Fisher is a chef in New York but has taken a consulting job for the summer. He meets his temporary neighbor, Sage, and she shows him around town and tries to help with what locals will like to see in a restaurant. They begin to have feelings but both of them know that their relationship will only be for the summer.

This was such an adorable escape! I haven’t read any books by this author before but I will be adding some to my list soon. This book was full of heart and serious topics that were tackled in a sensitive and satisfying way. I love how Fisher discussed and treated therapy as a normal part of life and the grieving process. Sage’s animals were so much fun to read about and made her character so endearing. The small town was quirky and lovable. If you enjoy rom coms, you need to pick this one up!

Thank you to Tarah DeWitt and St. Martin’s Press for sending me a digital arc in exchange for my honest review!

Tarah did it again. Her writing is drop dead gorgeous. It is clean, precise, fluid, and eloquent. Her plot flows. The characters are developed, realistic and relatable - to the point that they feel tangible.
This book had me in love with Sage, Fisher, Indy, and all the farm critters. I could picture the sunsets and feel the breeze. I loved that the “third act break up” was not until the last 10% and only lasted 3.5 chapters - I respect that so much. That tells me that her book could stand without the typical cookie cutter drama. That being said, I was truly stressed that this was not going to be a HEA - bravo, Tarah.
5 stars - I need a physical copy to embrace NOW.

Thank you NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review

Why was the book so freaking cute? We are suckers for small towns and farm animals, okay!

Sage and Fisher fell in love so beautifully, and we loved seeing how Fisher's relationship with Indy grew and matured. Also, THE BROTHERS?! If we do not get a second chance romance book for Ellis and Wren, we will REVOLT! There is absolutely a story there.
The end though, with the coordinating canoe tattoo, had us in tears! We are huge fans of Tarah and will read absolutely anything she writes.

This was a fun, sweet story. Fisher and Sage took me on such a beautiful journey. The comedy woven into the emotional highs and lows - it was impossible to put this story down! Small town antics are always entertaining - this was a great read.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC.

3.5 stars. Tarah DeWitt writes excellent dialogue and this is one of the few books that has actually made me laugh out loud recently. I liked Sage and Fisher's dynamic and how they evolved, as well as how they supported each other. And I'm intrigued by the other characters and the community, especially since it will be featured in other books.

A few parts didn't work as well. The competition aspect is almost an afterthought and doesn't feature as heavily as I expected, based on the synopsis. Additionally, the interactions with Ian felt unresolved. I don't really understand that as a motivation for some of the action. I think we could have understood Sage's insecurities and desires without the actual interactions, because it left me wanting something big to happen.

Overall, I think a lot of readers will really enjoy this.

i love sage and fisher. the character development here was chef's kiss. the booktok girlies are going to love this one!

This book was terrific and the perfect rom-com romance in my opinion. Great characters, neat setting, a smattering tropes but still stuff with small town charm, realistic problems and adorable characters. And a little spice thrown in too. I couldn’t ask for anything more and will definitely be reading more by this author.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was a fast paced story and I loved the romance in it. The pacing was good and easily digestible, I flew threw it and could not put it down. Sage and Fisher have great vocabulary so Tarah Dewitt caught me having to look up some words through my kindle as I read but it was not so much so I struggled to follow what was happening.

With Fisher being a fancy loosing inspiration NYC chef and her a prospective florist / school teacher, I enjoyed their dynamic alot. From Fisher calling Ian and Cassidy the wrong names on purpose to Sage’s advice, it was such a good read I wish there was more. The girl dinner mention by Fisher (“very sad, girl-meal charcuterie board adult lunchable dinner”) and the Taylor Swift mention was top notch.

Being from a small town myself, I found the small town gossip to be very relatable and wholesome to see and pay tribute to the people who want to stay in that environment, even if growing up I maybe didn’t either.

Some of my favourite awh moment quotes from the book were:

“I refuse to let not having a partner preclude me from enjoying my life. It’d just be nice to share it with someone who appreciates and loves me as is”.
-That is exactly what Fisher does!!
“She’s so cute it’s downright offensive”
“He thinks my sunroom’s nice!”
“It feels good to speak plainly for once. To worry a little less about making my feelings smaller to spare someone else the discomfort”

And another thing, I loved the funny banter, here are some excellent ones of that:

“Does the new restaurant have a theme yet? Casserole with a side of arrogance”
“Don’t give the townies fuel, Fisher. You know better”
“I overhear a string of curses so explicit they’d made a line cook blush” “I’m gonna gas this motherfucker”.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me the chance to read this touching and sweet romance. It was a charming small-town romance about finding romance when you least expect it.
I loved Sage's character. She was so unique and refreshing herself. She was outgoing, fun, and constantly living in the moment. Fisher was deep but not too moody, which was really nice. Him and his niece are spending the summer in Sage's small town, next door to her house. They start up a romance which has a summer clocking ticking on it.
It was a very lovely romance. It had the perfect balance of light and sad. It was a quick and enjoyable read. I highly recommend it!

This book....is EVERYTHING. I am a sucker for small town romances and this book really checked all the boxes for me. Sage and Fisher have to be my favorite story line, they are both trying to figure themselves out and regain some kind of purpose in life. Sage and fishers banter, and dynamic just screams instant connection and seeing them grow and learn from one another is just chefs kiss. Also can we talk about the spice? All the stars for the spice. This book had me laughing out loud, kicking my feet and grinning from ear to ear and crying like a baby. If you can definitely get your hands on this amazing read.

I am going to talk about this book to anyone who will listen! Tarah DeWitt hasn't let me down with a swoon-worthy small-town romance yet.
First of all, I'm going to need more; more trips to Spune, and more of the Byrd family starting with Wren and Ellis.
But back to the stars of this book, Fisher and Sage. These two were just so stinking cute. I loved Fisher's grumpy pirate vibe and Sage's absolute joy for the little things in life. I felt like I personally took some sage advice from this book about living in the moment. Their love story is definitely a slow burn, but the way these two communicated with one another was just *chef's kiss* Give me a good healthy relationship any day!

I'd also be remiss not to mention Fisher's relationship with his niece and their character growth in the story. I loved watching them heal and come out stronger together. Beyond the story, there were a lot of life lessons to take away from this book and our characters put in the work to show it.

This book has it all: A+ side characters, swoony romance, and tiny goats!

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC of this book! Catch this one when it comes out on May 21st and read if you love:
-Small Town Romance
-Single Dad (guardian)
-Grumpy/Sunshine
-Fake Dating
-Grief/Healing

To no one’s surprise this book was incredible. I am fully convinced that I could never dislike something that Tarah writes. I loved Sage and Fisher both separately and together which I think is something that can sometimes be hard to accomplish for me. They were both equally funny and caring and amazing. Sage is actually everything I want to be. Fisher is one of the best book men I’ve ever experienced. Their relationship works so seamlessly and I just love a small town romance so much. I adored this book!

This book definitely had some pitfalls. The first being that the hook was clearly advertised as the two leads having a deal with one another (to help her win a town contest and for him to gain favor within the town) yet this wasn't really introduced until 50% through the story. The first half contained a lot of extra back story, build up, and things that took away from the draw of the story, making the overall pacing also feel off.

The second pitfall was the fact a lot of the stuff that happened throughout the book outside of the main relationship seemed to be tossed in with not a lot of care to aiding along the romance. It was just extra words. Extra things.

I liked the relationship though. Sage and Fisher fit together and I wanted more of their relationship. The tension and their growth.

Tarah continues to give me unrealistic expectations for men because Fisher is flawed and aware AND goes to therapy?! A self aware and intuitive king?! I saw so much of myself in Sage, just trying to be enough without rocking the boat and never taking too much for herself. I love the growing up with only brothers angle and hoping to expand on that and also Ellis and Wren’s past if there’s a future book. But most importantly, I could feel Fisher and Sage falling in love. It was palpable and so evident and everything I love about a romance. It just felt real. Adding in Indy and her teenage angst was a bonus. Overall, Tarah knocked it out of the park (again,) made me laugh and cry and really feel a connection with every character, Martha included. (Ian still sucks tho) I cannot wait to see what comes next from her.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

Unlike the title, I did not in fact savor this book. Finished it in under 48 hours however I did spread it out over two nights so I tried lmao...

I want to say so much more (aka quote every other word Fisher said) but I don't think I'm aloud to do that until the book comes out (May 21st, 2024 MARK UR CALENDAR!!!). Just know that when I say this is one of Tarah's best books I mean it (Funny Feelings is still #1 for me, but this is a close second) I didn't think Ms. Dewitt could get me to fall in love with a man named Fisher 💀 but she did.

The Canoe scene. THE LIBRARY. The meadow. The pushing each other to be the best/finding one's passion. Just about everything in this book was literally pure perfection. I will provide my updated thoughts after a reread in a couple weeks just to see if the book is as good as I remember.

I absolutely devoured this book. I wanted to take it slow and SAVOR IT! But this book had me hooked from the very beginning. Sage was such a fun character with her puns and weird robes and Fisher seemed so stodgy at first but Sage just made him melt. Such a wholesome love story.

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.

.The banter between Sage and Fisher had me snorting out loud sometimes. Heartwarming small town romance with two people who are lost, and in the process of finding themselves, they also find each other. Both these characters felt so real, and you will savor every bit of this adorable grumpy-sunshine romance!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced digital reader's copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review!

Favorite Romance novel of the year! This is stars hollow in a book format. I have been really disappointed with romance novels recently and this one felt refreshingly different and hopeful! The main characters were easy to fall in love with and I loved the small town in Oregon!! So many good quotes in this book! Loved the theme of enjoying the present and standing true in yourself .Comes out 2024!