4.5/5☆
3/5 🌶

This was such a sweet, yet heartrending story. I enjoyed our MCs healing together and finding their joy, even if only for a summer. I appreciated the mental health rep and banter so much! Plus, a HEA is never unappreciated.

What a great summer romance read! Pick this up if you love small town romance, witty banter, fake dating, or friend to lovers! I especially LOVED the PNW setting. I found myself swooning and smiling through the entire novel.

Savor It is a smartly written story with hilarious circumstances and well thought out characters. My favourite character had to be Fisher’s moody teenage niece with her snarky attitude and witty insults that made me burst out laughing. I thought the chemistry between Fisher and Sage was fabulously written and the setting and the town’s quirky traditions made me feel like I was right within the book along with all the characters. DeWitt has a way of making you buy into what the characters are feeling and experiencing and you can’t help but want to go along for the ride. I only wished there was a bit more relationship building between the two MCs.

Thank you Netgalley for the eARC.
It felt like the pacing fell flat in the middle and I was struggling to be entertained. There were cute moments but their relationship felt somewhat forced. The plot definitely felt a little disjointed. I’d definitely try this author again though!

Kind of cute, kind of sweet but with depth. I didn’t like this one as much as others I’ve read by this same author but still a good story. Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for this copy for read and review

a cute small town romance.

I enjoyed it! the characters were both interesting and had chemistry.

There was a bit of depth which was nice! The ending was sweet.

Savor It by Tarah DeWitt is a cute story with great character development and plot lines. Thank you to the published and NetGalley.

Overall I thought this one was cute, but got a little boring for me.
A good portion of the book was spent focusing on training for the festival canoe race and I just felt like we hardly got to enjoy any of that. I also wasn’t overly satisfied with the relationship development of Fisher and his niece Indy, I feel like this should have played a bigger role in the overall story.

I wish this review could have been a video compilation of my reactions while reading.. I don’t know if words can accurately describe or do justice how this book made me feel. I was giggling, kicking my feet, stopping dead in my tracks, teary eyed, hand over mouth, shaking my fist at the sky, mouth hanging open, cackling out loud, SWOONING, crying, screaming, and cheering throughout. This will be one of my top reads of 2024. These characters felt so raw and real. A cozy steamy romcom in a small town that was reminiscent of Gilmore Girls. He’s an CHEF. Come on! How could I not fall in love? The flaws, the romance, the puns, the goofy animal encounters.. And the goose? Gosh..
Consider my heartstrings tugged.
I truly did find myself savoring every moment of this book.

Savor It just may be the perfect grumpy sunshine, small town romance. With delightful characters, an entertaining plot, and quips galore, Tarah DeWitt writes a story that’s impossible to put down.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Sage’s lived her entire life in Spunes, Oregon. She loves being near family and friends, although she could do without seeing her ex and his new girlfriend all the time. Chef Fisher and his niece Indy arrive from New York, officially to help open a new restaurant, but mostly to get his life back together. As their new neighbor, Sage welcomes them, and gets them to help out with her menagerie of animals. Eventually Fisher and Sage team up for the town’s annual competition, which Sage desperately wants to win. In return for Fisher’s help, Sage will smooth his way with the locals to help open the restaurant on time. As the two spend more and more time together, they can’t ignore their growing connection. But what happens when it’s time for Fisher to head back to New York?

Sage and Fisher are perfect for each other. They have tons of chemistry, and their constant quips and banter are a blast to read. Sage’s friendliness knows no bounds, but it’s her witty remarks that make her relatable instead of saccharine. I also love the idea of how good people can feel when they are being useful, and that purpose can help them deal with grief.

Spunes, Oregon is a great fictional small town, without being too over the top quirky. And the references to Forks, Washington are perfection. Tarah Dewitt is a new to me author, and I can’t wait to go back and read her other books.

Savor It is a fantastic story, with emotional moments, witty banter and steamy scenes too. I adore Sage and Fisher, and their blend of realistic grumpy sunshine chemistry. If you are a fan of witty small town romance, you’ll enjoy this book.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Small town, temporary neighbors, fake dating romance book here. Everyone’s got issues, but luckily everyone’s closer to talking them through over the summer. Fisher is a chef who got fired from his job, is basically flailing, and the newfound guardian to his orphaned niece. He’s shipped off from New York City to small town Oregon to oversee the completion of a new restaurant there. He’s temporarily staying next door to Sage, who doesn’t have much specific going on in her life, aside from dodging her ex-boyfriend and preparing for the annual festival. We get a bunch of small town nosy hijinks here, which leads to Sage and Fisher fake dating, and then actually falling in love. The whole cast of characters involved with this book makes things both funny and more emotional, with Fisher’s relationship with his niece and Sage’s relationship with her brothers. Get ready for all sorts of emotional upheaval as their temporary relationship starts to wind down.

Narrated by Karissa Vacker, Zachary Webber

Genre: contemporary romance
Oregon

Sage Byrd loves her life in her small town of Spunes, Oregon. She’s a teacher who lives on a hobby farm collecting stray animals and optimistic about most situations. Fisher Lange isn’t so much a grump as he is burned out and frustrated: he was a chef at a formerly Michelin Star rated restaurant. Was, and formerly rated, being the keys. Now with his sulky teenage niece over whom he has custody he’s in Spunes for a summer to consult on starting a new restaurant and, at the orders of his boss, trying to sort out his feelings about life. Fisher rents the house next door to Sage, where she’ll do what she can to protect him from the nosey townspeople and get him back on his feet.

As someone who has experienced professional burnout in the past and who is currently researching burnout prevention methods for others, I found DeWitt’s depiction of Fisher highly relatable, even though my industry is very different from the restaurant business. Even if you are sensitive to burnout, while it’s a deeply embedded part of Fisher’s character, I think readers will find that the book is very gentle overall. The relationship angst is comparatively low, and the small town setting feels comfortable (rather than stifling, which is how I typically feel about small town romances).

Sage and Fisher start out as neighbors, and while there is attraction, their relationship first shifts to a protective friendship. They see kindred spirits in one another and recognize their vulnerabilities, and reach to one another to support those needs. Of course, that support leads to kissing which leads to more-than-kissing. The conflict in Savor It is realistic and doesn’t hinge on miscommunication; in fact the high level of communication in fact causes some of the heartache. Ultimately one of the reasons this worked for me as a contemporary romance is that DeWitt embraces a level of realism and still keeps the romance sweet and swoony.

"I…I think I keep my world small so I don’t feel insignificant in it."

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I wanted so badly to love this, and I think this is a case of me having expectations that were far too high, which ultimately impacted my enjoyment of the story as a whole.

For as much as I love stories with banter and a slow-burn, I was..... (whispers *bored*) for at least the first half of this book. Once everything took off it got better, but I was never fully convinced about the romance between Fisher and Sage. Which is the whole point of a romance book.

I did find Sage pretty darn relatable, and I did appreciate that they had conversations like the actual adults that they are, but ultimately this just left me wanting more than I got. Still a cute small-town romance!!

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

Savor It is set to be published on May 21, 2024. Thank you to St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Griffin, NetGalley and the author for the digital copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

+ Thank you Netgallery / St. Martin's Press for providing an e-book ARC in exchange for an honest review +

I would say this would be more of like <b>3.5/5 stars</b> book for me.

Sage Byrd is a quirky, full-of-life woman who enjoys putting others first before her. She's kind, warm, and appreciates the little things in her small town life. Fisher Lange was an amazing, well-known chef in NY until her sister passed, and is the guardian to his teenage niece, Indy. He's grumpy, struck with grief, and lost his beloved Michelin star. As he moved to a small town temporarily, he found the person who used to be, passionate, loving, and driven.

In my honest opinion, this book was tough to get into. It's also my first book by this author. It's a very slow-burn love story and the connection between Sage and Fisher, I didn't feel it until maybe close to the end. I would say about 65-70% is when the story truly grabbed my attention and I didn't want to put it down. Y'all need to find yourself a Fisher as your mate and Sage as your bestie!

This is a grumpy/sunshine trope book and I ain't mad at it. I love the interaction between Fisher and Indy and the bond they created. Fisher's boss gave him another chance to get his star back by sending him to a small town to help build a menu and restaurant together. Sage lost her parents and was raised by her brothers so I love seeing the banter/love with her brothers in this book.

Overall, I did enjoy reading this book, especially toward the end, but I also didn't love it because of the slow build-up and connection between the MCs. There are some big words I didn't know and I had to use the built-in dictionary provided by Kindle (thank goodness) which definitely helped *hides face*. I do love Fisher and Sage's relationship, but I love it even more with their relationship with Indy. Indy is such a smart young lady, wise beyond her years. Tarah - Can we get a book for Indy and Sam?! As for the spice, I would say it's maybe about 1.5/2 spicy peppers for this book. When they're a bit older of course, lol. But yeah, I'd recommend it because someone's low review could be someone's high review so just try it out and see if you like it! Happy reading!

Small town rom coms are my favorite and this was so cute. The addition of both MCs dealing with grief was beautifully done and I loved seeing them bond over their shared losses. Sage was a wonderful FMC - smart, witty and oh so kind. Fischer complimented her perfectly with his brootish ways and pessimistic ways.

First off, thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s for early access to this ARC. It was my first book by Tarah Dewitt and I’m hooked!

Sage and Fisher’s story is one that I think all of us need to read. It’s a beautifully written romance featuring a small town, a quirky girl next door and the professional chef that comes to town (with his niece in tow) for an attitude adjustment (at least that’s what I’d call it). Sparks fly and Fisher learns what the magic of small towns is really all about: the people you meet.

It’s hard to describe how I felt reading this book. It was super well done and I loved all of the characters. They felt lived in and worn, like I really understood who they were and were meant to be. The town was well-established and the side characters were also a lot of fun, bringing a little of that small town humor to the pages. I felt… calm reading the book. I was excited to understand and learn about Sage and Fisher but I didn’t necessarily fly through the pages - and that’s not a bad thing. Its just felt settled and like I was truly there unfolding everything along with them. It probably sounds silly - but it was nice to have something so well done encourage me to slow down a little bit.

The messages of this book really hit home for me and I loved the ideas Tarah hit on numerous times - including the idea of rowing your own boat, finding your happiness, and learning to be in the moment - no matter what might be coming. I think that they’re themes we can all relate to and frankly need to hear.

Really beautiful romance, perfect spicy scenes, great characters that make you fall in love a bit too, and captivating story.

Terribly predictable, but the town itself was adorable. I felt incredibly attacked by the line: “I…I think I keep my world small so I don’t feel insignificant in it.”

This was my first book by Dewitt and won't be my last! I loved Sage and Fisher's story as she shows him the highlights of small town living and he picks himself up after his career exploded in NYC.

This story had it all — humor and great banter, heartfelt moments grappling with loss, burnout and self-discovery, excellent communication, and a reminder to make the most of wherever you are in life. I loved Sage's collection of animals, Fisher's grumpy teenage niece, and all the puns. There are small town vibes without being too cheesy, and I resonated with the Sage Advice throughout.

My only beef with this book is its cover, which is beautiful, but feels like it could have tied more closely to the story (give me funny robes! geese in love! a canoe!).

I highly recommend picking this up for the perfect summer read!

I love a small town romance. Townspeople are referred to by occupations, everyone is nosy, and of course Sage’s ex is there too. Add in an annual contest, a seamless slip into fake dating, a chef that needs to get his spark back, and a teenager who has been imprinted on by a goose, and I’m all in.
There are two really wonderful relationships that develop in this book. Sage and Fisher’s romance is so lovely and they’re both really easy to root for as individuals. The other really well done relationship is Fisher and Indy. Indy was such a well-rounded authentically teenage character and I really appreciated how Tarah brought the grief and realness of their story to the forefront.
And of course an honorable mention goes to all of Sage’s animals. In particular, a tripod cat named Leg-o-less. All the animals on her hobby farm had my heart.

Thank you to SMP for the gifted copy. All thoughts are my own.

This is such an excellent romance! I was immediately pulled into the story and intrigued by the characters. Tarah DeWitt's writing is so enjoyable to read. Not only is there an excellent romance, but DeWitt spends an equal amount of time developing interesting secondary characters you invest in as well. I loved this book and could not put it down!