This is truly a book to savor in 2024! One of the year’s best that will have you weeping and swooning and giving all the feels!

I just love it when I read a book from an author I’ve never read before and it absolutely blows me away. Savor It was one of my most anticipated romance books of 2024 and it surpassed my expectations.

Tarah is now going to be an auto-buy author to me because I absolutely loved this book. Pick it up because it is truly one of the best of 2024 and I savored every moment reading it.

The Best Characters to Fall Hard For

I totally felt for Sage and her struggles in life. Her need for just a small victory and for someone to see her more than just the nice girl about town. She needed to feel like she’s worth something and to feel like she had a win in life and I was rooting for her the entire time.

Fisher’s grief and struggles were so palpable and yet he was a man trying - trying to find his way back to his passion in the kitchen, trying to find his way to being the best guardian for his niece, trying to emerge from the grief of loss, and trying to find his worth again.

I adored how Sage didn’t let him hide but slowly coaxed him out of his shell. The scene where he runs his latest cooking creations to Sage early in the morning was so incredible. I felt so much joy for this character on the page and my mouth was watering at the dish descriptions. Holy moly were they amazing.

Sage was incredible because she had the best outlook on life and maybe that was attributed to the journal she kept reading (I so loved this extra). I love how she focused on the small stuff and made them big moments and how she decided that everything mattered in her life not just the big or small things.

The two of them flirting was so hot and came at these perfect moments that just hit you in all the feels. It was like the perfect slow burn that would just catch fire at the best times and I could not put the book down because I only wanted more.

The writing, story pacing, and character development were just perfection. I absolutely loved the dialogue between these characters that let them drop their walls and show their true selves, hurts, flaws and all, and it only made me (and their fellow character) love them more.

Fisher and Sage were so good together and it’s their relationship that totally drives this book. That sounds silly to say because of course the relationship drives a romance book, but I actually anticipated more scenes about Fisher working on the new restaurant or them really hamming it up with fake relationship for the sake of others in the town or even more focus on Fisher’s relationship with his niece but those side stories all took a backseat as it was really Fisher and Sage’s story. You get just enough of the other elements to help propel the story but it’s truly just them that captivates about this story.

This book also totally made me ugly cry. There were so many moments that made me tear up but then by the end I was full on sobbing. Gosh I love books that can evoke such strong feelings and this one did that throughout.

I now absolutely need Ellis and Wren’s story ASAP. I’m so hooked on this couple from just their short appearances and cannot live without their happily ever after love story.

This is truly a book to savor in 2024. I can’t recommend it enough.
*I received an advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

Format - E ARC (NetGalley)

Rating- ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Spice- 🌶 🌶

Series- N/A

Troupes- Opposites attract, forced proximity, only for the summer, instant attraction, Small town, Faked Dating

Representation- recovering from Burnout

CW-off page mentions of drug and alcohol addiction.


As always Tarah’s books are worth the wait. Savor it might be my favorite one yet.
Set in a coastal town with a cast of interesting small town folks that are all up in each others business.

Fisher has two tasks to complete while in the the nowhere town of Spunes, Oregon (not to be mistaken for Forks), get his bosses new Restaurant up and running and taking care of his teenage niece while her mother recovers. Than her fully intends to return to his ‘real’ life in NYC. Sage loves her life in Spunes her home, her rescue animals, her hobby Farm.

These two don’t make sense on paper but you never know what you need until you find it and that is never truer then with Sage and Fisher. While they pretend to date to get the town off his back about the restaurant and she shows her ex she doesn’t miss him, it all becomes real.

I loved these two so much, I love the tension and chemistry, the banter and wit, and all the adorable animals. Tarah writing is always dopamine to my brain but this one came at a time when I was in the midst of bout of depression and I was unable to concentrate on most of everything. It didn’t fix anything but it gave my a safe place to retreat to.

You do not what to miss out on this absolutely wonderful book!

Thank you Tarah DeWitt, St. Martin's Griffin and Netgalley for the advanced copy, all opinions are my own.

Savor It by Tarah DeWitt 🪿

A new book to add to the all time favorite list. Gosh, I loved this book so much. I read it in less than 24 hours and it probably would have been a read in one sitting book if I didn't need to sleep. There's so much to love here... the setting, the characters, the animals, the story, the relatability. I was immediately in the story and didn't want to leave.

Sage lives in the small town of Spunes, Oregon with her collection of misfit animals and her garden. Content in her life and ready to help welcome the renters who will be living in her neighbors home for the summer. She meets Fisher and his niece Indy the night they move in after a little (hilairous) mishap. They are drawn to each other at the start but kind of hover around the other. That's until Sage sneakily inserts herself into their lives by asking Indy and Fisher to help around her farm. As days pass, they both realize they will do anything and find any reason they can to spend time together. But there's a time limit to their time together.

The range of emotions I went through from this book! I'm not a crier in books, but this had me tearing up multiple times. Not because it is sad necesarily, but because I really related to and took to heart some of the things Sage and Fisher discussed. Sage indicating that while her life may not be "big and grand" to some people's standards, that doesn't matter because she's happy. It's making me do a bit of reflecting on my life.

The romance between them was so special. They way they communicated with each other and wanted to take care of each other. They were fully obsesed with one another and I loved it so much. The innuendos throughout the book were hilarious. These two were teasing and tempting each other without intention. They knew that there was a time limit to things but agreed to give in anyway, taking the time they had because it wasn't worth spending the time apart. Some of the moments between them I won't stop thinking about anytime soon.

⛰️ small town
🤍 single guardian
🏠 neighbors
🪿 lots of animals
❤️‍🔥 slow-ish burn
👏🏼 communication
🥰 he takes care of her when she's sick

dual POV
5/5 stars ⭐️
2/5 spice level 🌶️

I loved this! The plot is nice, and it’s refreshing to read a romance set in a small town. Indy is such a nice main character, and the romance with Sage is developed naturally. I’ll definitely recommend this to my friends. Such a cozy and relaxing summer romance.

5 ⭐️

A beautiful character driven story about reinventing yourself + realizing what truly matters. There’s something so beautiful about meeting characters when they aren’t at the best & slowly learning to LIVE and enjoy life again.

Burnt out chef Fisher finds himself moving to Sprunes Oregon along side his niece who he recently become guardian of. Fisher finds himself neighbors with the local golden girl Sage. Let me tell you I absolutely adored her quirky self. A lover of animals + gardening! My girl Sage is living her best life. I loved that Sage was happy with her life as it was. I think the older I get the more I realize it’s the little things that matter.

Throughout the summer the two join forces to work together, and my favorite part of this was how much they both just needed each other! It was truly beautiful to see Fisher and Sage fall into each other. It felt inevitable and organic. The setting of this book was perfect. Small town coastal vibes will always be my favorite. Tarah outdid herself truly!!

I couldn’t stop thinking about this book so I reread it!! I can’t wait to give it another reread once the audiobook comes out! 🧡

withholding review in solidarity with the SMP boycott. (one star because I had to star rate it in order to submit this review)

This was my first book by Tara DeWitt and I loved it! This book was truly so sweet and comforting. Fisher was such a relatable character and Sage was so hopeful and caring they were truly a perf match. I loved all the animals Sage had in her farm especially the baby goats. Indy was funny, and endearing and all the side characters from the town were crafted really well. I loved the ending of this book because it truly felt like a reassuring hug. So many beautiful and important moments to take and hold on from this book.

I have mixed feelings about this book. It started very slowly and the real action only kicked in at around 50%. While I liked the premise and overall themes, I felt that the characters weren’t as fleshed out as I wanted them to be. It was difficult to get attached to them because I didn’t really know who they were. Ultimately I liked the book, it just was lacking on a few key things.

Savor It by Tara Dewitt

There are SO many elements within this book that I love but sadly this one fell a little flat for me. I struggled to really get into this book until about the 60+% mark. I felt that the overall relationship between the FMC and MMC needed to have a little bit more development and depth. I liked them both individually but I felt together as a couple they were lacking a bit of that spark for a good portion of the book.

Read if you like:
- dual POV
- main characters in the 30s
- small town romance

In a post-COVID world where burnout is a real thing, Savor It by Tarah DeWitt captures this phenomenon in a rom-com that addresses burnout, finding your place, and savoring the little things in life.

What I liked: This book addresses real issues of losing your passions, which many romance books gloss over. These characters are so real, but they truly shine in their communication. Their communication is honest and open to the point you have to ask: why hasn’t my partner done this?!?! The characters are so unique without being over-the-top, which in a book like this is easy to do. DeWitt has written a book for every millennial out there trying to find who they are in a safe environment.

To keep in mind: There are some parts of this book that are a little slow, but are necessary to the plot.

Rating: 4 ⭐️ This book is honest, but where it truly shines in the dialogue. Dewitt’s book feels fresh with some spice and a lot of heart.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this book!

2.5 rounded up 💫🫢 this just didn’t do it for meeee🫣

✨friends with benefits to lovers
✨small town romance
✨single uncle?
✨he’s a disgraced chef, she’s a farmer? I think?
✨audio narration was well done!!
✨little spicy

I finished this yesterday and didn’t write a review because I needed more time to think on it, but now the problem is I already forgot everything there is to know. Probably because I didn’t feel like much at all happened? And what did happen I didn’t really care for 🤷🏻‍♀️ I enjoyed the beginning, I enjoyed the end! But meeehh on everything in between!

Contemporary rom com dual point of view small town grumpy sunshine with some spice. LOVED this book. I enjoyed all the characters but the leads were especially delightful. Their budding relationship and how it progressed was believable. The male lead was gruff but then the sweetest hottest book boyfriend. The female lead was quirky and fun. Their chemistry was fantastic and there were several open door scenes. Rather than being graphic they were quite lovely and almost poetic (but still spicy). I will definitely be looking for other books from this author.

Essentially, I thought Savor It was charming and had lots of pluses but it didn’t quite gel for me. What initially attracted to me to try this author was the solid plot concept - the forced proximity of a small town girl and a big city chef with career issues. As the story progressed, I particularly enjoyed the delightful personalities of Sage’s animals, Sage’s affinity for gardening, and Fisher navigating his relationship with his teenage niece. I was impressed, even before the story started, by the acknowledgement of triggers. The unique placement was appreciated.

On the other side of the coin, there were things that kept me from really falling into the story. Holes in the backstory affected understanding the problems in Fisher’s career, the guardianship, as well as the relevance of Sage being a teacher. Sage and Fisher’s developing relationship- the timeline, pacing, their chemistry – seemed uneven.

Overall, lots of potential but too much crammed into the mix.



FYI - I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book! I loved the theme about making each day count. The ending really hit it out of the park. Overall a great read with quirky and fun characters that I found myself drawn to and not wanting to put down.

I love Tarah’s books and Savor It is no exception. She writes beautiful characters who show their flaws and all. Seeing what Sage and Fisher go through together and separately to be together in the end is a beautiful story. I loved all the side characters, meddling townspeople a la Gilmore Girls, are a favorite of mine.

This was my first Tarah Dewitt book and it will not be my last! I loved this one! I’d heard so many good things about funny feelings, but hadn’t read it. Now I must!
This is a sweet romance set in a small town in Washington. Sage and Fisher are such SWEET incredible main characters. I really enjoyed both of them. This book may also have you shedding a few tears but in the best way!

A few of the tropes:
🐢Slow Burn
🧑🏼‍🍳 Culinary Romance
🏡 Small Town Setting

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book! It comes out May 21 so pre-order your copy now!

This was cute! I loved that it made fun of small towns while very much being a small town romance. The ending and the boat race felt quite rushed compared to the rest of the book. And I felt that Indy was there more as a prop and convenient excuse to influence the plot rather than being a fleshed out character.

This is one of those books that’s fun and entertaining while you read it, but will most likely forget in a month 🙈. It’s a feel-good, heartwarming story that’s perfect for summer.

I enjoyed the small town setting with their small town traditions. I liked the beginning of Sage and Fisher’s relationship and the deal they made to help each other, but it’s a SLOW burn. The author did a fabulous job though building up the tension!

This book will definitely make you laugh. Between the dialogue (I love when characters are sarcastic), ALL the animals, and the events that happen, you’ll be smiling the whole time. I sure had some good laughs with these quirky people!

I received a copy of this for my honest review

Our MMC has lost his job, and Michelin Star in NYC, after he goes on a downward spiral of passionlessness towards work. He ends up with an offer to help his old bosses new restaurant in Spunes, OR, along with his niece, that he is raising. His rental happens to be neighbors to our FMC. She is a local teacher, who has been told she is too nice. It might not help that she adopted a bunch of strays and orphaned animals. She tries to help him acclimate to the small town life. But one day he ends up coming to her rescue when she freezes up at seeing her ex with his new girlfriend. They decide that they could both benefit from a fake date situation. It helps him look good to the town and she gets a partner for the local festival.

title: Savor It

author: Tarah DeWitt

publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

publication date: May 21, 2024

pages: 336

peppers: 3 (on this scale)

warnings: death pf parents (off-page), grief, career burnout, bodily injury (off-page)

summary: Sage, who has a menagerie of pets and a simple, if overly solitary life, meets Fisher, who's renting the neighbor's house for the summer while he tsakes a career reset (Michelin-starred chef who's lost his mojo) and a personal reset (uncle to Indie, who is grieving the loss of her mother and is frustrated by Fisher who didn't take her on after his sister's/ Indie's mother's untimely/unexpected death. Together, Sage learns to think bigger and Fisher learns to love cooking again, but he needs to go back to his life in NYC, where Indie wants bigger things than the rural West Coast town has to offer.

tropes:

cooking
strange pets
intrusive family
small town/big city
unexpected parenting
can't avoid the ex
sulky teenager
she loves puns
not ready to follow her dreams

what I liked:

Maybe because I recently watched season two of The Bear (highly recommend), I was all-in on the food preparation. In fact, he makes an omelet eggactly (sorry, couldn't resist) the way Sydney does on the show.
She small-town vibes.
Indie is a great character, so is her duck.
Fun protective brothers.
Funny animals.
 All past heartache made sense.

what I didn’t like: N/A

overall rating: 5 (of 5 stars)