It seems that Tarah Dewitt's writing doesn't gel with me. While this book is good, a lot of her humor and wit doesn't land with me like I know it can, and will, with many other readers.

The appeal of a small town romance is often the great setting and side characters that we get as the main characters fall for each other. I find that some authors struggle to balance the main couple and these fun side aspects of the story, and sadly this book did that. I felt that there was a lot of filler plot that wasn't super relevant to Sage and Fisher, keeping me from feeling like I truly knew them and wanted to root for them. Their chemistry also took a hit because of this.

From the small amount I learned about these characters, they were extremely lovable and kept me reading. I think a lot of my opinion on this book is rooted in Dewitt's writing not being for me, and that's okay - its still a good read that I will recommend to others if I think their taste aligns with it.

Super cute small town/hallmark-like book. Loved the main characters and their chemistry. Side characters and animals were a lot of fun too!

Thank you netgalley and the publisher for an ARC!

I am struck once again by how much I enjoyed Dewitt's writing and how much I really need to go back and read everything else she's written. Specifically the beginning of this story is just so fresh and fun and genuine. Loved it! Gotta pack my bags and move into this small town.

There's a lot to love here, honestly. Obviously the main plot is the romance, which I found to be adorable. I made a note while reading that this writing feels like youre falling in love with the characters. The first meeting of these characters was hilarious. The fmc is *not like the other girls* but not in an annoying, pick me way. She's just an outsider and I felt I could connect to her more as the story continued. The mmc is a grumpy, pirate looking chef. So take that information and do what you will. Personally, I'm a fan. Additionally, there's a subplot here involving a teenager or two that was adorable and turned into some wholesome moments. A very cute addition to the story. And a whole herd of farm animal sidekicks? Perfect. A painful main conflict though!

✅ disgraced NY-based Michelin starred chef moves to a small town in Oregon
✅ dual POV
✅ fake dating
✅ love the secondary characters
✅ sexy Hallmark that’s in on the stereotype 😉
🌶️: in the back half
Very sweet and charming and heartwarming!

personally i think this book was just not for me. It had so many aspects I loved and I know it will be a favorite for many other readers, but for some reason i just personally could not connect with the characters. Please read this book based on your own judgement, I really wanted to love it, and wish I could find the words for what exactly didn’t click for me. But in the end sometimes a book might just not vibe with you, and that’s ok.

It took me a little while to warm up to the characters (I felt like I was introduced like 20 people within the first two chapters), but once the story got rolling, the town of Spunes and its residents were easy to love. DeWitt had many one-liner and descriptions that kept me smiling throughout the book.

“The kid is as tall as I am, but looks like he’s been put through a pasta maker to get that way.”

“Fisher, I’ll be happy to listen to your origin story after, but right now, we’re discussing canoes.”

“And by the way, your nipple slipped out of your bikini top…”

Loved that Fisher had earrings. You don’t see that in your hot MMC very often.

Sage is the perfect level of quirkiness. Comes across as so sincere in her interests and devotions.

Watching these two dance around each other - the banter - was *chef’s kiss* excellent.

I loved Funny Feelings, but had a hard time connecting with the story in The Op-op. Savor It brings back the charming, sweet heat that I enjoyed so much in Funny Feelings. This is the Tarah DeWitt I love to read. Very warm. Very funny.

*Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

I adored this! I devoured it in one sitting! This is a first book I'm reading by this author and I will now binge read all the books available! I loved it so, so much! the writing style, the characters... I love how it all felt so real and very relatable ! 10/10 would recommend!

Tarah DeWitt hits another one out of the park (out of the canoe?!) with Savor It. After Funny Feelings and The Co-Op, I was chomping at the bit for another story from her, and she continues to set the standard for world building with two completely unique main characters, a beautiful setting, and fun yet complex supporting characters. If you like anything about high-stress chef tropes (hello Carmy!) or small town teacher/book lover tropes, you will be kicking your feet with this one. I loved the small town hug feeling mixed with characters with such rich and diverse life experiences and journeys that all intersect in ways that left me wanting a sequel to learn more about every sibling and friend who appeared in Savor It. The dichotomy of getting stuck thinking about what could have been, that I think we all go through at some point, and pushing to live in the present and make the most of where and when you find your people, made me feel both seen and challenged the whole way. Tarah represents grief, growth, long-time friendship, and new relationships that feel like they’ve known one another a lifetime like no one else does. Not to mention the fun animal cameos! This book really has something for everyone.

I LOVED THIS BOOK with my whole heart! i am an absolute sucker for a charming small town where everyone knows you and your business but that’s okay because you’re all like family, and beautifully flawed and relatable main characters that feel written specifically for you. i could cry because this story was that and MORE.
fisher is the grumpy hot chef of my dreams and sage is just a small town girl living in a lonely world and i love them both so much!!!
i love how fisher is almost immediately undone by all that sage is! he wants to be mad at how sunshiney and sarcastic she is, but really he is so drawn to her he doesn’t know what to do with himself. he can’t stand how bad he wants her and it’s my fav thing! i love how sage is quick with her comebacks and ready to spar with him at any given moment all while never losing her smile and playfulness. it drives fisher crazy in the best way!
fisher is so hard on himself and has all these walls up that sage is tearing down one at a time just by being her bright self around him. he’s trying so hard to do the right thing by himself and his niece indy and reading all the effort he puts into it and the sincerity behind his character made me so emotional.

let’s talk about their first kiss!!! because it was everything!!! and from that moment on he was DONE FOR!! my man fell hard!! (and so did i) there was no going back for him!!!! (or me)
the spice in this book is some of my favorite ever written!!! i am not kidding— i’ve never felt more touch starved in my life!!

i love how sage is able to enjoy her life because she fills it with all the things she loves— taking care of her animals, gardening, participating in community events, supporting her family and friends— truly, i love her life! but my favorite thing about her and the thing that resonates most with me is how she is able to find the humor in everything despite what she’s been through and the things her life lacks. she is also so mature and self aware. i love how she was quickly able to connect with indy over what they have in common. their bond is effortless and lighthearted despite the grief they’ve both experienced.

i also loved seeing indy and fisher’s relationship evolve. when they finally became vulnerable with each other, opened up and talked about freya together— it brought me to tears! it was such a pivotal and meaningful moment!

i love tarah’s writing so much! the ways she describes a laugh or a gesture, a smile or a feeling— it all perfectly comes to life in my head. the way she wrote every single interaction between sage and fisher and indy with such emphasis on the details!!! she makes every mundane moment important and monumental.

i enjoyed every second of getting to know these characters and this town and i can’t wait to visit them again. this love story is beautiful and a true treat.

Lovely and satisfying. Beautifully written; relatable, likable characters who are self aware. Excited to read more from the Spunes universe!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for the complimentary advanced reader copy in exchange for my unbiased review.

Savor it

Tarah has this amazing ability to write stories with humor and vulnerability. She makes you laugh and cry in the same sentence.

I could see this happening again in Savour It. Sage was funny and yet so authentic in the way she felt.
Fisher comes along all broken and sad boy.
They see each others cracks and love each other wholly even when they know it will come to an end.

Even with that said, I would have DNF’d by 50%
I didn’t feel any chemistry. It did come in closer to 60% but it still felt forced.
There are also so many annoyingly large obnoxious, pretentious words. They were unnecessary and felt like the author had something to prove.

The layout of the book is there, but there is a struggle to connect the scenes. Scenes start and stop and change very abruptly. There are small parts that come out of no where. I can see the reason for it, but they are not woven through out the rest of the book.

Savour it is a mix of Tessa Baileys ridiculousness and the deep aloofness from Emily Henry. However, It’s not funny enough to be a rom com But it’s too quirky to be just contemporary

I’m glad I pushed through with this book as I did laugh and cry, but I didn’t love it like I have Tarah’s previous books.
I can see others would love this book, it just wasn’t as much for me as Tarah’s previous books.

This book is like slipping into a cozy pair of slippers, a robe and bundling up for the weekend with your favorite things. It was charming and cozy and absolutely delightful. Also it made me crave marionberries IYKYK. I loved watching Sage blossom and grow into her own. Fischer, damn what a man. That scene in the library!

Small town romance at the very best!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book.

Savor it? I sure did! Beautifully written, you'll connect with these characters immediately. I loved seeing the growth of Sage and Fisher, both individually and together. It's got that great small town feel where the community comes together and supports you. Was some of it ridiculous? Sure, like why would a 3-star Michelin chef end up here where there is basically no customers except the locals? Yeah, there's a backstory to that, but's it kind of lame. This is my second book by this author and I really enjoy her writing style, so I can overlook those moments. Highly recommend. I'd love to see this continue as a series with Sage's brothers' stories!

This book was such a great small town romance. I fell in love with the location and the people,
Tarah just has a way of pulling at my heartstrings, seeing Sage and Fisher’s friendship develop and also just growing as people was wonderful to witness.
I loved that it was the kind of book that could make me laugh at their silly little banter but also go through the emotions with them.
Loved it.
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC.

Any book that makes me cry and feel warm and fuzzy is amazing. The vibes of this small town summer romance couldn’t have been written any better!

I liked this book! Funny Feelings is still my all time favorite from this author, but this one was good, too! The pacing in the front half of the book felt slow to me, but it did pick up at about 50%. This was about Sage, who lives on a small farm in a small town in Coastal Oregon. Fisher & his niece move in next door for the summer while Fisher is opening a restaurant in town. Savor It has one of my favorite microtropes where the character who is a chef really wants to cook for the love interest lol… Falling in love in impossible circumstances is sort of the situation these two find themselves in. It’s a great summer read, especially if you like small town romances with a bit of spice ❤️

3.75 stars rounded up to 4

This was such a sweet and genuinely good book! I personally don't always love small town romance books because they are typically very cliche, but this book sort of played on that in the best way. They townspeople knew it was a small town, knew how things operated, and used that to their advantage and had lots of fun!

Sage and Fisher both had their struggles - personally and relationship wise. But to see them become genuine friends first was beautiful and grow together. I loved Fisher and Indy's relationship, and Sage and Indy's relationship even more.

I found this book funny while also making sure to tackle a few more genuinely important topics really well. Like grief and how to handle relationships and a career. I thought the author did a beautiful job creating a genuine love story in a real life environment.

I absolutely recommend this book and think so many others will too! Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC!!

"Savor It" by Tarah DeWitt is the kind of small-town romance that hits all the right notes without a hint of the cheesy hallmark vibes. This book is like a breath of fresh coastal air, where misfit animals on Sage Byrd's hobby farm and the quirky folks of Spunes, Oregon (not to be confused with Forks, Washington!), set the stage for a love story that's equal parts heartwarming and genuine.

The characters in this tale are not just characters - they're fully developed personalities that leap off the pages. Sage, our resilient protagonist, and Fisher, the grumpy yet lovable chef, take the lead in a romance that goes beyond the usual clichés. It's not just about love, it's about embracing yourself and accepting others for who they are.

I found myself laughing and shedding a few tears as Sage and Fisher navigated the twists and turns of their evolving relationship. The absence of the tired miscommunication trope was a welcome surprise, allowing their connection to unfold naturally. The book is a cute and easy read, yet it doesn't shy away from addressing life's complexities, including themes of grief and personal growth.

The writing style is, to put it simply, a siren's song. DeWitt weaves a tale that hypnotizes, captivates, and leaves you awestruck. The narrative flows seamlessly, and the dialogue feels like eavesdropping on real conversations. The book's title might suggest savoring, but I couldn't help devouring every chapter eagerly.

This story is not just about summer romance, it's about savoring life's moments, standing true to oneself, and making mature decisions. The small-town charm, grumpy/sunshine dynamics, and a touch of fake dating add spice to an already stellar tale. Tarah DeWitt delivers a five-star read that's not just a romcom, it's an emotional rollercoaster, filled with big feelings, genuine characters, and a narrative that lingers in your heart long after the last page. "Savor It" is a gem in the small-town romance genre that I'd recommend to anyone looking for a joyful, meaningful escape. Make sure to mark your calendars for May 21, 2024!

Thank you St. Martin's Press for providing this eARC via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own and freely given.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for the ARC.

🌟🌟🌟 3/5 stars

Savor It is an adorable small town romance between a hotshot chef and his neighbor. Fisher reluctantly moves to the coastal town of Spunes, Oregon with his moody niece in order to help open up a restaurant for his boss. Sage loves her town and her hobby farm. Fisher is not fitting in well in the small town and after a kiss with his neighbor leads to dating rumors, the two decide to form an alliance to improve his image. However, the two find themselves having real feelings for one another.

This was very cute and I loved the setting of Spunes. DeWitt has created an adorable world and I cannot wait for a few side characters to become the leads in future installments. Overall, a fun small town romance with heart.

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

GRUMPY FREAKING SUNSHINE TO THE MAX.
i am in love. omg. i ate this book up, no crumbs left behind.