oh my god, this book is absolutely perfect in every way. This was my first Tarah Dewitt book and let me just say, I have found a new comfort author!! <3

Tarah has written a beautiful story of a small town romance, filled with characters that truly feel like friends and family. She tells a heartwarming story that highlights real and raw emotions that these characters are trying to navigate through. From the small town locals to even the animals on the farm, Tarah creates such depth with her characters. It truly made me so invested with the story as a whole and had me fall even more in love with it. This story will hold a special place in my heart forever, it was an absolute honor and privilege to read this book.

Fisher and Sage’s romance throughout this story is one of pure, selfless love. The angst and tension building up to when they finally get together is also just perfect!! The amount of times I found myself giggling out loud and blushing is a true testament to that. The growth you get to witness within the pages of this story, of each individual character and within Fisher and Sage’s relationship, is truly stunning. Their love is EVERYTHING! I don’t want to spoil anything so let me just say please please pleaseee go read this book when it comes out, you won’t regret it. Definitely keep some tissues nearby though, you might need them! :’’)

Thank you so much to netgalley for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review! <3

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Tarah DeWitt for the early access copy of Savor It.

Savor It is a small town, dual point-of-view, summer romance. Sage lives on a hobby farm (lovely animals, flowers, gardening, BEAUTIFUL sunroom) and Fisher is a NYC Michelin star chef who needs to reset. He is the guardian of his niece Indy, who is dealing with the loss of her single mother.

This slow burn romance emphasizes open and honest communication. It depicts grief and not being at your best in a realistic way. It also shows it’s okay to be a mess, to fall in love, and not try to change your love interest. The secondary characters are realistic and well written. It’s hard not to miss the characters and setting now being done the book.

If a secondary character were to ever get a story, I’d hands down read it. I’m rooting for Wren and Ellis.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Griffen, and Tarah Dewitt for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was like a warm hug. Sage and Fisher were two characters that you couldn’t help but love. I really loved them together, but I enjoyed them both individually almost just as much. I love that we got to really see and flesh them both out as characters so much! The plot was enjoyable, emotional, and romantic. This was the perfect romance read the break up from of my heavier fantasy books.

Confusing...

Savor It begins with an information dump I unfortunately had to reread several times (and I still don't think I understand who's who). The beginning felt long-winded and contrived and honestly a bit disappointing to me. I loved Tarah DeWitt's other books but this one felt a bit like a case of trying-too-hard from the first page.

I'll probably try a reread at some point because I honestly do love Tarah's writing but right now this book is not it for me. If you love the TV show The Bear you may love it! (I haven't seen the show but I really don't think that should be a prerequisite to read this book)

✨ BOOK REVIEW ✨ Savor It by Tarah DeWitt

~ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 💫 ~

Okay call me crazy but for whatever reason, this one just didn’t fully do it for me. It was beyond adorable from the small time vibes to the bustling farm animals and everything in between, but I found myself a little bored. That being said, it could’ve also just been the time and place that I was reading it 🤷🏼‍♀️

The things I loved?
📖 The goats 🐐- easily my favorite characters
📖 DeWitt’s depiction and nuance navigating grief, and doing so from so many relational perspectives
📖 Sage & Fisher’s budding love 💕 (but more specifically, their love for gooood food)
📖 Sage’s sunroom which I can only imagine is the reading nook / journaling haven / sunroom of my dreams

And I’m going to leave you all with my fave quote from the book, “I think I keep my world small so I don’t feel insignificant in it.” That hit me to the ~core~

HUGE thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and Tarah DeWitt for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow not only will this book have you enthralled in this love story but it will also have you craving the delicious foo it features! I really enjoyed this book. Honestly, it will make your heart ache (in a good way!). The feelings are big in this one- grief, fear, insecurity, love. Sage and Fisher really build each other back up and are so supportive. They each are on their one journeys of self growth but find a way to grow together. How they express themselves is quite beautiful. I think the spicy scenes are a degree hotter just because of Sage and Fisher’s deep emotional connection. Tarah please make this into a series, I desperately need a second chance romance between Ellis and Wren! I recommend this for fans of emotional small town romances.

This was a delight! Fisher is a NYC chef who finds himself in a tiny Oregon town, trying to revive his career. There he meets local girl, Sage who is his complete opposite. It gave such “Things We Never Got Over” vibes. Grumpy/sunshine, small town, new to town, found family-all the good stuff. Tarah DeWitt is a new to me author but this will absolutely not be the last book I read from her!

Savor It is a delightful and angsty slow burn romance set against the backdrop of small-town Oregon. The main characters, Sage and Fisher, captivated me with their witty banter and emotional depth. Fisher, a Michelin-starred chef from New York, finds himself in a slump, seeking solace in the serene landscapes of Spunes. Enter Sage, a joyful and quirky with a hobby farm and an array of charming animal companions. As their paths intertwine, Dewitt skillfully weaves a beautiful narrative filled with humor, beauty, and heartfelt moments. Thank you to Forever and Saint Martin’s Press for the eARC.

Savor It features Sage, a local manic pixie dream girl and Fischer, a visiting chef. Fischer is accompanied by his niece, who he is the guardian of. Sage and Fischer are next door neighbours for the summer and, like every great manic pixie dream girl, Sage allows Fischer to live in the moment and do wacky things and fall madly in love.

I know that so many people have loved this and will love it, but it was just fine for me. I think the pacing of the first half of the book really threw me off. The small town Gilmore girls vibes of the kooky small town and their small town ways was just too much small town kookiness for me. Did you know that it’s a kooky small town? The entire first half of the book was just reiterating that fact. By the time the deal/alliance that is referenced in the blurb happens, we’re at the 50% mark!

The second half of this book is thousands of times better than the first half. The romance was really well done and their feelings for each other were palpable. So romantic, lots of swoons sighs and heart clenching. Sage was a really likeable character and I enjoyed her level of kooky and how delighted Fischer was by it. Was it incredibly cliche? Yes. But she was still delightful. Fischer was a great MMC and the care and love he had for Sage was great - I did keep forgetting that his name was Fischer though. Sage Byrd was mentioned so many times and Fischer must have been too, but every time I picked this book up I had to remind myself his name was Fischer.

Overall, it was a good book, but I wish the beginning was paced better!

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC of the book!

Absolutely loved this one😭🩷 it was so refreshing to read a story where the only drama involved was a gopher causing chaos! This gave me such a warm comfort. All the characters were loveable and memorable! I hope this can be turned into a series I can see so many stories unfold from all these characters in this world! It’s giving that small town vibe Stars Hallow has. AND I WAS SO HAPPY with the way the characters parted!!! No third act break up because of some minor inconvenience! Tarah did something so beautifully with this story and she executed it amazingly! It’s definitely gonna stay with me and it’s a story I’m gonna reread when I need an extra hug🩷🥹

Tarah DeWitt is a master of the slow burn, emotional romance and Savor It absolutely nails it! The hilarious and wholesome small town cast of characters (human and animal alike) were *chef’s kiss*, and the unstoppable love between perfectly imperfect Sage and Fisher practically yanks at your heart strings from the meet cute (a robot vacuum! I’ll say no more). 5 stars, would dine again.

I love a fake dating romance with good communication and this was definitely one of them. I really enjoyed the characters and believed in their connections. I also loved Fisher's emotional journey with his niece and learning what he needs to do to make her feel safe and loved. The love was believable even if some of the story was a little odd (the Michelin chef in a small town, a restaurant with an observatory that looked phallic, the town trivia contest) but I had fun so 4.5 stars!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

Cute story that gets deep. Sage has lived in Spunes, OR her whole life. Fisher, needing a break from his job as a chef in NYC, moves to town with his teenaged niece. The small town cast of characters (and animals!) are very reminiscent of Gilmore girls. Even though the relationship starts as a way to help each other, I like that Sage and Fisher communicate through out the book.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC.

I didn’t connect to the story or the characters at all for this one. It felt very unoriginal and took me way too long to finish reading. I wanted more emotion from the characters.

This is the perfect book for summer!! This book takes place over the course of a summer in the Pacific Northwest. The tropes are perfectly executed- small town romance, grumpy/sunshine, single “dad”. The chemistry between the main characters is excellent and the supporting characters are lovable and interesting. This book is sweet, funny, and sad in all the right ways. Absolutely adored it!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this stellar ARC!

This story was so sweet and swoon worthy with the most perfect, jaw dropping spice *chefs kiss* 😉

Between her brothers, her best friend, her ex, the roomba, and all the animals there were plenty of laugh out loud moments. With that as the back drop, I loved how Sage & Fisher developed a genuine friendship at the basis of their relationship. They were so supportive of each other going after whatever it is they wanted, even if it meant a third act break up.

“It’s been a privilege to fall in love with you” might be my new Roman Empire.

4.5/5

Fisher Lange feels like he’s drowning. He’s lost his position as head chef at a Michelin starred restaurant, his guardianship over his niece is mediocre at best, and he can’t think past the spiraling in his head. When his old boss offers him the position of curating a menu for her new restaurant, he jumps at the chance. But when he arrives in the small coastal town of Spunes, Oregon, he can’t help but wonder what he’s gotten himself into.

Sage Byrd has lived in Spunes her whole life and she needs a change. After being dumped last year by the towns golden boy, Sage would do anything to quit having everyone look at her *that way*. When her neighbors home is leased for the summer, Sage is pleasantly surprised to find that she enjoys her new summer neighbor. Fisher Lange looks like he could use the assistance of an insider, and Sage knows she could really use some new gossip floating around about her.

So she proposes a fake, summertime fling to Fisher in the hopes that their alliance will help both of them. Its too bad that it feels so right when they’re with each other, and that the shared kiss in the library was volcanic. Fisher is leaving at the end of the summer, and Sage knows that she can’t follow.

-Dual POV
-Summer romance
-Small town
-Themes of grief and loss (off page)
-Three legged cat

Guys. GUYS. This was such a good romance. The timeline of summer always adds a little spice to things, and as a reader you can’t help but wonder how the HEA is going to happen. This book did not disappoint. I was so attached to Fisher, Sage, and the town of Spunes by the end. The growth of each character was beautiful and the way Dewitt handled themes of grief, loss, and self-doubt were perfection. I can’t wait for everyone to read it.

Thank you to Netgalley and publishers for my ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. As always, opinions and words are my own.

okay so all of my friends have been telling me to read Tarah and THIS DID NOT MISS. OMG I cannot believe how much I loved this book.so much and going to go read her backlist now. this town, sage and fisher, and everything was pure magic. I connected so much to her writing and it had me all emotional while reading. perfection.

Rating: 4.5/5⭐️
Spice: 1/5🌶️

Summary: Sage is a big personality in a small town and her last relationship ended because he always wanted her to be smaller. When big city chef, Fisher, comes to town to try and reignite his passion for cooking, they settle into a temporary romance that starts to feel like once in a lifetime.

Thoughts: This book was so beautiful in the way that it was so simple. It was such a relatable story and I just loved how it was paced.

It felt like I was strolling through the story and I’m usually the type that needs to race through a book. I would have loved a teeny tiny bit of angst somewhere but also appreciated that I didn’t have to endure any frustrating moments.

The characters were absolutely wonderful, so mature and insightful. The banter between all of them was so well done and I just loved the small town setting. This was such a well rounded book and I feel like I’m walking away with life lessons.

[Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/St. Martin's Griffin for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.]
---------------------
I'm typically a fast reader but I couldn't bring myself to speed through this one. Just like Sage and Fisher, I didn't want Summer to end. This is such a sweet story and the latter quarter of the book gave me a ton of feelings. The whole thing felt like a hug.

The characters just creep into your heart. Sage with her menagerie of animals who needed a home and Fisher trying to find his footing as he raises his niece, Indy. Both are two people who have experienced loss/trauma and are learning self-acceptance and finding their happiness.

They walk into things knowing that there's an expiration date, yet Sage and Fisher love fully and are so encouraging of one another (and helpful!). They know how to communicate with each other!! It's so easy to root for them.

The small town setting is perfect. Sometimes in books, small towns can focus on the 'nosy' townspeople. Spunes does have nosy residents, but as a whole the town is filled with people who care about and are protective of each other.

I have never highlighted so many passages in a book before. I never want to forget any of it. 

Perfect if you love:
Small town romance
Summer romance
GrumpyxSunshine
Fake dating
Slow burn
Single parent/guardian
Dual POV