Savor It
Tarah DeWitt

5/5 stars

No notes. This is a perfect small town romance.

None of my complaints about small town romance hold up here. In Spunes, Oregon, the residents are bright and charming, if eccentric. Spunes has small town charm, but it doesn’t feel like just another iteration of a stereotype of a small town.

I’m glad I live in a time when I can see complex, fully-realized male main characters (MMC) in romance novels. (A la Fisher)

I laughed out loud a few times. I cried a little towards the end. It wasn’t high angst but is not a light rom com either.

I was delighted by this book. It will appeal to a wide audience.

At the start, Sage and Fisher feel like a couple that wouldn't work. She's all about a small town life, he is not a fan of it for personal reasons. But the way these two grow together, feels natural and perfect. I adored this book.

From a small town native, it felt right. I loved and adore so many of the characters and just wanted more. Not in the sense of feeling unsatisfied with the book, but more in the sense of just wanting to live in this world with these characters.

Fisher and his niece, Indy, will be staying next door to Sage for the summer while he consults on a menu for a new restaurant. He is struggling with grief and his new role as Indy's guardian, so Sage offers to help both of them.

This book started pretty slow for me. I felt like the romance didn't really start until halfway, then I got invested and then it ended. Maybe I missed the point and they were supposed to be friends first. I did love their relationship when they got together though, it was sweet. I did not expect to cry but I shed a few tears. This was my first Tarah Dewitt book, so I'm glad I gave her books a try.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Tarah Dewitt for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

I was waiting for this book after discovering and devouring all of Tarah DeWitt's previous books a few months ago. I was not disappointed with all that Spunes had to offer. The warmth of the characters and the author's writing is so great to get lost in.

Sage is such a great FMC and I really loved how joyful, generous and true to herself she was even when she knew she wanted something more. Fisher was really going through it and had so much to figure out. The slow burn between these so was so satisfying! The cast of characters in the town added so much to the story and I felt like going for a visit.

I enjoyed the fact that there was no real drama, just circumstances that hindered the relationship which is a more realistic take on how thing sometimes work out. Loved that Fisher put Indy first and did what he thought was right. Loved it even more when Indy and Gary were reunited :)

Sorry to be punny, but take my Sage advice and dive into this book; you won't regret it. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC. The opinions expressed are my own.

Everything Tarah writes is so lovely, and this was no exception. It’s so tender and sweet and they had my whole heart from the beginning. I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next.

I tried. I tried to finish this book three different times and I just couldn’t. I didn’t care for Sage. She made my brain hurt with her old English speaking thinking it was funny. I kept waiting for more but finally DNF at 20%.

This was such a sweet book! A great easy read and left me smiling! Sage and Fisher had such great arcs of growth that you were really rooting for them! It had some really emotional moments as well that gave it such nice depth and made it feel like a more well rounded book! I also love the town and the setting just felt so quaint and wonderful and a place I want to visit! I think at times it was a little bit slow but that’s just because it was such a character focused book so still very enjoyable! I will be adding to our library collection!

A small town, grumpy/sunshine book that has you wanting to pack up your bags and move your city self to a more remote location. While I didn't fully connect with the characters, the setting drew me in.

Savor It had a hard time deciding what it wanted to be, between oscillating from RomCom antics to moments of forced emotional poignancy. The first half of the book was bogged down with info dumps, and way too many character intros (most of which were never relevant—I understand setting up for a series, but this could've used finessing). By the 50% mark, it picked up and the back half of the book was mostly enjoyable. The end conflict was handled well.

Perhaps my biggest complaint however is that the book blurb was.... totally off base. The premise this book was sold on was that Sage and Fisher kiss, start rumors, and decide to band together to achieve their goals. This doesn't happen until that 50% mark, and is so... glossed over? We get a lot of exposition around them prepping for the contest, and around whatever it is Fisher is consulting on (menus?). Most of the story takes place between the two properties Sage and Fisher live at—I would've liked to see more engaging settings around the town, utilizing their studying/prep for the competition, etc. There was an overuse of big words, that stuck out so much for how... uncommon they are? And even more so because they completely didn't jive with the character voice at times—like, Fisher has an internal monologue about how he wasn't great in school, then uses SAT level words.

Overall, this book was fine. It had some cute moments. But ultimately, it fell short due to pacing, wonky prose, and shallow undeveloped characters. It had a lot of potential, but delivered on... quite literally none of it? The farm animals were cute. But I feel like the most "story" I got was in exposition, and all the actual scenes were just Sage and Fisher bantering or trauma dumping on each other.

If I was simply reading for the vibes/entertainment, I'd maybe rate it a three. But on closer examination, I think it has to come in at a 2 for me.

Thank you to NetGalley, Tarah DeWitt, and St. Martin's Griffin for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Small town romance set in the Pacific Northwest with a Dual POV, count me in! This book was such an enjoyable read (even if I giggle a little every time they say Spunes) and I absolutely fell in love with Sage and Fisher.

Sage has lived in her small town of Spunes, Oregon her entire life and is coming to terms with her life after the breakup of her serious relationship the year before. Fisher is a big-time chef moving from New York to Spunes after gaining custody of his niece, getting his life in order and opening a restaurant of his own in Spunes. Shenanigans ensue after Fisher rents the house next to Sage.

I haven't read a book with a FMC I enjoyed as much as I enjoy Sage in a long time. She is the perfect mix of sweet and strong with enough flaws to feel relatable and real. Fisher is the same way, even if his name is ridiculous, and I'm always a sucker for single "dads".

The only "downfall" of this book is that it isn't necessarily a spicy romance. Although, it can get steamy there aren't any explicit scenes like we've gotten used to in the contemporary romance world.

This book was a treat

The most Stars Hollowy vibes ever and I loved it. This was such a lovely story. Sage and Fisher’s growth was so beautiful to watch and I really enjoyed watching their love story unfold. This book made me laugh and cry. Both MCs suffered great loss I their lives and they were both just trying to get back their happiness. This was my first book by this author and it definitely won’t be my last.

This was my first Tarah Dewitt novel, and it was such a great experience! It’s safe to say I’m a fan and can’t wait to work my way through the rest of her titles.

This book is told through the perspective of both Sage and Fisher. Sage is an eccentric farmer of sorts with a menagerie of misfit animals. Despite her strangeness, she makes a solid living selling her goods at the market. When her neighbors go on an extended trip, she is put in charge of the property. Including watching over the new tenant and his teenage daughter that move in and accidentally cause a ruckus on their first day in town. She swoops in to save them, but not before they practically get interrogated by the local cops—aka her idiot brothers. Her nosy family is quick to inform her that he is in fact a famous chef and the girl is actually his niece.

After the loss of his sister, the chef is begging the universe for a break. To make matters worse, he throws a very public tantrum his career is in jeopardy. He’s tired and angry, and being banished to the middle of nowhere by his boss. They need a consult on a new restaurant and Fisher needs some time to get his head on straight. To the media, he’s a hot head chef, but to his niece he’s the man who tried to give her up when her mom died. Now he’s hiding from the world, his niece is mad at everyone in it (especially him), and he would do anything to repair the damage he caused to their relationship. Including moving Indy out of the city for summer.

It was so fun watching these two grumpy sore thumbs that had no business in a happy town like Spunes. Indy and Fisher are by no means close, but they’re quickly learning to be partners in this crazy town. It’s one of those small towns where everyone is in each others business and all the locals know each others names. The two find common ground when they realize just how unhappy the other is, and that’s where Sage comes in.

From the moment she meets them, she can tell they need some guidance. It doesn’t take long for her to notice that Indy is determined to find every bit of trouble that she can just to spite her uncle, and that Fisher is in over his head. Although they both try their best to remain stoic, nobody is expecting the way that Sage immediately pulls them both out of their shell. With a goose and a bit of patience, Sage has Fisher and Indy learning some valuable lessons about slowing down.

Savor It was slow and steady in the best way. It’s filled with so much sweetness and held my attention the entire time. Although it didn’t have wild action packed chapters, the quiet tender moments in the book had me smiling from ear to ear. This feels like a comfort read. I was savoring the way they all become unlikely friends. And how Fisher and Indy helplessly fall for the town and for Sage. But this is all just the tip of the iceberg. There’s so much more to love about this book, and I hope that you’ll enjoy it just as much as I did. The way it unfolded and gently led to the happily ever after was so satisfying. It tugged at my heartstrings, and I will definitely be picking up another book from this author soon.

Savor It was a cute, small town romance. The story of Sage and Fisher was beautifully written. I adore the banter between Sage and Fisher; their relationship felt really genuine. Sage is a teacher with a little farm of her own and finds time to arrange flowers for the town's residents. And Fisher, the chef with a Michelin star who lost both his career and his way, and who is now his niece's new guardian.

They discover unexpected joys in life when they are unable to resist spending time together. And that maybe an opposite is what they need to feel complete. Their foundation is built by all of their insane activities, which would not have happened otherwise. I think they're amazing.

This book's most original element was how Sage's animals practically acted as supporting characters. They were so humorous and lighthearted. The family dynamic was amazing, and I want more. I hope this becomes a series and Sage's brothers get stories of their own.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, NetGalley, and the author for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Will definitely be rereading when this book is released on May 21, 2024.

Id never actually read anything by this author until now but WOW. Small town romance with a beautiful story. Seriously the writing was good, the characters were very well written and likeable, and the romance was just 5 stars. I truly enjoyed this book and cant wait to read more from the author!

Sage loves her small town. She loves her home, her animals, her little farm and she's just content. Having lost both parents at a young age, along with her brothers, her friends and neighbours are just like family.
After losing his job and his passion for his craft, chef Fisher takes a job in the small town of Spunes to help his old boss out and take some time away from New York. Driving across country with his niece, Indy, they rock up in Spunes, both skeptical of what this small town can offer them.
Fisher and Sage fall into a fake-dating situation, and Fisher begins to open up to the friendship and advice she offers. Their attraction grows and blossoms into a beautifully intimate connection. But Fisher is due to leave at the end of the summer. They decide to enjoy it for what it is and however long they have, but find out in the end how hard it is to say goodbye.

I've read Tara's other books, which were great, but this book is just perfection. It warmed my heart and tore it apart in equal measure. The writing is beautiful, touching, but funny. The idea of being content with what you have and enjoying things while they last, to Savor It, is just gorgeous. Sage and Fisher's relationship develops so naturally and the little moments between them are so tender. I found myself bawling near the end. Everything about this story from their friendship, Fisher's relationship with his niece that he struggles with, the side characters that make up their community and their personal growth is honestly gorgeous.

It'll be hard for any romance to top this one for me this year. I already want to reread it and settle back into Spunes with them. Out on May 21st this year, this is one not to be missed!

Thank you to netgalley for the ARC, it was an joy to get a chance to read this in advance.

This is small town romance at its finest. I loved the town ambience and the plot felt unique in a genre where it’s easy to become redundant. I can’t get over the emotional maturity both characters exhibited from the get go but that we still saw their growth progress throughout the book, both individually and together. Each of the characters had personalities that were very developed and almost lept off the page they felt so alive. Truly one of the better romances I’ve read in awhile.

5 stars. immaculate. this was such a amazing book. she is truly going to easily be a wonderful rating every time I read her books. she makes you feel so extremely connected to her characters & just grabs you in the best ways. after reading funny feelings I knew I was probably going to love anything she writes. hands down.

now for this book in particular, Savor It. wow. like o said, truly 5 stars. fisher & sage are truly probably my favorite characters of hers. the banter (which tarah writes banter incredibly well) was so good. sage was truly a bright spot I just feel like everybody loved & gravitated towards her, even in her not so great moments you still love & feel pulled into her orbit. her charm was just cozy.

I tend to love watching the hero more & seeing how they adjust & grow through the book, seeing him work through his feelings & his personal life is just an icing on top for me at least. I love love it. my favorite part of any book.

this was just a homey & sweet read, full of banter, charm & swoony moments.

thank you netgalley, the author & the publisher for the arc!

I love how swoony Tarah’s books are! Loved the setting and Fisher and Sage. The romance was perfect and I love how Tarah writes such emotionally beautiful books.

Adorable touching story that I could not get enough of! It took me a while to read but once I was hooked that was it! Such a cute book, I highly recommend!

There is truly nothing better than picking a book because the cover is beautiful, and then finding the contents are just as good.

I loved every moment of this book. From the corny puns to the quirky animals. The romance was so effortless and just made me smile the entire time. There was no lack of communication, and the growth you witness with both MCs is just really beautiful, but most especially with Fisher and his relationship with Indy.

Tarah truly has a way with words, and I found myself at some points having to reread sentences because they were so beautiful. She says in the acknowledgments, "I put pressure on every single sentence," and this is so clearly evident throughout the entire book.

I received an eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thankfully it was a winner!