Damn Tarah DeWitt knows how to write them. The chemistry between Sage and Fisher is both exciting and heartwarming--a classic romance Black CatxGolden Retriever. While the small-town, opposites-attract theme is familiar, DeWitt brings a fresh perspective, blending humor and emotion effortlessly. I most enjoyed how well-thought out all characters were. It had so much personality. Sage was quick, sweet and hilarious. Fisher was broody, thoughtful and so swoony. The banter!

"Savor It" felt so genuine because it realistically portrays the cause and effect of grief and loss for both main characters. It made beautiful sense how they come together, drift apart, and find their way back to each other again.

If you want to read a small-town, grumpyxsunshine, laugh-out loud book that may make you cry a little, you'll really enjoy this!

Loved, loved, loved the narrations by Karissa Vacker and Zachary Webber as they brought Sage, Indy and Fischer alive. Great emotional depth, seriousness when needed but also light during the down times. I thought Karissa nailed it when Sage started blurting embarrassing things about herself, I was rolling.

Thank you Macmillan Audio for the gifted ALC!

I have never read a book that has perfectly embodied my brain before - and then I met Sage and Fisher. Savor It is a remarkable story - with an overarching love tale between two unsuspecting main characters tying in all the subplots of a teenager in grief, finding self worth, and the struggles of work burnout. This story is so beautifully woven together I want to wipe it from my brain and reread it again for the first time just so I can….savor it.

Tarah sets the bar high with Fisher - who’s caring for his niece after his sisters sudden death, struggling with his own depressions and work stress, and trying to just make the best of it. He’s dynamic and deep, with an incredibly dirty mouth and a hilarious wit that made me love him instantly.

Sage is a wholesome and wonderful human - from her pure heart and rag tag band of misfit animals, to her deep understanding of love in all forms. She’s someone who I inspire to be.

The audiobook also balances two amazing narrators who bring this story fresh off the page. I loved both of their voices, they nail the line delivery and inflections at different points of the plot, and are easy to listen to on higher speeds.

Overall this book is incredible and readers should be required to read it.

I'm all melty inside after reading this book! What a great romance! I really enjoyed the small town and Sage was just a great character. The audiobook was so great too, with having a narrator for Sage and Fisher; loved it!!

*Thank you partner @stmartinspress and @macmillanaudio for the #gifted e-galley and audiobook in exchange for an honest review.*

This book just made me ugly cry 😭😭

Thoughts💡
This story feels real, raw, and authentic. It’s filled with beautiful quotes and pulse pounding spice. There’s this goose and this teen that are funny and annoying but shouldn’t have the ability to make the profound emotional impact that they did! Gah! I just loved all of it.
The town the story was set in had a quaint Stars Hallow feel, but the author also pointed out some of the negatives that happen when you live in a narrow minded small town. And through it all she dropped pun after pun that made me laugh then had the audacity to make me cry! Several times!
When you add in Karissa Vacker’s impressive storytelling abilities with Zachary Webber’s deep timber 🤤 It’s all whole ass experience. I may have chosen this book because of my girl crush on Ms. Vacker, but she is in good company on this project. So just do yourself a favor and go get a copy of this. You can thank me later.

Stats 📊
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🌟 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Characters 💙💙💙💙💙
Audio & Narrators 🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧
Romance: Small Town, Single Dad (Uncle), Summer Fling, Small Town Competition, Hurt & Comfort, Neighbors 📕
First Person, Present Tense, Dual POV

This made me giddy and giggly in all the best ways. Tara's romances are the sunshine and perfection--a perfect read any time of the year.

- forced proximity
- one a time limit
- small town
- single guardian
- steamy times in a library

Audio review: Karissa Vacker and Zachary Webber did an absolutely phenomenal job bringing the characters to life and I couldn't pick a more perfect pair to narrate this book.

Thank you, Macmillan Audio

This book was a sweet listen! It had all the basic small town tropes - looove. I was glad that although there was the dealing with death of a loved one the romcom element reigned supreme.

I think I liked this book because the characters felt real and weren’t cookie cutter personalities with one thing being their whole personality. The MMc goes to therapy and knows he has a lot of work to do on himself, he’s honest about that but also doesn’t use it negatively. The FMC is caring and helpful but isn’t naive. I just really appreciated the depth in the characters even if the story wasn’t action packed or set in the most exciting place.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for giving me an ALC of this title.

"Spunes, Oregon (Not to be confused with Forks, Washington.)"

I loved this book with my whole heart. From the small ocean town vibes, the Twilight references sprinkled in, the mismatched farm pets (I'm looking at you Gary), to the fake dating turned real dating trope. I loved that each character was going through their own internal struggle, whether that was the loss of a loved one or learning to be okay with ones self and ones place in life.

We all need someone like Fisher in our lives that feels for us the way he feels for Sage.

"It's misery. It's agony. It's bliss. Why is it that someone hugging you and holding you together can make you feel like you're about to shatter?"

One of the parts that resonated with me was Fisher's talk with Indy about not feeling stuck even if you end up in the same town that you were born in.

"To live by your own standards and no one else's. To be happy by your own measure. You want your own flock of geese and a garden in Spunes? You want to make the same people you've known your entire life a little happier just by being in it? By doing the small things? So what if you happen to meet the love of your life in some tiny town, and so what if you get stuck there? It's a life that's filled with joy, by your standards? I can't imagine a bigger, more fulfilling felling."

I believe we find the books we need to read when we need them most, and I needed this one right now, if only for the Sage advice. This author will definitely be a repeat author for me.

"Whenever you think too little of the world, try to remember that somewhere, something or someone is always waiting to be known."

This is the perfect summer read! Sage and Fisher’s romance was so swoony without any needless drama or miscommunications and I loved it so much! The spice level and character development were perfect and I found myself crying at the end (in the best way)! I loved everything about this book and the audiobook narration was absolutely perfect!

By far one of the best and sweetest audiobooks of the year I was lucky enough to read an advanced copy from the author last year. Listening to it was a true delight. So easy to listen to, such a great story. Just 5 stars all around.

This is a fun romcom that manages to touch on some heavy topics. The overall vibe made me think of Sweet Magnolias, but set in the Pacific Northwest and with some spice thrown in. I liked Sage and Fisher. Sage’s animals are great. I tried to choose a favorite, but I just couldn’t. Fisher’s struggles to connect with his niece were a little heartbreaking but felt very true to life.

The audiobook is narrated by Karissa Vacker and Zachary Webber. I enjoyed the way they brought Sage and Fisher’s story to life.

Thank you MacMillan for the audio review copy of Savor it. I liked this book but it was a slow start for me, the narration was strong and honored the complexity of the backstory for the male main character (who was struggling with grief and complex transitions in a few ways) and for me the farm/animal setting did not land (but it seems to be a big win for many others). Once the plot moved into a kind of small town fake dating but more them I was all in, it's sweet but also sexy story, a plot that finds its own pace and I do appreciate the focus of a male character learning to parent a teenage niece, coping with loss, and offering emotional vulnerability.

There was no savoring this, just the need to keep listening. 💜

I started this one evening & then had to stay up & finish it. It is SO GOOD.

I loved every minute of this. And now all I want is to live in a small town on the Oregon Coast on a hobby farm with a handsome chef.

Special thanks to @macmillan.audio for the ALC.

This was cute! I enjoyed many things such as the PNW setting, both characters back stories, the light-hearted nature of it all, and the steamy scenes were good. Ultimately it was missing the *spark* but again, I did enjoy it! A great beach read.

Audio note: I’m happy to report that the audio lives up to the quality of the storyline! Karissa Vacker is quickly becoming one of my favorite female narrators, because her voice is so easy to listen to and perfect for the feel of this story. I also really love Zachary Webber’s voice, though it’s not quite what I pictured for the “sexy, sad boy, modern pirate” vibes our hero gives off. That’s probably tough to emulate, lol, so I’ll forgive that – especially since I like Webber’s narration so much. The runtime (around 9 hours) is ideal for bingeing, and I do recommend this as a workday listen. There is some heat, but it’s not the focus and the story is a slow burn overall. The audio is a great way to experience this heartfelt love story!

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With a soft, tender romance and a small town that is bursting with eccentric charm, this quiet love story slowly got under my skin in the best of ways. I've loved all three of DeWitt's previous books, so I was nervous that this wouldn't meet my very high expectations, but I shouldn't have worried. Her writing is fresh and distinct (as always), with an undercurrent of emotion weaving through the pages. I loved that this was so fun and genuinely funny, while also sneaking in moments of heart-wrenching angst. This couple knows from the start that their connection is meant to be a temporary one, so that adds a layer of tension to the bond that forms between them. It's got a great strangers to friends to lovers feel, with tons of chemistry and a fantastic cast of characters. The heroine is a delight, and I so appreciated that she found her partner in a man who is worthy of her time. My only complaint is that it wasn't long enough, but I have a feeling we'll be back in this small town before long. I loved it!

The story follows Sage, a woman who has found family in her small community. While others can't wait to get out of town, Sage has flourished here. When a sexy chef and his troublesome teenage niece move next door for the summer, Sage isn't sure what to think. Fisher is clearly a bit of a mess and trying to find himself again, while his niece is counting the days until they can return to the city. Though Fisher is attracted to Sage, he knows that starting something up is ill-advised at best. So the two form a tentative friendship that sometimes feels like more. As Sage and Fisher grow closer throughout the summer, their connection starts to feel deeper than anything temporary ought to be.

I tried to avoid all spoilers and go into this with fresh eyes, though I was already drawn in by my past love of DeWitt's work and that gorgeous cover. It took no time at all before I was feeling the attraction between these two, and I loved that everyone in the story felt unique and authentic. The small town vibes are immaculate, and I sincerely hope we're getting several of the other stories that are teased here. But I loved Sage and Fisher most of all, because they were absolutely perfect together. Sage has the lightness that Fisher needs in his life, and he was such an empowering presence for Sage. They were better together. I've never enjoyed a hero who is described as looking like a sexy pirate, but Fisher definitely stole my heart. Their story is just the right mix of soft, sexy, and sentimental, with as many playful, humorous moments as there are angsty and emotional ones. The spice certainly didn't hurt either, lol, and I felt the slow-burning attraction in a big way. I would've eaten up another 50-100 pages of their love story, but the shorter length made it easy to devour in a single day. It was everything I wanted and more.

“You once told me you thought you were a lot of nots. I want you to know that to me, you’re everything.” 💜

Your honor, I loved it. If you love Gilmore Girls - but add a bit of spice - and you’ll probably love SAVOR IT by Tarah Dewitt. {Thank you to @macmillan.audio for the gifted ALC to review!} You get a small town, dual POV (and fantastic dual narrators for the audiobook!), a dash of fake dating, friends to lovers, and a bit of grumpy x sunshine.

I just fell in love with Sage and Fisher. Sage is a wild, happy and bit eccentric teacher, but part-time homesteader - unruly garden and lovable farm animals included. Fisher is a grumpy chef working through grief, unexpected new responsibility, and a recent breakdown resulting in his boss sending him to small town Oregon for a new restaurant project.

Their chemistry is a bit of a slow burn, but in the best way. It’s a supportive and healthy relationship, with tons of very detailed spicy scenes, and an incredibly mature and realistic third act breakup. I enjoyed FUNNY FEELINGS by the same author, but I looovvved SAVOR IT - which is out now!

CW // death of a parent; grief; wildfires; descriptive food content

This was an absolutely amazing read. Super cute small town romance.
All the characters are likable actually they’re lovable!
I would say this is a perfect summer book.

In my summer books I expect only a few characters to where I can keep track and the book takes place during summer months. Enjoyable and interesting also must make me smile because of how cute it is & this book did all of it.

This book really helps you SAVOR everything from small moments, food, relationships, friendships & summer

👨‍🍳 Single parent
🌸 Small town romance
👨‍🍳 Summer fling
🌸 Slow burn
👨‍🍳 Fake dating
🌸 Banter & Dual POV
👨‍🍳 Grumpy x Sunshine
🌸 Plenty of animals/ farm animals

TW: Grieving, loss of loved one (from the past)

The Audio is amazing!

3.4⭐️
Thanks to Netgalley for this arc.
This book was romantic and cute. I liked the characters. The relationship between Sage and Fisher was wholesome, and there was so much vulnerable and heartfelt moments between them. I felt that this book was oddly paced though. Important moments were brushed over and simplified, relationship dynamics changed quickly, and it was all too fast for me. This caused me to not be able to connect to the characters really well. This book was good, but it was not memorable, I can already feel myself forgetting the plot and characters. I just didn’t enjoy this the way i wanted to.

Tarah DeWitt is one of my auto buy authors for a reason. I have loved her since her indie debut, and I'm so excited to see her transitioning to traditional publishing--simply because now more people will get to experience her stories. Savor It is the same slow, gentle kind of romance she's known for--but don't be fooled. Her books also pack in some heat. What to expect: small town romance, "just for the summer," chef MMC, bubbly FMC with a whole posse of rescued animals, and some tender exploration of grief. As a bonus, it's set in Oregon, in the beautiful PNW. As a resident PNW romance reader, I loved that she actually got the weather right--so many books totally miss the mark. (It's a personal pet peeve of mine.)

I would also highly recommend the audiobook, if you're into them. Karissa Vacker and Zachary Webber deliver great performances in this dual POV recording. Honestly, I'd listen to Zachary Webber read the phone book...but Savor It is way more engaging so I'd recommend starting there, and then move on to the phone book option down the line.

Definitely pick this one up. You'll want to...(wait for it)...savor it. (Pardon my terrible pun. I know it's low-hanging fruit, but it's also very true.)