At a glance:
- A renowned chef recovering from burnout—and who has recently been knocked down a peg—moves to a small coastal town in Oregon just for the summer
- With his teenage niece, of whom he has recently gained custody, in tow
- Moves in next to a sunshiny high school teacher / gardener / animal menagerie owner
- Who is dealing with her own grief
- Their time together kindles romance (of course) but helps both to rekindle their joy for life and confidence as well
- Bonus points for mental health and migraine rep

I especially enjoyed the last 30% of the book and want to move to a plot of land with a bunch of animals, a garden, and a hot chef next door. (Do you think my husband would mind?)

Highlights for me:
- A ton of puns
- The goose choosing his mate
- Sage’s eclectic robe collection (all of Mrs. Munty’s creations, tbh)
- Sage's journal and the wisdom it holds
- Her house, especially her sunroom (I would live in it if I could)
- The food descriptions
- “I might love the library” 😏

The audiobook is narrated by Karissa Vacker and Zachary Webber. They’re two of my favorite narrators, and they do a fantastic job of portraying Sage and Fisher.

I received an advance copy of the audiobook from Macmillan Audio. All review opinions are my own.

This was the first Tarah DeWitt novel that I've read, and I'm happy to report that I'm obsessed. A small town, fake dating-adjacent, and a bit of found family are in this new romance novel (potentially the first in a series? I hope so!)

I listened to the audiobook of this and the narrators were fantastic. There were some parts where they would whisper which I feel like I don't get often in audiobooks. It made the experience that much more realistic. Also, the male narrator often sounded a bit exasperated which worked so well for our MMC.

Sage and Fisher are officially my new favorite couple. They balanced each other out so well! There wasn't a distinct grumpy/sunshine going on, but a bit of a trade-off at times. Sage would get annoyed and Fisher would laugh and cheer her up. Or Fisher would be so clueless about his niece and Sage would say all the right things to help him understand his teenage charge.

There was a bit of a plot to this one which is more rare for romance novels these days. It wasn't super driven, but there was enough of a story to keep things moving along. I would have liked to have seen more of the competition, but I understand why it wasn't shown.

As I mentioned, this really seems like it's being set up for a series of interconnected standalone. We meet each sibling and are told some of their backstories (and relationships) throughout the book. I wouldn't be surprised if each Byrd sibling received their own book. And I would be the first person in line to read it.

Overall, this was a fabulous book from DeWitt. With the right amount of humor, heart, and small town antic-ness, it should be everyone's number one pick for their May reading! I need to go back and read the other books she's already written and am eagerly anticipating what's next from her!

This was my first introduction to Tarah Dewitt's writing, and I LOVED it! I laughed, swooned, cheered, and savored this book!  I enjoyed how much the idea and imagery of "savor it" was woven in, from the times the phrase was mentioned to how the MCs relished the food Fisher made and their time together. This book hooked me from its adorable opening meet-cute and I did not want it to end.

Told in a dual POV of Fisher and Sage. They were well-developed, compelling characters and a couple that was very easy to root for. Both have endured significant losses, and the story respectfully touches on some complex issues like grief. Sage was delightfully quirky, bright, optimistic, and open-hearted. Fisher was sensitive, introspective, sexy, and sweet. Their dialogue was well-written, and I loved their tender moments and fun, flirty banter.  A slow burn, their relationship was brimming with chemistry and spice.

The small-town setting in the PNW was charming. It had a wonderful library and was populated with great side characters, including adorable animals. I wanted to stay in this little town. If I could move there, I would! Highly recommended-this had so much heart.

Karissa Vacker and Zachary Webber narrated, and both were fantastic in their individual roles, nailing the range of emotion and humor. But together, they made this a great listening experience. I hope they're paired together again soon. An easily bingeable audiobook!

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the free audiobook!

*4.5 rounded up

I had such a fun time reading this that I had to listen to the audio narration! I loved the witty banter! And I loved the small town romance and fake dating tropes! Definitely will be reading other works by this author!

What a great summr romance read! Pick this up if you love small town romance, witty banter, fake dating, or friend to lovers! I especially LOVED the PNW setting. I found myself swooning and smiling through the entire novel and would recommend this on audio to any readers!

This book was a DELIGHT. Tarah, you had me at Spunes, OR (not to be confused with Forks, WA). The humor was just so good, with all the fun, witty banter. The quirky characters (and animals!) of Spunes have my heart. There were some heavier themes and a deeper storyline and romance that balanced perfectly with the humor as well. I really loved the romance between Sage and Fisher. They are both in their 30’s, and they communicate like adults! It was so refreshing to read. If you’re looking for a swoony, spicy, hilarious rom-com, go grab this one next week! A note on the audio: narrated by two of my favorites, Karissa Vacker and Zachary Webber, you cant go wrong with this audio. They both do a fantastic job of narrating these characters with heart and humor.

Read this if you like:
👨🏻‍🍳 small town romance
👨🏻‍🍳 grumpy sunshine
👨🏻‍🍳 professional chef mmc
👨🏻‍🍳 single parent (raising his niece)
👨🏻‍🍳 fake dating
👨🏻‍🍳 witty banter
👨🏻‍🍳 PNW setting

Savor It is a smartly written story with hilarious circumstances and well thought out characters. My favourite character had to be Fisher’s moody teenage niece with her snarky attitude and witty insults that made me burst out laughing. I thought the chemistry between Fisher and Sage was fabulously written and the setting and the town’s quirky traditions made me feel like I was right within the book along with all the characters. DeWitt has a way of making you buy into what the characters are feeling and experiencing and you can’t help but want to go along for the ride. I only wished there was a bit more relationship building between the two MCs. Additionally, the narrators were perfect for this story and enhanced the experience of it all.

ARC from Macmillan Audio, these are my own thoughts and opinions.

Okay I LOVED this! It was so cute and feel good and I already want to listen to it again. This book was everything I wanted in a romance. The chemistry between Sage and Fisher was so so good! There was therapy rep, witty banter, and so much small town love! And it’s a fake dating? I’m sold. Add this to the top of your TBR!

Releases May 21!

Posted on Goodreads and StoryGraph 5/17, posting on Instagram stories 5/18 and Instagram feed 5/20 or 21

Tropes:
Friends to FWB to ❤️
Summer fling
Single dad
Grumpy chef / sunshine gardener, animal lover

This was such a sweet, feel good romance. Thanks to NetGalley for the ALC.

5 ⭐ 2 🌶 5 🎧

Oh my goodness, this was the cutest story I've read in a while. It was chock full of small town and grumpy sunshine goodness with other goodies like single guardian of his teenage niece and hilarious farm animals galore. Sage and Fisher were absolutely everything and I loved them so much.

I really loved the not so hidden morals of the story. It was so wonderful seeing Fisher and Indie find themselves in Spunes. They thought this was going to be summer vacation to restart, but this small town ended up being everything they never knew they needed.

The audio was fantastic. I'm obsessed with Zachary Webber, he was half of the reason I picked this book up (the other half being the beautiful cover). He played Fisher so perfectly and Karissa Vacker was incredible as Sage too. This was such a wonderful listen and I already can't wait to start again.

Savor it by Tarah DeWitt was a great summer romance between a professional chef and small town farmer. When Fischer makes a commotion on his first night calling emergency services for an "intruder" in his summer rental, Sage gets a quick introduction to her new and mysterious neighbor.
This book deals with moments of grief, dealing with the complex emotions that follow it, and its lingering affects. What started as purly a relationship out of convenience to encourage the small town of Spoons to accept Fischer and his new restaraunt, while Sage was feeling cornered upon meeting her ex's new girlfriend turned into a super sweet and spicy summer that for sure wasn't going to become more.
With the added complexity of Fisher navigating how to build a relationship with his niece after his sister died, this story is the perfect amount of sweet, spicy, and emotional.
The narrators also did a great job, I loved having a narrator for each POV!

I wish this review could have been a video compilation of my reactions while listening.. I don’t know if words can accurately describe or do justice how this book made me feel. I was giggling, kicking my feet, stopping dead in my tracks, teary eyed, hand over mouth, shaking my fist at the sky, mouth hanging open, cackling out loud, SWOONING, crying, screaming. And cheering throughout. This will be one of my top reads of 2024. These characters felt so raw and real. A cozy steamy romcom in a small town that was reminiscent of Gilmore Girls. He’s an CHEF. Come on! How could I not fall in love? The flaws, the romance, the puns, the goofy animal encounters.. And the goose? Gosh.
And the audiobook just hits different than reading the ebook, in my opinion. These narrators breathed life into these characters and side characters. The distinct voices and dialogue.. bravo. Amazing job.
Consider my heartstrings tugged.
I truly did find myself savoring every moment of this book.

Fisher's life has fallen apart. He's been burned out at work, and he is fired when his restaurant loses a Michelin star. He is also trying to parent his angry niece. His boss sends him to Spunes, Oregon, to get a new restaurant up and running. If he does this well- he may be able to go back to his old job. He didn't count on being attracted to his neighbor, Sage. Sage has lived in Spunes her entire life. She quietly helps everyone- rescuing animals, purchasing outlandish robes, keeping the peace. Fisher's stay is only temporary, but their feelings get harder to tamp down.

I loved both Sage and Fisher. Both are just trying to do their best and they compliment each other well. They bring out the best in each other and there is character growth for both of them as well- along with Indy.

I don't rate things five stars often, and I wasn't going to. But then I thought about it- what was wrong with it? Nothing! I loved the story, the characters, and it all felt real. No dumb drama caused by miscommunication. You know- the kind where the book wouldn't even exist if the two characters talked to each other. Not here! They have a lot of honest conversations and it is refreshing.

Two of my very favorite narrators- Karissa Vacker and Zachary Webber- read this one. Perfection!

I received an advance audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

This swoony summer romance will make you feel ALL of the feelings! Savor It had me DYING to keep listening to the audiobook and never wanting to pause it! I was laughing at what the main characters were doing BUT I also teared up at the end cuz Fisher (MMC) made me SO emotional with his end of book monologue. 😭 It was such an adorable story that included small town romance, grumpy x sunshine, fake dating (kinda👀), and next door neighbor + "just for the summer" vibes! All of the side characters + adorable farm animal sidekicks made it feel like the When in Rome series by Sarah Adams, remixed with The Long Game by Elena Armas! It had the perfect small town + adorable characters BUT also some spice, which makes for a PERFECT summer listen!
This audiobook is a dual POV, dual narrator audiobook which is PERFECT to not get all tangled up in who is actually speaking. It was a very easy audiobook to listen to and was super enjoyable! Definitely makes chores/commuting better!😂
Thank you so much to Macmillan Audio for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an unbiased review!💖

I was a little bored with this one. I didn’t feel the chemistry and I didn’t connect with any of the characters

I listened to the audiobook and these are two of my favorite narrators, they were both as wonderful as always. This book had it all for me- quirky characters, humor, fun and emotion. I laughed out loud several times and even cried a couple. Highly recommend this one!!

Genre: contemporary romance
Oregon

Sage Byrd loves her life in her small town of Spunes, Oregon. She’s a teacher who lives on a hobby farm collecting stray animals and optimistic about most situations. Fisher Lange isn’t so much a grump as he is burned out and frustrated: he was a chef at a formerly Michelin Star rated restaurant. Was, and formerly rated, being the keys. Now with his sulky teenage niece over whom he has custody he’s in Spunes for a summer to consult on starting a new restaurant and, at the orders of his boss, trying to sort out his feelings about life. Fisher rents the house next door to Sage, where she’ll do what she can to protect him from the nosey townspeople and get him back on his feet.

As someone who has experienced professional burnout in the past and who is currently researching burnout prevention methods for others, I found DeWitt’s depiction of Fisher highly relatable, even though my industry is very different from the restaurant business. Even if you are sensitive to burnout, while it’s a deeply embedded part of Fisher’s character, I think readers will find that the book is very gentle overall. The relationship angst is comparatively low, and the small town setting feels comfortable (rather than stifling, which is how I typically feel about small town romances).

Sage and Fisher start out as neighbors, and while there is attraction, their relationship first shifts to a protective friendship. They see kindred spirits in one another and recognize their vulnerabilities, and reach to one another to support those needs. Of course, that support leads to kissing which leads to more-than-kissing. The conflict in Savor It is realistic and doesn’t hinge on miscommunication; in fact the high level of communication in fact causes some of the heartache. Ultimately one of the reasons this worked for me as a contemporary romance is that DeWitt embraces a level of realism and still keeps the romance sweet and swoony.

The audiobook was a pleasure to listen to. Karissa Vacker and Zachary Webber bring the characters to life in a way that supports the comforting overall tone of the book.

Savor it by Tarah DeWitt

Thank you so much Macmillan Audio + NetGalley for the free audiobook. #MacAudio2024

Blurb:
Filled with spicy summer fun, small-town charm, and big feelings, this highly anticipated rom com is Tarah DeWitt’s best yet.

✨My thought:
I’m not crying, you’re crying!! But really… we are all crying. I listened to this audiobook so fast, there were zero breaks. I swear Karissa Vacker can do no wrong. Fantastic narrators + a masterpiece of a story?! This book is honestly pure perfection and set up for so much success. This is the first book I’ve read by this author but now I need to read all of the books she’s ever written. Funny, spicy, and will make you feel all the things. Prepare to CRY. This is a book you’ll want to read this Spring and Summer, I know I will be grabbing myself a finished copy when it’s out! Savor it is out 5/21/24!

Happy reading 📖

Savor It is a dual POV friends with benefits romance with a bit of a slow burn. The small town vibes add to the romance and a little well placed spice wrap this story up nicely!

Sage and Fisher have both experienced some heartache and find each other at the perfect time. Fisher and his niece temporarily move next to Sage after he goes through some work troubles and is trying to get back to himself. Sage lives in a small town and owns a farm. The friendship, flirting, and entire cast of characters were so fun. It took me a minute to get into it, but when I did I was shocked to find myself laughing out LOUD and CRYING?! I was surprised at how much I absolutely loved this book and will definitely be reading more by this author!

This audiobook was narrated by Karissa Vacker and Zachary Webber. They both did an excellent job, I loved hearing from both POVs!

Thank you so much to Netgalley, Tarah DeWitt, and Macmillan Audio for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review. This will be an incredible read for everyone on May 21st!

I have posted my review on Goodreads, in my Facebook book club, and will post a Tiktok review within the week before it releases.

Small town rom coms are my favorite and this was so cute. The addition of both MCs dealing with grief was beautifully done and I loved seeing them bond over their shared losses. Sage was a wonderful FMC - smart, witty and oh so kind. Fischer complimented her perfectly with his brootish ways and pessimistic ways. I highly recommend the audio as my girl Karissa Vacker teams up with Zachary Webber who does a great MMC - they’re a fabulous duo!