Savor It
Tarah DeWitt
Pub 5/21/24
4☆

This was such a heartfelt and swoonworthy, slow-burn romance. Fisher and Sage were grumpy/sunshine perfection. They were real, relatable, and their banter was outstanding. Gah you can’t help but adore them and the quirky side characters.

I am a total sucker for animals in books and this one had so many I was giddy.

What I adored;
✨ Small Town Romance
✨ Grumpy/Sunshine
✨ Witty Banter
✨ The Animals!

The dual narration of Karissa Vacker and Zachary Webber was so much fun to listen to. They added so much wonderful emotion while brining this story to life.

Thank you so much to Macmillan Audio for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.

If you’re in the mood for a small town romance that will have you feelin all the feels, Savor It is for you!

I really enjoyed this book. Sage grew up in a small town, Spoons, and doesn't have any reason to leave it. She loves it there, even if she gets pitying glances after her boyfriend and town golden boy left her and is with someone else. Fisher is at a standstill in life. He needs to find his fire and get his life on track. When his old boss asks him to go to Spoons to help with the construction and menu of a new restaurant, he is all but willing to try to get his career back in order. He has to take his 15 year old niece with him as well, and that is another hurdle to overcome.
Sage brings out the best in Fisher. She brings him back to life. Soon he is feeling his spark again and he knows it has a lot to do with the girl he can't stop being drawn to, but the summer won't last forever and soon he will be back in New York.
Fisher had so much to get through and Sage complimented him so well. She was quirky and fun and so lovable.
I really am interested in Sage's brothers and hope we get a story there too.
The narration was amazing. I highly recommend this audio.
Thanks to Macmillian, Netgalley and Tarah DeWitt for an early copy.

Story review: You will love this book if you love small town romances and the single parent trope. I struggled with this book as I didn’t feel connected to the characters and the dual POVs seemed too disjointed for my taste.

Audiobook review: Given my issues with the story, I have no qualms with the audiobook. The narrators were two of my favorites and they did an excellent job bringing the story to life. I listened at 2.1x

So I loved the female narrator, Karissa Vacker; however, I was not a big fan of the male narrator.

As for the actual story, it took me quite a bit to become invested in this one but ultimately I enjoyed it. I liked Sage and Fisher as characters and really enjoyed their relationship. I was just left wanting a little bit more out of everything. I wanted more of Fisher’s journey particularly with Indy.

I also wanted more of the town. Speaking of that though I did really love all the side characters and look forward to hopefully getting future stories of some of them.

“it's been a privilege to fall in love with you.”

This is my first Tarah DeWitt and it definitely won't be my last. I had a blast reading this one. 

We love a couple who knows how to COMMUNICATE! Fisher and Sage are the perfect grumpy x sunshine pair. I feel like they really helped each other grow. Ugh, it was beautiful. Sage is such a relatable FMC and I think everyone could see a part of themselves in her. 

If you want to laugh and feel all the feels add this one to your TBR!

Thank you Tarah DeWitt, NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for access to this early listen. I loved every minute of this, the story itself, the narrators.. everything. All the stars from me!

If I could give this book more than five stars, I would because it is so beautifully written and it hit for me on so many different levels. Sage and Fisher are amazing characters, and I wish that I could be their friend or neighbor and live in Spunes with them. The town of Spunes is a character itself because the setting added so much to the story.

Sage is a small town girl who is a teacher and has a farm while Fisher lives in New York City and he is a Michelin start chef. Sage is stayed in one place her entire life while Fisher has traveled and cooked all over the world. When Fisher is sent by his boss to help setup a new restaurant in Spunes, he meets Sage, who is living next door to him.

Fisher is the guardian for his teenage niece named Indy. Indy and Fisher support each other, and I loved how their guardian/child relationship grew throughout the story.

Sage and Fisher try to ignore their feelings for each other because they know that this is only for the summer and Fisher will move back to New York City at the end of summer. They have some steamy times, especially in the library!

All of Sage's animals at the farm were so adorable- she has geese, a cat, a dog, goats, and baby ponies. The animals add so much to the story too.

I listened to the audiobook and the narrators, Zachary Webber and Karissa Vacker, did an amazing job. They added so much to the story, and their reading made me cry so many times. I love when a narrator can affect me in such a deep way, and these two destroyed me (in the best way possible!) with their narration. I had to pause the audiobook because I was sobbing so hard. I love feeling so much emotion from a narrator's voice, and this was such an amazing experience.

Thanks to Macmillan Audio for an ALC of this amazing book.

Yay! I’ve found a new favorite author! I absolutely loved this romance. Two adult mcs with real world problems trying to figure out life both together and apart. Strangers to neighbors to friends to a summer fling that cannot turn into anything else because of prior commitments. I know it sounds like lots of other romances books, but there is so much angst and heart and tenderness between these two. I love the small town vibe, family, and friends. Tarah DeWitt reminds me a bit of Abby Jimenez. I love them both so much. I can’t wait to read more from Tarah.
Thanks so much to Macmillan Audio, the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the eALC to listen to and review. All opinions are my own.

Emotionally damaged big city tough guy meets heartbroken sweet-as-can-be small town girl. Toss in overprotective brothers, a wayward niece, a host of rescued pets and farm animals, and chemistry so hot it burns off the page and you have a rom-com that will have you fully invested. The romantic and sexual tension between Sage and Fisher smolders throughout the book. Both are determined to protect themselves and each other from the danger of getting too close, but an attraction this intense is not meant to be a momentary fling.

There are many things I absolutely loved about this book:
- The open and positive portrayal of mental health issues and therapy - especially for men,
- The awful, yet wonderful bad puns that had me chuckling every time,
- The rallying small town vibes that demonstrate that family does not have to be genetic, and
- The honest communication between Sage and Fisher (no miscommunication trope here!).

I listened to the audio version while reading the e-book and the outstanding narration from Karissa Vacker and Zachary Webber takes the story to a whole other level. They are an example of perfect casting - Vacker voice is light and teasing, while Webber's tenor brings depth to Fisher's character. One of the highlights for me is the town hall meeting which is not nearly as much fun on the page as it is in the audio.

This is a fun, layered book which deals with tough issues like grief and depression with empathy and a gentle touch. This is the first Tarah DeWitt book I've read and I am highly motivated to check out her backlist. This was an enjoyable read for me that I will (and already have) recommend to others. It's got Abby Jimenez, Katherine Center, Emily Henry vibes which is high praise indeed!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Macmillan Audio for advance copies of this book in exchange for my unbiased review. All opinions are my own.

5 stars - A MUST READ!!!

This is the first book I've read by this author (I have Funny Feelings on my shelf - it is definitely getting moved up) and I LOVED it. About as perfect a romance as you can get (at least for this reader.)

Loved the setting, loved the main characters, loved the cast of characters, loved THE ANIMALS, loved the slow burn and highly believable romance, loved the focus on each character improving themselves FOR themselves FIRST before falling into a romance - absolutely loved everything.

The narration really elevated this book even more - Karissa Vacker & Zachary Webber need to narrate every romance book I read for the rest of my life. They made a great pair and did a really great job of acting out the dialogue and adding to it. HIGHLY RECOMMEND not just for the characters they read, but for other characters that lived in town. The narration of the town meeting was next level. Cannot love this audiobook more than I did!!

Also, can we talk about this cover??? What a beauty and it's perfect to go with this amazing book. Do yourself a favor and get this on your preorder list for May 2024! Highly recommend!

I was very kindly given a gifted copy of the audiobook by @macmillanaudio as well as an e-copy from St. Martin's Griffin & Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Review Date: 05/06/2024
Publication Date: 05/21/2024

Many thanks to @macmillan.audio for the #gifted audiobook

#AudiobookReview 🎧📖
Savor It, by Tarah DeWitt | Publishing: 5/21
Narrated by Karissa Vacker & Zach Webber
Story: 4✨s Narration: 4✨s (averaged)

✍️ Favorite Quote: “Whenever you think too little of the world try to remember that somewhere, something or someone is always waiting to be known.”

🎶 Book Vibe as Song Lyrics:
“And no need to worry/That’s wastin time/And no need to wonder/What’s been on my mind/It’s you, it’s you, it’s you….” -Paperweight, Joshua Radin & Schuyler Fisk

What I Loved:
📚 Getting spicy in the library?! 🔥
😂 So many great bad puns!
🥰Tropes on tropes: a little grumpy/sunshine, a bit of fake dating, a dash of instalove…
🐾 A menagerie of rescued animals…
🗣️ Difficult and emotional conversations actually happen. There is very little miscommunication, hallelujah! 🙌🏼
🎙️Karrissa Vacker’s captivating narration (and I’m always impressed with her bewitching ability to nail men’s voices as well)

What I Didn’t Love…
⚖️ Wonky Balance
🕰️ Pacing Problems
🧐 Missing plot points/conclusions:
What happened to the trivia contest? Why didn’t we get more content around the restaurant that brought Forrest to town? Etc.
🌶️The spice was spicy, but disconcertingly unsafe with no mention of birth control, condoms and/or STI testing.
🎙️Zach Webber’s narration was mostly enjoyable, but his performances of women’s voices (especially when they were upset/crying) are not…my jam.
🧠 I’m happy with how many books I’m coming across that are are depicting how terrible migraines are, but most sufferers of this chronic condition don’t have just one per season, or one/year.

Final thoughts
♥️I think a great number of romance readers will enjoy this summer of love.
📚 I’m hopeful that this book will expand into a series. I’m very ready for a sequel starring Sage’s bestie and brother having a second chance at love, please and thanks!

⚠️CWs/TWs include: Grief, loss of: mother(s), father, sister; PTSD, terminal illness, car accident, job loss, alcohol, bullying, fire, burn/injury, graphic sex, f-bombs and salty language.

Sage has lived in Spunes, Oregon, her entire life and she has no plans of leaving. She has her animals on the farm and loves where she lives except for the fact that her boyfriend of 5 years broke up with her and quickly got engaged. During the Festival od Spunes, there is a couple competition and Sage is determined to find a partner for this years competition. Fisher was a famous chef in NYC until he lost his sister and needed to become the caretake of his teenage niece, Indy. His boss sends him to Spunes, Oregon, to supervise the building of her new restaurant and he ends up renting the house next door to Sage. They become friends and Sage helps him navigate the townspeople who are not very happy about the new restaurant and he agrees to compete in the games with her.

This story had the perfect amount of small town drama, spice, and family connections! Sage and Fisher had great chemistry and I loved watching the relationship between Fisher and his niece, Indy, grow and change. The narrators were great!

This was my first book by Tarah DeWitt and I enjoyed it so much that it makes me want to devour her backlist! There was so much to love about this audiobook - - great chemistry between Sage and Fisher, the Pacific Northwest setting, the menagerie of rescue animals that Sage kept on her property, the small town and big personalities plus so much more. The connection and spice that Sage and Fisher shared was an added bonus. The narrators were both wonderful and Zachary Webber has definitely become my favorite male narrator. All the stars and all the feels!

I loved this small town romance! A big city chef comes to little ol’ Spunes, Oregon (NOT Forks, Washington!) to ready a restaurant - not knowing that the neighbor next to his rental is a gorgeous teacher, gardener, and collector of animals who’s about to turn his world upside down.

It was really lovely to get to know Sage and Fisher - and Fisher’s niece, Indy! Indy and Sage share an orphan backstory and bond over it (and a goose) and I loved how the unruly teen was incorporated into the romance. All the townsfolk in Spunes really manage to change Fisher’s mind about how great a small community can be, so that he falls in love with the town AND Sage.

I always love Tarah’s wit and spice and commitment to heathly, happy couples. I WAS a little annoyed with the word “savor” by the time the book was over 🙈

4.75 out of 5 Stars

Ok, I absolutely loved this book! I had the absolute best time with it. The characters had a lot of depth and the book had me actually laughing out loud at times and almost crying tears of sadness at others. Sometimes I went from crying in sadness to laughing in the same sentence. The narrators of this book absolutely brought this story to life in a way that made the town seem so real and raw. I loved the path of discovery both characters had to experience for themselves. I also appreciated the relationship that the MMC had with his niece. I absolutely loved it and I truly hope we see from other characters in this series with their own books. I want to see all of the characters futures! This book was one I will revisit again.

Closed door modifications for closed door girlies like me might want to avoid parts of these chapters: Chapter 20,21,24,26,28

I would like to give a huge thank you to #Macaudio2024 for this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Fisher has custody of his niece and takes her to Oregon where he’s going to try to launch a restaurant for a friend. He’s a frequent flier on the struggle bus and nothing is going great for him. He temporarily moves to this small town and everybody is immediately up in his business. Luckily, the neighbor is pretty great.

Things I liked:
There’s a make-out in the stacks at the library scene which always hits.
She has a collection of robes and despite whatever they were described as I dubbed them rich widow chic.
The goose loving Indy.

I really loved watching Fisher and Indy get closer and seeing her fight for where she wanted to live. Sade and Fisher were cute together once they got out of their own way.

The narrators Karissa Vacker and Zachary Webber knocked this out of the park. Their voices fit the characters so well and really added to the experience of reading this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for copies in advance.

This was my first Tarah Dewitt book and was absolutely captivated by her writing! I will absolutely be doing a dive into all her books ASAP! This was a perfect small town romance read with so much more - Grief, healing, community, banter, love.
The dual narration of this audio was also perfect executed!

Thank you so much to Macmillan Audio for providing me an advance readers copy in exchange for my honest review.
Release date: May 21st

This was my first read by Tarah and I thought it was a cute read. Feel like this one should be on anyone’s radar that is starting to plan out Summer reads. It had me laughing from chapter 1, so it is easy to get hooked in fast.

Not only did I find that our main duo were likeable characters, but the quirky small-town characters were their own delight. Would enjoy reading more about this world from Tarah.

I would’ve reached that 5 star rating if I could’ve seen a bit more build in their characters and some of the scenarios that took place, but overall I still felt committed to, and rooting for, Sage and Fisher.

I see this book sitting close to my Emily Henry and Abby Jimenez’s books. It feels a bit like a similar formula that I enjoy.

🎧 Narrated by Karissa Vacker and Zachary Webber. I really love them both in their work. I’ve enjoyed them in previous books so didn’t hesitate to give this one a read. ⤵️

I’ve listened to some of Karissa Vacker’s previous narrations that include all of Stacy Willingham’s novels and Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood. She has grown into a go-to for me.

Zachary Webber has been in Abby Jimenez’s The Friend Zone series and Part of Your World series which have been auto-buy reads for me.

These two narrating really was a no-brainer for me to want to listen to this audiobook!

Thank you to #MacAudio2024 for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Sage Byrd is your atypical small town girl. Her piercings, rose-colored glasses view of life, and inability to say no to adopting any animal she comes in contact with who needs a home all makes up her quirky charm. Enter Fisher, the chef that’ll have you drooling over more than just his cooking. 😍 Swoon-o-meter off the charts!

When Fisher moves in next door for the summer, what starts as a fake relationship to make her ex jealous turns into an FWB arrangement… what could go wrong? Oh, wait! Real feelings!

In a journey to rediscover themselves and heal past traumas, these two unlikely people develop an undeniable connection. But Fisher’s only in town for a few months. He has commitments back home and a niece that will always come first.

This book contains all the feels! From hilarious comedic relief to tear jerking moments, and can we talk about the hot-as-heck chemistry? 🥵 All boiling up to a HEA that’ll have you grabbing the tissues.

💕 Small town
💕 Quirky characters & animals
💕 Grumpy / Sunshine
💕 Fake dating
💕 Spicy 🌶️🌶️🌶️

🎧 Audiobook review: As always, Karissa Vacker knocks it outta the park embodying the essence Sage! She is without a doubt one of my favorite narrators. I went back and forth with how I felt about the narration of Fisher by Zachary Webber. I didn’t love it, but I must admit the way he read was very unique. His breathy expression really warmed me over by the end. It was more theatrical than most male narrators.

Thank you to NetGalley & Macmillan Audio for this ALC. All opinions expressed are my own.

I absolutely LOVED this dual POV, small town, summer romance that had fake dating, a grumpy neighbor chef, Fisher licking his wounds after getting fired and losing a Michelin star and who is still grieving over the death of his sister while also struggling as a guardian for his teenage niece and reluctantly falling for his farmer neighbor Sage.

Steamy, with a charming cast of secondary characters and a fun town challenge that has Sage and Fisher teaming up to help each other out. What was supposed to be a summer fling quickly turns real as things come to a head when Fisher and his niece return to the city at the end of the season.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review! This is a new fav from a fav indie turned trad published author and I can't wait to have a finished copy of this beautiful book to showcase on my shelf!