This had very cute small-town, farm, and summer vibes, unfortunately not the vibes for me... After reading Funny Feelings by Tara Dewitt, I was excited for this book. The cover is stunning and it involves a summer competition where the love interests need to become partner up for? Sign me up. Unfortunately it didn't live up to my expectations.

It took me a long time to get into the story. I felt like the beginning of the book dragged the pacing down. I lost interest in the book and had to put it down for a few months. after I picked it back up, I found that half way through was when this book had finally caught my attention. And when things were finally looking up, the third-act problem and ending came and when in an unsatisfactory way.

Some saving graces for this story were the characters. Fisher and Sage's relationship was so cute and romantic. Both of the way Sage and Fisher would interact with Indy was interesting to see. There were also deeper topics discussed in this book. The topic of loss surrounding family members and the pressure to be great in your line of work even when you're not sure that's still what you want.

This was definitely not my cup of tea, but I encourage other readers to give this a try.

I normally don’t like “big-city character lands in small town temporarily” stories because it feels like every single one just spins its wheels in the same place, harping over and over again about how the romance is pointless/doomed because there’s an end date and how can big-city character ever survive in a small town?

But Tarah DeWitt manages to breathe so much new life into the trope in the subtlest of ways. She stays true to her title in the way Sage and Fisher savor their romance. It’s lovely and beautiful and quiet. The reasons keeping them apart feel authentic even if you know how it should and will end. The addition of Fisher’s orphaned niece and his work struggles add layers of importance to the conflict. This was a fantastic romance that I will definitely be revisiting again.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest 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.

This was a very sweet small town romance book. Sage is the pitied home town girl, who everyone feels sorry for because her boyfriend, town golden boy left her for a friend. Fischer is a fancy restaurant chef from NYC, brought to Sage’s small town to recover and get his head straight after gaining custody of his niece, and running into trouble at his job. There is so much about the two of them that is so different that it shouldn’t work between them, but they both have suffered so much loss in their lives that they truly can connect and understand each other. I loved the small town, with its quirky characters and beautiful scenery. I loved the character development and story arc. And I loved how open and honest Sage and Fischer were, and how much they were willing to put on the line. This was a beautiful book, my first by this author, but definitely not my last. I received an ARC, and this is my honest review.

Savor It was a delightfully romantic story, with plenty of laugh out loud scenes paired with tender and deeply emotional moments.

Sage is coming to terms with the fact that her ex-boyfriend has moved on, and quickly, and everyone in their small town of Spunes, Oregon knows all about it. Meanwhile, Fisher, a chef from New York who was recently fired after an outburst at a critic, is renting the home next to Sage for the summer, hoping to get a "reset" on his cooking while helping to launch a new restaurant in town. The pair cross paths several times, and eventually agree to a fake dating/mutual arrangement scheme - Sage will help Fisher smooth things over with the town and give advice on his recipes, while Fisher will help show everyone, including her ex, that she has moved on by helping her with the canoe competition in the local festival. Easy peasy right? After all, Fisher is only in town for the summer, so no one needs to get attached....but as the pair confide in each other and start to heal wounds that go deep, they find that faking this will be harder than either expected.

This was a lovely rom-com, and a perfect mid-week pick me up. I see this as a perfect summer/beach read, as it is full of summer vibes, steamy romance, and lots of really emotional and touching moments that make this story go a bit deeper. While this is a romance, a lot of this book deals with the after effects of grief and how grieving is a different process for everyone. For Sage, it forces her to live in the moment and enjoy each day to the fullest, but she still feels the pain of loss deeply. Fisher had complicated feelings after his sister died suddenly in a car accident, yet being his niece's guardian and bringing her along to Oregon makes him have to shift his focus and deal with his grief rather than avoiding it. I thought this was beautifully done, and I loved how the author wove this throughout the story and shaped the characters around it. There were lots of laugh out loud moments too, like Fisher hiding from the nosy townspeople to Sage just blurting out whatever is in her head. And of course plenty of swoony romance! As in any romance book, it's more about the journey than the destination, and this was a really lovely story and I enjoyed how this relationship developed between Sage and Fisher (and Indy!). There was also a strong found family vibe - wanting to find your people, and fit in where you’re loved and appreciated as is.

I really enjoyed this book and definitely recommend it as a great summer or beach read! Thank you so much to Tara DeWitt, NetGalley, and St. Martin's Press for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Thank you Netgalley for the e-arc.

This is a small town contemporary romance between the local school teacher and temporary resident chef who come together in the local town summer competition as a pair of competitors. They both learn from each other and grow as they navigate grief, personal discovery and love.

For the 30 + who are contemplating and comparing their lives with others, this was a perfect written example of we all grow at our own pace. Tarah has a fun way to write really thoughtful outlooks and makes you self reflect.

One of my favorite lines:
“Courage is a muscle. You strengthen it with use”

Highlights:
— Sweet slow burn, light spice
— So many puns and cute banter
— Fun farm animals
— Single guardian of a niece
— just move me to the cute town of Spunes!

I fell in love with Tarah’s Writing and can’t wait to read more from her.

“What if I don’t like it quick, Sage?” I ask, rapt in her reaction. “What if I prefer to savor things. Want it good and slow and drawn out?”

Tarah has done it again and she has absolutely knocked it out of the park. I keep reading her books and think there is no way they can get better but they do. She is absolutely poetic and just knows how to draw so much emotion out through her words.

Fisher is just something else entirely. He’s not afraid of showing emotion. He knows how to cook, I mean he’s well known for it. And he’s trying to be his best and find himself again after loss. He’s also funny.

Sage is just perfection. She loves a good pun and isn’t afraid of a goofy housecoat. Her little farm is also my favourite.

The love they have for each other is truly unmatched. I already want to reread this so I can be back in their orbit.

Side note. Thank you for the Farley Easter egg. I actually cackled and it brought me so much joy to have a snippet of her again!

I FINALLY read my first Tarah DeWitt book (I’m an idiot sandwich)

And I’m about to fall down a rabbit hole I just know it. There’s no other word besides “delightful” to describe her writing. I had such a good time reading this. Between the small town setting, fun quirks, and well written characters - i was just sold on the whole thing. Reading this coincided perfectly with my Top Chef marathon-ing as well, so Fisher was the MMC of my current dreams.

Thank you so much for this arc netgalley!

This was super cute. I really liked that Fisher was emotionally mature and came into the plot realizing he was messed up but actively taking steps to make himself better and not making it a reason why he couldn't be with Sage!!! I was shocked when I realized his trauma wasn't going to be a breakup issue!! It was so refreshing!! This was just wonderful and I wanted more. Would definitely read more about others in the town!

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.

I am absolutely OBSESSED with this book!! Savor It had the best combo of hurt/comfort and was a great romance I wish I could experience for the first time again. I loved how the author included the processing of grief in a healthy way and the character development for Sage and Fisher was top notch. I’m not usually a small town romance fan, but Dewitt made this town a place anyone would want to live. It was the perfect, wholesome little village that felt like home. I grew up in a smaller town, and never found perks or reasons to stay - but if the people were anything like the cast and crew in Savor It, I think I would definitely stick around! Savor It is such a beautiful story that I never wanted to end. I’m definitely going to follow this author closely!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and St. Martin’s Griffin for the early copy!

“Savor It” by Tarah Dewitt

DNF @ 22%

-I feel so awful whenever I DNF an ARC, but I truly think this isn’t the book for me. “Savor It” is my first Tarah Dewitt novel, and it will probably be my last. I don’t think her writing style meshes with what I prefer as a reader. The characters didn’t interest me, the small town antics rubbed me the wrong way, and the multiple page breaks were very distracting.

I chef that lost his passion and a small town girl who everyone adores, I could not have asked for a better combination. I’m not sure what I expected but I am pleasantly surprise. Initially it started a little slow and I was not to sure about it, I absolutely fell in love with this book and by the last few chapters I was in tears! This book made me laughing, crying, and guessing. I would most definitely recommend this book as well as the author.

This was my favorite book by Tarah. I thought it was a little slow but the characters felt genuine and had great chemistry. I loved the way she would describe Spunes. I could easily visualize their homes, downtown, meadow, etc. It was a great read!

I have been waiting to read this book, and I was so happy to dive in. This is a book that created a serious book hangover for me because it just swept me away. I felt every emotion when I was reading it, and it made me cry, laugh, and smile all the way through. I read so many books each year, and this one will definitely stand out as one of my favorites. I can't wait to purchase a copy for myself. I can't wait to reread this book.

Holy Smokes. Absolutely no notes. Romance readers must read it, and DeWitt better deliver the next TWO books STAT because I need to return to small town Spunes, Oregon immediately.

On to the good stuff...this romance has the perfect collision of two MCs with their own shit to work through YET they just cannot deny their attraction and developing connection. If any two people in the universe need a WIN, it is Sage and Fisher! Fisher, an esteemed chef, has recently lost his job/love of cooking and assumed the guardianship of his teen niece after his sister's death. He's moved allll the way across the country to Oregon for a summer sabbatical and to work on his relationship with Indy.

Sage, a local high school teacher, is trying to move on after her 5 year relationship to local golden boy, Ian, ended. But it feels impossible when Ian and his new fiancé are everywhere, and she has lost her partner for the upcoming Spunes summer festival. She's so over everyone looking at her with pity in their eyes. When Fisher and Indy unexpectedly move into the home across the meadow to her house, Sage and Fisher strike up a deal. He will be her partner (and fake boyfriend) in the festival's trivia and canoe race competitions, and Sage will help him charm the townspeople and connect with his teen.

Sage and Fisher have undeniable chemistry and their forced proximity puts them on the path of steamy hook ups. With full honestly, both know they can only expect a summer fling, so they give in to the time constraint and just agree to savor their time together. Gah, the steam in this one is so hot because of the vulnerability and they way Fisher and Sage were complete goners for one another. Their canoe training sessions, small town trivia prep, Fisher's recipe explorations, and the middle of night hook ups made for a perfect summer together. Sage and Indy forged a connection through their shared loss of their parents, and seriously, DeWitt has me over here TEARING UP over a DUCK who imprinted on Indy. I don't want to give away the twists and 3rd act conflict, but just know, DeWitt is going to break your heart and then put it back together again. I fell so hard for Sage, Fisher, and Indy, and think you will too!

Slow burns are always hit or miss for me and this one was a reeeeeeally slow burn. It was kind of difficult to get into the story in the beginning because it didn't seem like much was happening for a long time. I do think the end result was worth it, though. I loved the character growth that happened for both Fisher and his niece, Indy, so much. That really made the story (along with all of the animals, especially Gary).

Read if you enjoy:
- small town
- found family
- single dad (sort of, Fisher's niece has come to live with him after the death of his sister)
- fake dating
- slow burn
- friends to lover

My rating: 3.5/5

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's for a chance to be an early reader!

4.5⭐️ I absolutely adored this.

Small town romance. Grumpy/sunshine. Single dad. Fake dating. All the best tropes wrapped up in a super cute story about finding your self worth, and being true to yourself.

Fisher and Sage are some of my favorite MCs I’ve read in a very long time. They both had a lot of depth that was so relatable and their connection felt natural.

All the side characters were so much fun. Indy, Ellis and Wren, all the animals 😂 I couldn’t get enough. I desperately want this series to continue with stories centered around Sage’s brothers.

My one and only complaint, some of the self discovery monologues were a little long winded. They were super heartfelt (and some did leave me teary eyed), but it almost got to the point of being cliche.

Absolutely loved this and I’ll be recommending it to everyone.

I love a good small town romance and Tarah Dewitt gives us a great one with Savor It. I loved the sweet and cozy vibes in this one.

Sage and Fisher meet when Fisher and his niece Indy move in next door temporarily. Fisher is a chef who has traveled cross country after a hiccup in his work life to start up a new restaurant. Sage is a teacher who owns her own farm and is living her best small town life.

I love a good opposites attract romance and seeing these two fall for one another made me smile so big. It was delightful, charming, and I adored it.

I felt nervous trying SAVOR IT because the author's other works didn't work for me. But I'm so glad I gave it another shot because it's SO romantic and well-developed. The third-act conflict actually felt earned and I felt the protagonists properly communicated with each other to address their problems. I 100% can believe in their HEA. Looking forward to the sequel bait (or what I think is sequel bait, anyway LOL).