I may have read Left of Forever first. After reading about Wren x Ellis, I had to go back and read about Sage x Fisher ... and y'all this one was so painstakingly sweet; my HEART was crushed and put back together in the BEST way possible.

Sage x Fisher's romance is a slow, creeping burn, and once it's ignited it's hard to snuff out. I loved seeing how their relationship blossoms, so slowly, so sweetly. They both want to deny the connection that has sparked between them, but it's hard to ignore when they seamlessly fall together like missing puzzle pieces. Together they find solace in one another through an unforgettable summer that changes everything.

I loved the relationships in Savor It; from friendship between Sage and Wren to sibling bonds between Sage, Ellis, and Silas, and the complex guardianship between Fisher and Indy - these relationships are vividly depicted and depending on the situation, I was either laughing so hard or trying to keep tears at bay while I worked away at my desk. DeWitt writes with highly intense emotions that make you feel every single line at their core.

If you're looking for a whirlwind summer romance set in a small town that sweeps you off your feet with heartfelt complexities, look no further than Savor It.

P.S. There is a guaranteed HEA so don't fret fellow romance readers!

And there I was thinking Funny Feelings was my very favourite book by Tarah DeWitt... but then Savor It came along and absolutely wrecked me (in the very best way) and took that top spot!

I was craving summer and longed for more of DeWitt's impeccable writing, only to pick this book up and become fully enveloped within the heat of this story.

What even was this book?

Longing and desperation.
Sunburned days and star gazing nights.
Lavish food, dreamy sex and languid days.

The tears that suddenly sprang to my eyes reading page 104 and the connection I instantly felt towards Sage with this "little things" reveal of hers.

Fisher's "no, sweetheart" making me instantly melt and swoon all over the place, causing me to call out, "who is this man!?" Then those Byrd and Sagebyrd nicknames happened!? Then he goes and says something like, "and I'm still hard for you." Are you kidding me? I was already in love with Fisher - how much deeper can my love go?

It's no surprise that I loved this audiobook when it's narrated by two of my very favourite narrators: Karissa Vacker and Zachary Webber!!! (I listened to an advanced audiobook copy so I will say that there were some issues I hope were edited out before being released; mainly there were a few audible swallows, as well as issues when the chapters changed. But never did these occurrences detract from my listening experience!)

Simply put: I was a gonner for this book! Savor It gets all the stars in the summer sky!

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Griffin and Macmillan Audio for the complimentary copies to read and review.

I thought this was a sweet read, and kind of punny because of the title and he’s a chef. It’s sort of a single dad trope, but he’s the guardian of his niece after his sister dies. So there’s a lot of grief and healing on both his and his niece’s part. I think it really helped that Sage is no stranger to grief and was able to help them navigate their healing journey and being patient. They also fit perfectly into each other’s lives, though there was the distance issue since he didn’t live in the small town. He was just there temporarily. But the romance always finds a way!

Thank you St Martin’s Griffin for the e-read!

I gave Savor It by Tarah Dewitt four stars.

Such a cute and fun small town/next door neighbors romance. Will say I enojoyed the first half a little more than the second. Sage and Fisher’s romance had me smiling the whole book. Also really loved Fisher and his niece’s relationship. Really liked Sage’s family and the whole town. Fans of small town romances need to add this to your Tbr.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for this arc.

Absolutely adore this author and her books! This one was so good! I read it so fast! I loved everything about it!! Highly recommend!! Can’t wait for more!

miss tarah knows how to write a romcom that is part emotional and part funny. this book tugged on my heart strings so hard I wasn’t expecting it. I spent such a lovely time in the company of sage and fisher! I AM SOOOO EXCITED TO READ LEFT OF FOREVER I KNOW THIS BOOK IS GONNA BE INCREDIBLE

I’ve heard so many good things about Tarah Dewitt as an author but you know what they say… seeing (or reading) is believing. Even though this was my very first novel by her I can safely saving it won’t be my last.

Savor It follows the story of Sage Byrd, a small town high school teacher and perpetual people pleaser, and Fisher Lange, a newly turned single guardian to his teenage niece and New York based chef who, somewhere along the way, lost his spark—and his job—after years of culinary innovation and acclaim. Sage struggles with feeling as if she’s enough, exactly as she is, and Fisher is so riddled with burnout and anxiety the man can hardly function. It’s these hurdles they have to overcome, whilst also falling in love, that made each character practically leap off the page.

Her sunny eclecticness and his whole grumpy, broody, hot pirate vibe certainly didn’t hurt, either, and neither did the banter throughout the pages or the cast of side endearing side characters. I’m already itching for Wren and Ellis’ story.

All in all I loved this book so much and pretty much couldn’t stop reading until I was finished. If you love small town settings, slow burn romance, grief/healing, fake dating, and the single dad (guardian) trope I 100% recommend picking up this book.

Thank you so much to the author, NetGalley, and St. Martin’s Press for gifting me an ARC of Savor It in exchange for my review. It was such an enjoyable read and now I’m eager to work through Tarah Dewitt’s front and backlist.

5⭐️ 2🌶️

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Writing perspective: first person, dual POV
Length: 331p
Reading format: Kindle
ARC provided by: SMP + NetGalley

Relationship dynamic: MF
Tropes/Microtropes/Vibes/Reps:
🏡 Small town
🎀 Single guardian
🤝🏻 Forced proximity
🔑 Neighbors to lovers
🤫 Fake dating
🪿 All the farm animals

📖 Sage and Fisher are everything. Fisher falls so hard for her, and I fell so hard for them both. I love a single guardian story and this one was so well done. All the animals, all the banter, all the feels. The character development was exceptional. YES, CHEF.

It was pretty good! I thought the sex scenes were boring though but the story itself was really funny and interesting

Savor It was such a sweet, cozy read. Tarah DeWitt does a great job balancing humor and emotion, and the main characters had really natural chemistry. I loved the small-town vibes, the slow-burn romance, and all the little moments that made the relationship feel real.

It dragged just a bit in some places, and I wished a few side stories had been explored more, but overall it was a really enjoyable read. Definitely one I’d recommend if you’re in the mood for something heartfelt and charming.

I loved every page of this book. The writing is witty, fun, flirty but also dives into emotional topics. I LOVED IT SO MUCH! 🥹😭 The small town charm, the romance, the animals..everything was perfect to me. You can’t help but want to become part of Spunes. I want to move there and pick vegetables in sages garden and cuddle her animals 😭😭

Sage & Fisher had me crying so that’s how I knew this was going to be a 5 star read. They healed me, made me laugh, made me swoon. Fisher was SO HOT MY GOD! I love a man who cooks, will paint your toenails, has an earring, begs for your. I loved seeing him find inspiration again and being excited to show her his food 🥹 I loved their first fake kiss in the library and I loved seeing them fall in love. The 3rd act break up made sense to me and I loved how it was done. The way these two communicated with each other and talked about their feelings was refreshing!

I loved Sages passion for life and her sweet heart. The way she sneakily walked into Fisher & Indy’s life and helped breathe life back into them.

my favourite lines:

“you’re the shapes made perfectly for me and you’re all my favourite colours” 😭🤍😩😩

“he didn’t fix me and I didn’t heal him but we loved each other wholly” 😭

“Love me. Love me. Love me, I silently beg. Before we’re out of time”

“You know what’s the bravest thing of all is? The most extraordinary thing? To live by your own standards and no one else’s. To be happy with your own measure. If it’s a life filled with joy, by your standards? I can’t imagine a bigger, more fulfilling feelings”

TLDR: Think BK Borison but with heavier Gilmore Girl town vibes.

Why did no one tell me that I would love Tarah DeWitt? I loved everything about this book. From the colors on the cover to the main characters to what the MCs had to go through for their HEA.

Fisher is so sad. Over his sister. Over his failures. But he is trying so hard to do better. In fact, one of Sage's thoughts really stuck with me about Fisher. "F*ck, he's perfect. No, it's worse because he's imperfect and honest about it and he's deserving of so much love." He wants to do right by Indy, and while I know he had to do what he did at the end of the book, it had me up sobbing in the middle of the night.

As for Sage, I love how comfortable she is with herself. How comfortable she is helping out Fisher and Indy, and having hard conversations with Fisher. I loved that this book really didn't let them get away with the miscommunication trope, because it would have been so easy to do. I also loved how honest she was with herself throughout her relationship with Fisher, especially toward the end.

This book is honestly so good. If you're a contemporary romance lover, this is one you have to pick up. And Ellis and Wren are getting their own book soon! Which I am so happy about!!

I somehow read these out of order, but no worries it didn’t spoil my love for the story. I was rooting for the characters the entire time and somehow want to move to Nunes.

4.25/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
2.5/5

Listen! I am not a romcom girlie but I did enjoy this story quite a bit. Fisher won me over, maybe not on his own but seeing him through Sage’s eyes really made me see his finer points more clearly. I liked Sage though. She was definitely a FMC that I’ll remember. Something about a woman who gardens is always one I’d befriend.

I chuckled a fair bit and it think that is definitely something worth mentioning. I needed that laugh and I’m happy I picked this one up again.

I found that the small town vibes were so present and that city boy x small town girl dynamic was fresh and comforting in this book. There were new elements and rich character with the town and the people. I would not be upset to see more about some of the side characters.

Overall, I’d definitely recommend this book to lovers of the romcom genre! Id you’ve enjoyed Emily Henry and Meghan Quinn, this feels like a blend of their two vibes. Thank you to the author and published for a copy of this book for review!

Savor It was a sweet and sultry small-town romance that didn’t need to sweep me off my feet to make me feel all kinds of things. It was heartfelt, and touching, and I love how much Sage and Fisher cared for each other.

I will say, the last 15% were a little too fast-paced for my liking. The festival competition, which has been the main plot driver for the majority of the book, gets one short chapter that only lasted a few pages. The issue with her brother was set up and resolved far too quickly for my taste. I also would have loved one more resolution chapter between the last chapter and the epilogue.

That being said, DeWitt’s writing is so beautiful. The pacing of the first ~80% matches with the slow-paced lifestyle of the town without feeling like it drags. The romance was also so sweet, and I love that there was no miscommunication, there were simply choices made by Sage and Fisher, and both of them agreed with the choices they made. This felt like a healthy relationship, and I appreciate that a lot. 3.75 stars!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for the ARC! Out now wherever books are sold!

A chef and his niece move from NYC to a small town along the Oregon coast for a much needed summer reset and to assist with opening a restaurant. Fisher enlists the help of his next door neighbor, Sage, when trouble with the restaurant results a schedule delay. In return, Sage asks Fisher to be her partner in the canoe race for the town’s annual festival at the end of summer. Sparks fly as Fisher and Sage get to know one other. They both know their fling will conclude at the end of the summer when Fisher and his niece, Indy, moved home to NYC. Sage and Fisher choose to live in the moment and savor it until the end.

This small town romance has a full cast of characters complete with a girl next door, an unwelcome outsider, a sassy teen, a golden boy ex-boyfriend, meddling townspeople, and heartwarming quirky animals. Tarah has a way of making an impact with the small details that immerse the reader into a scene. She adds depth by describing something so ordinary in a beautiful way that is true and honest. She continues to bring laugh out loud wit and charm to the story, as she has in previous novels. The last 20% of the book totally consumed me.

This book is special because the world is so much more than the FMC and MMC relationship. It’s also about the depth of the relationships each have/had with family, and following a journey of self-discovery and healing. I recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a romance read.

I have never been a western girl, east cost girl for life, but Tarah DeWitts writing makes me want to go live on a farm or at least visit areas like Washington or Oregon. Her characters are breathtakingly honest and refreshing. Sage is complicated in the best ways. She is honest and such a great friend. Fisher is put in a complex situation dealing with the death of his sister and now have to take care of his teenage niece, not an easy thing. This story talks about grief and moving on in such a moving way. Honestly this would be the perfect movie or Netflix show.

Idk what kind of magic Tarah weaves into her words but she does it ever time. Never a miss. I love Sage and Fisher with my whole heart.

Honestly this was going to be a 5 star read until the last 10% when the girl was crying because of geese and mad at the guy because he once had geese while he was in France. I'm not kidding that it ruined how much I liked this book. Overall it was okay and I was having lovely time.

Dewitt's writing is some of my favorite. This book was witty, tender, and introspective; it made the MCs' relationship even more enjoyable to see develop.

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC!