Savor It just may be the perfect grumpy sunshine, small town romance. With delightful characters, an entertaining plot, and quips galore, Tarah DeWitt writes a story that’s impossible to put down.

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Sage’s lived her entire life in Spunes, Oregon. She loves being near family and friends, although she could do without seeing her ex and his new girlfriend all the time. Chef Fisher and his niece Indy arrive from New York, officially to help open a new restaurant, but mostly to get his life back together. As their new neighbor, Sage welcomes them, and gets them to help out with her menagerie of animals. Eventually Fisher and Sage team up for the town’s annual competition, which Sage desperately wants to win. In return for Fisher’s help, Sage will smooth his way with the locals to help open the restaurant on time. As the two spend more and more time together, they can’t ignore their growing connection. But what happens when it’s time for Fisher to head back to New York?

Sage and Fisher are perfect for each other. They have tons of chemistry, and their constant quips and banter are a blast to read. Sage’s friendliness knows no bounds, but it’s her witty remarks that make her relatable instead of saccharine. I also love the idea of how good people can feel when they are being useful, and that purpose can help them deal with grief.

Spunes, Oregon is a great fictional small town, without being too over the top quirky. And the references to Forks, Washington are perfection. Tarah Dewitt is a new to me author, and I can’t wait to go back and read her other books.

Savor It is a fantastic story, with emotional moments, witty banter and steamy scenes too. I adore Sage and Fisher, and their blend of realistic grumpy sunshine chemistry. If you are a fan of witty small town romance, you’ll enjoy this book.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Small town, temporary neighbors, fake dating romance book here. Everyone’s got issues, but luckily everyone’s closer to talking them through over the summer. Fisher is a chef who got fired from his job, is basically flailing, and the newfound guardian to his orphaned niece. He’s shipped off from New York City to small town Oregon to oversee the completion of a new restaurant there. He’s temporarily staying next door to Sage, who doesn’t have much specific going on in her life, aside from dodging her ex-boyfriend and preparing for the annual festival. We get a bunch of small town nosy hijinks here, which leads to Sage and Fisher fake dating, and then actually falling in love. The whole cast of characters involved with this book makes things both funny and more emotional, with Fisher’s relationship with his niece and Sage’s relationship with her brothers. Get ready for all sorts of emotional upheaval as their temporary relationship starts to wind down.

Narrated by Karissa Vacker, Zachary Webber

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.

"I…I think I keep my world small so I don’t feel insignificant in it."

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I wanted so badly to love this, and I think this is a case of me having expectations that were far too high, which ultimately impacted my enjoyment of the story as a whole.

For as much as I love stories with banter and a slow-burn, I was..... (whispers *bored*) for at least the first half of this book. Once everything took off it got better, but I was never fully convinced about the romance between Fisher and Sage. Which is the whole point of a romance book.

I did find Sage pretty darn relatable, and I did appreciate that they had conversations like the actual adults that they are, but ultimately this just left me wanting more than I got. Still a cute small-town romance!!

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Savor It is set to be published on May 21, 2024. Thank you to St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Griffin, NetGalley and the author for the digital copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

+ Thank you Netgallery / St. Martin's Press for providing an e-book ARC in exchange for an honest review +

I would say this would be more of like <b>3.5/5 stars</b> book for me.

Sage Byrd is a quirky, full-of-life woman who enjoys putting others first before her. She's kind, warm, and appreciates the little things in her small town life. Fisher Lange was an amazing, well-known chef in NY until her sister passed, and is the guardian to his teenage niece, Indy. He's grumpy, struck with grief, and lost his beloved Michelin star. As he moved to a small town temporarily, he found the person who used to be, passionate, loving, and driven.

In my honest opinion, this book was tough to get into. It's also my first book by this author. It's a very slow-burn love story and the connection between Sage and Fisher, I didn't feel it until maybe close to the end. I would say about 65-70% is when the story truly grabbed my attention and I didn't want to put it down. Y'all need to find yourself a Fisher as your mate and Sage as your bestie!

This is a grumpy/sunshine trope book and I ain't mad at it. I love the interaction between Fisher and Indy and the bond they created. Fisher's boss gave him another chance to get his star back by sending him to a small town to help build a menu and restaurant together. Sage lost her parents and was raised by her brothers so I love seeing the banter/love with her brothers in this book.

Overall, I did enjoy reading this book, especially toward the end, but I also didn't love it because of the slow build-up and connection between the MCs. There are some big words I didn't know and I had to use the built-in dictionary provided by Kindle (thank goodness) which definitely helped *hides face*. I do love Fisher and Sage's relationship, but I love it even more with their relationship with Indy. Indy is such a smart young lady, wise beyond her years. Tarah - Can we get a book for Indy and Sam?! As for the spice, I would say it's maybe about 1.5/2 spicy peppers for this book. When they're a bit older of course, lol. But yeah, I'd recommend it because someone's low review could be someone's high review so just try it out and see if you like it! Happy reading!

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.

First off, thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s for early access to this ARC. It was my first book by Tarah Dewitt and I’m hooked!

Sage and Fisher’s story is one that I think all of us need to read. It’s a beautifully written romance featuring a small town, a quirky girl next door and the professional chef that comes to town (with his niece in tow) for an attitude adjustment (at least that’s what I’d call it). Sparks fly and Fisher learns what the magic of small towns is really all about: the people you meet.

It’s hard to describe how I felt reading this book. It was super well done and I loved all of the characters. They felt lived in and worn, like I really understood who they were and were meant to be. The town was well-established and the side characters were also a lot of fun, bringing a little of that small town humor to the pages. I felt… calm reading the book. I was excited to understand and learn about Sage and Fisher but I didn’t necessarily fly through the pages - and that’s not a bad thing. Its just felt settled and like I was truly there unfolding everything along with them. It probably sounds silly - but it was nice to have something so well done encourage me to slow down a little bit.

The messages of this book really hit home for me and I loved the ideas Tarah hit on numerous times - including the idea of rowing your own boat, finding your happiness, and learning to be in the moment - no matter what might be coming. I think that they’re themes we can all relate to and frankly need to hear.

Really beautiful romance, perfect spicy scenes, great characters that make you fall in love a bit too, and captivating story.

Terribly predictable, but the town itself was adorable. I felt incredibly attacked by the line: “I…I think I keep my world small so I don’t feel insignificant in it.”

This was my first book by Dewitt and won't be my last! I loved Sage and Fisher's story as she shows him the highlights of small town living and he picks himself up after his career exploded in NYC.

This story had it all — humor and great banter, heartfelt moments grappling with loss, burnout and self-discovery, excellent communication, and a reminder to make the most of wherever you are in life. I loved Sage's collection of animals, Fisher's grumpy teenage niece, and all the puns. There are small town vibes without being too cheesy, and I resonated with the Sage Advice throughout.

My only beef with this book is its cover, which is beautiful, but feels like it could have tied more closely to the story (give me funny robes! geese in love! a canoe!).

I highly recommend picking this up for the perfect summer read!

I love a small town romance. Townspeople are referred to by occupations, everyone is nosy, and of course Sage’s ex is there too. Add in an annual contest, a seamless slip into fake dating, a chef that needs to get his spark back, and a teenager who has been imprinted on by a goose, and I’m all in.
There are two really wonderful relationships that develop in this book. Sage and Fisher’s romance is so lovely and they’re both really easy to root for as individuals. The other really well done relationship is Fisher and Indy. Indy was such a well-rounded authentically teenage character and I really appreciated how Tarah brought the grief and realness of their story to the forefront.
And of course an honorable mention goes to all of Sage’s animals. In particular, a tripod cat named Leg-o-less. All the animals on her hobby farm had my heart.

Thank you to SMP for the gifted copy. All thoughts are my own.

This is such an excellent romance! I was immediately pulled into the story and intrigued by the characters. Tarah DeWitt's writing is so enjoyable to read. Not only is there an excellent romance, but DeWitt spends an equal amount of time developing interesting secondary characters you invest in as well. I loved this book and could not put it down!

It’s very embarrassing of me to admit that this was my first Tarah Dewitt book and I have no freakin idea why! I loved every second of this story and the writing was beautiful.

This was the perfect small town romance with a great opposites attract trope. I loved the MC’s so much. Both of them have went through a lot within the past couple years and it shaped them into who they are now. The romance was sweet and spicy but there’s a lot more to the story than just that. It deals with heavier topics and Tarah did an amazing job with them. I’d also like to just say how beautiful this cover is. It fits perfectly with the vibe of the story.

Thank you so much to St. Martin’s for the e-arc! Release date is May 21st!

I didn’t connect to the characters really until about 70% of the way into the book. I did enjoy the ending and the small town aspects of it

I loved this book! It was everything I could want in a book. Cute, funny, sweet and emotional. I was laughing, smiling and tearing up. The characters were all so lovable. Fisher and Sage were perfection! I especially fell in love with Fisher, as he puts off a tough grumpy exterior but loved how sweet and vulnerable he became with Sage. Enjoyed the cozy small town setting and all the adorable animals! Such a great read that I for sure recommend. I did a review post on my Bookstagram, that I have linked down below.

Thank you to Netgalley and SMP for an eARC of Savor It in exchange for my honest thoughts.

This book was quintessential Hallmark (which I LOVE!); but for me it’s a “well I won’t change the channel” but it won’t make me stop while I’m channel surfing either. I have so many conflicted feelings after finishing this book & I know that makes me an anomaly. I didn’t not enjoy myself; it read well for the most part. I had a nice time but I wasn’t hooked.

Things that I really enjoyed in this book include: Fisher dealing with burnout, Sage & her menagerie & leaning what a marionberry was. The moments that hit for me, really hit. I love a good small town romance & Spunes really was that town. I loved the eclecticness of the town & even getting tidbits of history. My absolute favorite moments were Indy learning to handle her teenage emotions after losing her mom. While I felt we didn’t get the clearest picture of who she was, Indy opening up or having unexpected outbursts (Have you ever cooked a goose?!) at the seemingly most random times, had my heart tearing in two. It felt real & emotional. It felt random but it wasn’t because with grief, it just takes that one little thing sometimes. I thought these moments were so heartfelt & overall handled really well.

I think the reasons I struggled with this one a bit can be boiled down to two main things: feeling like we go no depth in any characters or situation, while simultaneously feeling like there was too many things to keep track of. Starting with the latter, there were too many points on contention, that all fizzled & never development into actual plots. Between newly-engaged exes, Town Hall Karen’s, new construction drama, multiple brothers, etc. Not one of the elements actually added any drama or interest to the plot.

I really wanted to like Fisher. I can see what was attempted with his emotions; it took him the entire book to figure them out (even then, he is still trying to work through a lot), therefore we are on the whirlwind ride right along with him. But instead of feeling like a journey it just felt like a lot of incoherent thoughts that continuously jumped from one thing to the next & left too many things open. As for Sage, while she was a fun character, she was doing absolutely nothing. She had no chance for growth, because I felt like she wasn’t ever challenged. Again, we see conflict set up that could have pushed her…but it just didn’t. She was simply living her life, tending to her animals, falling into lust & love, which is a dream, but doesn’t make for the most interesting read.

Bottom Line: this book/premise had so much potential but somethings about it just fell flat for me. I felt a lot of the filler/sub-plots pulled from the overall story & actually weakened the chemistry between Fisher & Sage. If you enjoy small town, forced proximity romances, I would still recommend this one…as I said I still enjoyed myself. However, I will say the tension & build up between some of the side characters had me absolutely SWOONING & I will be sitting here begging HARD for more books in Spunes.

What an absolutely incredible book by Tarah DeWitt I’m still recovering from this absolute gem of a story set in a small town called Spunes, Oregon.

Fisher is a Michelin-star chef in New York and is sent to Spunes on a mandatory hiatus from the restaurant after a slew of bad reviews and negative press. He’s sent to Spunes, Oregon to oversee the construction of a restaurant there and consult on their menu. Fisher moves with his niece, Indy, for the summer across next door to our leading lady, Sage.

Many small town hijinks ensue, Sage and Fisher continue to find each other in vulnerable situations. As they start to open up to one another they form a friendship that crosses over into friends with benefits and more that they can’t stop themselves from falling deeper for one another.

“I know we were supposed to accept the impermanence of this thing with you and me, and enjoy it in the meantime, but I just keep digging in, and now I’m drowning in you”

There are so many aspects to this book I loved, from the prose to the descriptions of Fisher’s food to all the rescue animals. I mean, mini donkeys?! The library in this town sounds like a fantasy and this book had me laughing, crying, and grinning like an idiot. I felt every range of emotion reading this and kept clutching my chest. It was just so dang good and a really lovely building of their relationship through a lot of different activities and conversations and situations. This was such a beautiful book and I look forward to listening to the audiobook.

“It’s been a privilege to fall in love with you”

4.5 stars. I absolutely adored this book! I love Sage and Fisher so so so much. This book not only had me feeling all the feels but it also had my giggling and kicking my feet. I will definitely be recommending this novel!!

Unfortunately, I found this book to be a bit too slow for my liking and I didn't feel the connection between the two main characters. I enjoyed the small town feel of the story - however, the amount of characters we were presented with made it difficult to keep up. The story felt a bit too descriptive at times.

An amazing read. As someone from "Yoos Bay," I loved the references to my area in this beautifully written, magical book. Sage and Fisher are pure magic.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for this ARC. I was not expecting to love this one as much as I did! It had so many of my favorite things: sweet characters, laugh out loud moments, a small town romance, and characters who actually communicate their feelings to each other! I could weep. This was my first by this author and I went right out and bought Funny Feelings before I had even finished if that gives any indication of how much I enjoyed this book.