Such a cute, feel good romance. Fisher had been lost and angry and gets sent to a small town by his former boss to help her and hopefully himself as well. Sage is the small town sweetheart that wants to help everyone and everything (enter her farm of misfit animals). I really enjoyed the atmosphere in the town and Sage and her brothers have an amazing relationship that was very heartwarming. This book has the feel of a Hallmark movie and the author even references this in the story. It is a nice romance and I really enjoyed Sage’s character in general and Fisher and his niece also had exponential growth that was very fulfilling. Overall it’s a wonderful story that kept me entertained.

I loved this! Super cute romance.
I loved the setting: small town PNW, small hobby farm. I loved the main characters: both flawed yet with big strengths and came together perfectly! (and a MMC that's a chef will ALWAYS grab my attention immediately)

Also-- THE COVER! THOSE COLORS. Beautiful!

Told in dual POV of the FMC, Sage and MMC, Fisher this was well-written and descriptive. I thought this was a quick read. I loved Sage's sass and I loved Fisher's grumpy side. This was funny and when they came together to work towards Sage's goal of winning the competition these two really began to feel like a team. I rooted for them so hard.

Thank you to NetGalley & St. Martin's Press for the ARC!

I absolutely loved this one! a perfect and sweet small-town romance, the banter was so good and punny but the character development for both Sage and Fisher as individuals but also together as friends/lovers was perfect!

Going into this book I was unfamiliar with the author and unsure what type of book I’d be getting and I absolutely loved it.

It was giving The Bear meets Firefly Lane meets your favorite Hallmark movie.

She spent enough time developing both main characters as well as the supporting characters without it ever feeling pointless. She tackled some heavier topics such as grief, anxiety and burn out but in a way that was digestible and made you fall in love.

Sage and all her animals gave such a light energy and often times had me giggling. Fisher sounds like a hunk of a man that I’d like in me life.

If you love a Grumpy/sunshine romance that has spice, quirky farm animals, moody chefs and nosey small town neighbors, this is the book for you!

I don’t typically think of small town romances when I think of favorite tropes, but I think this was the book that tipped the scales for me. Spunes, Oregon (not to be confused with Forks, Washington 😂) is my new favorite small town.

First, as someone who lived in Oregon for most of my 20s, I LOVED the references to actual towns in Oregon, with the names changed slightly. It was adorable.
Spunes was the sweetest small town. Everyone was a community, and you really felt it. I loved getting to know the characters and places through both MCs, we get to see it through the eyes of a local, and a newcomer.

The main characters were fantastic. Sage is the sweetest soul and I loved everything about her. Her animals, her adorable sunroom, her family.
Fisher is such an adorable somewhat grump and I loved getting to watch him come out of his shell and overcome his disdain for small towns to fall in love with Spunes, and Sage.
They both had realistic trauma that made them vulnerable and seeing them open up to each other and grow to depend on each other was so sweet. Their chemistry was also 🔥🔥🔥!

This was such a fun book, I absolutely loved it and am so excited for Ellis and Wren next!!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and the author for this ARC.
Publication date 5/21/24

Sage has lived in the small coastal town of Spunes, Oregon her entire life. Her world might be small, but she loves her life with all her animals and her friends. However, that world is feeling a bit smaller and more stifling when her ex gets engaged and everyone in town is looking at her with pitying eyes. She needs a win and she thinks the annual summer competition at the town festival would be the perfect opportunity if she could only find a partner. Fisher is new to town. He was a Michelin star chef in NYC until a scandal led him to be sent to Oregon to open a new restaurant. The townspeople of Spunes are not the most welcoming to Fisher, so he makes a deal with Sage. She will help improve his image in town and he will be her partner for the competition.

This book is full of steam, heart, and humor. All of the Spunes, Oregon (not to be confused with Forks, Washington) got me every single time. The small town vibes (and many Hallmark jokes) made for the perfect romance backdrop, and add in the food descriptions and a friendly town competition, this book had so many fun aspects. Sage and Fisher only added to the charm of this book. Their chemistry was incredible and each of them had an incredible growth journey. I couldn’t help but root for them both together and in their individual lives.

I adored the audiobook narrated by Karissa Vacker and Zachary Webber. They did an incredible job bringing these character to life.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for the advance copy.

This was absolute perfection and I would not change a single thing, Tarah DeWitt… the person that you are. I’m obsessed with your brain, I wanna live in it. The biggest forehead kisses for you. 🥹🥹🤎

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

By all accounts, I should have really loved this book. It had the makings of a 5 star read for me: a small town with its own quirky, fun personality, unique side characters with a lot of depth, and two main characters who you can't help but root for and fall in love with. For whatever reason though, this book just didn't work for me.

I think it may be a me thing though - I just struggled to get into it and didn't find myself excited to pick this up. I do think it will be favorite for so many people and a perfect summer read. This book has a lot of heart and the writing is great, so I hope my review doesn't deter anyone away from it, but this was just my experience!

Savor It is a sweet, spicy, funny and swoony romance that had me laughing, blushing and just overall giddy. I thought it was a really beautiful story, I loved how it started out and how it all played out. The setting was great and just made me feel all cozy with the small town setting.

The characters in this book are a treat. Fisher and Sage were so much fun, the banter between them was hilarious. The tension was palpable and the chemistry was off the charts. It was a true explosion when they came together, you could truly feel their connection. Also, they actually communicate their feelings and emotions, there is no miscommunication, that was a HUGE bonus for me !

I thought it was a very flowy read, it was cute, sweet, swoony, adorable and overall just a great love story. I hope this becomes a series so we can see more of the brothers.

✨️ Thank you to @netgalley, @stmartinspress & @tarahdewitt for my gifted ARC in exchange for an honest review.

DNF @ 50%. I've been trying to read "Savor It" for a few months now but it wasn't working out. At first, it was a case of the wrong book at the wrong time but later also became a lack of connection with the story and waning interest in wanting to read it.

I don't dislike anything about "Savor It." However, as I was reading I felt mostly indifferent and bored at times because not much of interest was happening. It took a while for the story to really get going and picking up the pace, but by then it was too little too late.

There were a few things I liked about the story. Sage and Fisher had good banter between them and I can partially see how good they were together. I liked Sage's kindness and penchant for lacking a filter in certain conversations / situations. I also loved all the animals Sage takes care of. Fisher is a good guy who's doing his best to take care of his niece, Indy, who's still grieving the loss of her mother (Fisher's sister). I felt anger on Fisher's behalf learning about how and why he essentially got fired as head chef and cared enough about him to hope he regained his passion for cooking while he's temporarily in Spunes, Oregon.

"Savor It" has been widely and highly praised and therefore took that as a good sign on top of my initial interest in reading this book. The story as a whole is okay. Perhaps one day I'll finish it or skim read to see how everything turns out for Sage and Fisher. Unfortunately for now, it's a DNF for me.

Thanks again St. Martin's Griffin and NetGalley for the e-arc to read in exchange for an honest review!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for sharing this ARC!

Savor It is a small town, forced proximity rom-com that is heavy on fluff but light on substance. I have not read any of Tarah DeWitt's books prior to this, so I can't confirm if this is typical or if that is limited to this book. The setting is quaint and the characters have a ton of chemistry, but those two things alone don't make for a captivating story.

Fisher heads to Spunes (not to be confused with Forks - cue a good chuckle or five) with the hopes of getting back in the driver’s seat of his life. As a highly trained chef, he needs to find his inspiration again and figure out how to take care of his grieving niece. With the help of his neighbor, Sage, Fisher needs to get the town on board with a new and improved restaurant.
There’s so much to love about this book between the idyllic town setting, layers of busy bodies, and historically wacky traditions to entice attention and income from beyond. Individually both Sage and Fisher are easy to love but together they’re fantastic. Fisher’s relationship with his niece plays out so well. It comes across incredibly raw and real.
I read and tandem listened to this one. Highly recommend the audio with performances from Karissa Vacker and Zachary Webber, two of my favorites for the genre.
Thank you to Macmillan Audio, SMP and Netgalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.

I loved this so much!! Small town and fake dating are a winning combination in my book. I did need to take a short break from reading "Savor It", as I was reading "Funny Story" by Emily Henry at the same time and there were too many overlaps for my brain to keep the plotlines separated. But on that note, if you liked "Funny Story" then I think you'll like this one as well! I will definitely be picking up more Tarah Dewitt novels in the future.

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

I really loved this!! Their banter and their tension/chemistry were so tangible and I loved seeing their relationship develop. I loved Sage & her beautiful garden & all her animals<3 Fisher’s relationship to his career hit a littttttlllleee too close to home and I did not need to be called out like that. 🫣 These two had me crying on the airplane with everything they’ve been through 😭😭

“That is exactly why I have no reason to be this goddamn miserable. I got what I wanted. I accomplished a dream, and it felt completely fucking empty. And then I went and fucked it up, anyway."

"Time's the only thing that increases your pain tolerance. Eventually, you see the good that came from it more than the pain.”

Thank you to NetGalley & the publishers & the author who sent me this ARC to read & review! <3

Really enjoyed this!

A sweet yet slightly angsty summer romance. It had just enough pain to make my heart ache but a lot of sweetness and love to make the taste less bitter. I loved our quirky, yet not too quirky, heroine. Our broody yet kind hero who is trying to do his best by his niece.

Fisher and his niece, Indy, end up in Spunes, Oregon to get his head on straight and set up a restaurant for his boss. They both has a lot pain and confusion to work through. Neither of them really wants to be there but this is a chance to shake it off and have a summer away from the stress of the big city.

Fisher doesn't want to get close to anyone here so he is quite wary of his sweet neighbor, Sage. Her and her small menagerie of animals are poised to steal his and Indy's hearts. That dang goose, I swear! He tries to keep her at arms length but she just might be his chance at redemption.

Sage knows how to navigate small town politics and personalities and in exchange for his help during the Festival of Spunes, she'll help Fisher win over the town. Of course, as they do this, falling is inevitable. But Summer won't last forever.

Have your tissues ready and keep your heart open. Because this book is gonna get ya. It felt a bit slow in some aspects around the middle but I enjoyed all the characters and the story. I REALLY hope Tarah isn't done with Spunes... there are many stories left to tell here.

Also, I listened to the audio, which was wonderfully performed by Zachary Webber & Karissa Vacker. Very enjoyable.

Savor It: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Tarah DeWitt

“Something tells me I couldn’t have you pegged in a decade, let alone a few days, Sage. But even I can tell that you’re vast.”

New to town, Fisher's just trying to boost his reputation and regain his inspiration. His next door neighbor Sage needs the town of Spunes, Oregon (not to be confused with Forks, Washington) to get off her back about her ex-boyfriend. And so, an agreement is made for the length of the summer but summer won't last forever...

Tropes:
– Small town romance
– Fake dating with benefits
– Forced proximity (neighbors)
– Single guardian

Here's the thing. I almost want to hate this book. I want to hate it because Savor It has essentially spelled out to me–with albeit witty words with a deceptively humorous lilt–that I will never find the pure, wholesome, untainted, head-in-the-clouds, worth-savoring love that Fisher and Sage have. But I can't hate it. So instead, I love it with every part of me.

There's something about this book that made me feel like I was being stabbed repeatedly because I related to Sage way too much for comfort sometimes and the story made me feel like hey, maybe there is a Fisher out there who could love a silly, too-sweet girl like me too. Maybe I'll have to move to Spunes to find it. Don't threaten me with a good time. Mixed in with the impeccable wit and humor and the love and feelings, there are so many quotes in this that really speak to the soul:

"I would love to find a person of my own, but I refuse to let not having a partner preclude me from enjoying my life. It’d just be nice to share it with someone who appreciates and loves me as is." I mean are you kidding me? This is my whole entire life right now, where everyone seems to be moving on with their life and their relationships and finding their forever happy and I'm just here. I don't want to talk about how much this quote impacted me.

“So don’t think I choose those things just because I’m too nice. I’m not. I’m fully capable of deciding I want to do something because of how it makes me feel.” As someone who is constantly told she is too nice, this is refreshing. I can and will do things that I other people may want me to because it makes me feel good. And that's fine. Sure, I'm still working on the other side of this coin, which is doing things just to make other people happy, but that's a battle for another day.

"Because who am I to want something bigger for myself when so often I’ve been made to feel like the things I love are frivolous, anyway?"
Oh my God, please leave me alone I literally want to cry.

I loved every moment of this book. The audio is an absolute delight as well. Zachary Webber can do no wrong and while Karissa Vacker is new to me, I thought she did a phenomenal job of being Sage. The sweetest book that feels like a warm hug yet will simultaneously gut you from the inside out.

With tons of swoon-worthy moments mixed with impeccable wit, Tarah DeWitt mastered this small-town romance that will make you feel things you never knew you could before.

This was just a delightful book. I’m a sucker for a small town romance and this one absolutely delivered. Safe and Fisher were amazing together, but also were very well developed characters on their own who had some great character growth. I really related to Sage feeling like her interests and honestly, herself were frivolous and silly and I loved that Fisher made her feel like they were important. I also loved how Sage made Fisher take stock of his life and feelings and slow down to savor (get it?) each moment. I LOVED Sage’s menagerie of animals, especially Legoless and Gary. I did think the fake dating plot felt a little unnecessary since it was barely used and the big town event felt anticlimactic, but other than that, I really enjoyed these characters and the town of Spunes. I would love another book here, maybe about Wren!
Mini spoiler: nothing bad happens to any of the animals!

CW: mentions of parental death, grief, fire/fire injury

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for an advanced digital reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to the publisher for this eArc.

I enjoyed funny feelings when I read it last year, so I was really excited for a new release from this author. Unfortunately this one didn’t work as well for me, and it’s hard to tell if it’s the book or just a reading slump, so I will definitely still be recommending it.

The beginning really hooked me but as it went on I found myself almost getting bored. It didn’t really feel like much was happening and the chemistry between the two leads felt a little stiff to me.

Overall, I would still recommend if you want a cute small town romance, but I was slightly disappointed.

This small town romance would make a great beach read! The characters are great. The community is its own character. The romance is swoon worthy and complicated. There are a lot of emotions in this one. I will definitely read this author again.

I loved Funny Feelings, so I was excited to read this book. Unfortunately, it wasn't for me. Because it's an ARC, I read far long than I normally would. The characters and the story just didn't grip me, so by the 30% mark, I was losing focus. I skipped ahead trying to see if I could be pulled into the story but it didn't happen. I wish for books we DNF that we didn't have to leave a rating because this book wasn't for me but others will definitely love this. I'm providing 3 stars because of that.