4.25⭐️ | 📖
🌶️

I've devoured everything Tarah has written and I SAVORED this. Our queen of small-town quirkiness, puns, animal rescues and local competitions - Sage Byrd is such a sweet FMC. It took a minute for me to fully understand her, but the chemistry built between her and former Michelin-star chef, Fisher, was delicious. And once the layers of Sage and Fisher were peeled back, you couldn't help but fall for them.

I wished there was more dialogue between the FMC and MMC at certain parts, and the timing jumped a bit for me. It felt like certain parts were just thrown in there for plot movement, but I was still here for it all! We got a generous amount of backstory and sweet side characters built out as well for this small town story. Other than that though, I really enjoyed this and was sobbing at the end scenes. Indy and that damn goose scene got me (Fisher and Sage, too, of course). It was a PRIVILEGE, Fisher.

Here are some of my non-spoiler highlighted quotes that got me right in the feels.

"Life's short. Go to the library. Live a million different stories and see a million different places in one. You might not have control over some things, but you can always foster your imagination."

"Don't worry so much about the clouds that you miss the flowers at your feet."

"Courage is a muscle. You strengthen it with use."

Tropes/Elements:
- Small-town romance
- Hotshot chef and new teenage guardian (niece)
- Quirky neighbor
- Forced proximity
- Local competition
- Summer fling
- HE goes to therapy!

Note: Thank you to NetGalley and Tarah Dewitt for providing an eARC. The decision to read/review was my own, and represents my honest opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for the ARC. All opinons are my own.
Savor It follows Fisher who, after a career low and finding himself unexpectedaly in charge of his niece, has to move to the town of Spunes, Oregon to survey the building of a new restaurant. That's until he meets his next door neighbor, Sage, who might just show him the charm of small town life.
I was really loving this book in the first half but then the second half really made me feel that it was an okay book. I think this woul be a great book to read ifyou are in a reading slump and need something to help you get out of it.
First off, I thought that the concept of this book was really interesting and I did enjoy the writing throughout this book. Tarah has a distinctive voice in her novel and I was glad that I was able to read this book.
The biggest thing I feel like this book struggled with was pacing. The beginning of this book was so slow paced as we got to know the characters and Spune's a bit more. However, when the main "plot" kicks in, it goes so quickly and has so many issues with pacing. There was a big "thing" that Sage was foucsed on in this book but it was literally only a chapter and a short chapter at that. A lot of the problems I had with the relationship and these two characters not really knowing each other well wasn't resolved in this and I didn't find myself fully believing the relationship. Also I found the more steamy scenes to be pretty confusing as it would have good lead up then a confusing conclusion to it.
Overall, I think this was a pretty okay book. I wish the pacing had been better but if you are interested in picking it up, I would highly recommend picking it up and reading it.

This was a good read! Loved the chemistry between the two leads, although it did not blow me away. I’m a sucker for happy endings!

I wanted to love this book, but I felt like not much happened in it for a good portion. I think many people will love it, it just didn’t work for me.

This book was light, wholesome, and full of so much heart. If you’re looking for a cozy romance set in a small town with loveable leads and fleshed-out secondary characters, look no further!

This book has:
•The found family trope
•Grumpy x sunshine ☀️ The heroine is a teacher who makes the best of everything, and the hero is a broody chef who is dealing with burnout
•Small town girl x big city boy 🏙️
•A third-act breakup: I dislike third-act breakups, but it was necessary for the character growth, so it didn’t bother me!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Griffin and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

4 stars

I was very excited to get an opportunity to read this book early from Net Galley (many thanks!). I am a Tarah Dewitt completionist and though I have loved them all, Rootbound is one of my absolute favorites. Tarah Dewitt does an amazing job of bringing to life the setting and the minor characters. Any story with "townies" is sure to be a favorite of mine and Savor It does not disappoint in this area. This is a cozy read with a lot of feeling. Tarah Dewitt is an automatic read for me at this point, and that streak continues with this great book.

4.5 stars rounded up

4.5 stars. Savor It is such a sweet and funny rom com. See author’s note at the beginning of the book for content warnings.

Thank you NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and honest.

Tarah DeWitt absolutely knocked it out of the park with this story! Sage and Fisher are just so damn cute. They have amazing chemistry and I could not get enough of them. I love romances where the protagonists help each other grow and this was such a great example of that.
I also can’t talk about this book without talking about the cover. It is absolutely GORGEOUS! I love this color combination and Sage and Fisher are exactly how I pictured them while reading. Definitely a strong candidate for my favorite book cover of the year.

This is such a beautiful story and if you are a romance reader, give this a try. You’ll definitely laugh (Gary the goose. That’s all you need to know), you might cry (I didn’t, but I never cry while reading), and you’ll have such a great time in Spunes, you’ll want to go back. I’m seriously hoping Tarah writes more books set in Spunes.

Savor It releases on May 21.

A story about finding home in its most unsuspecting places. Most of us don't try to give a place a chance because it's not what we imagined, or we have pre conceived notions. But if we just give it a chance it might just change our lives, like it did for Fisher and Indy. That's what this book taught me. It also has the town as the main character which I love when authors do this. Small towns can be so pleasant and entertaining or they can be terrifying.


Thanks to Net Galley for an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review all words are my own.

“Love is this. Love is breathing. A sweet, deep, aching relief. And it's somehow even more disorienting.”

Pieces of this plot remind me of The Only Game in Town and Lovelight Farms; very quaint! Although this is the kind of small town that I can’t relate to at all, even being from a small town. The “everyone in each other’s business” that reminds me of Stars Hallow, and is a big part of the plot.

Sage and Fisher are fun, and the addition of Indy to their dynamic was interesting. It’s a good friends to lovers story, and Fisher and Indy’s temporary status in the town is a realistic roadblock. The whole families coming together to make a new life and heal from past experiences was sweet.

Honestly, it felt kind of unfinished. It was too slow paced for my taste, like not much happens? I wish the competition was a bigger part of the plot, as the synopsis suggests. It’s only a few pages at the end. I felt more compelled by Sage’s brother and his ex wife.

This is a heart-warming romance about a small town teacher and a big city chef finding each other when they are both experiencing difficult changes. Becoming partners in the annual festival competition, they soon realize that the feelings for one another cannot be suppressed. But what will happen when the hot chef, who is only here temporarily, has to go back to the city?

This book was such a fun, easy read that had heartfelt moments, spicy scenes, and a wonderful plot line. Once I started this novel, I could not put it down! It was an enjoyable book to read!

Oh man, this was good. A really slow burn, with flawed and wonderful characters. There’s definitely a lot of emotional trauma to spread around, but it’s not so heavy that it weighs down the story. So much light and fun.

I received a copy of this book from St. Martin’s Griffin.

This book made me swoon and was such a joy to read! Sage and Fisher are a bit of an opposites-attract situation gone right as they balanced each other out so nicely. I absolutely adored how hard the author leaned into the small town aspect in this book, as there were so many charming characters to root for. This storyline also did a beautiful job exploring concepts of grief, home, found family, and belonging. I highly recommend this sweet and spicy romance for all the other small town lovers out there!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for gifting me with an ARC to review. All opinions are my own.

This was an okay read for me. The chemistry between the two leads was alright but did not blow me away. There some cute moments I don’t think I connected as much as I hoped I would based on the premise. 2.5 🌟

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/St. Martin's Griffin for providing a digital ARC in exchange for my honest opinions.

This was a charming, sweet story about two people who come into each other's lives at just the right time.

Sage and Fisher are both unmoored by significant changes in their lives -- changes that cause them to doubt their self-worth and identities. Watching them help each other discover that they have value -- just for being fully themselves in the world -- was moving in a way I didn't expect. I love the idea that you don't have to be any more or less than you are, because you're the perfect amount for the right person.

On that note, the book had just the right amount of humor, angst and swoon, and a wonderful ensemble of quirky family and townsfolk. I was intrigued by the family connections in the story, and I hope that the author decides to tell their stories in the future!

Lastly, Tarah Dewitt's dedication in this book is stellar. Inspiring and referencing one of the funniest (and truest) moments from The Great British Bake Off? **chef's kiss**

Fisher is a chef who is sent to the small town of Spunes, Oregon, for the summer, to get a new restaurant started. Sage lives on the farm next door and can’t stop herself from helping Fisher and his niece get acclimated. Fisher and Sage form a connection even knowing it has to be temporary.

This story was low angst and tension, specifically between Sage and Fisher. They were both dealing with things in their personal lives but those situations were never delved into very deeply and didn’t effect them getting together. It made for a light read and a sweet (and hot) romance. I loved their flirty banter, intentional or not. I chuckled at several one liners and overall had a good time reading.

I would suggest this to readers who enjoy small town, forced proximity, open door romance (and if watching The Bear made you feel things).

Loved every part of this book, such a nice rom-com, Tarah has such a amazing way with words. This book was very emotional and fun to read at the same time. Definitely recommend

4.5⭐️

I love Sage with her group of animals 😂 and bright life outlook.

There was something missing though. I felt like the story wasn’t completed fully.

Pick up SAVOR IT for:

City boy & Farm girl
Small town shenanigans
Fake dating scheme
Soul bearing talks
Rescue animals
Beach bonfire vibes


Fisher and Sage meet when their lives have upended themselves. Its a special kind of relationship, in that, they're both been broken down by past trauma and current expectations, and yet every moment they are together they make an effort to choose joy.

Regrettably, I was not invested in their story until way past the 50% mark. The pace of the book felt like episodic moments and lacked a strong through line. There were detours to introduce a number of townspeople that had little to no impact on the story at all. And the small town hijinks didn't feel like it offered anything significant to character growth.

The strongest theme in SAVOR IT is the idea of home, comfort, and being settled in your own life. Shake off expectations and be in the moment. That happy moment will be a memory, but right then and there it's your life. We're not promised tomorrow but we can soak up the goodness of life - even the unexpectedness of falling in love, today.

This book may be a miss for me, but you should add this to your shelf if you're looking for a cozy summer night read. Or if, like me, you turn into that Leonard DiCaprio pointing meme when you spot the Twilight references.

Thank you Netgalley & St. Martins Press for this advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Sage Byrd!!!!!!! I love you!!!!!!! This was so good. I am obsessed with Spunes, and sages entire farm she has. Like if you were to take my “dream life” pinterest board and put it in book form, it’d be this town and sages life and everyone in it. Fisher was sooooooooo hot and I loved him, but SAGE!!!!!!!!!! I have the fattest crush on her oh my god. She was just so fun and cutie and everything she said I was like “yeah you’re soooooo right” and I just adored her and her safe haven of animals. Probably one of my favorite fmcs I’ve ever read about.

I loved having a the guardianship element to this, but I wish we got to see more of Indy and fisher like becoming closer. Andddddddd I sort of wish we got more from the race?? idk maybe i just built that up too much in my brain and it felt like slower to me bc of that????? !!!!!!!!!!but REGARDLESS!!!!!!!! I enjoyed this so so much and the ending had me so 🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹

And ily netgalley for the arc mwah

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

I am sobbing. Ok, wow. I loved this so much. Small town romance is one of my favourite tropes ever and this book delivered. I just wanted to pack up and move there myself. What a fun and wholesome read.

I’m so glad I was given the chance to read this. Thank you so much NetGalley and Tarah Dewitt for the ARC💕