Book Smart Kate

Book: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Spice: 🌶️🌶️

by Tarah Dewitt

Tarah Dewitt has a way of deftly balancing the three things romance novels need: humor, angst, and heart. If you’ve read Funny Feelings, you know exactly what I’m talking about. Dewitt’s 2024 book, Savor It, is another beautifully crafted novel.

When NYC Michelin-Star Chef Fisher Lange is sent to the small coastal Oregon town of Spunes, love is the last thing on his mind. After the death of his sister and a viral meltdown in front of a food critic, Fisher finds himself unemployed and attempting to parent his teenage niece. His mentor sends him to Spunes for the summer to get a new restaurant up and running with the promise of his old job back in the fall. His eccentric animal-adopting new neighbor, Sage, lost her parents when she was young and was raised by her older brothers. Early tragedy has shaped so much of her outlook, and she is committed to living a big life in the small moments. When the busybodies in this quirky small town attempt to block the restaurant, Sage and Fisher launch a fake-dating plan to win him favor with the townspeople and get her a partner for the annual town canoeing contest. As they grow closer, and Sage helps Fisher build a relationship with his niece, the fake begins to feel very, very real. But, as summer draws to a close and Fisher’s return to NYC draws near, things are bound to end in heartbreak.

This book has one of the best quirky small towns, so many fantastic family and friend characters that I need more details about, food as a love language, and SO MANY adorable animals. It also has thoughtful, tender, kind main characters in Sage and Fisher and an important message about how we define home, success, and love. PLUS, BABY GOATS AND MINI DONKEYS.

Many thanks to Net Galley, St. Martin Press, and Tarah Dewitt for an advanced copy of this charming book in exchange for my honest review.