#tarah dewitt

[bigdreamsandwildthings]

The essentials 🩷

[jeevesreads]

15 Soft and Tender Romance Books

There are times when I’m in the mood for a tension-filled, unpredictable reading experience, and then there are times when I’m in the mood for something warm and cozy, feel good and uplifting. That doesn’t mean these soft and tender romances don’t tackle tough subjects, it just means they navigate them in ways that bring a flutter to your heart. A soft and tender love story wraps the reader up in…

[jessread-s]

*Thanks to the publisher for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review*

✩🌅🔨Review:

DeWitt nails it with this steamy second chance romance!

“The Co-Op” follows LaRynn Lavigne and Deacon Leeds, a decade after their summer fling, when they’re thrust back together and have to figure out how repair the dilapidated Santa Cuz building their grandmothers left them. LaRynn has the money, but in order to access her trust, she has to be married. Deacon has the construction expertise, but lacks the funds. They strike up a deal to marry for however long it takes fix up the property, collect a profit, and cut ties. But it’s all easier said than done when sparks reignite. 

This is just one of those books that makes you feel and feel deeply. LaRynn and Deacon’s renovation of their home, themselves, and their relationship is beautiful, emotional, and messy. I think the mess is what I love most about this book. Both characters are flawed in their own ways because they are brought up by parents whose marriages were irreparable and lacked love. It is for that reason that LaRynn and Deacon struggle to communicate, especially with each other. The dual timelines and perspectives highlight how this struggle resulted in the failure of their first relationship when they were younger. 

The restoration of their grandmothers’ home forces them to form a partnership where they are more open, honest, and trusting to build a better foundation on. I was rooting for them as they worked through their grief, miscommunications, and slowly let down their walls! Their romantic relationship is definitely slow to burn, but the payoff is profound, which just goes to show that some trials and tribulations are worth enduring! 

Cross-posted to: Instagram | Amazon | Goodreads | StoryGraph

[betterthanthemovies]

books read in 2024:

out on a limb - hannah bonam-young

keeping 13 - chloe walsh

picking daisies on sundays - liana cincotti

done and dusted - lyla sage

flawless - elsie silver

funny feelings - tarah dewitt

call it what you want - brigid kemmerer

a love letter to whiskey - kandi steiner

once upon a broken heart - stephanie garber

mile high - liz tomforde

night shift - annie crown

heartless - elsie silver

afterglow effect - alecia gabrielle

too wrong to be right - melonie johnson

just go with it - madison wright

powerless - elsie silver

just friends - tiffany pitcock

magnolia parks - jessa hastings

twisted love - ana huang

the duet - hailey gardiner

love redesigned - lauren asher

happily never after - lynn painter

camp let you go - kristen lucero

more than just us - allie otoski

the infinity between us - n.s. perkins

older - jennifer hartmann

wild love - elsie silver

diving in - bianca miller

funny story - emily henry

the seven year slip - ashley poston

the rule book - sarah adams

next of kin - hannah bonam-young

twice shy - sarah hogle

rewrite our story - kat singleton

the truth & lies duet - c.w. farnsworth

just for the summer - abby jimenez

the deal - elle kennedy

the cruel prince - holly black

the consequences of falling - liliana rose hastings

the summer of perfect mistakes - cynthia st. aubin

the right move - liz tomforde

the summer of broken rules - k.l. walther

this summer will be different - carley fortune

catch the sun - jennifer hartmann

every last word - tamara ireland stone

like i never said - c.w. farnsworth

a thousand broken pieces - tillie cole

caught up - liz tomforde

the art of breathing - cali melle

she followed the moon back to herself - amanda lovelace

the cinnamon bun book store - laurie gilmore

where time stands still - n.s. perkins

the irish goodbye - amy ewing

blue sisters - coco mellors

all too well - corinne michaels

forget me not - alyson derrick

when we were friends - jane green

i fell in love with hope - lancali

the housemaid - freida mcfadden

the perfect marriage - jeneva rose

daisy haites - jessa hastings

dead poets society - nancy h. kleinbaum

summer on dune road - rachel cullen

can't help falling in love - sophie sullivan

by the book - c.a. steinhaus

pageboy - elliot page

caraval - stephanie garber

red - annie cardi

hooked - emily mcintire

maine characters - hannah orenstein

firefly lane - kristin hannah

dear ava - ilsa madden-mills

the perks of being a wallflower - stephen chbosky

whispers of deception - liliana rose hastings

cruel summer - maisey yates

friends to lovers - sally blakely

radio silence - alice oseman

call it what you want - alissa derogatis

keeping 13 - chloe walsh (reread)

a wish for us - tillie cole

an irish summer - alexandra paige

this song is (not) for you - laura nowlin

my december darling - lauren asher

reading goal: 84/50

[shxpeshifterr]

[ash-and-books]

Rating: 5/5

Book Blurb: Summer won't last forever.

Sage Byrd has lived in the coastal town of Spunes, Oregon (not to be confused with Forks, Washington) her entire life. She's learned to love her small world, with the misfit animals on her hobby farm, and her friendships with the town’s inhabitants. But when her 5-year relationship ends and her ex, town-golden-boy Ian, suddenly gets engaged, Sage needs a win—something that will convince everyone to stop pitying her all the time, and to put Ian in his place. The Festival of Spunes, the town’s annual summer competition, would be the perfect opportunity. She just needs a partner.

Fisher Lange was a hotshot chef in New York City until the loss of his sister left him numb, grieving, and responsible for his teenage niece Indy. When Fisher loses his Michelin star along with his love of cooking, his boss sends him and Indy to Spunes on a much-needed summer sabbatical to consult on a restaurant opening. But when clashes with the townspeople threaten his last chance to redeem himself and a kiss with his new neighbor Sage leads to dating rumors, a strategic alliance might just be the best way to turn things around.

A deal is struck. Sage will improve Fisher’s image in the eyes of the town and remove the roadblocks he is facing with the restaurant, and Fisher will be Sage’s partner for the competition. But as their pact quickly turns into steamy rendezvous, emotional wounds begin to heal, and the pair tries to savor every moment, they start to realize that summer is racing by much faster than they would like...

Filled with spicy summer fun, small-town charm, and Big Feelings, this highly anticipated romcom is Tarah DeWitt’s best yet.

Review:

A Michelin star chef who not only got fired but is dealing with the grief of losing his sister, being the new godparent to his niece, and trying to find his love for cooking again finds something even more when he moves to a little town to work over the summer, the love of his life. Fischer Lange was a famous chef in New York City, he had three Michelin stars... but then began to lose his love of cooking and when his sister died in an accident leaving him to become the guardian to her daughter, he falls even more out of sorts. Fischer doesn't now the first thing about parenting a teen who is grieving just as much as him, he can barely fix himself, how is he suppose to look after his niece? When his boss offers him a second chance only if he helps consult for her upcoming restaurant that has been dealing with clashes with the locals, this is his chance to get a fresh summer start with his niece and try and find his passion for cooking again. Then he meets Sage Byrd, a free spirited, sweet, and intelligent woman who has him falling for her. Sage grew up in the coastal town of Spines, Oregan and adores her town, what she does not adore is the fact that everyone knows everyone and when her 5 year relationship with the town's golden boy ends... she just wants everyone in town to stop pitying her. With the annual Festival of Spunes coming up, she is determined to win it but needs a partner... and who better than her very hot new neighbor. From going out on errands, to learning to cook, and fake dating... Fischer and Sage begin to fall for one another and see that they are the perfect pair, the only issue is that he was never meant to stay past the summer. Can they make a relationship work against all odds and has Fischer finally found the home he's been looking for all along? This was an absolutely charming and amazing small town summer romance read. I absolutely adored Fischer and Sage together so much and they both were such great protagonists for the story. They were both dealing with a lot of their own grief, pains, and they both grew throughout the book. I adored their romance but most of all I adored all their bonding and the bonding with Fischer's niece as well as with all of Sage's farm animals. This book was an absolute delight and I can't wait to read the next one!

*Thanks Netgalley and St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

[lightsbookreviews]

The Co-op, Tarah Dewitt

[pipperoni32-blog]

I grew up with my great love, so I think maybe my heart took shape around his.

— Left of Forever

[heart-songs]

He breathes a laugh through his nose but frowns sympathetically. "I've been paying attention," he says, shrugging like it's the easiest thing in the world to him and like he hasn't just given me a glimpse of what it would be like to truly have a partner in life. I feel like I'm a fizzy drink of emotion about to uncork.

Tarah DeWitt, Savor It (pg. 267)

[beelovesreading]

First review (hopefully of many) on here !

Left of Forever by Tara’s DeWitt

4.5/5

I’m going to intersperse this review with quotes I enjoyed. If you don’t want spoilers of any kind, I would skip this review, but I did try to pick ones that didn’t reveal anything specific! The review itself will be spoiler free.

“You all belong to each other, with it without me, I think. But I want someone to belong to me again, too. I wish it were still you. I hate that I wish it were still you.”

I really enjoyed this one. I really should read second chance romance more often, as it really is up my alley. The mutual “unrequited” yearning of the sub genre is so delicious. This book is rightfully hyped in my opinion, even if it’s not for everyone.

Content warnings: ectopic pregnancy (to mc, past but frequently discussed); fire/fire injury (to a side character, past. M!mc is a firefighter fire destruction is discussed throughout the book); emergency c-section, teen pregnancy

“We’re not the kids who loved each other as friends or the teenagers who were overwhelmed by want. And we’re not the bright-eyed optimists who thought we were the exception when it came to young live, who thought our love and marriage could conquer all. We’re the war-torn adults who loved each other fully and still didn’t make it together in the end.”

Synopsis: Childhood friends to lovers Wren and Ellis loved each other fiercely, but that didn’t stop time and pain to separate them. While still divorced, they maintained a distant relation but kept things polite for the sake of their son, Sam. With Sam moving out to college, Ellis proposes an extended road trip on their way back to try to give their relationship another chance.

“Sometimes I think I regret it even still but… there are different kinds of hurt. There’s the kind you inflict sharply and quickly-like emotional blunt for trauma- and then there’s the other kind, like a slow-building poison in your veins. I think it starts with withholding love, but maybe it starts with withholding hurt, too.”

Pros/things I liked:

* The yearning was masterfully done and had me absorbing this book. I stayed up far to late on the day I started it because I just wanted more. This probably serves a solid 2 of the stars given and is very much a personal taste thing.

* I think it was a really good choice of having two times to follow, even if it meant that the synopsis on the back of the cover didn’t kick in until about 40% into the book. The book started a couple months before they go on the road trip, building up their past and their current tension.

* The characters were grounded and realistic. They grew with the story and with feedback from eachother and it was really lovely to see.

* I thought it was really interesting to have protagonists in their thirties with a grown kid. It’s not frequently seen and I appreciated how it was done.

* While not the child of divorce, I have seen divorce absolutely wreck families, so I appreciated that the characters were very mature about it the whole time.

“I wanted her to go to bed, I wanted to rip down whatever walls we’d erected between us. I wanted to get her however I could again and I wanted her to let me care of her […] and for us to be happy.”

Cons/things I didn’t like:

* The ending really dragged and was much longer than it needed to be. It felt like a 50 page epilogue.

* There’s a lot missed by not having read the author’s other work, especially Savor It. Especially in the ending, it loses a lot of impact if you have no care for the side characters, which I didn’t since it was built into the story that you would have already met them. I don’t think it’s fair for them to not be considered a series.

More quotes I liked:

“My heart took shape around hers, too, and it will never go back.”

“I wanted to be connected to my wife again. I want to learn about her dreams and make them come true. I want to love without restraint. I want to say the good things without reservation and not be afraid to say the bad or difficult things, too.”

“I used to keep a mental tally of the laugh lines that’d deepened around his eyes, secretly excited each time a new one would appear. I don’t think he’s gained anything new over the last few years, and it makes me unbearably sad.”

“I miss you, too sounds glib. You have been missing from me is more accurate. There’s a void where you lived in me.”

There’s even more that I highlighted in my own copy but this review is only enough, I’ll set you free now :)

Disclaimer: I received this copy via NetGalley from the publisher in exchange for a fair review. This did not impact my feelings in regard to the book.

[guide-to-galaxy]

Top 5 (books I’m thankful for in 2024) Tuesday

While we don’t do Thanksgiving, I know what it’s about from Adams Family Values, so I think that’s enough? But let’s carry on! As usually, thanks so much to Meeghan Reads for the prompt! 📚🚀📚 Don’t Let the Forest In by C.G. Drews (GR/SG) – As alluring as it is unsettling, award-winning author CG Drews’ debut YA psychological horror will leave readers breathless and hesitant to venture deeper…

[jeevesreads]

Best of October 2024

Look, was it a good reading month for me overall? No, I’ve been doomscrolling and nearing a slump for weeks. Pre-election dread will do that, lol. However, there were a few books that were so compelling that they were able to keep my focus even when the odds were stacked against them. And all three of this month’s picks are by new-to-me authors – a win if I’ve ever seen one! I’ve got three new…

[thebooklovebot]

Review: Savor It by Tarah DeWitt

⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rating: 4 out of 5. PUBLISHER: St. Martin’s Griffin PUBLICATION DATE: May 21st, 2024. GENRE: Romance / Contemporary Romance A big thank you to the publisher for my advance copy! Sage, a small-town girl in Spunes, Oregon, seeks redemption after a breakup by entering the Festival of Spunes with a plan involving Fisher, a New York chef on a summer sabbatical. As their strategic alliance…

[blueysbookshelf]

2024: Book 27 - The Co-op

The Co-op by Tarah Dewitt My rating: 5 of 5 stars I keep trying to think of what I want to say about LaRynn and Deacon…but I can't…I can't come up with anything because there just aren't words to express how beautifully fun, heartfelt and touching this book was. Between this book and Funny Feelings, I am a Tarah Dewitt lover for life…everything she writes is golden for me and that's that on that. Read this. You'll love it. I use the CAWPILE Review method for my reviews (see explanation here), just to keep me honest and help me understand what exactly I liked/didn't like. My ratings are below. Characters: 9/10 Atmosphere/Setting: 8/10 Writing: 10/10 Plot: 9/10 Intrigue: 9/10 Logic/Relationships: 9/10 Enjoyment: 9/10 Total rating 63/70 divided by 7 = 9 ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 🌶️ View all my reviews

[shxpeshifterr]

[catedwrites]

Savor It

Savor It is a warm hug of a romance novel that I didn’t know I wanted or needed. If a book could smell, it would smell like summer—warm grass, sea salt, and the smoke of someone grilling. The characters are well-rounded and felt mostly true-to-life, and Fisher and Sage’s relationship also felt mostly the same. I’m not quite sure what’s holding this back from being a 5-star read, but nevertheless, I heartily recommend this one. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ebook ARC. All opinions are mine alone.