Thank you to NetGalley for the arc copy of this book. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.

After a teenage summer romance ends in heartbreak, LaRynn and Deacon find themselves thrust back together years later when they inherit their grandmothers' property. The property is in desperate need of renovation, and as a contractor Deacon has done everything he can to fix it with limited funds. The good news? LaRynn comes from a wealthy family and has a trust fund. The bad news? She can only access it by getting married. Being logical, LaRynn and Deacon marry for the necessary funds to restore the property. As they renovate and live together, they must wade through past feelings and heartbreak that demand attention.

I felt very seen as a reader throughout this book. My parents hate each other to this day, and as a growing up I would go to my grandmother's house as much as I could. I was too busy navigating young adulthood and did not spend much time with her in her last years, just like LaRynn. Like Deacon and LaRynn, the relationship with my father specifically is non-existent. It's like Tarah found my teenage diary.

These characters are beautifully vulnerable, especially Deacon. I was so frustrated throughout the book, knowing they loved each other, but were too afraid to be together. I'm a sucker for a good romance, and this has easily become a favorite for 2024. I laughed, I cried, and I was sad when I finished it.

I read this book a few years ago on kindle unlimited, and I’m not sure how much has changed since that edition, but I’m definitely different now. It hit very differently this time around.

Deacon and LaRynn are a mess, but I love them. I loved especially LaRynn taking on her issues and taking accountability. She put in the work.

I wish the first half of the book would have been like half as long, just because of how angsty it was. Their story didn’t really start until they were honest with each other and decided to work on their issues, which I felt happened too late.

Overall I’m glad I re-read this and I enjoyed it.

Rating: I really liked it!
Narrators: 5

Thank you SMP for the arc!
Each Tarah book i’ve read keeps getting better and better. This is my first year reading her books and I’ve enjoyed getting to know all of her different characters. LaRynn and Deacon were no different.

I loved that this took place in what feels like they bay’s backyard, Santa Cruz. I think on the first page it talked about driving highway 17 and it already just felt familiar.

LaRynn and Deacon had a fling as teenagers, which ended horribly. 10 years later, they are two very different people who have to come together because their grandmothers left them shared ownership of their Santa Cruz home. They both need the renovation of the home to go well, so they are forced to work together. The icing on the cake is that they both have what each other need (LaRynn, Funds. Deacon, construction expertise), but LaRynn can only access the money if she is married. Marriage of Convenience enters the chat. This book was originally released in 2022, but has since gone under renovation (;)) and was re-releaded in November!

This book was SO GOOD. All the way down to the epilogue.

All my favorite tropes are in this one story and tied with the perfect bow. A second chance love story that left me smiling long after I read the last page.

I needed a book that would transport me to another world and this story truly did that. I was kicking my feet and giggling the whole way through.

I highly recommend you pick up a copy of this book now on shelves! You won’t regret it :)

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martins Press for an arc of this book. All opinions are my own.

I’m very so so about this book. I didn’t love it, but I didn’t hate it. The book kept me pretty well engaged the whole time, I just really wasn’t a fan of the fmc in the beginning and it was hard for me to get past it for the rest of the book. I’m notoriously hard on fmc’s, so this happens to me a lot, but I did love how the fmc and mmc came together. It was a cute romance, but not my favorite.

Love Tara Dewitt! Her stories are always funny and romantic. Glad to have gotten a copy of this to review.

This is the second book by Tarah DeWitt that I’ve read, and I’m even more in love with her writing. LaRynn and Deacon are two characters I fell for right away—I lost count of how many times I caught myself smiling at my Kindle. Tarah brought plenty of tension between the characters, and the chemistry between them is just off the charts. I also love how she introduces serious topics without making the book feel heavy. I’m completely obsessed with this one!

Tarah Dewitt is amazing and I adore her. Anything she decides to write, I will be reading. Her plots and characters are so unique while still being realistic. The Co-op is a perfect example of this and Dewitt’s usual writing style aka perfection.

The tropes in this book are extremely exciting and every one adds more fun elements. LaRynn and Deacon had a spark when they were younger that has now morphed into enemy-like feelings. Things get even messier when they get married and begin to live under one roof to complete their renovation.

Format - E ARC (NetGalley)

Rating- ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Spice- 🌶 🌶

Series- N/A

Troupes- Second chance, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, constriction romance, Marriage of Convince

Representation-

CW- Death of Loved ones

Why did I wait so long to read this book??I do not know, but don’t you make this same mistake.

I love everything Tarah writes this author can do not wrong in my eyes. And when I figured out that this is a Marriage of Convince with my favorite micro troupe of romance in the mist of construction I was gleeful!

LaRynn and Deacon have off the charts chemistry from the very first pages. And the banter and wit only got better. There is so much to love about this book and Tarah’s writing style is only one of them.

I can not wait for Tarah’s next book!

Thank you to the author and publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This just wasn’t for me. This is my third book by this author and I have just realized that I don’t think we click. I didn’t care about the characters at all, and to be honest the FMC really annoyed. I wasn’t really drawn to the storyline. The writing was overall well done, but I just wasn’t invested at all. Totally a me thing, but not a book I enjoyed.

4/5
Another coming of age story for two people who have known each other since childhood and grown through the years. I loved the love story of their grandmothers and how their grandmothers brought them back together.

Tarrah DeWitt’s *The Co-Op* has an intriguing premise and moments of genuine wit, but it doesn’t quite stick the landing. The slow-burn romance has its charm, and the banter between the characters is enjoyable, but the pacing felt uneven, and some plot points lacked depth.

While the humor and chemistry shine in places, the story sometimes veers into predictability, leaving the emotional stakes feeling underdeveloped. It’s a decent read for fans of light contemporary romance, but it doesn’t fully deliver on its potential. A mixed bag with flashes of brilliance.

I am not being dramatic when I say that I loved this book and it was everything to me. The banter between Deacon and LaRynn is the best. I found the FMC and MMC to be very relatable and their relationship was swoon-worthy! Tarah DeWitt is a great author and I cannot wait to continue to read her books in the future!

The banter, the connection, the spice! So so good! Loved the setting and the MMC (coming from a blue collar wife) Tarah is ON A ROLL!

I always love a good romance with angst, and boy, did The Co-Op deliver!! I can see where some readers may find the two main characters immature and frustrating. I definitely had a few moments where I wanted to shake them and beg for those two to JUST TALK!!!!! I really enjoy Tarah’s writing style and the fact we don’t get a third act break up here was the cherry on top of a great romance. I kind of expected some sort of blow up or climax regarding Larynn’s relationship with her father, but I appreciate that not all familial ties are worth redeeming or trying to salvage. Also, can we talk about the epilogue?????? I always want some sort of future update with romances and I got exact what I’m always begging authors for - so thank you Tarah 😩😭

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, NetGalley, and the author for sending me an early copy!

You know an enemies to lovers story where the characters seem to have no connection and the book seems to have no real plot? That as The Co-Op for me. I was expecting a fun, flirty romance with a side of DIY home construction, but I got a book where the characters quickly went from hating each other to loving each other with little-to-no conversation about the actual home renovations. Bummer.

When LaRynn and Deacon’s grandmothers leave them a home in their will, the two must finally face their enemies to pick up the pieces. While they had a fling as teenagers, hurt feelings led to miscommunication, leading to a mutual disdain for one another. In order to access her trust fund to repair the falling apart home, LaRynn needs to get married, and unfortunately it seems Deacon is her only hope at accessing the account.

This book should have everything – enemies to lovers, marriage of convenience, one bed for two characters, and a side of home renovation, but I just found the plot to be lacking any substance. It’s like I blinked and LaRynn and Deacon went from jumping down each other’s throats to jumping down each other’s clothes. This feels like a book that will be quickly forgotten in the grand scheme of romances I read this year, unfortunately.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

This book was super cute!! I’ve seen a lot of great reviews for it, and I agree with all of them. It had a lot of fantastic tropes that were used in unique ways - marriage of convenience, forced proximity, second chance…everything was done so well.

The writing really flowed, and the author created a story that I could relax and get lost in. I loved the flashbacks with Deacon and LaRynn and kept wanting to learn more about their past. There were a lot of great topics that the author tackled, and the story was a perfect balance of humour, romance, and conflict.

If you’re a romcom lover, I definitely recommend you pick this one up.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Griffin for my gifted copy!

I went into this book with no idea what it was about. I judged it on the cover and I am SO glad I did! This book had me from the first few lines about mortifying moments. I knew I'd be able to relate to LaRynn since my life is always riddled with mortifying markers of time. This story is about Deacon and LaRynn, who met as teens when their grandmothers fell in love, and inevitably the two bonded and fell in love as well. After not talking for many years, the two must reconnect after inheriting their grandmothers' home. They must work together to renovate the home to sell it. Along the way, Deacon and LaRynn work through the loss of both their grandmothers and find their way back to one another as well. I lost both of my beloved grandparents this year, so the death of their grandmothers hit me a bit harder. Also, Sally was the funniest part of the book. A sassy little old lady who made a great addition the story. This book had humor, emotion and all the spice as well. It was wonderful! I had never read a book by Tarah DeWitt before and I can't wait to read more. Funny Feelings and Savor It are next on my list.

- Marriage of Convenience
- Forced proximity / roommates
- Second Chance romance

Trigger warning - death of a loved one. Off screen though. The author did a great job sharing all the trigger warnings right at the beginning of the book. So make sure to read if you are on the fence.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

one of the greatest books i’ve ever read in my entire life !!! i love this author so much and i love these characters more than myself

I loved this!!🩷🩷 Super fun, cute, quick, and I loved both main characters. The marriage of convenience and forced proximity tropes were done really well, the banter was great, and there was even second chance romance. It was a super fast read and I couldn't put it down absolutely loved it!!!!