Absolutely loved this! The banter had me giggling out loud. I loved that it was a different kind of love story. Very unique, which made the relationship feel more realistic to me. Gave me all the feels! 4 stars!

Hoo boy, where to start. LaRynn and Deacon inherit their gay grandmas' old house which is in desperate need of repair. They decide to fix it up and sell it, but need to get married in order to get the funds to fix it up. ...But they hate each other.

Good lord were these characters difficult. The entire event that made them hate each other <spoiler>was the fact that she said "I love you" when they were hooking up years ago and he said it was just a fling. So instead of talking this out and working together to get things done, a good 45% of this book is just them seething at each other while secretly lusting as well.</spoiler>

LaRynn's relationship with her family was relatable. There are some cute friendships and also some character development (and by that I mean they talk, finally), but seeing them struggle for that long was painful. I wish goodreads would let me give 2.5 stars, but as it is I'm rounding down.

This book was delicious in my opinion. I guzzled it right up and it left me full & oh so happy! The characters were so well developed I could see them so clearly. From the moment Deacon & “Larry” entered the same room again, I knew that they were destined to be with each other. I’m also very very close with my grandparents and having “The Grans” in this book being such a vital piece was wonderful. I thoroughly enjoy an HEA and man I’m so glad I received that in this book. From start to finish, it was delightful and I’m so thankful for the opportunity to read it. This author will definitely be added to my TBR whenever I see her name. 🫶🏻

ALSO!!!!! The playlist is EVERRRRYTTTHING!!!!!

🌶️🌶️
Second chance, forced proximity, roommate dual timeline romance. Lots of miscommunication but I still enjoyed the book. Super cute, loved the couple.

what a fun read! this book had all the perfect swoony angstyness of the original co-op with more added depth and bit more heat too — which really added to the story in my opinion! deacon and larynn were such a blast and i loved watching them piss eachother off while being head over heels for eachother while ALSO being pissed off at themselves for being head over heels. and the glimpses into their past and how they ended up where they were was truly such a great addition. i love these characters and this story so much!

I loved all the emotional complexities that went into this story. A second chance romance that's also giving enemies to lovers was such a nice read! Both the MMC & FMC have way more to them than meets the eye as they both cover up their real emotions and thoughts under heavy sacrasm & pranking each other. There's also forced proximity along with only one bed, but instead of sharing it, she buys a cot 😅 gotta love the feistiness of the FMC which leads me to say that the banter was great as well! Definitely a must have a for a romcom 😊

This was my 2nd time reading this - but this remodeled version felt just that much more special after reading it the first time in January! I loved getting to see more of Deacon and LaRynn this time around. Plus the new cover is just as gorgeous in a different way!

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

Second chance turned marriage of convenience. Sounds great. This was a decent read which had some depth to it. I was so confused about the alternate timeline casually just stopping with like 25% left in the book. I was also confused why the marriage of convenience was thrown in when it was barely discussed. This felt like another book where adults communicate at the level of middle school children. Sorry :/

I actually really enjoyed this!!!! It had me cackling I was laughing so hard at a couple scenes!

PIVOT!!

Thank you NetGalley and Tarah for giving me the opportunity to read this masterpiece!! Can’t wait to purchase the physical copy so I can reread it over again! The journey between these two from being enemies to lovers in the end was SOOOO worth the slow burn! The ending was absolutely adorable and I loved it!!

Tarah Dewitt is slowly becoming an auto-read author for me. Her writing is always so engaging and fun. Her books are always lighthearted but she has a talent for giving her characters so much depth that it makes them captivating. Definitely a slow burn, but with this being second chance it was fantastic.

This book had all the tropes and makings to be great such as marriage of convenience, forced proximity, and second chance, and overall it was an enjoyable read. Also, the best part was that there was no third act breakup and the cutest epilogue ever.

I really wanted to like this book, but I just couldn't. First off, I live in Santa Cruz, and the way that the author writes the drive over 17 in chapter 1 just kills me. 17 isn't fun, nor is it magical. Secondly, the FMC's name is...bad, its a bad name. I DNF'd really quickly.

Rating: 4.5 Stars/Contains Spoilers
***Also a huge thank you to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.***


Tarah Dewitt had a note at the beginning of her story explaining that this novel was being written at the same time as her first, and this story underwent its own construction a few times before becoming what is it now. I hope she's proud of it, because this novel had a lot of wonderful things about it!

The Spice: It's there, it's *spicy* and is maybe 🌶️🌶️🌶️ ish
The Tropes: Second Chance and Marriage of (in)Convenience

Brief Plot Recap: Deacon and LaRynn grandmothers marry and they spend a summer as teenagers (18-19) falling in love. The break up is rather abrupt and could have been deeper than her saying, "I love you," and him stating, "It was just sex," and then not seeing each other for 10 years. (Obviously, there are few other things going on but that's really the sum of it). Both grans pass away, and leave the house to the both of them. LaRynn has quit law school, has no access to money, and she and Deacon get married to access her trust and work on repairs to the Grans' home.

I enjoyed the flashbacks and build up. At first, the banter (when they're reunited and its not great to see one another) was so cruel--and I could see why other reviewers complained about LaRynn. She appears spoiled, but honestly, has a lot of emotional abuse and neglect from her *very* rich and controlling father and she doesn't show a lot of herself to Deacon. I felt like I got to know her more just as Deacon did the second time around. There was a lot of miscommunication and it was nice to see that they were both making the effort to work on it, and work on themselves. I think there love story became something truly beautiful and I really teared up a couple of time. I loved that Deacon could be soft and vulnerable (like are you freaking kidding me?? when he confronts her with, "Because it fucking hurts. It makes me feel like I’m in pain, like I’m being choked by my own goddamn fury. Please, LaRynn. Fuck my pride, I want you to stop because I want you for me, and even if I can’t have that I just...I'm flat out begging you...”) just wow WOW wow.

I also loved the scene where LaRynn confronts her mother about her neglect, "Then I think we have to stop trying to skip over the past. You can't expect someone to forgive you without ever apologizing....['maybe here is where we get to start.']" just--bravo, well done! Both of Deacon and LaRynn do their own growing in this story and together, but her arc is more evident. (Deacon was also pretty well adjusted prior, but I digress). The scene where she's finally grieving the Grans with him, and thinks of her dad and forgives him mentally as well (no drawn out confrontations) was so touching and lovely. I think the characters were flawed and I loved the compassion and growth their relationship was allowed to have.

I maybe would have liked a bit more development with her backstory (the neglect and abuse was clear enough I suppose, but despite how LaRynn comes off--it takes awhile to really understand her). There were a few tiny errors in formatting (but this is an ARC copy so that could be it as well). I would have liked to get see LaRynn more working at the coffee shop, and with her friends, Sally etc. The lens was clearly on their relationship and the reader doesn't always get to see why so many people love her so much before she and Deacon reunite.

Overall though, there is little I would change. I loved the pranks, the healing, the banter (as friends/in love), and I'm so glad I got to read it!

LOVEDDDD!! I'll read anything Tarah writes and this was so different! SO sweet and their relationship developed so much as they grew individually as well!

It was super cute and fluffy with the perfect amount of spice sprinkled in. I’m also a sucker for books that come with a playlist before you start. The miscommunication did annoy me but other than that I loved the second chance, I loved the banter and overall really enjoyed this book. I would love to see this as a movie one day! Absolutely would recommend

LaRynn and Deacon are quite the pair! I loved their second chance story and the way the author provides flashbacks at just the right times to fully understand the depth of their past.

Her sassy attitude and his gruff exterior gave me quite a few laughs. The flashbacks brought me closer to them both, and the supporting characters were spot on.

*The Co-op* by Tarah DeWitt is an engaging and heartwarming second-chance romance that really delivers. LaRynn and Deacon’s “marriage of convenience” setup is not only fun but also leads to some great character development. Their shared history adds so much tension, and watching them navigate their complicated feelings while renovating the house they’ve inherited is so satisfying. The renovation itself is a great metaphor for their relationship, which adds depth to the story.

Deacon is easy to love—he’s patient and thoughtful, never pushing LaRynn beyond what she’s comfortable with. LaRynn’s journey is equally compelling as she works through her trust issues and learns to let people in, all while staying true to her independent nature.

If you’re looking for a second-chance romance with plenty of chemistry, humor, and emotional growth, *The Co-op* is a must-read. It strikes the perfect balance between lighthearted moments and deeper themes, making it both entertaining and meaningful.

Everything about this book is newsworthy, and trust me I will be talking about it for the rest of my life!!

Let’s start off with Deacon. That’s my man!! He’s a flirt, charming, and good with his hands… but anyways! He’s genuinely the total package. One thing I loved was how he never pressured LaRynn. Throughout the book he was always thoughtful and kind to everyone even her. This man waited for her to fully believe in herself… to love herself and learn to let others in. All while he knew his feelings towards her because didn’t want to scare her off. It had been YEARS since they last saw each other… but the second he saw her again, he knew she was always the one. In some ways, it seemed like he understood her more than himself. Also… he calls her LOVE… crying on the floor right now.

“Let me show you I want to be your friend too.”

LaRynn is actual gold! I related to her in more ways than I could count. Her issues with her family, her independence, and her trust issues were things that hit home for me. I loved seeing her character development!! She was always a dreamer who lived others dreams, but decided that’s not how she wants to live anymore. I think that’s what made me love her even more. Her realizing she is more than what others think of her was everything I didn’t know I needed. She’s one of my favorite characters in the Tarahverse and I’ll never stop giving her the flowers she deserves!!

Reading about their tension and banter was everything… I just loved this book, did I mention that already?? I just want to say thank you grandmas, they knew what they were doing with the house. This is second chance romance and is genuinely so sweet. I think about this book more than I’d care to admit, but only because it’s that good!

"I thought of one more thing I want for my birthday."
He laughs into a particularly sensitive spot
"Yes, love?
"Your name."
^ Like did you see that?? Me too please? I’d like his last name too!!

Anyways, I cannot recommend this enough! The Co-Op is one of my favorite books and I know you’ll love it too

The Co-op is the first book I've ever read from Tarah DeWitt, and boy did I love it!
This is a dual POV story featuring LaRynn and Deacon. Their grandmothers left them with shared ownership of their building in Santa Cruz, which is in rough shape. Deacon has the construction expertise but lacks the money to back his work. LaRynn has a trust fund but can only access it if she's married. They decide upon a marriage of convenience, with hopes to fix their grandmother's place, sell it to collect the profits, then go their separate ways. The problem is... they can't stand each other.

The characters felt so real and relatable to me, that I found myself growing alongside them. I also love how working on their grandmother's home becomes a metaphore for working on themselves and working on their relationship with each other as the book progresses. This is a sex positive story, LaRynn and Deacon do have a summer fling history during their teenage years. However, I never felt like there was too much angst. Yes, there is steamy tension. But I'm honestly thankful sex wasn't used as a emotional weapon in this book. Tarah did a wonderful job balancing tension with humor, complex family backgrounds with resiliance. In a way, this reminds me of Emily Henry, but Tarah writes with a voice that is distinctly hers.

I found myself tearing up at the end of the book because:
1) It's over and this story itself has come to a close.
2) I felt like I too was on a discovery of understanding how my heart is the way it is, my journey of love with my husband, and my relationship with my own parents. And even though I've finished this book, it has given me kernals of wisdom to carry on in my life.

The Co-op was transformative read for me, and I can't recommend it enough. Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review! I will honestly be buying a copy of this book when it gets published so that I can add it to my shelf of favorites. I can't wait to get myself caught up with Tarah's other books!

3.5 ⭐️ rounded up

I really liked this book! I thought the plot was unique, and loved that there wasn't a horrible third act breakup to deal with. My only critique is that it could've been a little shorter-- I felt like there were a couple points where it dragged a tad. However, the romantic tension and flashbacks kept me engaged and would rope me back in.

Truth be told, I did not enjoy the first released version of this book as much as Funny Feelings, which, in my opinion, is still the best Tarah DeWitt book. Sad to say that title still holds true even after reading this rewritten copy. The depth of the conflicts, the exploration of the tropes, and the characterization leave much to be desired. On the brighter side, props to Tarah and the artist she commissioned for this aesthetically pleasing cover art. I loved it so much. I hope they continue to work together in her upcoming books, which I am still looking forward to reading.

Thank you, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley, for the e-ARC!

There was nothing WRONG with this book, really, I’m just getting a little tired of FMCs who act about a decade younger than they are.