This was SUCH a good read and so much more emotional than I was expecting.
Larynn and deacon were an absolute force together and in the beginning I wasn’t really sure if I was going to end up rooting for them or not. They had a lot of issues and miscommunications from the past, but I think Tarah did an amazing job making them work on their differences and really taking the reader alongside them as they restored the house and overcame obstacles.
I really liked that both characters, though they came from completely different backgrounds both had family issues to face and how their journey mirrored the other, albeit in different ways. Both of them just wanted to be chosen and valued and had a hard time communicating that,
This was my second Tarah book and another that I absolutely loved! I can’t wait to read more from her! The pacing was incredible, the tension, the chemistry, the romance. Such a heartfelt read.

The Co-Op by Tarah DeWitt is a delightful romance that really helps you understand and relate to the characters. I love a book that includes significant personal growth alongside the romance storyline and this book certainly delivered. I really felt for the struggles the characters were going through and enjoyed reading through the changes in their relationship. I definitely would recommend this book or read others by this author!

This love story was so raw and real. I loved how realistic their relationship was and how they fell apart and came back together in such a realistic way. It was beautiful to watch their relationship bloom while they also were bettering themselves individually. The peeks into their past were perfect as they helped the reader understand how deep their love for each other was. Absolute perfection. One of my favorite second chance romances, hands down! Thank you Tarah DeWitt, St Martin’s Griffin, and NetGalley for the ARC!

4/5 ⭐️

LaRynn and Deacon were a very cute, but frustrating couple. From lovers to enemies to fake marriage, I was excited to see where this story went. Their constant miscommunication was killing me, but their love for their grands really made me love this story even more.

Loved this one so much. This one was such a fun read. The characters were fun to meet. The beginning was a little slow but it did pick up. You get second chance romance (which I love), marriage of convenience, forced proximity, soulmates and HEA with this one. You meet LaRynn and Deacon who were together for one summer - but then fast forward - they meet again. This one hit perfectly. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Perfection. Second chance romance ❤️‍🔥Honestly obsessed with anything Tarah writes!!!

Thank you so much SMP Romance for sharing this ARC with me!

I didn’t love this one. Neither of the characters were particularly likeable to me and I didn’t feel their connection was very genuine

This is my first Tarah DeWitt book & I really enjoyed her writing style and the emotional journey I went through while reading this book! I am a big hater of the miscommunication trope - so it was really hard to push through some times, the 2nd chance romance was cute!

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy.

Amazing writing and banter, 10/10 for all the emotions this book gave me 😭 the slow-burn was written so well, and I really really liked the wholesome ending

TWs - death of beloved grandparents, abandonment by parents, cheating by a parent

-- ty to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy!

It was an okay book. I enjoyed it overall but I found it to not be special. I appreciate getting the arc of it though. I has some tropes that I feel like many would enjoy.

I liked the author's dual timeline and central conflict between the two, using the renovation as the catalyst for the reconnection. What felt lacking was the connection and tension between the two characters to justify working through this conflict, making it hard to see if they actually liked each other at all. I would've enjoyed more tension and connection between them as they worked through their past history and initial state of conflict.

Tarah Dewitt is a favorite author of mine for good reason. I love her storyline and her characters. If longing, slow burn, second chance spice is your thing you'll find it here woven into a story that has you rooting for the main characters.

Another complete masterpiece by Tarah Dewitt. This book had the perfect amounts of angst, tenderness, steam, and humanity.
In a time where the world is bleak, it was so soothing to my soul to be able to read a book centered around caring and growth. Watching LaRynn and Deacon take risks with vulnerability and learn safety in an unpredictable and scary world was so meaningful.
I think they were delightfully imperfect, so humanly frustrating and joyful, and their story is remarkable. I felt so proud of them as they grew page by page.

I was very grateful to receive an ARC of this from St. Martins Press - it was such a delight <3

The Co-Op was just ok. It started off exciting and interesting, and I thought the premise was great - who doesn’t love a fake relationship/ marriage of convenience trope? I enjoyed the book a lot pretty much until the MCs got together, and then mostly felt it dragged after that. Nothing about it was awful or bad, I just never felt captivated by the book. I liked the French representation.

I loved another book of Tarah’s so I’m sure I’ll give other romances of hers another try!

Thanks NetGalley and st Martin’s press for the arc. All thoughts are mine.

Thanks to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the #gifted copy of this book.

Rating: 4.5/5⭐️

“When you have a bad day ma fille, think about it from beginning to end. Walk your way through it. Was it really a bad day, or was it a few bad moments? What part of your day would you like to hold onto before you close your eyes? Find that good bit, and let it be the thing you go to sleep to.”

Summary: LaRynn Lavigne and Deacon Leeds had a summer fling that they have never been able to get out of their minds. They each resented the other for the next decade, from how their fling ended until their grandmothers had left them shared custody of their dilapidated building. Deacon has the construction expertise and LaRynn has the funds, as long as she gets married. So the two strike a deal: get married and stay married while living at the house until all the construction is finished. It should be fairly easy as long as feelings stay out of it.

My Thoughts: I fell in love with this book very quickly. I needed to find out what led to the animosity between LaRynn and Deacon but ate up their constant banter. Marriage of convenience is a favorite of mine and I loved that they entered into this with wanting to fix up the beloved home of their grandmothers to honor them. I love how the past and present were woven throughout the chapters and even sometimes as memories throughout the present day. It made the story flow so beautifully especially to watch their hatred become friendship and then turn to love.

Many of my favorite quotes were from LaRynn's grandmother. She always gave her such great pearls of wisdom that LaRynn used to guide her decisions. I love the one above because it made me stop and think about whether I look for the good bits throughout my day even if it was a tough one.

Read if you love:
💕Second Chance
💍Marriage of Convenience
❤️‍🔥"my wife"
⛅️Reverse grumpy x sunshine
😍Forced Proximity
🔥Sizzling Banter

4.5/ 5
this was actually really cute. we all know i love a second chance romance so i already kinda had a good feeling about this. it was just the brain break i needed after i was emotionally decimated from reading "the winners." a quick, cute, fun, fluff read when you need cotton candy for the brain. tarah dewitt is so funny and the dynamic between the leads is so charming and genuine. loved it so much.

After reading The Co-Op, I can say that I am officially obsessed with Tarah DeWitt. If she writes it, I will read it.

This book has the perfect mix of forced proximity and second chances, all wrapped up in a nostalgic location.

What i loved most was the background we got on both characters. There was such a big life to the romance they experienced.

I enjoyed this romance full of some great tropes including hate to love, second chance romance, and marriage of convenience. LaRynn and Deacon have such great chemistry full of tension and banter. They also are working through their own struggles and learning to love themselves and each other as adults having grown up instead of the teenagers full of insecurities and anger. While creating a new home they also create a new relationship, both for the better.

It’s demo day for LaRynn and Deacon. They have history that burns bright when they were young, but quickly fizzled and burned them when they grew up. Now they have to work together to renovate a home with so much history. Can they put their past aside for the sake of this home?
Ah what a ride the Co-Op was for a second chance romance! This also had marriage of convenience and a slow burn mixed in. I really enjoyed the dual timeline for LaRynn and Deacon as we learn what happened to in the past can shape who we are today.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an eARC.

Tarah DeWitt delivers a charming romance in The Co-op. Childhood sparks between LaRynn Lavigne and Deacon Leeds reignite when they’re unexpectedly left co-owners of a crumbling Santa Cruz property and a marriage of convenience becomes their only way forward. DeWitt balances crackling tension, humour, and heartfelt moments as the pair navigate both renovation hurdles and emotional ones. Their growing partnership proves that building trust is often the toughest job of all. While the pace quickens near the end, the story’s warmth and wit shine throughout. A solid four-star read for fans of second-chance, slow-burn romance. Honestly, my biggest complaint is LaRynn's name was just a little too offbeat for me, every time I read it I cringed a little.