3.5/4⭐️
Was kinda torn with this book, there was a lot I loved about it and some things I didn’t. I really loved the complexity of both LaRynn and Deacon’s characters and enjoyed the time jumps showing their current situation and back to the summer they spent together. Something was just missing for me, I didn’t feel that attached to the story and got bored at some points. I did really love the ending though it was so sweet and I love the storyline of the ‘Grands’ 🥹

The Co-Op is a book about love and restoration . It is a marriage of convince between LaRynn and Deacon to both achieve their goals but then things get messy when sparks fly.

I had a lot of fun reading this book. The characters were fun and the second chance romance was done really well. I miss the characters already and their motivations made so much sense which built amazing tension. If you love romance books, this is one you shouldn’t miss. I can’t wait to pick up her next book!

I didn’t realize this was a “republish” I devoured Savor It by her and since they had similar covers I thought it was the next one. But I am a huge fan of the recover. This was fun not my favorite of the year or month but it was a solid 3 stars. LaRynn the FMC, is quite the character and honestly annoyed more than not in this book haha. But Deacon and her were so cute together it made up for it. They acted like adults and that part was refreshing. I will definitely be reading more of her books in the future.

Rounded up from 3.5 ⭐️

Thank you to St. Martin’s Griffin and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. The Co-op was my first Tara Dewitt book, and I can see why so many people have raved about her books!

I enjoyed a lot of the tropes in this book - dislike to lovers, second chance romance, forced proximity, and marriage of convenience being at the top of my mind. But, I enjoyed the emotional work that the characters did as they repaired the house they inherited and the unintended emotional damage they inflicted on each other when they were younger.

While miscommunication isn’t my favorite, I appreciated that they worked on their issues and seemed to come to a good resolution for them. Plus, no third act breakup based on miscommunication is always a plus!

If you’re looking for a romance where there’s humor mixed with working through trauma mixed with imperfect characters who don’t have their stuff together, this is the book for you! I enjoyed reading it.

This was my first book by Tarah DeWitt and I loved every second of it! She’s been on my radar for a while and I’m glad to have finally had the chance to read something by her.

i don’t mind your mess.

larynn and deacon have embedded themselves in my heart! i love a second chance romance and this one is getting added to a list of my favorites. deacon and larynn were so hurt by one another when they were younger. but now, as they’ve gotten older and as their frontal lobes developed more, you see all the ways they are trying to remedy the mistakes of the past. i love the way we see each of them pining after the other, but holding back for fear because it made room for them to be vulnerable and honest. and we get a love confession that had me tearing up! (and also kicking my feet and screaming!!) but my absolute most favourite part is that both of these characters are so messy and raw!

larynn is my girl! she might appear difficult to love to some, but from the beginning, i knew i wanted to be more like her when i grow up. she has a tough exterior but the softest and gooiest insides. i related all too well to her worries and insecurities. every thought she had that her mess would be too much had an ache in my chest and tears in my eyes. i related far too much, it’s like tarah went into my brain and plucked every thought from my mind. and deacon! the way that he was ready to fall at larynn’s feet had me clutching my heart! he so readily accepted that he hurt larynn just as much as she hurt him. and he put in work to change their relationship. and he was just so good to everyone in his life.

these characters were real and they were messy. and they got into the deep messy parts of their lives to find one another in happier and healthy spaces. this book was funny and it was tender. everything i know to expect from a tarah book!

I enjoyed my read of The Co-Op. I love a good enemies-to-lovers/second chance romance story. LaRynn and Deacon have been orbiting in one another's lives since they were teenagers. After a summer fling ended badly between the two of them, they have spent the next few years trying to avoid each other. But after their respective grandmothers both pass and leave their crumbling duplex to LaRynn and Deacon, they hatch a plan to renovate the place and make a profit: Get married and use LaRynn's trust to fix the place up. What could go wrong?

Overall, I enjoyed this story. I would say it was a little too slow-burn for my tastes and they tended to have a lot of the same miscommunications. Every time I thought they were making progress in their relationship something would happen that caused them to take two steps back and it just got tiring after a while. Still, this was a quick read and relatively low-angst (although there is some mention of child neglect/the loss of a loved one) with a guaranteed happily ever after!

My second book by Tarah Dewitt and she had me crying 50% of the time. I loved the messy full of baggage characters but are also afraid to be vulnerable. Enjoyed reading.

Happy Release day!!!


I have always loved Tarah DeWitts writing; for that alone I’ll always pick up a book of hers.
Not only is this story forced proximity but also brings the main characters LaRynn and Deacon to the realization that they must marry for convenience.

-After years of miscommunication they see each other again now as adults…….

I thought it was going to be an instant love but their love for each other actually develops very slowly.

I think like in all Tarah’s book the main characters are not perfect and feel relatable. So you will feel happy and sad and at times frustrated with their actions.

*Thank you Tarah DeWitt, netgalley and St Martins press for this arc!

Tarah has done it again! There were so many things to love about this book. I ,of course, love an enemies to lovers story and these characters really felt like enemies for much of the book. It was obvious deep down that there was a lot of hurt that was fueling their ire, but it took a long time for them to get on the same page. The parallels between the deconstruction and reconstruction of their relationship and the house were evident. A lot of one step forward, two steps back.

Hurt people hurt people and that they did. Both had familial dysfunction and trauma that played into how they originally interacted when they were teens and that continues when they reunite. That said, I liked both characters. Deacon with his height and his hand tattoo (so hot). I also loved his snark and his undercover sweetness. He is my favorite of Tarah’s MMCs. I loved that LaRynn was a tall heroine and that in spite of her hard shell, that she allowed herself to be vulnerable in the end. Not only with Deacon, but with her Mom.

The last few chapters and epilogue are what put this into 5 star territory for me. The sweet stuff was worth the wait!

I said in my original review that the only thing missing for me was what had happened between them the past, so I was so happy to have that context in this version. It added to the believability of not only their hurt, but their emotional connection.

I'm a big Tarah DeWitt fan. I own all of her books and have been with her since the very, very beginning as an indie author when she released Rootbound.

The most magical thing is her ability to write relatable characters that feel so very real.

They are messy, they are gritty, they are unlikable at times, but they are real.

No matter the story, I can always feel a connection to the characters and see a part of myself in them.

I love the home reno dynamic. If you've ever done a renovation with a significant other you know the struggle that can come along with that. It's just so on point and hilarious.

I gave the original The Co-op five stars. When I heard she was rewriting it I was so scared because it was my favorite of hers. Let me tell you, the rewrite is just as emotional and funny and vulnerable. It makes your heart feel like bursting.

And while there is some miscommunication in this book, it is done in a way that is very realistic and very relatable.

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a spicy romance with imperfect characters and all the feels.

READ IF YOU LIKE:
🛠️ Hate to Lovers
🛠️ Second Chance Romance
🛠️ Forced Proximity
🛠️ Marriage of Convenience
🛠️ Grumpy Sunshine
🛠️ Home Reno
🛠️ Family Drama
🛠️ Black Cat FMC
🛠️ Dual POV
🛠️ Strong Personalities
🛠️ Realistic Miscommunication
🛠️ Spicy spice

“𝐈 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐦𝐞𝐬𝐬,” 𝐈 𝐬𝐚𝐲.
𝐇𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬 𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐞, 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐞 𝐞𝐲𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐦. “𝐈 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬, 𝐞𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫, 𝐑𝐲𝐧𝐧.”

Another incredible book by Tarah DeWitt. This is a review of the ARC I received from NetGalley in exchange for this review but I already bought the paperback because I love Tarah's writing so much.

Deacon and LaRynn had a summer fling as teenagers that ended badly. And now that they're grandmothers have passed, they have inherited their house that is in need of a A LOT of work.

LaRynn and Deacon decided to go into a marriage of convenience in order to get her trust money to fund the renovations needed on the home, and now two people that quite literally hate/do not like each other are living under the same roof that is lacking in walls and doors.

My favorite thing about this book is that these people are MESSY. They are not perfect MMC and FMC in the way you may be used to reading. They make some stupid choices. They make some beautiful choices. They somehow find a way to meet each other in the middle. After the longest slow burn of my life they finally communicate and it's not like that solves everything, but it starts the progression into them falling back in love with each other.

And when that slow burn catches fire.... GIRL it was panty melting good.

“𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐲 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐨𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮, 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐤 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐢𝐩𝐬, 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐭!𝐭𝐬. 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐰𝐫𝐚𝐩 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐫 𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐜0𝐜𝐤. 𝐈’𝐦 𝐟𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮.”
“𝐆𝐨𝐝, 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮. 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐟*𝐜𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐰.”

As usual when I read a DeWitt book, I cried my eyes out when the subject of grief came up, but I was also emotionally wrecked when I considered what these two had to overcome to let each other back in. To take the chance. It's really beautiful.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚 𝐠𝐢𝐟𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐞, 𝐈 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐞. 𝐓𝐨 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐮𝐩 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧, 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐮𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐝. 𝐉𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫.

Happy Pub Day to Tarah and I hope everyone picks up the new and improved The Co-op!

Very cute, emotional and great trope book… marriage as a convenience, second chance , enemies to lovers ish.

I had a hard time starting this one, I don’t know if it was just my mood when I started or not but it took me a bit to get into it.. I wasn’t wanting to pick it up but pushed through and when I reached chapter 6 I started getting more into it. Some of the phrases and words were a bit confusing for me and I was going huh at times.. although I was still able to continue without feeling like I missed something important.

Going forward , I love the dual POV of the MCs and the past to present. It was important to know the back story of their relationship for the store to make sense.

The MCs have not seen each other in over 7 years and ended off on the wrong foot, they inheritance their lesbian grandmother’s (which I thought was awesome BTW .. we never see lesbians grandmas ever.. Atleast I don’t) home and have to decide what to do with it .. while figuring out the home situation they are forced to deal with each other.

This book was an emotional one for me, there is some trauma involved as well as unresolved feelings and issues.. I found myself tearing and emotional at times because I sympathized with the MCs and felt my heart ache for them. Then of course there was tears of happiness.

Overall, I enjoyed this book.. I think the story itself is cute and the romance as well. The spice is an added extra which I enjoyed.

There are a couple laggy parts as well, so this and the slowish beginning and the confusing phrases / words knock off a star for me unfortunately.

Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinpress for this advanced copy!

This was my first Tarah book, and I really enjoyed it! I loved the childhood connection between the characters, LaRynn and Deacon, and their enemies to lovers vibes when they reconnect. I also really loved their shared inheritance of their fixer upper home, which is what ultimately brought them back together.

Quick synopsis:

“ LaRynn Lavigne and Deacon Leeds had one short and contentious summer fling when they were teens—certainly nothing to build a foundation on. But a decade later, when their grandmothers have left them with shared ownership of their dilapidated Santa Cruz building, they're thrust back together and have to figure out how to brace up the pieces.

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. A deal is struck: Marry for however long it takes to fix up the property, collect a profit, and cut ties.”

Thank you St. Martin’s Press, NetGalley and Tarah for the ARC!

“My home, my girl, my pain in the ass, my world. That fucking force of nature. I want her on my side, that formidable, fierce woman.”

Imagine having to live with the one person you want to forget that was also your first love. Forced to share a space but also a marriage of convenience. They say renovating a home can end a marriage, well what about a marriage of necessity.

This was so good. And fun. The tension and pining jumps off the page. You can feel their pull. The banter and quips are hilarious. LaRynn and Deacon go through just as much of an overhaul and growth as their home. Rebuilding one piece at a time, unknowingly threading together their souls.

Tarah has a way of creating such a vivid world which completely consumes you. This is only my second book by her but I will be adding the rest ASAP.

“Quit trying to force it into looking exactly like what you picture. Let it be imperfect, ma fille. Shape it into something new. Just because it’s not what you thought it was, doesn’t mean it’s not made of the right stuff.”

“Every time I’ve made sure he knows he owes me nothing, he still shows up and wants more.”

“Jesus, she looks . . . she looks so at home here. It’s the first time that I let myself acknowledge the full scope of sadness that I know I’ll feel when she’s gone, when a roof and a contract aren’t binding us closer. Not gone, I remind my skipping heart. Just not in a house with me.”

“I want you for me,” “I want your smiles for me, the ones that I’ve worked so goddamn hard for that come so much easier for everyone else. I want it to be easy like that for you to smile and laugh with me… I want you to get everything you want, but I want it to be with me, too, and I don’t care if that sounds selfish anymore. I want this house, but I want it to mean something more. I want you to stay with me and I want you to never fucking leave.“

“I want it all, LaRynn. You’re a fine friend and everything, but I can’t take having less than all of it with you,” “Nothing less.”

“I don’t mind your mess,” “I don’t mind yours, either, Rynn.”

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
🔥☄️

The Co-Op is a fantastic second chance, enemies to lovers romance, with tons of forced proximity. Tarah DeWitt expertly creates the right balance between angst, humor, and heat.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

LaRynn and Deacon met when their beloved grandmothers got married. It’s during LaRynn’s post-high school summer visit when she and Deacon act on their simmering attraction, and end up heartbroken. Now years later, LaRynn’s returned to Santa Cruz after her grandmothers death and she and Deacon have inherited their home. Only it’s falling apart. Deacon can do the home renovations but needs money to make them happen. LaRynn’s been cut off by her wealthy parents but has a trust fund she can access IF she’s married. Can these two marry in name only and renovate the house, without throttling each other and rekindling any complicated feelings?

I’m not always a second chance romance fan, but the forced proximity and marriage of convenience with these two strong-willed people is fantastic. I like how the flashbacks sprinkled throughout the book clarify what happened in the past without overwhelming the present story.

And, of course, Deacon and LaRynn are amazing characters with tons of chemistry. I like the way both their backgrounds dictate how they view relationships, especially their special bonds with their grandmothers. Their bickering is top notch, and it’s easy to see that their past connection never truly disappeared.

The Co-Op is a fantastic forced proximity romance. The enemies to lovers angle works well with LaRynn and Deacon because they are both such strong characters and neither will back down without a good reason. Tarah DeWitt’s written another wonderful steamy romance, and I can’t wait to see what’s up next.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

God, I loved Deacon and LaRynn before, but this renovation on their story was just what I didn’t know I needed from them!! Thank you Tarah for adding so much to their story!

I’m not sure if there’s anything I love more than a second chance romance because the yearning is unmatched. Deacon and LaRynn’s banter had me cracking up and squealing and just so excited for what would come next. There were some things about their history and relationship that made me feel like they were real people, because I had no idea how Tarah could come up with some of it 🤪 It was just so funny and real!

Even if you’ve read the first version of The Co-Op like I had, you will LOVE The Co-Op 2.0!! And don’t even get me started on the cover that goes so beautifully with Savor It and Left of Forever!!

What to expect:
Marriage of convenience
Second chance romance
Sex positive
Sweet and funny elderly friend
Open door spice
Perfectly imperfect people with baggage and history 🙂‍↔️

THANK YOU NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this gem early!

This was a cute second chance romance, full of grief and flawed characters renovating not only their home, but their own lives. It's messy, frustrating at times even, but in the end I understand why so many would love this one. I however, had complicated feelings when it came to aspects of this story and didn't end up loving as much as I thought I would

⚒️ Second Chance
🧡 Marriage of Convenience
⚒️ Roommates
🧡 Slowish Burn
⚒️ Dual POV & Timeline

I'm going to be real here, this might be partially the right book, wrong time for me. Reading this through election week did make me project my unsettling and angry feelings onto this book. I was not in the mood for it, so that's partially why my rating may have taken a hit. As well as this book was SO OVER HYPED. Maybe if I knew nothing about it I would have found it more compelling. There really wasn't anything revolutionary in here for me though, and quite a few things really irked me.

I wish I loved it like everyone else 😭

What frustrated me the most was that every time we would get somewhere in a scene, the chapter would end and we would be flung either back in time or back to the present. And you would think we would get back to the scene once we were done with a certain time jump...but no. It felt like having your favorite treat dangled in front of you as someone says "you want some?", and right after you say yes they snatch it away and say well here's a green bean instead. Like GIVE ME BACK MY TREAT 😭... I digress, but you get the point. Frustrating.

Deacon was a bright spot for me. I really liked how he thought through most everything he said before saying it when it came to LaRynn's feelings. For instance, there was a moment where LaRynn had gone out and bought a bunch of stuff for the apartment without asking him first and he was obviously shocked by it, especially with a lot of the items not being "necessary". But he sort of internally thought, "well she's trying to feel comfortable, and make me feel comfortable. So maybe I should lash out at her for that, and instead return some sort of kindness". And he did just that, (well until the $100 dollar pillows that I'm sorry he was justified in being mad about lol). But his thought process was refreshing, and I really just liked his character in general in this.

Now LaRynn I grew to understand as the book went on, which I'm assuming was intentional. She really grinded my gears through this the way she reacted to things, (and also I'm with Deacon I'm not over the $100 pillow purchase but that's me being salty 😅). But as the story grew, I started to think like Deacon and give her grace and understanding. She is the way that she is for a reason, and when those reasons come out, that's when I started not being so frustrated with her and finally started to relate to her...somewhat lol.

Don't get me wrong I did not hate this! There were parts of this, especially Deacon's character, and the supporting side characters that were really lovely. I highlighted some really nice quotes throughout, and towards the end the story really did start to come together for me.

Tarah Dewitt has a way with words, and a style of writing that makes me want to pick up more of her books in the future, despite my conflicting thoughts on this one. So I'm still excited to read more from her in the future! Hopefully I like them a little more than this first one from her 🫣

This is a fun and spicy second chance romance. Forced to live together while renovating their grandmothers’ house, Deacon and LaRynn find they might not be as over each other as they hoped.
With lots of tension, this romance is a lot of fun and a great palette cleanser between heavier fantasy books or emotional reads.