The Co-Op by Tarah DeWitt was a fun read. But after reading Savor It as well, I just don’t think DeWitt is my favorite author in this genre.

LaRynn and Deacon share a summer romance during their teenage years after their grandmas bring them together. Years later, they reconnect to finish a remodeling project.

I didn’t love the pacing of the book, and I also wish I had gotten to know Deacon better.

Read if you like:
🩵 Second chance romance
🩵 Marriage of convenience
🩵 Found family

Thanks to St. Martin’s Griffin and NetGalley for an eARC of The Co-Op! Check it out when it’s re-released this fall.

still recovering from how this book made my heart ACHE. i loved it so much and can never truly put into words how much it means to me.

the co-op is a marriage of convenience and second-change romance that tarah made into something so refreshing and unique. her writing is so beautiful, and i felt every word on the page. the raw emotions and vulnerability between the two main characters is indescribable. i laughed, swooned, and cried (a lot) while reading and i want to store this book in my heart forever!

larynn and deacon are flawed but such lovable characters who have faced many difficulties in their lives. i loved watching them trust one another again and see them grow together and individually. the small moments between them and how they loved each other for exactly who they are will never not make me cry. i love them so so much and the angst + tension was perfect.

there is so much more i want to say, but all i can say right now is: please please read if you haven’t! i will never forget this story and cannot wait to dive into more of tarah’s work!

thank you netgalley, the publisher, and tarah dewitt for the e-arc, i’m so grateful! 🤍

I had the original version on hold with the library when it was announced the new version would be available to anyone. I couldn’t decide where to start but ended up choosing the new version first so I wouldn’t be too far behind in leaving a review. I could feel how special this book was within the first few chapters. The growth in both characters through the book was so special. As someone who often makes her feelings less to make others more comfortable the way LaRynn goes from what would call cold to someone who cries freely and doesn’t hesitate to say how she’s feeling was so beautiful to read. I felt myself tearing up throughout the book but did not hold back when I read the final sentence. I am in awe of Tarah’s ability to make me feel for every character in this story. I loved every chapter that set the scene with what song one character chose. I felt like all my senses were included, being a Northern CA resident I could feel, hear, see, smell and taste everything. I am so grateful to read this book before it’s re-release and cannot wait to buy a physical copy, hopefully at a local signing 😉

Typically, Tarah’s books are some of my favorites, but this one just missed the mark for me. I loved the characters! Loved the set-up! Loved that Larynn is a prickly FMC!! But something about the writing felt very tell, not show and it made the whole story feel…kind of flat and bland.

Not my favorite, but still an enjoyable read!

Tarah does it again! I did not read this before when it was on KU but some of my favorite booksta people were raving about it so I needed to read it! Every time I don’t think I’ll like a trope, I read a Tarah book and instantly fall in love. This book is second chance, black cat/golden retriever, and a slow burn. I ate this up so fast, once the plot gets going, it’s a book I could not put down. I’ll be forever thinking of Deacon and LaRynn, especially since I want to be their friends SO BADLY, and will always think of them when I drive through Santa Cruz.

A second chance romance story that started a little slow for me and it spent a lot of time over explaining character observations. I started to care about the characters several chapters in and stuck it out for a predictable yet sweet storyline. I highly enjoyed the fact that this one had an epilogue.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

Had the possibility to be great but just... wasn't. A lot of filler where there didn't need to be. The writing didn't grasp me.

This was my first Tarah book and it certainly did not disappoint! I saw some reviews saying this book is a perfect mix of Beach Read and You Deserve Each Other and that is SO accurate!

This book has everything we as readers have come to love- forced proximity, marriage of convenience, small town romance, and second chance romance. Larynn and Deacon are everything to me. This one will have you kicking your feet and giggling🤭

this was a very enjoyable read! i loved the characters and the flashbacks a lot, i honestly wanted more of them! i liked the setting, and the rest of the cast of characters had a lot of potential, i wish they were utilized more
i often find that second-chance romances where they first were together as teenagers, they will continue to act like teenagers as adults. and i realize this is the hazard of a second-chance romance, but one cute lil conversation could have cleared up all their misgivings about their relationship (old and new)
overall, its a nice easy read to spend an afternoon or two on!

2.5/5 stars

Alright. I'm sad. I'm starting to think that DeWitt just might not be for me.

I read Savor It back when it came out and decided to give DeWitt another shot. The writing is good, there are funny moments, but I always, ALWAYS seem to have a hard time connecting with her characters--and I'm never sure why?

Following the death of their two grandmothers, our two MCs decide to enter a marriage of convenience until their building Reno is finished. LaRynn and Deacon--boy, did I have a sliver of hope for you two. But for me, everything just fell flat. (And since this is a romance, the chemistry/personal development is a bit of a big part of the story, right?)

I didn't feel it. I didn't feel their growth, their goals, their interactions--I'm not sure why. And if I'm being honest, I liked it worse than Savor It, which says something.

Leh sigh. Oh well.

There’s a lot of tropes in this book but tropes that mesh well together in my opinion (marriage of convenience, forced proximity, etc. just to name a couple) the epilogue didn’t seem out of place here. I think it really concluded the story well and wasn’t a randomly placed extension of the story.

I adore this book! I love unlikeable characters because I see so much of myself in them. I’m someone who has sharp words and pointy edges that harm people- even when I don’t mean to. To see characters like me be loved for who they are makes my heart so happy. Tarah is such a great story teller and I loved every second of this book

I wanted to love this one but found parts of it to be super frustrating. I found certain aspects of the characters that I wanted something happen to redeem themselves.
While I finished this book and liked it for the most part I felt it was a struggle towards the end to finish as I was completely invested in finding out how it ended.

Thanks to #NetGalley for the digital ARC.

5
They say love and construction don't mix, but *The Co-op* proves that sometimes, love and renovation are a perfect match. In this steamy second chance romance, LaRynn Lavigne and Deacon Leeds, who once shared a fiery but short-lived summer fling, find themselves reunited by a shared inheritance and an old dilapidated building in Santa Cruz.

The novel follows LaRynn and Deacon as they navigate their unexpected partnership. LaRynn, who has the financial means, needs to be married to access her trust fund, while Deacon, with his expertise in construction, is lacking the funds. Their solution? A marriage of convenience to fix up the property, make a profit, and then go their separate ways.

What starts as a pragmatic arrangement soon reveals the complexities of their relationship. Living and working together in a building that’s as much in disrepair as their old feelings, LaRynn and Deacon must confront their emotional barriers. The close quarters and shared responsibilities force them to confront past grievances and unearth what it means to truly collaborate.

*The Co-op* is a masterclass in tension and chemistry, with the renovation of the building mirroring the emotional rebuilding that LaRynn and Deacon undergo. Their journey from antagonistic ex-lovers to a cooperative team is both steamy and heartwarming. The novel skillfully weaves together themes of partnership and personal growth, showcasing the messiness and rewards of both construction and romance.

Filled with engaging dialogue and vivid descriptions, *The Co-op* offers a satisfying blend of romance and renovation, proving that sometimes the most worthwhile projects are those that involve both brick and mortar and matters of the heart.

This was my first Tarah Dewitt novel and I already can’t wait to get my hands on a copy of Savor It, as she may just be another auto buy author to add to my (rapidly growing) list. As I’ve mentioned before I LOVE an enemies to lovers and this book had the best banter, especially early on. LaRynn and Deacon met as teenagers and have a bitter ending to their young love due to miscommunication and a need for more self discovery and personal growth. They are reunited as adults when both of their grandma’s leave a duplex to them that they must fix up and rent/sell. In order to do so, they enter into a fake marriage so LaRynn can access her trust fund. We flip back and forth between present and past and the way Dewitt captures rhetoric angst teenage summer love is pure perfection.

Also posted on Goodreads

Scheduled to post to IG @therunaway.readers on 10/3

3.5

I have loved other Tarah DeWitt books, but this one just isn’t it for me! The relationship felt a bit forced and I didn’t really experience the chemistry I was looking for between the characters. I did love the premise of working on a renovation together, since it adds stress and pressure on top of “will they, won’t they”!

LaRynn and Deacon are given shared ownership on a property that their grandmothers owned. The property is in sore need of repair and LaRynn has money in a trust and Deacon has the skills. Just one problem, she has to be married to access the trust. Despite their youthful history, they decide to have a marriage of convenience until they can fix the place up to be sold. Now they have to live under the same roof and finish this project, what could go wrong? Could this be their second chance? Honestly, it was a fun storyline, but it was a bit slow to get moving. It was still enjoyable.

3.5 stars rounded up. This book was a fun read and I feel like we were given enough context between the couple to understand why there were lingering feelings between LaRynn and Deacon.

Something about this book’s pacing just felt really off to me, but it was centered around the flashbacks. The first chapter felt like it was setting the stage for more context on the couple’s initial breakup, which was frankly a little disorienting once the book got going and we were thrown into the beginning of their relationship. Additionally the final flashback describing their first meeting felt odd. I understand what the author was going for, but it felt a little clunky reading through the flashbacks.

This definitely gave me Beach Read vibes and I loved it! 4 stars instead of 5 because there was an event in the last that we kept flashing back to and I felt like I never got any closer on how that event ended, it just kind of dropped off. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martins press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

DNF at 42%.

I don’t think I’ve ever read a story where I hope the two characters don’t get together, but there’s a first time for everything. I didn’t like LaRynn and Deacon together, and honestly I didn’t really like LaRynn. I just never connected with her character the way I do with others. I also didn’t get pulled into this story. I wanted to read it so I powered through it, but I really had to force myself.

This story isn’t flowing as well as the other book I’ve read by this author, and I think it’s the flashbacks. They are just taking me out of the story. Something that could’ve been cool was have this story in two parts where part one was the flashbacks and part two be the present scenes.

Thank you St. Martins Press and Tarah Dewitt for an early read of this book. All thoughts are my own, I do not receive money for reviews.