Thanks Netgalley for the ARC of this book. Tarah Dewitt is an auto read author for me so this was very exciting to get.
I love a marriage of convenience and forced proximity, so this was right up my alley. Both characters had mutual goals they wanted to achieve so it set a nice backdrop for their love to unfold. I could feel the chemistry between the characters and was rooting for them the whole time.
Really enjoyed this read.

Larynn and Deacon, once high school lovers, reconnect to renovate a housing structure left in an inheritance. Part of the stipulation was marriage, so they’ve found themselves as enemies in a fake marriage of convenience and working towards a possible second chance at love. This book was funny, it was cute, and it had some well played out and appropriate spicy scenes. Although I did think that the two main characters were a bit immature in some ways, and there was major miscommunication scenes, their journey was endearing and relatable. My favorite part was the epilogue by far…I just love when they are set years into the future.

4.5 stars rounded up. Tarah DeWitt is an auto-read author for me, especially considering I'd already read the original version of The Co-Op and I generally am not a re-reader. A decent chunk of this is rewritten from the original version, and I will say I could tell that some of the scenes and chapters felt new. And I did still enjoy re-reading the things I remembered from the original version. The marriage of convenience trope is still not really for me, but it bothered me less in The Co-Op, maybe because it wasn't the first thing that happened in the plot, maybe because there was history between LaRynn and Deacon. Maybe because I just really love Tarah DeWitt's writing.

And maybe the most important thing about The Co-Op is that there's no! third! act! break-up!

5/5 Stars 2/5 Spice

Tropes:
Marriage of Convenience
Second Chance
Slow Burn
Opposites Attract
Forced Proximity

i loved the original version of this book & the edits in this one made it absolutely perfect. these two own my heart. i loved the way the second chance played into their story. these two could not be more opposite but they just fit so well together (well when they aren't bickering but i never want them to stop hahaha) i loved the remodel plot line it was so unique & fun to read. definitely recommend this one.

"I'll see you at home," she says. Home. Home. Home. Three months together in a ripped up building and nothing's ever felt more like it. "I'll see you at home." 🥺

I am immediately sold when I hear enemies to lovers with marriage of convenience! Plus I have always loved Tarah’s writing style. So this was a no brainer to pick up. Deacon and LaRynn are perfect for each other ( the banter and the angst) and their growth was something to be proud of. Unfortunately I wish I loved this book more. The idea was great but I felt I needed a more of a complex plot and felt like I kept waiting for something big to happen and it didn’t. Definitely lands in the cozy romance category. So my rating is just average. With that aside I loved how she portrayed the emotion that two people who are slowly and cautiously finding their way back to each other. Second chance romances are one of my favorites if done well and she did. Will be reading more of her books in the future!

This was a good one! Well written characters and story. Funny Feelings is still my favorite but I definitely enjoyed this book and would recommend this to anyone who wants a well written romance with characters that are easy to like and a plot that’s not so far fetched as to be annoying.

I loved the concept of this book. Enemies to Lovers stuck with a mutual goal in a confined space. What’s not to love? But the female protagonist seriously needed to seek a therapist and I found myself rooting against them instead of for them. I also thought the book could have used 50 or so less pages. I would have rather seen more of their journey together than the constant “I like you but I’m not gonna tell you and keep acting like a child”

This was a super funny, and serious book, it has the spice, and the fun and laughter and everything you want in a book. It was great follow up to the first one

I was so excited for this one, but man the FMC is insufferable. I just couldn't relate to her or have any sort of sympathy for her. She was truly just plain mean. I also felt that too many tropes were just shoved into this book just for the sake of it. I had to DNF I could not find the urge to continue.

Super cute and fun to read. I loved all the tropes and I will need to check out more by this author!

4.5⭐️!!!!
i’m not the biggest fan of second chance romance where we get flashbacks because i often feel that it takes me out of the story and i did feel that some, but this was second chance romance, rivals to lovers done right!! i love Deacon and LaRynn so much and how obsessed they are with each other!! the timeline of how their relationship progressed was perfect and made so much sense with their history. also i’m a epilogue lover and theirs was PERFECT!

this had great 5 star potential but the only reason that it’s not is because it took me almost a week to read because of life and i just wasn’t as connected as i would have been if i read it in a couple days. i could definitely see it becoming a 5 star if i reread it!!

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the e-arc!

"Do you even remember when you gave me that nickname?"

"Of course I do," he says. "I remember everything."

—

"I'd find you," I tell him, firmly.
"And I don't think there's a version of you I couldn't love."

—

-forced proximity, fake marriage, second chance 🔨🏠👩‍🔧🧑‍🔧💍
-Deacon and LaRynn’s story made my heart so happy! This story wove together seamlessly 💕
-some of the best written flashback scenes I’ve read and they flowed so well with the rest of the read
-thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC!

5.0⭐️

My first book from this author and it was a nice read.

At first I couldn't deal with the FMC LaRynn, she came off as not so nice and it was good to see that she kinda grew up and stopped being mean to the MMC Deacon. I get that she trying to navigate this new phase in her life but again it came out mean-ish.

I am always a fan of Dual POV because you get to be in both characters head. There is a lot of history between LaRynn and Deacon with the tension that builds from the time that see each other again until that moment where it boils over. They both have a childhood that is less than perfect that has them be against anything that could possibly make them happy. Deacon is an all around good guy, who fell hard the first time and harder the second time around with LaRynn.

It was cute second chance romance with a HGTV style home project that brings the MC's together and I can see myself picking up another book by Tarah Dewitt in the future.

this was good, but it wasn't great. I found it a little hard to connect to the characters and there wasn't really anything special for me.

Tarah DeWitt never fails to make me wish I lived in the small towns she sets her stories in. The Co-op is fun, funny, and palpable. Forever obsessed with Deacon he is A+ book boyfriend material. I wish the back and forth between past and present gripped me more than it did. I don't think I needed the chapters in the past as frequently to understand Deacon and LaRynn's relationship, but still thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

I love anything written by Tarah and this one was read in one sitting. I couldn't put it down. I love a story with banter. I enjoyed this one. It was a fun read for me.

I loved this book and couldn't put it down! Here’s a taste of what to expect:

🏖️ Sun-kissed beach vibes
💍 Fake marriage
💕 Second chance romance
🔥 Smoldering romantic tension
😂 Hilarious moments and witty banter

This is my first time diving into a Tarah DeWitt novel, and it’s a fantastic introduction. The Co-Op blends humor with romance and deeper themes, making for an entertaining and heartfelt read. You might even find yourself craving beignets as you enjoy this delightful story. 😂

Though it's a standalone gem, I’m eager to explore Tarah’s other books.

Big thanks to Tarah and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC. 🤍

Tarah’s writing is flawless! I loved this book the first time I read it and I loved it even more now! These characters are so lovable!

The was fun, easy to read and SPICY!! Not a ton of explicit scenes, but the ones she had were HOT. I thought the premise was a little hard to believe, so it did take me a minute to fully get into the book.

I had read the author's last book, and had requested this one as an arc. I enjoy the author's writing style overall, but I did find that the pull I had from the other book was not in this one. I felt like the two characters needed more flirtation sooner or at least angst. I really did not feel a connection with either one of them. I liked getting their story when they were kids, but perhaps that took away from telling more of their story as adults. There were a couple laughs that I appreciated, and a little bit of spice. This was just ok for me.