4.5⭐️
This book got me right in the heart. I was completely pulled into Deacon and LaRynn’s story from the start. It’s emotional, raw, messy, funny, and deeply romantic—everything I want in a second chance romance.

LaRynn was such a layered, complex character. Her tough exterior, her need to feel safe, the way she hides her softness—it all made so much sense once we understood what she’s been through. I saw so much of myself in her, especially the parts she tries hardest to hide. And Deacon? He might just be one of my favorite male leads. He’s sharp, stubborn, and intense—but the way he sees LaRynn and chooses her, every time, was beautiful.

Their chemistry was unreal. The tension, the banter, the constant button-pushing… and when things finally boil over? 🔥 Let’s just say, Tarah DeWitt knows how to write intimacy that’s both steamy and emotional. The kind that lingers.

But beyond the spice and swoon, what stuck with me most was the emotional honesty. They don’t fall back together easily—it’s a journey. There’s pain, accountability, growth, and this mutual willingness to show up for each other, flaws and all. That made their love feel so earned.

The only reason I held back from giving it a full 5 stars is because it took me a little bit to settle into LaRynn’s voice. But once I understood her, I was all in. And the epilogue? One of the most satisfying I’ve read in a while. It gave me the closure I didn’t know I needed.

This book had heart, heat, healing, and humor. If you love character-driven romances with all the tension and all the feelings—this one’s for you. 🫶

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC!💕💕

I liked this book – I didn't love it, I think I didn't really connect with the characters, and they felt a bit too immature for my preference.

Good palette cleanser book, and a quick read.

3.25 stars

I'll be honest I didn't really care for the first over half of the book. I just didn't see the chemistry or them together at all. I saw it a bit more in the before chapters but not fully. I did enjoy it more towards the end when everything was out in the open and things pick up a bit. It just could have had so much more of the connection to pull you in.

I'd never read Tarah Dewitt before, so I wasn't sure what to expect from this book. I really enjoyed the banter between the two main characters. I'd say the spice level was high for what I typically prefer. I still really thought it was a cute second chance love story that I enjoyed reading!

3.5 stars

This was fun at times but it isn't my favorite Tarah DeWitt. It's cool to see the miscommunication trope play out way after the fact -- I appreciated the unique take. I also love how LaRynn and Deacon's lives intertwined through their "grands". All the characterizations were specific and well-developed, though I did have to keep reminding myself they weren't in their thirties.

Unfortunately the plot drags at times. I skimmed parts just to keep the momentum up. And it took too long for LaRynn and Deacon to sort their stuff out. I liked that there was no third-act break up but being strung along for so long got old and repetitive.

I'd probably recommend this but it wouldn't make the top of my list.

<i>Many thanks to NetGalley, St Martin's Griffin, and the author for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.</i>

Loved this book!! The banter was hilarious. The chemistry actually felt real and the story was original.

this was such an enjoyable read!! i finished it so quickly, the characters have so much depth and personality, yet everything is told in such a fun, lighthearted way that it never feels heavy. the beginning was a bit slow to start, but once the story picked up, it really took off and kept me hooked!

Tarah DeWitt is a master class when it comes to her characters. She gives them so much depth and relatable qualities. This enemy to lovers has a timeline that flashes back and it transported me to those moments that were pivotal in linking a strong connection to Deacon and LaRynn relationship and the transition was seamless from past to present. I’m so in love with both Deacon and LaRynn and when the line said “I don’t think there’s a version of you I couldn’t love” I audibly moaned. There were some very sexy moments in this book but also so many fun quips and pranks that I caught myself laughing out loud in public. This has got to be a top favorite read of mine from Tarah DeWitt. Truly her writing is legendary.

Thanks Tarah, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for a chance to read and eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Fake marriage, enemies to lovers and forced proximity, this was made for me, so it was no surprise that I loved it. I listened to the audio and loved the narration, the narrators really brought these characters to life. I won't lie, I wasn't sold for the first couple of chapters, but once they got married, which happens surprisingly fast, I was all in. I enjoyed the sass, with actions like wearing black to the wedding. Once they started to get closer the sexual tension was incredible.

There is a second chance element to this and the reason they broke up initially was really stupid. Thankfully, it came to light so late that it didn't affect my enjoyment. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc I slept on, I'm really glad I finally got around to it.

Tarah DeWitt has quickly become one of my favorite romance authors! THE CO-OP wasn't my favorite by her, but I still had a great time with the characters.

Second chance romance is my absolute favorite trope, and I will take it in any form! LaRynn and Deacon had a summer fling when they were teenagers. Years later, their grandmothers leave them shared ownership of their building, bringing them back into each other's orbits.

Marriage of convenience isn't my favorite trope, so I think I would've loved this story more if it was excluded from the plot. I did really enjoy the connection between LaRynn and Deacon and wished there was a way for them to work together without getting married.

I love Tarah DeWitt's books--Funny Feelings is one of my favorite romances in recent memory--but this book didn't quite hit the mark for me. It's well-written and well-paced, but I had a hard time connecting with the characters. Because the book is so well-written, I won't hesitate to recommend it to romance readers looking for an emotional second-chance romance. This book is the second in a series and I do hope DeWitt continues to write books about this family, because I do think I'll enjoy books centered around some of this book's supporting characters.

How have I waited so long to read a Tarah DeWitt book? I absolutely loved this one and flew through it. I really enjoyed reading LaRynn and Deacon’s story and they felt like such real and well rounded characters. The miscommunication went on a little bit long for me but I loved seeing their relationship develop and I loved that there was no third act breakup! I’ve already picked up more DeWitt books to read!

The Co-Op 🪚
— Real tension and a kind of stubborn house

★★★½☆ (3.5/5)

This book surprised me in a good way. I went in for the marriage of convenience + house renovation chaos, and honestly? It delivered exactly that. The setting was super fun, the dynamic between LaRynn and Deacon had that perfect mix of sharp banter and buried feelings, and the tension? Solid. Not too much angst, just enough slow burn to keep me invested.

I actually really liked the whole fixer-upper as a metaphor — it never felt forced. The house needed work, so did they, and watching both get pieced back together was satisfying in a very soft, low-stakes kind of way.

That said, the pacing dipped a little in the middle. Some flashbacks felt a bit jumbled, and I wish we had more time seeing the emotional shift happen instead of it just being told to us. I didn’t fully feel the turning point in their relationship — but I still rooted for them the whole way.

The cozy small-town side characters, the second-chance energy, the forced proximity — all worked for me. Not a perfect book, but definitely charming and enjoyable. I smiled a lot while reading, and that counts for something.

Would I reread? Probably not.
Would I recommend it? Yeah, if you like slow-burn, character-driven romance with that renovation aesthetic.
Would I read more by Tarah DeWitt? Definitely. This one made me curious about her other books.

This book started slow in the beginning but ended up picking up about halfway through. I do love a marriage of convenience trope so of course I enjoyed it!! I also love there was no 3rd act break up.

Title: The Co-op
Author: Tarah DeWitt
Rating: ★★★★☆ (4/5)

I really enjoyed The Co-op, it perfectly captures those small-town vibes where everyone knows each other and secrets feel heavier. I'm also a sucker for a marriage of convenience trope! It always gives an added layer of tension and makes the blossoming romance that much more fun and appealing.

“𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒎𝒆,” 𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏. “𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒔𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒆𝒔 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒎𝒆, 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰’𝒗𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒌𝒆𝒅 𝒔𝒐 𝒈𝒐𝒅𝒅𝒂𝒎𝒏 𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒔𝒐 𝒎𝒖𝒄𝒉 𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒊𝒆𝒓 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒆𝒍𝒔𝒆." YESSSSS! Makes your toes curl, your feet kick a little and your heart beat faster, I loved the emotion in this book and how the characters are flawed but yet perfect.

This was my first Tarah Dewitt book and I'm excited to pick up something from her back list this summer. I love when ARCs lead to me finding another author that I enjoy.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of this book, all opinions are my own.

The Co-op was a cute, light read that will make anyone swoon. This expanded edition of The Co-op adds so much background/flashback to when they originally separated. The banter between the two main characters was hilarious and addicting. If you love second chance romance, with marriage of convenience this will be your cup of tea.

This book made me feel so much and I instantly fell in love with both LaRynn and Deacon. What a bunch of dumbs in love. Add to the story, character development and beautiful writing, the fact that they are somehow a mix of my favorite romcom couples - NaomiNicholas with their screaming, banter and general chaos it's all there, with a hint of NoraCharlie (nothing too specific, just a vibe and okay maybe the fact that she is tall and romcom writers are afraid of writing tall women) and even WesMaybell with their home renovation. It just gave me the same feeling of warmth and comfort that these books did and I have to add it never had any unnecessary drama once their original problem was resolved. It was just... everything! READ IT. And read everything else written by Tarah DeWitt because IT IS WORTH IT.

Thank you net galley for the book


Honestly the first 60% of the book the FMC LaRynn was so annoying.

I love a marriage of convenience and hate second chance romances so this one was a struggle for me. The elements of a second chance that I do not enjoy made this marriage of convenience, inheritance romance just slightly miss the mark for me. Well written and full of the fun adventures that come with an inheritance and renovation romance this was a fun romance, just not the perfect one for me.

Rating: 4/5 Stars
Genre: Contemporary Romance

LaRynn and Deacon had a summer fling as teens that left them completely heartbroken. Now a decade later, both their grandmothers, who were together, passed away and left them shared ownership of their home that needs significant work. LaRynn has a trust that she needs to be married to access, so despite not being able to stand each other these days, they decide to get married just long enough to get the money and fix up the property. But being in forced proximity to someone you've already had feelings for is a recipe for a second chance!

This is a slow-burn that I enjoyed. I love a marriage of convenience and a second-chance. I also enjoy a book around home renovations because let's face it, it's so stressful, especially having to live through it in the space and then with someone else, so the tension and banter are always top notch. I didn't love the reason for the marriage of convenience, it wasn't fully believable to me, and I felt like the reasons why they hated each other and were still holding on to that grudge was a bit ridiculous, but the growth these characters had and the mental health issues they were dealing with and how it was handled was done really well. And then when they did get together, the chemistry was fantastic! I loved the last third of the book immensely, especially!

Thank you St. Martin's Press/St. Martin's Griffin and NetGalley for an eARC. The above honest thoughts and review are my own.