I love Tarah's writing.

Thank you St. Martins for this early copy!

I saw so much of myself in LaRynn, and somehow every character Tarah has written I've connected with in some way or another so strongly. To see those spikes and sharp corners and recognize them for what they truly are - Deacon is just a walking fantasy.

Sometimes, I call romcoms/romance novels fantasy novels because it feels so unrealistic to ever find this kind of love, but at the end of every book I've read from Tarah, I feel like it might still be possible for me.

This had heavier themes and struggles/topics. Grief and disability and struggle with self identity. All of which I think were written and portrayed beautifully. LaRynn has this exterior to protect herself when nobody in her life sans the grands gave her that softness she so desperately deserved...until Deacon.

I laughed a lot in this book, but I also cried several times and for me that means I really connected, and if I cry it's an automatic 5 stars lol.

I would have loved to see more of Jensen and Elyse but I loved seeing them again in the Epilogue. Deacon's part in this felt super well fleshed out as well - he wasn't just a MMC there to love her regardless, he had his own struggles and insecurities but through those struggles they found each other and supported each other and chose to love each other. (picture me crying here).

Thank you Tarah for such a beautiful story and I'm so glad you wrote it for the world to read <3

When LaRynn's grandmother dies, she leaves her home to LaRynn. But of course there is a catch....she shares ownership with Deacon, grandson to her grandmother's wife. After a tumultuous summer fling when they are teenagers, they want nothing to do with each other. But Deacon doesn't have the funds to fix the place up, and LaRynn can only access her trust if she is married. So they make an agreement to get married, and then they can fix up the place and be rid of each other once and for all.

What I liked: I love these characters. I love the idea that they have to work together to fix the building up - a place that they both have emotional ties to. The process of fixing up the place was inevitably going to push them together and force them to deal with the past. This author is quickly going to become one of my favorites - she has this way of making you so invested in the characters. I always know I'm going to cry, and I love it.

What I didn't like: I loved every second of it.

I cannot wait to read more of her books. The simplicity of everyday life in her stories are so realistic and make it so easy to connect with the characters and the story.

I really liked this book! The FMC showed a lot of personal growth and the second chance romance was sweet.

Tarah DeWitt should be protected at all costs! I LOVED Funny Feelings so I just knew I was going to love The Co-op too! This story is absolutely amazing and will get you by the throat the whole time. I can not say enough good things!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review! 🫶🏼

I read this bad boi in under 24 hours! This is my first Tarah Dewitt book and I need more! I am a lover and sucker for all tropes and this second chance romance really did it for me. Would read anything else this queen decides to publish.

Tarah Dewitt is a literary romantic genius!

The Co-Op is one of my favorite romance books. Marriage of convenience with forced proximity tossed in and a summer fling when they were 18 and they reconnect 8 years later? I loved it so much! I enjoyed this from start to finish. I love these characters so much. One thing I love about her writing and this book was how relatable and likable her characters are and you see them grow and learn and fall in love in the house that they are without knowing building as their own home. The writing is so beautiful that leaves you wanting more of LaRynn & Deacon. I’m so incredibly in love with the characters and story. I loved the slow burn and it felt perfectly paced for their story. I loved their growth and really enjoyed that I connected with these characters in a way that makes you feel seen. The ending was so beautiful and it made me so happy for these characters because after everything they went through, they deserve all the love and happiness

am aware that this isn’t the final product, but my god, there shouldn’t be this many grammatical errors this far into the publishing process. Right?! Some errors were so glaringly obvious like “I never ashamed of you” instead of “I was never ashamed of you.” Then, there were smaller errors like run-on sentences, but they were so bad that I was yanked out of the world. I also didn’t understand what the author was trying to say. Remember folks, commas are our friends. Other than the grammar problems, the book was just alright. I didn’t necessarily care for either character or the nearly non-existent plot. Normally marriage of conveniences are some of my favorites, but I was just ready to be done with this book.

this was fun yet ultimately forgettable. I did really love some of the plot lines about the hero and heroines past, as well as the side plots, but all of them felt slightly underdeveloped. worth a read but this authors magnus opus (so far) is definitely savor it :) I also never read the previous version before this rewrite so I’m not sure how this compares to the original.

thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

Publication Date: Nov 12th, 2024

Thank You Netgalley and St. Martin's Press and St. Martin's Griffin, thank for the opportunity to read ARC

I got 50 % through this book but I couldn't finish.

I didn't realize how smut it would be and I don't mind reading it but it was just too much for my liking. the charters were great and I enjoyed them I might consider going back and reading all the through when it's released.

Enjoyed this one just as much as the last book. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for gifting me this arc.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Rating: 4 Stars

I really enjoyed this book! This author had me hooked from the very beginning. I really like how all of the tropes were written through the book, and found myself giggling and kicking my feet through it.

4.5 ⭐️
2 🌶️

I read this book two years ago back when it was on KU and after reading it again, I did NOT appreciate how well written and lovely this story was back then. Tarah does an amazing job telling the story of Deacon and LaRynn, former lovers to strangers to lovers again. The development of the characters throughout the story was wonderful and the relationship that bloomed again between them was perfect. The buildup, the pining, the need of both of them to understand how much they hurt each other back in the day in order to be successful together again- it broke my heart and put it back together again.

I’m also obsessed with the little Easter egg of sorts of Meyer from Funny Feelings!!!!!!

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC!

*thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

Oh my god I am obsessed! My second book by this author and I fell in love even more. Some of my favourite tropes like second chance and forced proximity executed perfectly. I am in absolute awe and love with this author’s work and writing. I honestly cannot fault it.Possibly one of my favourite authors. I am looking forward to reading more books by Tarah.

10 stars!

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Tarah DeWitt is an expert at crafting witty banter, imperfect characters you can’t help but root for, and delicious tension. The Co-op includes all the good tropes (Enemies to lovers! Marriage of convenience! Second chance romance!) without feeling contrived or boring.

Holy hell... Tarah DeWitt is easily a new instabuy author. Also why didn't I read this sooner. I couldn't have loved it any more. Also an epilogue thats 10 years in the future!!! YESSS we stan a queen like Tarah who feeds us well.

Okay y'all it's official I am a Tarah DeWitt stan! She made me feel so many things with this book. I am a sucker for a second chance romance but they are hard to pull off and she masterfully executes the trope in The Co-op. Every element that I love about that trope - the angst, the suppressed pining, the individual growth for each character was maximized to tell the most heartfelt story possible. She also upped the stakes by having our couple be in an arranged marriage while navigating a massive house renovation together. The forced proximity took all that angst and pining to the next level. I was so gone for these characters. My favorite thing about them is how gone they are for each other. They grow to respect each other so much which was honestly the swooniest part of the book. I love seeing romantic leads dedicated to supporting their partners. It's really sweet. I also adored and deeply related to LaRynn's insecurity around her dyslexia. I feel like we don't get to see that very often in books so I was thrilled to feel very seen by her experience. If you're looking for a book that will take you on an emotional and deeply satisfying ride this is the book for you! I recommend checking trigger warnings because there are some difficult topics addressed in this book that I found cathartic but others might find too much.

loved this book so much. The tension between these two is chefs kiss,. These two felt like real people with real problems. I knew it was a story but I felt like I could know these people. Does that make sense?

This is an enemies to lover, second chance, forced marriage, living in the same house book. So many trope but it was done so so well that it didn't feel super cliche.

Another hit from Tarah!
Tarah DeWitt is always a solid 4-4.5 stars for me. I love her writing style and the complexity of her characters. I feel like I know her characters by the end of the book and relate to them so well. This time was no exception, I really loved Deacon! I had a slightly harder time with LaRynne, but not because of how she was written. Tarah, as always, does a great job characterizing LaRynne and I knew just who she was! It just took me a bit longer to feel that love for her because I kept wanting her to do or say different things! But part of what I love about Tarah’s writing and stories is that it mirrors real life and I can be frustrated with a characters actions like I would be with my friends. In the end when feelings finally collided I was SO on board with these two!
Loved this one!

This is a second chance love story. LaRynn and Deacon had a summer fling that ended in flames years ago, they have been at odds ever since. They’ve managed to avoid each other until they both end up inheriting a house in Santa Cruz. Problem is the house is not in good shape. They have to work together to fix it up so they can rent it out. Short on funds they’re forced to stay in the house together with very little privacy. Is this the chance they need to clear the air and move on from their feud?

I have to say I love the author’s writing. It’s captivating and flows well. But I didn’t love this book. I found the structure super clunky. The flashbacks felt random and out of place and the pov shifts were too inconsistent for me. I know lots of people love this author and I do really think her writing style is amazing but her story structures aren’t for me. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This genre of book is out of the norm for me. I’m not usually someone that strays toward romance unless there is a magical/fantasy element involved. I was pleasantly surprised when I grew to love not only this book, but the characters & how they developed.

Our story begins with one of the two main protagonists, LaRynn, inheriting half of her grandmother’s house. Deacon, her grandmother’s wife’s grandson inherited the other half of the house. Readers are taken on a journey from both past & present as LaRynn & Deacon navigate the personal loss of their grandparents & their last relationship while restoring their house.

Highlights:
⭐️The first few pages of the book include a playlist of songs as well as a trigger warning for the spicy scenes that will unfold in the book. I appreciate the author directly stating that these are two consenting individuals who enjoy sex & are exploring their own sexual interests.
⭐️Intersecting POV from both past/present Deacon & LaRynn
⭐️Protagonists are easy to relate & are dynamic characters in how they grow/evolve.
⭐️LaRynn was my favorite character. I especially related to her due to her relationship with her parents & her overall growth in the novel.

Pitfalls:
❌None. I really enjoyed this book!

Thank you NetGalley & St. Martin’s Press for the free early release copy of this book for my honest review.