This book was perfect when I first read it and this new revamped version is even more perfect. Deacon and LaRynn are truly the definition of quiet love. Tarah Dewitt did such a careful and poignant job of showing the history and back stories of each these characters, how everything they went through was a step they were taking towards each other. Showing how the person you love will love each part of you even the parts you think are dark and shameful. I just feel so connected to LaRynn’s character and how she uses little snipes and remarks as a defense mechanism to keep people from getting to close in fear that they will leave her. Also her desire to just be happy and living a quiet life that fulfills her. This is truly one of my favorite books of all time!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book follows Deacon and LaRynn who used to know eachother but haven’t seen each other in years. Now they are married in order to get access to money to be able to fix a house that they both inherited.

This book was so beautifully perfect and truly broke my heart and put it back together. I loved the main characters so much and felt for them so much.

They both deal with feelings of being inadequate. How much it effects your life and how different people deal with this really rang true to me.

There is something unique and breathtaking about Tarah’s writing and her characters that has me in a choke hold.

Read if you love
• Marriage of convenience
• Second chance romance
• Emotional reads

#bookstagram #tarahdewitt #kindleunlimited #romancereads

The Co-op by Tarah DeWitt is a heartwarming and engaging contemporary romance that beautifully blends humor, emotion, and charm. DeWitt's storytelling prowess shines through in this delightful tale of love, community, and second chances.

The story revolves around two protagonists who find themselves unexpectedly thrown together in a co-op living situation. Their initial interactions are filled with witty banter and playful antagonism, making their journey from reluctant roommates to something more all the more enjoyable. The chemistry between the characters is palpable, and DeWitt does an excellent job of developing their relationship in a way that feels natural and deeply satisfying.

The supporting cast adds depth and richness to the narrative, bringing the co-op community to life with their unique personalities and contributions to the story. The dynamics within the co-op are both entertaining and heartwarming, highlighting themes of friendship, collaboration, and the importance of finding one's tribe.

DeWitt's writing is crisp and engaging, with well-paced storytelling that keeps readers invested from start to finish. The balance of humor and emotional depth ensures that the book is not only a fun read but also one that resonates on a deeper level.

Overall, The Co-op is a delightful and uplifting romance that will leave readers with a smile on their faces. Tarah DeWitt has crafted a charming and memorable story that celebrates love, community, and the beauty of unexpected connections.

This was a very nice second chance romance with humor and great supporting characters.

A lot of emotions built up over how things ended the first time, plus more at the surface because of the loss of their grandmothers. I cried several times because those emotions were very well written.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. It appears this book was previously published with a different cover but the new version will come out November 12, 2024.

Despite the beautiful cover, there isn't a lot of depth to this second chance romance. LaRynn and Deacon had a short summer fling while teenagers, and the synopsis notes this is nothing to build a foundation on- however, that's exactly what this love story tried to form their foundation on.
As a reader, time would have been better spent watching an HGTV home reno episode, and I'm rarely one to promote television over a book.

I have read this in the past and wanted the chance to read it again. I absolutely love this story. Tarah’s writing is almost perfect to me and I absolutely devour everything she has written and will continue to do so! Larynn and Deacon are two of my favorite love interests!!

Dragged me through hell and back and I was thankful for it by the time I finished. Never been prouder of fictional people.

The Co-Op

4.25 ⭐️

Tarah Dewitt might be one of my new fav indie authors! She writes such great adult romances that are full of good characters, growth and unique takes on tropes.

The Co-Op is dual perspective from Deacon and LaRynn, both who knew each other years ago but haven’t kept up. I loved watching them improve their home while stuck in a fake relationship. There isn’t a third act breakup, and I loved that. The epilogue was perfect!

RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (3.5/5)

The Co-op by Tarah Dewitt is about LaRynn and Deacon who reunite a decade after their summer fling to fix up the house their grandmothers lived in so they could sell it for profit…. But first, they have to get married.

I thought this book was a good, quick, and easy read! Deacon and LaRynn are both flawed, but good characters who you want to root for. Both are struggling to work past their family traumas, which I thought made each of them deeper as characters.

However, with that being said, I didn’t love how everything went down with LaRynn’s family. While her family traumas made her a deeper character, I just didn’t love the way that plot developed through the book.

The reason for my 3.5/5 is because tension through the first like, 70% of this book was great, but once the characters started to get together it went from 0-100 and I just didn’t love that. They just immediately went from not working out.. to working out? And I don’t know, something about it felt a little off to me.

But like I said, the tension was great and I loved the banter between the two characters. I liked this book and would suggest it!!

I read my first Tarah DeWitt novel this year and loved it! I’m still working through the backlist, but was so happy for NetGalley and St Martins to grant me this early access to The Co-Op. I loved it.

Whatever Tarah DeWitt writes is an automatic 5-star read for me. I loved this book so much. It was funny, heartbreaking, swoony, and just overall perfect. I really enjoyed a lot of the pop cultural references, there weren't too many that it gave me the ick. They were very subtle. The only complaint I have is that it was too short! After Deacon proposed to LaRynn, I was shocked to see that that was the last chapter and we're already 10 years forward into the epilogue. I was waiting for the last shoe to drop...everything felt so easy and lovely during the last 30% of the book. That's why I was so shocked that it was the final chapter. But that's not necessarily a bad thing! I was just so used when reading a romance novel, there's always a last minute conflict and there wasn't any in 'The Co-op.' Sometimes all we need is a good, easy, romance story. And this was it. I loved every minute of reading this. I cried too much in the epilogue.

Book Review:
5 ⭐️’s

Below is my review for the original book, and after reading the new version I am even more smitten by this universe and these characters. The sheer amount of heart in this story just left my heart fully wrung out.

Tarah DeWitt hits it out of the park again with this incredible story that is so much more than enemies to lovers and a cute cover.

Apparently second chance romance is my thing now cos I can’t get enough of it. But I’m learning that it takes an incredible author to do this type of plot well, and The Co-Op delivers spectacularly. I’m floored by how much we get in so little and how flawlessly that is executed in Tarah’s writing. It takes zero effort for you to understand the character of LaRynn and Deacon and to be a part of their motivations and personalities. Getting to watch these two earn one another’s love and learn to love themselves was a fluid and enjoyable journey - and I have to make sure I mention the sheer amount of humor we get through the whole process!

This book is emotional and moody but hilarious and fun. It’s seamless in its storytelling and flawless in everything it delivers.

What you can expect:
• marriage of convenience
• enemies to lovers
• second chance romance
• forced proximity
• slow burn
• no third act breakup
• rooting for their romance
• hi-jinx and pranks
• binge-able reading
• a few tears at the end

Did I fall in love with Tarah’s writing after reading Funny Feelings? Yes. Was it worth staying around for The Co-Op? Without a doubt. Will I ever leave her side again? No. She’s stuck with me as a reader forever.

[5/5 ★★★★★] “But look at us, LaRynn. We’ve had to do so much shit backwards. We had to fall back in love while tackling a renovation and some demons. If we can do that, we can do anything.”

A fake marriage, forced proximity, second chances—this book had everything for me to love it, and it exceeded all my expectations. I fell in love with this story back in 2022 when I first read it, and now, marking my third consecutive year reading it, it still makes me feel like that very first night 🧡

I loved it so much, and it resonated with me in so many more ways than I thought it would 🧡 The author beautifully developed the relationship between these characters. After nearly a decade since their chaotic summer together, LaRynn and Deacon have many pent-up feelings and conflicts to resolve in order to move forward and re-learn to trust each other. The way it all unfolds is wonderful—it doesn't happen overnight; the protagonists struggle to reach that point, but they fight for it, and it feels so real it hurts.

I connected deeply with both characters. They both grew up in homes where much was expected of them, yet the rewards were minimal. They have insecurities about not feeling good enough or seeing their dreams as distant. Tarah DeWitt did something incredible in explaining these intrusive feelings and thoughts.

And the epilogue??? TARAH DEWITT I LOVE YOU 🙏🏼🧡 It was beautiful and perfect for them. This book definitely goes on my list of favorites and best reads of the year.

The Co-op centers on Deacon and LaRynn, whose grandmas were married and owned a home in Santa Cruz. The two had an intense fling when they were 19 and 20 but did not part on good terms. Now years later, they jointly inherited the place owned by their grands and they need to fix it up so that they can rent it out or sell it. To do that, they need to get married so LaRynn can access the funds in her trust. I love the premise of this book - I think it’s such a fun and creative concept and I can truly imagine Tarah cackling to herself as she put them through this.

If you want a TLDR review then I’ll just say this - if you like to laugh, to feel pesky emotions, and romance, then go preorder/put your Libby hold in now because this checks all the boxes for a perfect romcom. I cackled, I cried, and I kicked my feet. I can’t stop thinking about it and even though I have so many books I want to read, I keep thinking, okay so should I just re-read this though?

First and foremost, this book is FUN with signature Tarah humor that will have you doing the lizard chuckle meme again and again. Deacon and LaRynn are such little brats to each other but never in a toxic way that makes you not like them or root for them to be together. They just like driving each other crazy. They are also very clearly cosmically intended for one another and watching them figure that out and show each other that they value the other is such a treat. This is a second chance romance, my favorite trope, because something about reigniting old flames just hits different. And it’s second chance at its best. It is angsty yet tender. The banter, tension, and chemistry between these two is chef’s kiss. Now this is super funny but if you think you’re getting out of there without shedding a couple of tears, I regret to inform you that, no, you likely will cry a little bit because both characters are dealing with their own grief, trauma, and insecurities and have to work through that as they fix up this house together. Because such is life! (Iykyk)

If you enjoyed the og of this book, you’re going to love the renovated. And honestly, if for whatever reason you didn’t enjoy the og, there’s a very good chance that you’ll love the renovated. I personally wasn’t really sure how Tarah could improve upon the og but she said “girl, hold my beer” and here we are.

The (renovated) Co-op fills in holes in the foundation of the story that you weren’t aware were there because they were under the house and didn’t impact your day to day. We get more backstory of how Deacon and LaRynn fell in love the first time and what went wrong. Also there are some tweaks with side characters that further ground the story in ways that click into place better. Everything I loved about the og is still in there (looking at you in particular good vibrations, “it meant something,” camp laundry room, “show me where it hurts,” etc.) but there’s so much more now. The tension! The mutual pining! The angst! Ugh, I just cannot say enough good things.

One of my favorite books of all time.

Thank you to TD, SMP, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

didn't enjoy this as much as i've enjoyed some of her other books. i had such high hopes after reading 'savor it' a couple months ago, but this one was a bit disappointing.

3.75⭐, 2🌶️

I tried. I really tried to love this book as much as alllll of the positive reviews and accolades I've seen about it on social media, but it just wasn't the book for me. The second chance romance felt unfinished for me (like I can't remember if I glossed over why they broke up originally?) but it just didn't stick for me in any meaningful way. The premise of the book had me so excited, but the second chance, enemies to lovers, & marriage of convenience were too much and didn't fit well together.

I'm not usually a big fan of second chance romances, but I actually feel like these characters had both a reason to split years prior as well as a good reason to reunite now.

The spice level is good, the character's relationship is cute, and there are funny moments throughout.

Overall, I prefer Funny Feelings or Savor It by Tarah DeWitt more, BUT if you enjoyed those books you will definitely enjoy The Co-op!

the co-op was my favorite tarah dewitt book. the co-op (renovated) is my new favorite tarah dewitt book.

i didn't realize i was missing the flashbacks until i had them right in front of me. which, i think, is a testament to the original story - that you felt their love and pain even without first seeing how they got to where they are in the present. but my god did those flashbacks pack a damn punch.

from the small things, to their first meeting of literally running into each other, to deacon's unfortunate timing with a volleyball (and the poor consequences HE suffered for it 🤭), to that final heartbreaking moment on his birthday. the way we see how they each viewed their summer together and how it shaped and hurt them individually. how it took a full house reno and some real talking to understand just how impacted the other was. how they were able to build their relationship back up, piece by piece, with humor and hard work.

deacon and larynn are an dream couple. they're dream characters. everything about this book is exactly what i look for in rom-coms: humor, meaningful spice, hurt, and healing.

i cannot wait for fans of the original to read this. i cannot wait for anyone new to this book/tarah's work to read it. it cannot be overstated how lucky we are as romance fans that we get to read tarah's stories.

thank you, SMP and NetGalley, for sending me the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️

Basically the review is this: if Tarah DeWitt writes it, I’m reading it.

I am an absolute sucker for a second chance romance. Throw in the fact that they have the most angsty, butterfly giving chemistry, oh and they have to get married in order to complete a joint renovation project.

Deacon and LaRynn both grow so much in this story and the sparks are off the charts. I love how attracted they are to one another but are hiding from their deeper feelings due to past hurts.

Forced proximity, marriage of convenience, spice…I could go on but this was just delightful and I can’t stress enough how amazing Tarah is at making characters that you can instantly fall in love with.

The Co-op by T. DeWitt, published by St. Martin's Press is a beautiful second chances story. A romance with a marriage of convenience, Deacon who makes a tremendous hero, and LaRynn who is über-annoying and impossible to connect with or even to like.
All in all an ok read.