I read The Co-op in November 2023, and absolutely loved it. It was a five star favorite. I probably should have left it at that. The new version feels like it lost a little bit of its soul, and the beginning felt like it was rewritten to make LaRynn seem more likable and sympathetic. The charm was falling for these characters slowly as they revealed parts of themselves to each other over the course of the renovation. Obviously, a lot of parts in the back half remained mostly unchanged, and the ending is still cute, but I just feel like it is missing something now for some reason.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

This wasn't my favorite or the best book I read this year, but it kept my attention. The marriage of convenience and the forced proximity were done well, and I was glad there was so third act break up.

LaRyan and Deacon had a short fling in high school, but when their grandmothers leave them equal shares in a Santa Cruz building, they are brought back together.

Ehh I didn’t love this one. The characters were fine but the jump in history to how they got to this point is not my favorite way to progress a story. I like the aspect of fixing the house up while dealing with life. Overall, I’m sure it’ll do well but I wasn’t a fan and felt slowed down while trying to read

LaRynn Lavigne & Deacon Leeds reunite as adults when their grandmothers leave them with a shared property after their passing. They could fix it up, but finding the money for renovations could take some creativity. LaRynn could have access to her trust fund if only she was married.
As the two come together for the sake of turning a cherished home with many memories from their lives as teenagers, their old flame gets rekindled.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to arc read this book.

I really enjoyed the storyline, I usually don’t like back and forth stories because I can’t remember what’s going on. But I did enjoy this! Lots of funny moments and good smut if that’s your thing.

LaRynn and Deacon were both so funny. I absolutely DIED when Deacon started playing good vibrations. I was pleasantly surprised with how they ended up being able to keep the house. It was a nice little twist.

This book would be a great vacation read- a true rom com with a little touch of dealing with grief of a loved one sprinkled in

I really wanted to like this book and hear so many good things about it but I had such a hard time getting into it.
I found both main characters very unlikeable. I found the story line frustrating. I had to force myself to pick it up and continue reading.

I really enjoyed The Co-op! It was such a fun and engaging read. The characters were well-written, flawed, and felt realistic, which made it easy to root for them. Watching their growth and seeing them learn from past mistakes added depth to the story. While the plot itself wasn’t all that complex, it was still enjoyable. The banter and tension between the two main characters was perfect and kept me hooked throughout. I also thought it was a nice second-chance romance, with a very sweet ending. Overall, I’d give this one 4 out of 5 stars!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me access to an eARC of this book. All thoughts are my own.

The book lost me a little over halfway. I just couldn’t get into it after that, sadly, and just wanted to finish. I just couldn’t connect to the characters. Thank you for the opportunity to read this ARC!

I just didn't love this. I couldn't connect with the characters or buy into their relationship at all. It all seemed very abrupt but at the same time disconnected from their pasts.

this book started out great and then lost me a bit at the 60% mark. Overall a good book and I loved the banter between the main characters but got a bit bored with the plot but would still definitely recommend this book!!

This is a cute story I really loved the cover of this book which made me intrigued I didn’t even realized it’s a re release, the fmc is kinda annoying and whiney however the mmc really carried the plot on his back.

ARC review (shoutout to netgalley!)
The Co-op is a second chance marriage of convenience story taking place with a backdrop of renovating their grandmothers beloved house. LaRynn and Deacon are, in a way, forced to face their past romance together and find a way to work together to honor the memory of their passed loved ones. I enjoyed the premise of the story and was super excited to start it, but I think this book wasn't for me at the end of the day. LaRynn's character is a complex one, having to face her own personal battles in order to heal and move on with her life. I found her character development was missing something and it took me a while to understand her character. And while I loved the idea of the marriage of convenience to help renovate the house (more on this when you read the book), I felt my annoyance with LaRynn's character development kept getting in the way of me enjoying the overall story. While I don't think this book was for me, I can see so many romance readers liking LaRynn and Deacon's story!

3.5 ⭐️ / 2 🌶️

Thank you NetGalley for this arc!

This was a super cute read. Think, an HGTV home improvement show meets a childhood lovers reuniting as adults situation!

The plot itself wasn’t all that deep, but sometimes you don’t need that. I enjoyed it still! Also I love the nickname Larry 😭

I adored the indie version, and now there’s even more Deacon & LaRynn to love! This new version has added flashbacks, banter and more from fun side characters. I will admit it took me a minute to get into it because I was comparing to the previous version, but once I let that go, I was once again swept away by their love story.

Oh gosh they’re just so stubborn, broken, defensive… and so meant for each other . They need each other so much, and their antics while they figure that out are hilarious and ridiculous… but when they do figure it out… WEW so hot 🔥 and heartwarming ❤️

Such a fun read! Highly recommend.

Many thanks to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

I haven’t read many second chance romances, but I liked this one. I enjoyed also getting to see both LaRynn and Deacon’s POVs throughout the book and hearing their inner monologues. While the miscommunication trope is common, I think this one if played out well. I could see two 18-year-olds, unsure of themselves, and hurting one another with careless words and misinterpretations.

I can also see two adults come back together after not speaking to one another since they were 18 and hurt each other to things being awkward and difficult. Watching them toe the line between what they want and what they think the other needs, I was always curious where the playful banter and pranks would lead me next.

3.5 ⭐️

This book was okay. I had a hard time getting into it and it wasn't until over 55% in that it started to come together.

I love good banter and a feisty FMC, but I found the FMC in this book extremely immature and childish at times. Loved the MMC though.

The ending was really good. It was so sweet. I loved it.

**I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**

This will be my 3rd book from the Author. I definitely can see the appeal that everyone has with her writing style, her romances and the small town vibes that they give off. I have resigned myself that I think I can't connect that way with her writing and I am absolutely gutted by this.

This had all the perfect makings of a book, the banter, the romance, the laugh out loud moments, the emotional moments and even the small town vibe. This would be an amazing book for those who already love the Author's other works but also those that want a great romance without it being dark. This is a feel good romance that you would want to cuddle up with during this time of year.

So many tropes - fake marriage, forced proximity, second chance - and it all works!!!
Love the conflict and chemistry and how they worked through it
Couldn’t put it down!!!!