Second chance romance is one of my favorite tropes and this was no exception. I have become such a fan of Tarah Dewitt. She has such great balance of angst and fun, and the side characters always add so much to the charm. Absolutely loved this!

I would like to start by thank St Martins Press and Tarah DeWitt for an e-arc copy of The Co-op!

Tarah DeWitt is the queen of a cute rom-com with top tier banter and tension! I found myself kicking my feet and giggling when reading this book, which honestly what more can you ask for when reading a romance! 💕

This was such a fun book! I really enjoy this authors stories and was excited to read this one! It’s a great forced proximity and marriage of convenience. Would recommend to all of my friends!

📚 The Co-Op
✍ Tarah DeWitt
📖 Contemporary Romance
⭐3/5
🌶️ 🌶️

🙏 Thank you to St. Martin's Press, NetGalley and the author for an advanced copy of The Co-Op. All opinions are my own.
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🎯 What I loved: I really like romances where the two characters have to figure out some of their issues through the lens of a project and the renovation backdrop of this book was perfect for forcing the characters to compromise, share space and reminisce about their grandmothers who brought them together in the first place. I also really liked that their grandmothers, despite having passed during the bulk of the story, were central to their connection and felt like their personalities infused the rest of the book along with the other side characters who were all a lot of fun.

🙅‍♀️ What I didn't: I usually love dual timeline/dual POV romances but I don't think the timeline set in the past did anything to push the storyline of The Co-Op forward. It didn't really lend itself to explaining what caused the initial rift between Deacon and LaRynn and didn't create any anticipation. My primary issue with this book though was just that I really didn't like LaRynn. Even after more light was shed on her background, I still didn't really understand her reason for treating people the way she did- I'm all for a tough and feisty FMCs but LaRynn seemed to hold vendettas and lacked accountability which made her unappealing to me as a reader. And despite liking most of the tropes used, there were almost too many layered on top of each other to parse what made this story unique.
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Read if you love:
*2nd chance romance
*enemies to lovers
*marriage of convenience
*beach town setting
*renovation project
*slow-burn
*forced proximity
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See also: Built to Last, One Last Summer, Happy Place

This story is a perfect build (construction pun intended)! The tension, pain and chemistry between LaRynn & Deacon is intense and palpable. They are the definition of that thin line between love and hate. They are both flawed characters with their own baggage and trauma. They felt so honest in their imperfections which made their story feel so real. Once I started this book, I could not put it down. I just needed more & more! The side characters were also perfect and made their story really come to life. That epilogue (chefs kiss) was the perfect finishing touch. I already cannot wait to reread this book.

This is my second Tarah DeWitt book, and I will now be busy reading everything else she has written!

Did I read this book last year and thoroughly enjoyed it? Yes, I did. Did I also request this book thinking it was a new book due to the cover change? Also yes. The Co-op is still a good book but this new beautiful cover will definitely bring more interested readers. Me included.

This novel was just what I needed for a stay in and read kind of day. DeWitt builds characters with emotional building blocks that allows the reader to be a part of the story too. We find similarities in each character that allow us to relate: grief, sadness, depression, anger, etc. The list goes on. The angst in the beginnign of the book was heavy and juicy. The 'enemies to lovers' vibe in the air. But the mix of the characters here and now stories alongside their before story was vital to the novel.

I was excited to get to read this one based on the blurb. It sounded like such a good story but was a hard read for me. I didn’t feel a connection to the characters at all. It could be because of the back and forth timelines. There was so much back and forth that it kind of drove me crazy and I couldn’t focus on the story. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the chance to read and leave my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and St Martin Press for this ARC! I absolutely loved this book. It was such a fun second chance romance with marriage of convenience. Reminded me of beach read :)

The Co-op had an intriguing premise, but it failed to deliver on almost every front. The characters felt one-dimensional, especially LaRynn, who comes off as entitled and disconnected. Her backstory lacked depth, and her constant crying without any meaningful follow-up made her character frustrating to follow. The marriage plot—a key point—felt forced and lacked any believable motivation or chemistry between the leads. Additionally, the story moved at a painfully slow pace, with unnecessary side plots and endless renovation details bogging it down. I struggled to stay engaged, and by the end, it felt like a chore to finish. Disappointing read.

3 stars

The characters in this book are well-developed and full of depth, each with their own unique motivations and backgrounds. The plot is creative and skillfully executed, keeping the story engaging from start to finish. However, on a personal note, I didn’t feel as strong of a connection between the characters as I have with characters in other books, particularly in *Savor It*. While the second-chance romance aspect is handled well, it’s not my favorite trope, which may have influenced my overall experience of the book.

The Co-Op is the 2nd Tarah DeWitt novel I've read & enjoyed both stories. The Co-Op is a good story that spans a number of years through the relationship of LaRynne & Deacon. Both have skued views of what love & marriage should be from the errors of their parent's ways, but LaRynne & Deacon work closely together on a home renovation to also realize how much they need each other's support & love their lives. There is plenty of passion in this book & although the overall storyline was a bit slow, the ending comes together beautifully to make a fantastic romance novel.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book on #NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own, but please read this novel, especially if you enjoy reading romances with a little heat.

LaRynn and Deacon feel like they are meant to be. They have an interesting dynamic. Although I liked the characters, the novel feels pretty average. It isn’t bad; however, it isn’t exceptional either. Nothing felt very surprising to me. I would’ve preferred a little more tension between LaRynn and Deacon at the beginning because I feel like it would make sense with the book's tropes. The pacing was also a little slow.

This review will be posted on my Instagram on November 20th, 2024.

Another Tarah DeWitt hit! I really enjoyed this book and would absolutely read it again! LaRynn and Deacon had such great banter and chemistry. This was a second chance romance with some home renovation and a marriage clause thrown in and it all went together in such a great way. I loved the little French aspects throughout and the side characters added so much to their story. These two might be one of my favourite couples I’ve read about, based on the open communication between them and superior banter. This book was something special and I can see why it’s the author’s favourite story that she’s written! I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a second chance romance who enjoys watching some HGTV!
I want to thank Tarah DeWitt and St. Martin’s Press for a copy of this ARC!

4.5 stars!!! I love Tarah’s writing it just truly works with my brain. Mean ass LaRynn wasn’t even that mean lolol maybe that says more about me 😂 also if a book has anything about remodeling a house or doing a flip I EAT it up so I’m not surprised I loved this one!

Thank you to Tarah DeWitt, St Martins Press, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I went into this book feeling so excited, but something about it didn't click with me. I had an issue with the overall writing and dialogue. The jumpiness between their teenage years and the present felt choppy; sometimes I felt downright confused. Other than that, it was a good concept on paper.

This was okay. I didn’t hate it but I definitely didn’t love it. I do not like the miscommunication trope and this was heavy on that. I skimmed around a lot hoping it would get better and the storyline would click, however this unfortunately did not at all work for me.

This was not for me, which I was bummed about because I liked what I've read of this author before. I didn't feel like I bought the marriage of convenience trop, which is normally a favorite of mine. I also can't stand miscommunication because it can make characters feel immature. This just wasn't for me, but I know others loved it and I will recommend it to those that fall in this category.

Even with the forced proximity and fake marriage in this book, parts of their love story felt attainable and real. This romance is a sweet mix of vulnerability and humor but definitely a spicy read. 3.5⭐️

Unfortunately this book was not for me. After finding out that it was a re-release, I wondered if that was part of the problem. The book felt over-written and forced. I found the characters off-putting from the start and was very bothered by the niche cultural references (such as TikTok memes). I didn’t finish it because I was just so bothered by the writing style and didn’t connect with the story. I imagine other readers of this author would enjoy it, or maybe someone looking for something with a sharper voice than most romance.