tarah dewitt is such a good writer; i love reading her work! getting to experience falling in love the way tarah writes it is truly such a joy, and i had a blast reading this one !

This story brings together the tropes of marriage of convenience and forced proximity over the backdrop of building a solid foundation between two characters who are flawed, guarded, and silently hoping they can rebuild what they both lost of each other years before. With dual timelines and dual POVs, it was easy to piece together how their shared history plays into their perceptions of what might be if they gave their unfinished romance a different, more hopeful ending, with lighthearted banter making their chemistry very believable.

It did take me a while to connect with these characters, and the pacing felt quite slow for the first half which made it somewhat difficult for me to be invested in their story as it started to unfold. Their building connection did feel much easier to root for when it did pick up in the last half of the story as their communication was also developing which was refreshing to see. While it wasn't a favourite, this was a cute and spicy second chance romance for something lighthearted and more character-driven.


Thank you to Tarah DeWitt, St. Martin’s Press, and Netgalley for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

My favorite from Tarah DeWitt yet! Loved the character growth and the complexity of the story beyond the romance.

My first Tarah DeWitt book and enjoyed it so much!

Teens brought together thanks to their grandmothers falling in love get off to a rocky start and a rockier reunion years later. LaRynn and Deacon are forced back together to handle a major project to honor their grandmothers and have a chance to make things right between themselves.

Both main characters seemed so real and relatable and I love that in books now. Both having gone through some rough stuff growing up, they’re battling it as adults and learning how to do so while also learning how to love someone else in a healthy way. This story was super sweet and I loved the CA setting. Looking forward to more from Tarah!

Especially great for lovers of: second chances, forced proximity, and fake relationships.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

I wasn’t sure what to expect from the Co-op. I read Savor It and had mixed feelings. I am happy to say I really liked The Co-Op! LaRynn can be a little immature at times (definitely keep an eye on your toothbrush) but not all the time.

There is some good humor, some things that made me shudder, and a lot of two characters having honest conversations. I think DeWitt has found the sweet spot between humor and honest human interaction. LaRynn and Deacon’s relationship doesn’t feel forced with the little exception in the beginning. Overall I liked the progression of them getting to really know each other.

First off thanks to netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the eArc.

- second chance romance
- marriage of convince
- roommates
- home renovations
- 2.5/5 spice

Both are characters spending time at their grandmas house with LyRynn visiting durring the summers. LyRynn and Deacon have a summer fling that doesn't end well. LyRynn the spends her time back at Law school and does not return back until after both her grandma and wife has passed away. The house was left to both Deacon and LyRynn and Deacon has to almost push/beg for LyRynn to help with her part. LyRynn had a falling with her rich father so she is cut off of her inheritance until she is married. So that is where the marriage of convenience comes into play. They both live at the house while renovating. I loved the banter and the tension. The spice was nice and just the right amount.

An enemies to lovers, second chance, forced proximity romance. Former flames are forced into living together after they inherited a house together and have to endure crazy renovations.
Thank you NetGalley, I really enjoyed this one.

Thank you Tarah DeWitt, St. Martin’s Press, and Netgalley for the ARC copy of this book!
This book is about two grandchildren, LaRynn Lavigne and Deacon Leeds being gifted their grandma’s home and having to work together to clean up the house to sell. It’s based in Santa Cruz and it’s a cute little story about a rekindled love.
This book rereleased on the 11th!

➼ second chance
➼ enemies to lovers
➼ forced proximity
➼ forced marriage
➼ working class hero

Trigger warning(s): none

I personally struggled to read this book. I blame it on coming off of an amazing series reread and my expectations were already through the roof! It’s not a bad storyline, it just takes a WHILE to get to their rekindling and reconnection. It’s a great little story about two misunderstood characters finding love after their grandma’s deaths.

Deacon Leeds is a sweet hero. He’s a working man and you can clearly see how much he cares for the heroine. I loved getting to read the “before” chapters with these two!

LaRynn Lavigne is definitely a misunderstood character! There’s a lot about her that Deacon never knew from before. I’m glad she went on her own route and not the one her dad chose for her! I also love the name LaRynn! It is a unique one that I haven’t heard before!

Book boyfriend? He definitely has the potential to be, but personally he is not mine

★ ★ .5
🌶️
0/5 💧

4 Stars
If this review had a title it would be, ‘The One Where Tarah Dewitt Redeems Herself To Me.’ Because I really enjoyed The Co-op! I had previously DNF’d Savor It so I was hesitant going into this book. Luckily it ended up being a winner for me!

I’ve been in kind of a funk with reading lately— really just because of my own life stress unfortunately, so I think I may have rated it higher & loved it more had I been able to read it more quickly. Because I read it slowly and over a chunk of time it wasn’t staying at the forefront of my mind and it would take me a bit to get wrapped back up in the story when I was reading.

The Co-op is a second chance romance mixed with marriage of convenience! If you love those tropes then I think you will enjoy this book. I thought the storyline was fresh which is hard to do in the romance genre while also utilizing some beloved tropes!

Thank you to NetGalley & St. Martin’s Press for the ARC of The Co-op in exchange for an honest review!

This was cute! LaRynn and Deacon's story was enjoyable although it was not my favorite of the Tarah books I've read. Loved the marriage of convenience aspect and Tarah has a way of writing really beautiful and romantic words but something about this was just missing to make it that kind of special book, if that makes sense. I will always enjoy flashback chapters, and this was no different. I loved getting a look into the past and how they got to where they are now, that was probably the most enjoyable part for me. Overall, a cute enough read, would recommend but it was not my favorite, and this book likely won't be living in my mind rent free.

Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Co-Op
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨/5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️ (2)
Tropes: marriage of convenience, second chance romance, forced proximity

The Co-Op was the first book I read of Tarah’s in 2022 and absolutely fell in love with her writing style and characters. I was so excited to read the ARC for the remodeled version (didja get the house renovation pun?) and it was still perfect!

LaRynn and Deacon inherit their grandmothers’ building, and have to overcome their past to complete the renovation before selling it. However, they need money for all of the repairs, and decide to get married in order to access LaRynn’s trust. They slowly start to rebuild trust in themselves and each other as they repair the plumbing and kitchen.

Not only was their banter swoony, but it was such a driving force in their relationship (and the plot). I loved how their banter allowed them to portray their true selves and showcase their flaws, emotions, and struggles to overcome. The dual POV was the way to demonstrate their past relationship and how they made a safe landing place.

we have: lanky flirty teens to lovers to strangers to forced to intermingle there lives in a crazy way. forced proximity, second chance, flawed MMCs. A sprinkle of so many good things all in one book.

My favorite part of the book was how flawed Tarah our two main characters. I don’t know if I’ve ever read an FMC as flawed as larynn. My girl just doesn’t know how to process her life just fell apart so suddenly. Larynn and Deacon must marry in order for her to receive her inheritance aka the funds needed to fix the house they own jointly. There is so much TENSION and banter between the two of them. In typical Tarah fashion I laughed, I cried, and I kicked my feet in the air.

there are some things within the book that could have flowed better, there were certain instances in the book where I was like “hold up when did that happen what did I miss?”

Thank you SMP and NetGalley for an arc of this book!

4.5✨
AHHHH. We all know that I love a second chance romance and baby I ate this tf up!

Deacon & LaRynn had me hooked from the beginning with the crazy amount of tension they had when they first reunited. I love second chance romance because I love when I can see characters go through real issues (that are not cheating because EWW), figure out where both parties went wrong, and come up with a solution on how to communicate better with one another in the future.

I can't wait for more from Tarah in the future!!

LaRynn and Deacon shared a summer fling when they were teenagers. A decade later, their grandmothers have left them shared ownership of their dilapidated Santa Cruz building, thrusting LaRynn and Deacon back together to pick up the pieces. LaRynn has money in a trust but can only access it if she is married, Deacon is lacking funds, but does have the construction experience necessary to repair the building. Together they strike a deal, marry for however long it takes to fix up the property, collect a profit, and then cut ties.

Even the best of relationships can be tested by home renovation work so I was intrigued to see how LaRynn and Deacon would manage the rift between them while simultaneously repairing the Santa Cruz building their grandmothers left them.

I thought it was really cool that LaRynn’s family (grandmother) was described as having come from Quebec as well as the little snippets in French. This is not common in many of the books I read, and it was a fun discovery!

THE CO-OP is a second chance romance with a little marriage of convenience that I absolutely adored. This is the updated version of the book that was initially published in 2022. I’ve never read the original so I’m not sure how this one may compare.

I enjoyed both main characters, Deacon and LaRynn. The story is told with short chapters flashing to the past that gives additional context to what created the rift that exists between the two. The character and relationship development was well done and I enjoyed seeing Deacon and LaRynn’s bond develop over the course of the story. I loved the concept of this construction project bringing them together and the antics they participate in to egg on each other. There’s some spicy scenes that are well written and with great timing.

Overall, a cute story!

<i>I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher, St. Martin’s Griffin, of this advanced digital copy for the opportunity to read this novel in exchange for an honest review! All opinions expressed are my own.</i>

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Co-op by Tarah DeWitt is perfect for those of us who love second chance romance, forced proximity, marriage of convenience, enemies to lovers, slow burn, it’s always been you, dual POV, and HGTV 🏡 😄

This is my first Tarah DeWitt, and I really liked and vibed through the renovated version of The Co-op. LaRynn is a very tough nut to crack and she’d much rather tell you off than tell you anything about herself, while Deacon is more of a kill them with kindness type of person and yet somehow these two complement each other in the best way. The flashbacks to LaRynn and Deacon as teenagers really added to their relationship and so that we could really see the growth these two went through to come back together. The small town setting and side characters also just added to the overall delight I experienced while reading this book!

There will most definitely be more books by Tarah DeWitt in my future after reading this one!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book provided to me through NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Tarah DeWitt and St. Martin’s Press for giving me the opportunity to read this book!

I’m normally not someone that enjoys the miscommunication trope but in this case I actually enjoyed The Co-Op. I really enjoyed both characters and how different from each other they were. It was just a steamy, forced proximity, marriage of convenience, it’s always been you novel.

I feel both characters were very likable. I loved the backstory with the grands and the small town feel of the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martins Press for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Enemies to lovers. Forced proximity. A marriage of convenience. Dual perspective. Sign me up immediately!

LaRynn & Deacon had a summer fling as teenagers. It was nothing to build a foundation on, given how it all fell apart. Now, eight years later, their grandmothers left them shared ownership of their falling apart Santa Cruz building.

LaRynn has the money, but to access the trust she must be married. Deacon has the construction background, but lacks the funds.

In a home without walls, they find they can hide behind the emotional walls. But forced proximity forces LaRynn and Deacon to figure out how to co-operate as a team to finish the house.

Tropes:
- enemies to lovers
- slow burn
- forced proximity
- marriage of convenience
- pranks & banter
- dual pov
- second chance
- open door
- home renos

Tarah is the absolute queen of messy, realistic, & relatable characters with depth & character development.

This is the first book I have ever read where I genuinely loved the second chance trope. The reason for their breakup as teens was believable & understandable, and the way they dealt with it as adults was messy & vulnerable & truly believable.

The banter…I’m a banter whore and love it so much so this was A++ for me!

So basically, you NEED this book at the top of your TBR. I promise you’ll thank me.

First off I loved the tropes in this one: marriage of convenience, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, second chance romance. And I thought it was impossible not to fall for these characters. I love the way that Tarah writes complex and imperfect characters that feel so real and you can't help but to root for. Another gem by Tarah DeWitt.

New Tara Dewitt reader and I’m HOOKED!! Loved The Co-Op and will definitely be looking forward to her new releases! Ready to dive into her back list now! 😃

Oh man. I had such high hopes for this book, and it had some moments, but ultimately didn't work for me.

LaRynn (I can't) and Deacon have inherited a house together. They must fix it up to sell, but must first come to terms with their passionate past. Can they work together or are they doomed to repeat the past mistakes?

The miscommunication was high in this book. Not my favorite. I also had trouble connecting with the main characters. They were adversaries for no reason for way too long. By the time they got together, I just didn't care. I was annoyed with the characters for the majority of the book. The ending was cute enough. I wish there was more friend time and less drama over the house. I guess this book was a rework? Maybe I would have enjoyed the previous iteration more.

I know this author has potential because I loved Savor It. I will try new things from her but will hesitate to revisit older works.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for the e-book in exchange for my honest review.