First of all thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!!

Such a funny and emotional read. Friends to enemies and enemies to lovers. Honestly at first I wasn’t sure how I felt about LaRynn but I loved Deacon right from the start.

❤️ the sexual tension was sooooo well written
❤️ SPICEEE!!!!!!
❤️ the games/pranks they play against each other to get under each others skin
❤️ the family drama and how it was repaired
❤️ how broken they both were in different ways and repaired each other together
❤️ the way they dealt with their past relationship with each other to move onto the present

Did i read this book in one sitting? Absolutely. Tarah did an amazing job with this one. It’s hard not to be emotional about the way Deacon and LaRynn were perfect for each other. Second chance romance is my one of my favorite trope for romance. Watching the two of them work together to break down the walls (both literally and figuratively) that have kept them apart for so long was really a treat. This story is about hope, grief and self-doubt, and finding the strength to try for the love they deserve.

.

The Co-op tries to mix love and construction, but unfortunately, both the romance and the plot felt as shaky as the dilapidated building the characters were trying to restore. LaRynn Lavigne and Deacon Leeds, former summer flings turned reluctant partners, are thrown back together by a shared inheritance, but their forced marriage and renovation project didn’t quite build the tension or chemistry I was hoping for.

The premise—fix up a property while navigating an awkward fake marriage—had potential, but the execution fell flat. The characters lacked depth, making it hard to invest in their journey, and their interactions felt more frustrating than engaging. The emotional walls they put up weren’t just between them—they also kept me, as a reader, at a distance.

Despite being marketed as a steamy romance, the sparks between LaRynn and Deacon were few and far between. The story leaned heavily on clichés, and the plot twists were predictable. What could have been an enjoyable exploration of partnership and growth ended up feeling like a drawn-out project with too many structural flaws.

Overall, The Co-op didn’t quite deliver on its promise of restoration—whether of buildings or relationships. It left me feeling like I’d spent too much time on a renovation that never really came together.

First, I want to say I absolutely love Tarah DeWitt as an author and cannot recommend her book Savor It more!

Unfortunately, this book was not for me and I ultimately DNF’d at 35%. I love a good enemies to lovers, but the banter between these two was harsh without a playful tone. I found both main characters unlikable, to the point where any redemption arc was going to be a moot point for me which ultimately led to me putting the book down.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this digital ARC. I still look forward to DeWitt’s next release and hope this book connects more for other readers!

Oh how I just ate this book up! I will always pick up anything Tarah writes, it seems.

I have such a soft spot for stereotypically “unlovable” characters, those that seem to cause so much controversy over their personalities and actions. But this is the reality of humanity: we are flawed, we make mistakes, we are always changing (and hopefully growing, too).

LaRynn and Deacon are riddled with flaws in all the best ways. Their lives (and relationship) are complicated and emotional and raw. They both are navigating grief, difficult family dynamics, and lingering feelings about their past together. Yes, they struggle to communicate. Yes, they act on emotional impulse. Yes, they constantly grate on each other’s nerves, but as LaRynn and Deacon say, “such is life.”

The personal growth and self-awareness were the true stars of the show. Watching LaRynn and Deacon learn to acknowledge their flaws and share their vulnerabilities with one another made my heart so happy. The love was always there, they just had to learn how to show it. Sometimes it takes the right person to hang in there through all of life’s ups and downs to learn to love yourself in the meantime too.

Tarah knew what she was doing with that “bedroom talk” scene (iykyk, enough said). Holy moly, I was SWEATING.

The cherry on top of the whole book: the “grands”!! Oh how I wish we could have met them in the present. I fell so in love with them from the little snippets Tarah gave.

I have to say I have some love/hate things going on with this book. The FMC (female main character) started off very iffy for me. She was outright rude and mean in the beginning. The arguing and not listening to each other was exhausting at times.

I love the story and their burning love, however, the back-and-forth time jumps just really frustrate and tick me off. I am not sure why authors use them so much. In this book, I felt more annoyed than appreciative of the back story.

The Co-op was awesome and even with it written somewhat backwards. The main characters have zero communication skills and anger issues, which frustrate the hell out of you. But still, DeWitt manages to write in such a manner that this story will make your heart swell.

The main characters learn to live with each other, learn to love, learn to grow, and depend on each other. There was some angst and the sizzle underneath it all is what made this story so worthwhile. Their chemistry is bomb! It's getting through it all that can be a lot.

For me, the epilogue made the book, in all honestly. Anything less would be a travesty.

Just finished the book “The Co-op” by Tara Dewitt.

Both Deacon and LaRynn had a “fling” as teenagers and then ignored each other for years. Both of their grandmothers left them a house - so begins a second chance at romance plus a marriage of convenience.

It was a little slow at first for me but once they worked through some things it got so much better.

I would recommend this book.

3.75 stars

The Co-op by Tarah DeWitt is a charming second chance romance -- LaRynn & Deacon used to hook up in their late teens when visiting their grandmothers who just so happened to be married to one another. Set in a beautiful beach town in California, it's been years since LaRynn & Deacon saw each other... their grandmothers have passed and they are left to figure out what happens to home they inherited.

This one is hilarious - I enjoyed the side characters and the cheeky banter in this incredibly slow burn. I did feel like the main characters acted like teenagers even though they were pushing 30, but sometimes our past causes us to regress and brings out the more childish sides of us.

Definitely check this one out if you're looking for a cute and funny romance that doesn't take itself too seriously.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review - I look forward to reading more from Tarah DeWitt in the future.

Such a great love story! Definitely one of the better romance novels that I have read. Love that it's modern day.

4.5/5⭐️

🔑🧡"I'm so stupidly in love with you."🧡🔑

Okay, I adored this. The arranged marriage, the banter, the tension. The communication between the two characters😫✋🏽??

What I love about Tarah DeWitt's writing is that she does a phenomenal job at writing perfectly imperfect characters. She delivers all the angst, and doesn't shy away from showing the characters own their mistakes and grow from them. In this case, seeing LaRynn and Deacon navigate through the mistakes they made from when they were younger during their adulthood, and righting their wrongs and making up for lost time was so heartwarming. Not only that, but also their experiences with grief. It was written so incredibly well, highlighting the ways that everyone mourns in different ways. So good.

Now, moving on from the heavy stuff. This book was SO damn FUN. Nothing will ever top the Grumpy Girl X Goofy Guy trope for me. I always eat that shit UP. And Deacon was soooooo unserious! That man had me laughing out LOUDDDDD oh my god. The way he would flirt with LaRynn, which would usually consist of him relentlessly annoying her💀. And then she would flirt by being an absolute menace🤣. The towel scene?? I was so dead.
But also his capacity with being so incredibly patient and kind and caring and supportive with LaRynn. It made my heart absolutely melt with just how GOOD he was to her. It didn't even matter if they were in the middle of a fight, he was always there for her no matter what. And she was always there for him. And I think that's just so damn <b>beautiful</b>, it makes me want to cry while I'm trying to type this😭 .


(Thank youuuu NetGalley for this arcccc💋.)


Anyways. Go read this.

“‘I want it all, LaRynn. You’re a fine friend, but I can’t take having less than all of it with you,’” he says, and I feel every word thump under my skin.
I nod solemnly. ‘Nothing less.’”
— 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘾𝙤-𝙤𝙥, Tarah DeWitt

Y’all know I’m trash for second chance. Throw in a marriage of convenience on top of it?! Swooooon.

I saw a lot of myself in LaRynn, in pieces of her that I’ll never admit to. But I loved how she continued to pick herself up and dust herself off, continuing to move forward in the wake of all the hardship and emotional trauma she’d suffered in her life. And Deacon was the same. They both have hurt and have been hurt by each other and the people who were supposed to love them the most. Watching them unpack this baggage and finally come together was nothing short of magical.

I thoroughly enjoyed the setting, the glimpses into their renovation process, the side characters, and the "after" 😍

Highly recommend if you’re in the mood for a heartfelt story!

The Co-op is an emotional second chance romance about two people who reconnect nearly a decade after their whirlwind romance as teens in order to fix up a home left to them by their grandparents. There’s lots of tension and angst, a marriage of convenience, forced proximity, and a spicy slow burn, but also lots of banter and funny moments. It deals with childhood trauma and grief and learning how to cope with it all. It has a dual POV and dual timeline which leaves you wanting more and more of LaRynn and Deacon’s story. I really enjoyed this and would love to read more from Tarah DeWitt!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was just okay for me. It felt a bit childish at times and nothing that different from any other rom com. It wasn’t terrible, just nothing that was too exciting. I didn’t really connect with the characters. I will say the spice was pretty spicy and I did enjoy that. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I think we can officially call it. I'm in love with Tarah Dewitt's writing.

📚 𝗧𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲: Enemies-to-lovers, marriage of convenience, second chance

📖 𝗦𝘆𝗻𝗼𝗽𝘀𝗶𝘀: LaRynn is lost in life, when her grandmother passes and leaves her a building tied to her past. The only catch? She co-owns it with the only man she's ever fallen in love with - Deacon. Now the two must band together to fix the building up for sale... even though they can't stand eachother.

🌟 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄: Honestly, I finished The Co-Op and all I could say was, "man... this book."

Tarah Dewitt has a way of writing these deep and complex characters that go through this massive growth. And as a reader, though these books are 350-400 pages, you feel like you go through every minute of it with them. And the romance! And the pining!

I wasn't sure if I liked LaRynn at first, but then she grew on me. And part of the reason she did was Deacon's take on her and her feelings. Then you have Deacon, who is just impeccably written. He's the kind of man you dream about in real life. And the journey they take together as two broken fragments who come together is just beautiful.

Once again Tarah Dewitt has churned out this gorgeous masterpiece of a book, with two main characters that make you believe love is real. And I'm so damn glad I get to watch her grow.

𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: 5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

𝗦𝗽𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: 3.5/5 🌶🌶🌶

🆓️ on KU

𝑰 𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒆𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒏 𝑨𝑹𝑪 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒊𝒏 𝒆𝒙𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒂𝒏 𝒉𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘.

Posting on August 30, 2024

Their grandmothers fell in love and settled in Santa Cruz, CA. They left their building/home to their grandkids, LaRynn and Deacon. Now LaRynn and Deacon have to reconnect to figure out what to do with their building. The struggle to be civil with each other was real, but once they let their walls down, a friendship was rekindled to be followed by a love that was always meant to be. There’s lots of banter and DIY/money struggles with lots of chemistry. Overall, a fun read about a summer fling that was only the beginning of their story.

I'll be honest - I did not imagine I'd love The Co Op and its characters as much as I did. I absolutely loved the story {and all the tropes included!} I can't wait to dig into Tarah's other titles now! Pick it up - you'll love it!

“I don’t care where we end up or what we do as long as I have you."
•

down on her luck and grieving the one adult who was her safe space growing up, LaRynn is drawn back to her grandmother’s california town to figure out what to do with the house she left behind. not only does she feel untethered, but LaRynn also dreads seeing the boy that broke her heart seven summers ago, Deacon. but their meeting is inevitable since he was left half of the house as well.

together, they must navigate what they should do to make the most of their shared property, and not kill each other while doing so. the solution: get married. what could possibly go wrong?
—

Tarah never disappoints, and The Co-Op is another winner! I’m a sucker for forced proximity and second chances, so this was a perfect one for me!
•

this and that:
♡ beach volleyball
♡ bingo nights
♡ campgrounds
♡ chosen family
♡ dancing in the kitchen
♡ dual pov
♡ dual timelines
♡ elderly neighbors
♡ first love
♡ forced proximity
♡ hand tattoos
♡ he teaches her to drive a manual
♡ home renovations
♡ laundry room trysts
♡ marriage of convenience
♡ one bed
♡ open door spice
♡ roommates
♡ second chances
♡ summer drives
♡ teambuilding exercises
♡ toilet testing
•

triggers:
☞ death of a loved one
☞ grief
☞ infidelity
☞ toxic parental relationships

what a stunning stunning gorgeous book woah! i listened to the co-op (pre renovation) a couple months ago and inhaled the entire thing in one sitting, so it’s safe to say i loved it! but tarah somehow made it even better! and made me love it even more!!
deacon and larynn’s dynamic is just so fun to watch!! i love a girl that’s a little mean and a guy that is down so bad he wants her to be mean to him. i love it even more when that mean girl has a soft soft heart and that guy brings it out of her! and getting more of these two from their teenage years and seeing their backstories and glimpses of why they are the way that they are in the present made me love them and the story so so much more!
and i do have to add! i LOVE that tarah upped the spice for this story! deacon and larynn are just so hot! their tension is delicious! and since their story did originate (and fall apart) because of the sex, getting more of that felt very fitting!!!

truly adore this story with my whole heart!

What can I say about The Co-op that I haven't already shouted from the rooftops. Tarah DeWitt has a way of making you fall in love, rip you apart (in the best way possible) and put you back together again to the point that you are unable to stop thinking about these characters LONG after you have closed the book.
Deacon and LaRynn hold a very special place in my heart. Basically, you are going to want to read this book, trust me.

Unfortunately, this missed the mark for me and I ended up DNFing at the 36% point. This hit a few of my personal icks in books. First, I need to feel like an FMC or MMC is redeemable. I was so irritated with the FMC that even if she had a full redemption arc, I still wasn't cheering for her. The best friend said it best:

"Alright, LaRynn. Enough. The last thing I want to do is gaslight you here, so I'm sorry if that's what I'm about to do. I get how you're feeling and it's valid. But you know what, if I'm being honest, I really can't muster up much sympathy for you. I don't feel sorry for the fact that you have to temporarily marry an attractive man, all so you can eventually be the co-landlord for a beautiful beachfront property, or, in your worst-case scenario, sell it to collect a very large amount of money. Call me crazy, I just don't."

I just didn't feel sorry for her and I didn't support her full tantrums. Spending $2,000 of a $100,000 budget all because she wanted some comforts and didn't discuss it with her business partner/husband? No. You're a team, act like it. And then the toothbrush... come on. Like I said, I was just starting to dislike her so much that I didn't even care if she had a redemption arc.

I was also triggered when she said:

"Why do you do this?" LaRynn asks me, visibly piqued. "Why do you make me be mean to you?"

Take responsibility for yourself, your words, and your actions. I have a few other FMC irritants, but I won't go any further on this point. The other aspect that I couldn't get on board with was the basis of the marriage of convenience itself. When she explained why her father changed the trust fund requirements from completing law school to "get married", her explanation was basically that it was the easiest and fastest thing he could switch it to. But I don't understand the father's motivation in the first place. Why have a barrier to the trust fund at all, and not just age of the recipient? Why marriage? If the father was so opposed to her accessing the fund, why didn't he just keep it as finishing law school since she made it pretty clear she wasn't going to do that? If he realized that she wasn't going to fulfill that and DID want her to access it, just remove the barrier entirely. She's 25 years old.

Between my dislike for the FMC and not believing the foundations of the marriage of convenience trope, I decided to put the book down. Even if a lot of this was explained later in the book, my enjoyment was already so low that I didn't believe any sort of redemption arcs could truly redeem.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a digital advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.