2.5 ⭐️

While the premise was good (close proximity and a DIY fixer upper house scenario), it missed the mark for me. Almost all of the characters fell flat, especially the minor characters. The subplots, especially the FMC’s job and big career idea, are so underdeveloped. They felt like they were added in almost as an afterthought. A bit more development and details would have made it so much better.

The marriage of convenience is also not necessary. Supposedly it helps the characters access a trust, but there is no word on how this occurs or if this triggers a response from the parents who, more than likely, control or have access to the trust.

Overall, this one was a miss for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy of the novel.

The Co-op follows LaRynn and Deacon as they fix up their grandmothers’ (they aren’t related - don’t worry!) multi family house. The twist? They previously had a fling and have barely spoken in the years since. I absolutely loved this book, which was very unexpected. The author did a really good job at making you feel apart of the scenes. The insecurities these characters felt and the frustration truly came off the page and you felt as though you were them. I really enjoyed the story line and how much these characters grew since their fling. The snippets of their past was helpful in really pulling this story together and providing necessary context for what shaped the MMC and FMC.
Tropes in this book:
Slow burn ✅
Enemies(ish) to lovers ✅
Second chance ✅
One bed ✅
No third act breakup ✅✅
5⭐️ highly recommend this book

💍 Marriage of Convenience
🏡 Forced Proximity
🧡 Second Chance
🐈‍⬛ Black Cat FMC

LaRynn and Deacon had a summer romance that didn’t end well. Years later they inherit a home together. Funds are running low to fix it up so they can sell it. The only way LyRnn has access to her trust fund is to get married because her dad is a jerk. LaRynn and Deacon are now partners in home ownership and marriage. This story is worth a read. A marriage of convenience with forced proximity is one of my favorite tropes, while miscommunication is one of my least favorites. This book is chock full of miscommunication to the point I wanted to shake the MCs. Why did I keep reading? Because I understood. Their childhoods, especially LaRynn’s, caused them to be the way they are. It worked this story. I enjoyed watching them grow and come together as a couple. I was surprised at how much I liked this story. I definitely recommend giving it a read.

Thanks to Netgalley and Tarah DeWitt for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of The Co-Op.

Oh WOW I adored this book!❤️

LaRynn and Deacon had a summer fling that ended in heartbreak. Eight years later when they’re forced to deal with the grief of losing their Grands & renovating the house they now both own, old feelings resurface as they navigate an awkward, tension filled marriage of (in)convenience to save the house they met at all those summers ago!

A marriage of convenience, second chance romance, forced proximity, spicy, sweet, funny.. ALL the good things you want in a book!

THE BANTER was 10/10! I was full on laughing out loud at the one liners and foolish petty competition between LaRynn and Deacon😂

This was such a well written book and I felt every single emotion reading it. I laughed, I cried, I SWOONED, I was angry.. then happy! UGH it was just soooo good!

Such a great read, I was obsessed from the beginning! Highly recommend!

I can’t thank NetGally, the publisher and most importantly Tarah Dewitt enough for this eArc.. because now I have discovered one of my fav books! I can’t wait to read more of Tarah’s magic!

Thank you to netgalley, the author and publisher. I'd read the OG version of this book first and after reading the new/improved version it's still my favorite of her books. The banter was everything!

Unfortunately, the way the story is written is not for me. I am not a fan of books that are written like you're the character's bestie and they're telling you a story. So if you DO like that sort of thing, you might enjoy this.

It took me a while to get into this book, but I did start reading it when I was in a tough headspace so that could be why. I wasn’t fully sure why LaRynn was so angry with Deacon, even when they were younger, but the more I learned about her the more I understood. I think I struggled to connect with LaRynn as I read, but I was able to connect with Deacon so that helped. The more he understood her, the more I was able to as well. I really enjoyed how Deacon and LaRynn learned to be more open and honest with each other and were able to clear the air from all those years ago.

It was a very cute second chance romance.

I had the privilege of reading the original version of this book and am so thankful that I had the opportunity to read the renovated version as an ARC.

𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝔾𝕚𝕤𝕥:
LaRynn Lavigne and Deacon Leeds, once involved in a brief and contentious teen fling, are reunited a decade later when they inherit a dilapidated building in Santa Cruz from their grandmothers. LaRynn has the funds but needs to be married to access her trust, while Deacon has the construction skills but lacks money.

They strike a deal: marry temporarily to renovate the property, make a profit, and then part ways. Living together without walls, they must navigate emotional barriers and learn to cooperate as a team, facing the challenges and pitfalls of their unconventional arrangement.

𝕋𝕙𝕖𝕞𝕖𝕤 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕋𝕣𝕠𝕡𝕖𝕤:
🛠️ 𝘙𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦
🤍 𝘚𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦
👥 𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘹𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘺
💍 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦

𝕊𝕚𝕞𝕚𝕝𝕒𝕣 𝕍𝕚𝕓𝕖𝕤:
🎥 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗮𝗹
📚 𝗕𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 ʙʏ ᴇᴍɪʟʏ ʜᴇɴʀʏ

𝕄𝕪 𝕋𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙𝕥𝕤:
Everything Tarah DeWitt writes is pure magic. She does such a great job of crafting realistic love stories with relatable and flawed characters. I became fully invested in 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗼-𝗼𝗽 from page one and it had me giggling and kicking my feet the whole time I read.

LaRynn and Devon felt so 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹. I loved them both, separately and together. They had the funniest banter and the pettiest arguments in the beginning, but as they both became more vulnerable, they grew individually and as a couple. And the dancing in the kitchen?! ✳︎𝘀𝘄𝗼𝗼𝗻✳︎

I can’t wait for everyone else to fall in love with this book. Do yourself a favorite and read it (along with everything else Tarah DeWitt writes).

𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝗚𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝘆,𝗧𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗵 𝗗𝗲𝗪𝗶𝘁𝘁, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝘁. 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻'𝘀 𝗚𝗿𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗲𝗔𝗥𝗖 𝗶𝗻 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄.

𝕄𝕪 ℝ𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (𝟱/𝟱)

𝕊𝕡𝕚𝕔𝕖 ℝ𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘:
🌶️🌶️ (𝟮/𝟱)

Tarah DeWitt is a fairly new discovery for me, and I was excited to see this on here after binge reading everything available on Kindle Unlimited. This is a second chance romance, which isn't usually my favorite trope, but DeWitt blends it with other tropes that I do often like - marriage of convenience, enemies to lovers, and forced proximity - in a way that I found really effective. Both of our main characters, LaRynn and Deacon, are flawed, complex, and varying levels of prickly, and they happen to jointly inherit a dilapidated old building in Santa Cruz that was owned by their grandmothers (who were married to one another). LaRynn has been ignoring Deacon's attempts to communicate about selling the place, but she's out of money after dropping out of law school and being cut off financially by her father, and she has no other choice. There are sparks right away between LaRynn and Deacon, and not always the good kind. But they're forced to live together in what is essentially a house without doors, so they have to deal with things pretty quickly. When it turns out that LaRynn can access her trust fund (which would be enough to fix up the place to sell) if she gets married, they reluctantly decide to go through with it. This has what I have come to think of as hallmarks of Tarah DeWitt's writing - sharp and funny dialogue, good chemistry between main characters, flawed main characters who are recovering from family-related trauma, and a pretty satisfying story arc. Highly recommend to fans of DeWitt's other novels.

LaRynn and Deacon met as teenagers when their grandmothers fell in love and got married. LaRynn and Deacon had a love/hate relationship and a summer romance which ended badly, leaving them not on speaking terms. When both of the grandmothers pass away, they leave their ramshackle house in Santa Cruz to both. The house needs a lot of work and neither can really afford to keep it but they ultimately agree they owe to their beloved grandmothers to fix it and try and get as much money for it when they sell but to do that they need money. They agree to get married so LaRynn can access a trust fund which, combined with Deacon’s construction experience, should enable them to fix all the problems in this house but they’re living together and still not getting along which only adds to the animosity between them but there’s a lot of sexual tension and they’re both still insanely attracted to one another. This was a truly hilarious story that I found really entertaining although it definitely left me with absolutely no desire to ever buy a fixer upper.

I don’t even know how I would categorize this trope- grumpy x grumpy mostly? I don’t even know, either way I ate it up!! The angst, the slow burn, the mis(non)communication was killing me. I just needed to know how this was all going to unfold. It did not disappoint. I loved it! This was my first Tara Dewitt book, but definitely not my last.

I really enjoyed The Co-op! LaRynn and Deacon’s second-chance romance is full of everything I love—crackling chemistry, witty banter, and emotional growth. Their story, where they’re thrown back together to renovate a building left by their grandmothers, had me hooked from the start.

LaRynn was a character I connected with so much. She’s got her issues, sure, but once she let her guard down, she really blossomed. I also loved how fiercely she supported her best friend. Deacon is the perfect counterbalance—strong, a little brooding, but with his own baggage to unpack.

The slow burn between them was perfect, and the spice was just right without overpowering the deeper connection they built. Honestly, I laughed out loud at some of their banter—it felt so natural, and I was rooting for them to figure things out. The only thing that held me back from giving it five stars is that I wished they communicated a little better. Some of the misunderstandings felt unnecessary, but it didn’t take away from the overall enjoyment.

Plus, the Santa Cruz vibes were on point! I could easily picture the beach, the boardwalk, and the house they were fixing up.
This book made me feel all the feels—I laughed, I swooned, and even teared up a bit. If you love second-chance romances that mix humor, heart, and a little home renovation, this one’s definitely worth a read!

This one was cute although I didn’t absolutely love it. It was still a solid read. The pacing as a bit slow at times. I loved the banter between Larynn and Decon. It was hilarious and priceless at times. Love the second chance romance mixed with enemies to lovers. Two of my favorite tropes. The characters were well developed with great goals. The writing was good and the conflict kept the story going. It was pretty light on the spice. Overall, a fun read. Huge thank to St. Martin’s press and Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

He’s got the skills and she’s got the money. There’s just once catch, they have to get married.

LaRynn and Deacon met as kids when their grandmothers became neighbors, fell in love and decided to turn the top floor of their building into one big rental. LaRynn and Deacon spent several summers together and the summer before LaRynn went to college they fell in love. But their own family issues kept them from moving forward. Years later, their grandmothers have passed and left the dilapidated rental to them. Deacon has been trying to keep it afloat but is out of money. LaRynn can get access to her trust to pay for the renovation, but her trust requires her to be married first. With Deacon on board, will this construction project go up in flames or be what they need to rekindle their love?

This was such a fun lovers to enemies back to lovers story! At times LaRynn’s character came off as bratty and whiny, I would have liked to have seen more depth to offset this behavior like with what we saw with the cafe scenes. I was left with some unanswered questions at the end of the book that I would have liked to know. For example, when LaRynn tells Deacon she loves him for the first time in the Bronco and her dad shows up; where did he come from? How did he know where they were? Why was he there? It seemed that in the first phone call LaRynn has with her mom that her father knows where LaRynn is or knows what she has been up to, but she has not had communication with him. It was never explained how he knew this information. We also never find out if they reconciled or if they ever have it out. Overall, enjoyed this book and really like this author as this is my second book I’ve read by her!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the arc of this book. The male and female main characters have a past and are thrust back together by circumstances beyond their control. This book goes between the present and the main characters shared past. This book was an easy fun read, I was glad some of the standard tropes were missing from this book. At moments I wasn't a fan of the female main character but I think that was the author's intention. Once I started this book, I did not put it down. This was an enjoyable light read.

LaRynn and Deacon spent summers together when they were teenagers after their grandma's got married. They didn't end their last summer together on a good note and didn't speak for a decade. But when their grandma's die, they leave their house to LaRynn and Deacon. LaRynn wants nothing to do with Deacon meaning she wants nothing to do with the house.
But Deacon can't do this alone anymore. He needs money to finish renovations on the house before selling it. LaRynn finally comes back and prepares herself for a fight. What she wasn't prepared for was falling back in love with him.

So I kept forgetting that this was a marriage of convenience story. I was kind of expecting it to be a bit more focused on that. But it was only getting married and then a couple of mentions of "my wife" and that was it.
Overall, I enjoyed it! I had fun. And that's really all I want from my romance novels!

*Title: The Co-op-a standalone

*Release date: 11-12-24 | Read: 9-6-24

*Author: Tarah DeWitt- read Savor It gave 4⭐

*Format: e-book, 352pgs.

🙏🏽Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press| St. Martin's Griffin for this ARC🧡! I voluntarily give my honest review, and all opinions expressed are my own.

*Setting: Santa Cruz, CA

*Genre: New Adult, Contemporary Romance, Adult Fic

*Tropes: marriage of convenience, 2nd chance romance, enemies to lovers, friends with benefits, small town, forced proximity, slow burn, home renovation, LGBTQIA+ rep

*POV: dual, 1st person and dual timelines "Before" and "After"

*Look out for: emotionally abusive parents, death of family members, cheating-not H/h, h has dyslexia

*Synopsis: LaRynn and Deacon hooked up during the summer when they were sixteen. Now their grandmothers have passed on and left them a dilapidated fixer upper. With no money, LaRynn comes to her grandmother's place to claim her portion of the house and sell the home, but Deacon is already living there. He wants to fix the place up and sale it, but he doesn't have the money. They agree to a marriage of convenience and will use LaRynn's trust fund to get the place in selling shape and go their separate ways.

*Characters
* LaRynn "Larry" Lavigne-26, was in law school and dropped out. Her father Max put a condition on her trust fund-she has to be married to receive it. She works @ Spills the Beans Cafe. Her parents divorced; mom Allison remarried.
* Deacon Leeds-27, construction expert/general contractor, has his mom Macy+ brother Ramsey, dad deceased.
*Cecelia+Helena-both their grandmothers, married to each other and left their home to LaRynn and Deacon equally.
* Elyse-LaRynn's BFF since childhood
* Jensen+June-Jensen is Elyse's fiancé and Deacon's BFF. June is his twin sister
*Sally-85-year-old neighbor and was Cecelia's BFF now living @ home, Deacon helps care for her.

*Review: This was an angsty second chance romance between LaRynn and Deacon. Both had serious parental issues they had to address before they could really be together. While restoring the house, they rekindle their romance and make peace with their past. I loved the last chapter ten years later and would definitely read more by this author.

*Rating: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

*Spice level- 3/5 🔥🔥🔥

WOW, I’m officially obsessed! 😍 This was my first read by Tarah Dewitt, and I’m already adding her entire backlist to my TBR! Deacon and LaRynn’s story was EVERYTHING – emotional, hilarious, and oh-so-swoony. 💖

The marriage of convenience? 🔥 Add in a second-chance romance with a dash of enemies to lovers and you’ve got the perfect storm of angst and comedy. These two had me laughing out loud with their banter (and the wild renovation moments 🙈) while pulling on my heartstrings with their journey of healing and growth.

The slow burn between them was chef's kiss, and their chemistry? OFF. THE. CHARTS. 😏 But what really made this story special was watching them tear down their emotional walls and finally find the love they both deserve. Oh, and that epilogue... cue the happy tears! 🥹

I seriously felt all the emotions with this one – I laughed, I cried, I swooned, and I smiled non-stop. 💕 If you’re a fan of heartfelt romances with some laugh-out-loud moments, The Co-op is an absolute must-read!

Thank you again Tarah and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Co-Op tells the story of how a shared connection can lead to heartbreak but also healing. A second chance romance steeped in hurt, emotional baggage and sexual tension, LaRynn and Deacon take us through their ups and downs as they explore what went wrong and how the loss of their grandmothers and desperate financial circumstances brought them back together. At times, I found LaRynn's resentment of Deacon was a little too intense and it was hard to see past all her hurt and anger to empathize or even root for their romance. Once the sexual tension began to manifest into something more it certainly changed my outlook on LaRynn and their relationship.

It's a super cute contemporary romance that will be sure to have you in your feelings, but perhaps just didn't resonate with me personally as much as Tarah's previous novel., Savour It, was able to.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for providing an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.