I normally am not a big fan of second chance romances. But Tarah Dewitt can make me like anything. So while these two get fake married while also living in a house that’s under construction, you can see the hurt between them from their past. They drive each other crazy as they fix up the house. But fixing up the house becomes a metaphor for fixing their relationship. Along with married of convenience we have roommates to lover and forced proximity. Deacon stole my heart. He may be trying to make things harder for LaRynn but underneath he is such a sweetheart. This is a must read

LaRynn Lavigne and Deacon Leeds had one short and contentious summer fling when they were teens—certainly nothing to build a foundation on. But a decade later, when their grandmothers have left them with shared ownership of their dilapidated Santa Cruz building, they're thrust back together and have to figure out how to brace up the pieces.

LaRynn has the money, but in order to access her trust, she has to be married. Deacon has the construction expertise, but lacks the funds. A deal is struck: Marry for however long it takes to fix up the property, collect a profit, and cut ties.

Thrust into a home without walls, LaRynn and Deacon quickly learn that it's easy to hide behind emotional ones, even in a marriage. But with all the exposure and pitfalls that come with living with the opposite sex (and none of the perks, much to their growing mutual frustration) they'll also have to learn what it means to truly cooperate as a team.

This was a fantastic read. LaRynn is one of my new favorite characters. This marriage of convenience was so much fun—it's one of my favorite tropes, and it's well done here! So many parallels between life and the building they're putting back together, too. Lovely, heartwarming read. Highly recommend this!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced digital reader's copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review!

I was so excited to dive into this novel, but unfortunately, it fell flat for me. The premise is so fun and exciting - ex-flings forced to marry a decade later to access a trust fund in order to renovate a house left to both of them by their grandma’s. I had high hopes! The execution of this story wasn’t great. It moved at an incredibly glacial pace (I honestly think the first 70% could have been condensed by at least 50%). I did not feel connected to the characters because they weren’t developed, and they were honestly just a bit too whiny. There was a lot of fluff and random side stories, including the camp ground, the business opportunity at the Cafe, the pages and pages and pages of what they’re renovating and how much it all cost… it all just felt a bit scattered. If this book focused more on the main storyline and was fine tuned, it would be a great read. I had to force myself to continue through to the end. It did have a nice ending, but it took great effort to get there.

This was my first book by this author and I look forward to reading more. Great 2nd chance romance book with humor.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read a ARC of The Co-op by Tarah DeWitt.

First of all, I love the new cover. Really pops! As for the book, I was really curious to see what was done with this as I had read the original mini years ago. I think this version of the co-op is actually better. Deacon reads a bit softer and the romance and chemistry felt a little bit more natural. I also liked that they discussed their arrangement more before diving into it. So I really think the editorial work on this paid off and it feels like a fresh story in the best way. It was an enjoyable read.

This book was cute! I would consider this a cute beach read! I liked both the main characters and adored Deacon.

I felt the book dragged at times and the ending was rushed when they finally got together!

I would have like to know what happened to the cafe! It was saved, but wanted more details!

Would recommend to someone who likes vanilla romance!

The Co-Op
by Tarah DeWitt
3⭐️

Second chance romance
Forced proximity
Dual POV
Dual timeline

LaRynn is probably the worst and most unlikeable FMC I’ve read about in a long time. I tried to like her and be patient with her but despite the childhood trauma and neglect that she lived through, she was the worst. Deacon deserves better but as a character he wasn’t much better. I think too much and not enough was going on. It is a lot to have dual POV and dual timelines at the same time when your FMC and MMCs voices and past/present timelines are so so similar. I didn’t like the writing style either. I feel like there was so much potential with this storyline but it just didn’t work for me. The sweet moments are what kept me motivated to finish, I really wish I could have enjoyed this more.

I love almost every marriage of convenience book but this was not it, here it felt like the marriage was almost an afterthought. It felt like this was forgotten about for most of the book. I also felt like the actual relationship never really progressed, there were issues at the start and then suddenly disappear without any actual development or romance. I have no real reason to dislike both MCs names but I do, I really don’t like the name LaRynn and Deacon. It just didn’t have small beachy CA summer fling to second chance romance vibes 🥲

Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-Op for this gifted arc!

“I’m so stupidly in love with you.”

Short Synopsis: The Co-op is a steamy story about restoration and renovation, and uncovering all the things that build character within ourselves. It’s about the never-ending construction project that partnership is, and finding enjoyment at every stage.

I enjoyed Deacon and LaRynn’s story.  How they are brought back together to renovate a shared property.  How they work through their past hurts separately.  How they learned how to communicate with each other through trial and error.  How they opened up and showed that being vulnerable doesn’t mean being weak.  How they respected each other’s viewpoint on what happened.  And how they worked to be better for themselves and for each other.

This book had lots to love:
🔨Home Renovation
🪚Second Chance Romance
🔨Enemies to Lovers
🪚Marriage of Convenience
🔨Forced Proximity
🪚So Much Swoon
🔨No Third Act Break Up!

Thank you to Tarah DeWitt, St. Martin’s Griffin Publishing Group, and NetGalley for the early copy of The Co-op in exchange for my honest review.

Pub Date: November 12, 2024

I loved how this second chance romance played out. I thought LaRynn and Deacon dealt with their miscommunication issues from their teens years really well and I enjoyed the flashbacks that showed those issues. The “my wife” marriage of convenience moments were really good too! And the Funny Feelings tattoo cameo had me smiling so much! I just really enjoyed this book.

I went into reading The Co-op knowing nothing and fell in love with the story/main characters: Deacon and LaRynn. Plus the tension throughout the book will have your skin burning up!!
Tarah has everything you need in The Co-op: DUAL POV, second chance, enemies to friends to lovers, marriage of convenience, forced proximity.

This is the second book I have read by Tarah Dewitt and she can do no wrong and has become one of my Autobus authors.
The Co-op is a must add to your TBR!

Thank you NetGalley for my ARC.

4.75 rounded to five? I do not like second chance romances. I only read them from my auto buy authors or if the book is giving me a good ~feeling~. I really enjoyed this book. I think Tarah did a really great job at diving into the character's emotions, and connected how their experiences in childhood really shaped the young adults they grew up to be. It was so therapeutic to see them knock down each other's walls and finally have the courage to be honest with one another.

Tarah's romances always have an extra sweetness that I love. No matter how dark it gets, I always know her books with make me laugh and smile in the end.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC <3

Thank you so much Net Galley for the ARC. It’s always an incredible opportunity.

The book as a whole, storyline, plot, writing, character development was really done well. There was a lot of depth in every chapter that helped set the scene and give background and reasoning as to why the main characters are the way they are. Overall i think it was executed very well.

Personally though, second chance romances are hit or miss, and I just struggled with connecting to these specific characters. I like to sometimes separate my personal opinion about the book and rather look at it more objectively, which in this case is realizing that this is a good romance book that, generally speaking, other readers will enjoy and i presume to sell quite well. It’s not badly constructed, but rather just missed the mark of personally connecting to me.

The Co-Op gets a glow up! I read the indie version and loved LaRynn and Deacon so I was very excited to see that Dewitt was revisiting their story! In this new version, Dewitt writes in a new dual timeline with more insight into their younger selves and emotions which enhances their story and gives greater depth to their second chance at love. It’’s a relatable journey of two people learning to trust and love one another while also forgiving each other, and themselves, for the hurt caused by misunderstanding and emotional immaturity in the past. I love marriage of convenience stories and felt that the inheritance and renovation was a great plot point to drive their story and relationship further.

There’s honestly something magical in DeWitt’s writing—this was an ARC of the revised and republished version of this book, my second read of hers, and I’m absolutely sold on her writing forever. This was so MESSY and felt so real and honest, and I can’t imagine how hard it was to write!! There were so many really lovely tie-ins between the flashbacks and present day, and the cast of characters that were lightly present but still developed was fun. Read if you liked Maggie Moves On or general emotional messiness and working through it!

I liked the idea of it. But getting into it, I found out it just wasn’t my cup of tea.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin. ~I was given this book and made no commitments to leave my opinions, favorable or otherwise~

Thank you NetGalley and publishers for this arc!!
I loved "Savor It," so I am so excited to read this!!

The story of Deacon and LaRynn's had that classic forced proximity and marriage of convenience vibe, with lots of chemistry. a little bit of miscommunication or just life things happening but we see them both grow a lot, which was nice to see, even though I don’t always love the miscommunication trope. While it wasn't my favorite from Tarah, she still knows how to create characters you can’t help but love.

LaRynn and Deacon are thrown together when their grandmothers find love with each other. The two end up having a summer fling and ended in a disaster. Fast forward and their grands have passed away, they've inherited the house that is falling apart and LaRynn's life is falling apart. LaRynn has dropped out of law school and is couch surfing at the moment when Deacon tells her that if she doesn't show up for the house that he will sue her. LaRynn ends up going to the house to help with what she can. These two have almost a war of the roses that is happening in the home.

I cried, I laughed and felt all the feels with this book. Also, I loved the way that it would go to present day to past. Also the perspective would go between LaRynn telling the story and Deacon telling the story.

Thank you #NetGalley for the advance copy!

The Co-Op is a beautifully woven story that is chock full of warmth and vulnerable characters that are so clearly meant to be. The second chance factors here made my heart ache in the best way possible, with multiple scenes that had me laughing hysterically one minute, and quietly weeping the next. I found myself reading this one very slowly... I wasn't ready for it to end, and that is always the testament of a phenomenal book.

A special shout out to Tarah whose DM's I was in the entire time I was reading this. The similarities were uncanny, please... My husband telling me to never throw away bath towels, the throw pillows and how Deacon proposed being THE EXACT WAY MY HUSBAND PROPOSED with the tie.

I think the concept here is really interesting, but I’m finding it’s just not a book for me. There is a lot of interpersonal conflict, particularly for the beginning of the book. Could easily work for others though!! Just not my cup of tea.

I went in knowing nothing, and was I ever pleasantly surprised! We've got second chance (teenage “first love”), marriage of convenience, forced proximity. There is good banter and chemistry between LaRynn and Deacon.

I DEVOURED this adorable love story. There's a bit of dual timeline happening, the majority is in the present when our FMC is 27 and our MMC is 28, and the other back when she was 19 and he was 20. There is definitely some trauma both MCs are dealing with, both related to each other and their own histories and when the walls finally come down is it so sweet. There is pining (both ways), open door spice (that only adds to the plot, doesn't take over), and enough humour to get you through the emotional bits.

Highly recommend!

⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
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