Something about the way Tarah writes just feels like home to me. I love Deacon and LaRynn and their story of loving and learning.

The Co-OP was a fun second chance enemies to lovers style romance great for fans of Carly Fortune and Abby Jimenez. LaRynn and Deacon's journey through out the book to over come struggles rooted in the past experiences was a fun ride. Getting to see then not only grow as individuals but also as a couple made the book enjoyable. I loved flashing back to their first whirlwind romance and would have loved to see even more moments ts from their past. I especially loved experiencing LaRynn grow more confident and comfortable in herself through out the book. While, the story dragged in a few points or I lost focus of who and where we were, i couldn't help but be drawn back in by the banter between the characters and the desire to see.if they could.truly work things out and move forward with the own HEA.

Deacon and LaRynn’s story was beautiful. I loved seeing the growth from hate to love but I also enjoyed reading about their past. You can never go wrong with an enemies to lovers book!

Cute book about childhood friends reconnecting and falling in love. Found family. Death of a loved one. Home ownership. Remodeling a house. Epilogue 10 years later.

Thank you NetGalley for the arc

I loveddddd this. It was such a great romance story and fun read. If you love second chance romances, forced proximity, and marriage of convenience with spice sprinkled on top, this is for you. I instantly connected to LaRynn from the beginning of the story. Her and Deacon are honestly one of my new favorite book couples. LIKEEEE I’m literally obsessed with them and their story. All the characters throughout the book felt relatable and were so easy to connect with. The flow of the story was great. I loved the flashes back to their past as they reconnected. It made the story engaging and interesting to read. Yesss most of their issue could be avoided if they were just honest and talked to one another in the past and present but the miscommunication and slow rebuild of trust honestly fit the story development so well.

I highly recommend and look forward to reading more books from Tarah DeWitt.

Review can be found on Goodreads and will be added via Instagram @celinesshelves 7/23/24

Tarah Dewitt literally NEVER FAILS ME!! Deacon and Laraynn were everything and I cannot stress enough how much I loved this book. Loves to enemies to lovers? Arranged?? Like HELLOO?? It was so perfect. Angsty, heartfelt- definitely sobbed a bunch of times like I don’t know how the tears kept going down, and a romance that is unforgettable. Dewitt always creates a story unexpected. Unique. And true to the heart. I NEED THIS IN MY HANDS PHYSICALLY NOW!!!

I am so glad this author decided to rewrite this book and republish it or else I may have missed reading it. I loved this second chance friends to lovers romance that also involved grieving loved ones and rehabbing a home. I was so glad the MCs found each other again and this time around, they really opened up to each other with all of the complicated and messy parts of their lives. I appreciated the spiciness and also loved the sweet parts especially the beautiful epilogue. I definitely recommend checking this book out again or for the first time. I will be reading more of this author’s books!

LaRynn and Deacon's grandmothers band together to leave them a house which they're required to do up. In order to access the money, the two are required to be married. Will they both be able to stand their fake marriage in order to get the house completed?

Fake relationships are always a fun storyline in romances. I love seeing how the couple goes from enemies to lovers. Our two main characters here had a previous summer fling so they already know about the chemistry they possess when together. I loved how they found their way to each other again. It was a sweet story that moved at a steady pace.

I’ve never given a half-star rating (or in this case three-quarter) but this was a solid 3.75!!
I was dreading a third act breakup but thankfully there wasn’t one. The writing was very pretty while being so easily digestible and the 350ish pages went by so quickly, I ate it up! (maybe a bit too fast, I wish there was a little more meat to the story.)
Loved it regardless.

The co-op. A heated love time when they were teenagers. Now they are adults and must work together to work on their grandmothers legacy. Sexual tension is overwhelming but I think when the story is over, it won’t take him long to be over her. She is not a likable character

What a great book! Great chemistry! I really enjoyed this story ? It had me laughing as feeling all the feels .

I loved this book. It is beautifully written, and I enjoyed every second of it. I fell in love with the characters and am so happy that they fixed everything with each other.
This book felt like summer to me. I don't really know why, but it did, and that made my love grow deeper for it.
The characters were likeable, and I love that they didn't fault each other for the mistakes they made individually but grew from heir mistakes. The characters were relatable, and you could see the love and chemistry they had. I think that's really important for a romance book.
But at times there were so many words to explain how they were feeling, and you just think "I'm not reading all that" but I promise if you push through it's so worth it.

one crazy summer fling, a magical house and a marriage of convenience is the recipe for love in this book. I loved going on the journey with LaRynn and Deacon as they learned to process their feeling and be truthful to themselves and each other.

Tarah DeWitt's "The Co-op" is that enemies-to-lovers, second chance romances, and marriage of convenience that should be on your must read list.

DeWittt blends the perfect amount of angst and sizzling chemistry between the Deacon and LaRynn that immediate makes you want to know what happens next. I had a little bit of a slow start with the book, but as soon as I got past the first chapter, I was hooked.

The way DeWitt writes is beautiful and I can't wait to pick up another one of her books! I also hope she'll consider writing a story for Jensen and Elysie down the line.

Favorites moments:
-Flashbacks to the Grannys
- Watching the romance between Deacon and LaRynn build and sizzle
-LaRynn helping Elysie with her coffee shop

4.5/5 stars

Thank you so much to Net Galley and St. Martin's for allowing me to enjoy this advance review copy.

All opinions are my own.

Title: The Co-Op
Author: Tarah DeWitt
Rating: 4⭐️

Thoughts:
This is the first book by Tarah DeWitt that I have read, and I will definitely be checking out more of her work!

LaRynn and Deacon have some not so great history, so when they are co-owners on a house, feelings start to stir up. Overall this was a very cute, quick (read it in a day), and fun read! There was amazing character development throughout the novel (even though at some points the FMC slightly *annoyed* me). This is a dual timeline book, and I don't always love those, but it flowed very nicely with the story. I did not read the previous version of this book, so can't speak to any comparisons!

This book is great for those who enjoy:
- Home improvement
- Marriage of convenience
- Second chance
- "Enemies" to lovers
- Dual POV

Make sure to check out this book when it releases November 12th!

I have posted my review on Goodreads. I will post the Co-Op on my Instagram 2 weeks-1 week ahead of publication, and will post my review on Amazon on the day of publication.

LaRynn and Deacon had a summer fling and didn’t break up on the best terms and now they’re being pushed back together 8 years later forced to mend fences. Their grandmothers left them the deed to a dilapidated house Deacon has what it takes to do it but money is an issue. In order to get the funds to renovate the house LaRynn has to get married. They make a deal, marry for however long it takes to fix up the property, sell it and move on with their lives separately. However, spending all that time together in a house with no privacy, being forced to work as a team and building trust moving on might be more difficult then they’d thought.

This book is like a warm hug. It’s a wonderfully written romance book with some of the best tropes (second chance romance and forced) and lovable characters with a lot of depth which is one of Tarah Dewitts biggest strengths an author if you ask me. The main characters in her books never disappoints!

LaRynn and Deacon had a lot to work thru which is not surprising considering their fleeting romance at 18. I appreciate them trying to be civil about it and slowly working thru things especially under the circumstances, living at a construction sight with an ex would be very awkward to say the least. The slow burn is so well written.

Who could’ve thought a renovation plot could be this interesting, not me but I was very wrong. Dewitt makes boring tasks like buying materials, budgeting and looking at decor options fun with lots of banter and sizzeling tension. I wish it was a bit more spicy but that’s just my personal preference otherwise its an all around incredible read. I’ll definitely be picking up Tarah Dewitts next book!

Read this if you like
💍Marriage of convenience
💜Forced proximity
💫Second chance romance
🔥Spice
🤩Fun banter

Top tier pining!!! Like my god!!! I can’t wait to recommend this to anyone I meet. I cried, I laughed, and I gasped!

The laundry scene was my favorite! 🫶💜

The Co-Op hit all the funny notes with the banter and pranks (the Bobby pin one was glorious), and it hit all the emotional notes too.

LaRynn’s relationship with her parents, especially her mother, and how their actions impacted who she is and the way it’s impacted how she views and behaves in relationships is — bar none — my favorite part of the books. Larry and Deacon don’t exist inside a vacuum in such that they have baggage and histories, and not just with each other, but with their parents.

The way Larry protects herself by trying to hide her hurt behind a mask of apathy, to pretend she’s too good for something — 💔 I get that. Man, there were countless times — especially in regards to Lar’s relationship with her mother and her absence — that hit very close to home.

What I loved most was how childhood trauma was a constant undercurrent to LaRynn’s behaviors and how it shaped her as a person. The reality is that everyone was marked by their parents by their parents and to see that reflected in fiction makes it feel real and relatable.

5/5 stars

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Tarah DeWitt's The Co-Op and I'm grateful to have received this e-ARC. This book is a perfect choice for a summery beach read, featuring a marriage of convenience/second chance couple whose growth and maturity over time were truly engaging.

While the book started a bit slowly for me—often, I find narratives that shift between present and past challenging—it quickly became a page-turner once I immersed myself in it.

Deacon exudes a charming "golden retriever" vibe, contrasting with LaRynn's more enigmatic "black cat" demeanor. Watching them break down relationship barriers, especially given their negative family experiences, was a highlight for me.

Deacon's heartfelt confessions were swoon-worthy, and I admired LaRynn's journey towards vulnerability. As a therapist, witnessing characters own their behaviors and evolve resonated deeply with me.

The epilogue was a perfect conclusion—I always crave closure for characters I grow attached to. I eagerly anticipate more from this author! Thank you SMP, Netgalley, and DeWitt for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.!

Publish date: 11/12/24

good romance about these kids who visited their grands who fell in love in santa cruz. there are different timelines of the past and present now where they are fixing up the duplex. Loved the smexy times. I would love to read about elyse and jensen and their romance.