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.

The storyline to this book definitely holds you to where you want to flip through the pages as fast as possible! The characters are well written and has amazing personalities and them being expressed. I would recommend this book to people who want an amazing storyline with great characters!

I want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for letting me read this ARC.

The words aren't coming to me to write this review. I'm feeling a mix of joy because it was so good and sadness because it's over. This book was magic in the same way that ordinary life is magic. I loved Deacon and LaRynn and getting to watch their story unfold.

I don't normally like books with a dual timeline, but this was perfect. Getting to read their history and find out why things were the way they were in the present. I also don't normally like books with the miscommunication trope, but it fit so well here. I wasn't mad about it because it felt so fitting for the characters and the ways that previous trauma had affected them and their lives.

This one of those books where you get to the end and you wish that there was more book. I want to see more from their lives because they feel like friends. I love books by this author because her characters are so real and so easy to connect with even if you don't really have a lot in common with them. Read this book! It's been one of my favorites!

Love the cover, love the story, love this author! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. This book has all the components of a spicy novel that I speed through. I loved it!

I got to review another of Tarah Dewitt's books so when this story came out I jumped for the chance to read it.

LaRynn and Deacon have known each for quite some, growing up together while their grandmother's were married. One summer before college things get hot and heavy, resulting in some spicy times but it all comes crashing down when Deacon proclaims that it's just physical, no feelings for him. For her? She was in love. Fast forward a few years and they have to figure out what to do with their grandmother's house and decide to fix it up, using a fake marriage and her inheritance. However, platonic relationships don't always stay that way and feelings start to simmer again.

This book was a cute idea with spicy scenes. It was a different storyline than typical romance novels and it worked but there was just something missing for me. I didn't feel a super good connection with LaRynn, maybe she seemed too finicky to me, which is totally fine. I enjoyed that the characters were open with each other in book and finally got pent up feelings off their chest and it was sweet to see that unfold. I still would definitely recommend this book!

Thanks to NetGalley, Tarah DeWitt, and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to review this ARC!

Oh I loved this book SO HARD! ❤️‍🔥

Marriage of convenience with forced proximity tossed in and a summer fling when they were 18 until things went to shit and they don’t reconnect until 8 years later, so a little bit of second chance romance — which happens to just be some of my favorite tropes 😅

I truly enjoyed this from start to finish and when I’m reading, i’m always thinking of my rating—depending on how the beginning feels along with the tone and pacing of the book, but without a doubt, 5 stars was stuck in my head the whole time

I was touched by so many parts of larynn and deacon, both apart and together as a couple. They start off not being able to stand each other and have to build this trust between them and along the way, things just start to click and they really clicked for me.

★★★★☆ 🌶️🌶️/5

This book was such a fun and light read, perfect for those of you who are suckers for enemies-to-lovers and second-chance romance tropes. LaRynn & Deacon are so witty and the banter between them really is just so good!! You could cut the tension with a knife for the longest time but it was worth it in the end. They have to work through some past issues and rebuild their relationship all the while renovating a home (where they met for the first time as teens). This one was a cutesy little rom-com, I really enjoyed it but my favorite part was the look into their life 10 years later!!💌🏡🧡

Thank you Netgalley & St. Martin’s Press for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Deacon and LaRynn’s story was cute, managed to pull off several tropes very well second chance, forced proximity, marriage of convenience.
Their backstory was something i could easily relate to and see happening to a young couple who are deeply traumatized by each of their own families.

EASIEST FIVE STARS I’VE GIVEN A BOOK IN A LONG TIME!

I absolutely loved the story of LaRynn and Deaclon! I’m a sucker for both second chance romances and marriages of convenience, so it really felt like I was destined to be obsessed with this book! From the vibes of the beach with Beach Boys playing in the background to the adorable ways they tried to hide their feelings from one another, there are so many things to love about this book!