📖📖 Book Review 📖📖 A fake marriage, second chance romance in modern day money pit by Tarah Dewitt?!! Yes please, I will sign on all of the dotted lines! Deacon and LaRynn’s high school fling did not end well but they are forced together when they jointly inherit a falling apart home from their grandmothers and fake a marriage to access LaRynn’s trust fund to revamp it, sell it, and move on. Dewitt takes the readers on a delightful journey of healing through time and addressing issues from families of origin that sparks hope that second chances can be successful.

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Review is on Goodreads and will be posted on instagram closer to publication date and on Amazon when published!

If you’re in the mood for a fun romance read, The Co-op is the book for you. I enjoyed the story as well as the sexy banter. Fans of Christina Lauren should enjoy this book.

I was given an advanced copy in exchange for my review. This is my honest opinion I am giving voluntarily. Tarah is my favorite author so I'm probably biased but I can't help in saying I'm in love. Dual POV, absolutely hilarious, spice is perfection with a great happy ending, how can you not love it? if your a fan of Tessa Baileys writing style this is a perfect choice for you.

The Co-Op was a quick and okay read. While, I loved certain aspects of the story, the romance felt a bit underwhelming in my opinion.

It is dual POVs of the main characters (LaRynn and Deacon) and has some great tropes like: a marriage of convenience, forced proximity and a second chance romance. I would suggest checking the content and trigger warnings before reading just in case.

The overall premise was enjoyable. I really liked the home renovation aspect and all the struggles they had to navigate through. I will say though, it did take me a bit to fully get into the story for some reason.

The romance between LaRynn and Deacon was not my favorite to be honest. Their romantic development felt a bit forced and while they did have some cute, heartwarming and spicy moments I just didn’t really feel their connection or spark despite their history. I just would have liked for more scenes from their past that showed their feelings and connection before they reunited again or more moments in the present that showed them getting to re-know each other again. Their relationship was also a slow burn one, as nothing spicy happens until 85% into the story.

I did like all the side characters and friendships throughout the story. LaRynn’s connection with her late grandmother was so beautiful and I loved that she was able to keep her memory alive.

There was no third act conflict, which I appreciated as well. But there were a few subplots that felt underdeveloped and forgotten at the end. The epilogue though, was absolutely perfect and so heartwarming.

Overall, a decent read just not my favorite.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A top tier slow burn romance! I am obsessed with LaRynn and Deacon. Tarah DeWitt excels at writing characters with many layers that you can't help but root for from start to finish. I was immediately pulled in by the writing and could not put this book down. This book is packed with fantastic tropes including forced proximity, marriage of convenience, small town, and second chance romance.

The renovated co-op is stunning. Dewitt has done an incredible job taking an already-strong book with two fierce characters and turning it into something that feels fresh and even more exciting. Deacon and Larynn are a new and improved version of themselves. Tarah has done a phenomenal job both for fans of the original and new readers to fall in love with this marriage of convenience, second chance masterpiece.

Another fun romance by Tarah Dewitt! Here’s what you can expect:

Forced proximity
Small Town
Marriage of convenience
Slow burn
Second chance romance

In other words… lots of good tropes packed into this one. I would recommend!

I don’t know how, but Tarah Dewitt made a book I really loved even better! This new version of The Co-Op is just absolute perfection!!!

You just can’t help but root for Deacon and LaRynn the whole time as you watch them sand the rough edges off of each other (construction pun— ha!) and find safety in the other. I love that the FMC is feisty and what would be considered “hard” since you get to see that it’s a product of her childhood and being offloaded like an object instead of being nurtured. Tarah is gifted at making her characters feel very real and then takes them through growth and maturity in such a perfect way. Each book feels a little like therapy to some characteristic of mine.

Plus, she’s absolutely hilarious! No one writes banter like Tarah Dewitt. Top tier book, would recommend to everyone!

I really like Tarah Dewitt her books, but could not really get into this book. I am just not a huge fan of marriage of convenience trope, and didn’t love the construction aspect of it as much as I was hoping. The writing was pretty good, but I did not really feel the connection between them.

I did really love the second chance romance side of it, and them coming back after years later. It made the book a lot more interesting.

Overall, a cute book but i could not get into it as much.

4.5 stars for this one, rounded up. Tarah Dewitt continues to be a favorite romance author. Her writing is easy to follow and you can just feel the emotions in it. I loved the book overall.

However, there were a few things I felt could have been included or left out. With both of their parental issues, I feel therapy would have been amazing for both of them. I know this book is actually a re-publish, but it would have been amazing and helpful. Especially with the horrible communication these two had for the longest time.

The most messy imperfect characters made the perfect book.

Imagine the dumpster fire of renovating a house with an ex who you hate while also grieving your dead grandma. Should be chaos, and it was, but done perfectly so.

I have never seen a more true representation of an enneagram 8 than LaRynn Lavigne. That girl is scary until those walls get broken down. I want to forcibly hug her (because I know she would never allow it otherwise). Deacon I want to keep him in my pocket to protect him at all costs.

Their chemistry was so tension filled and angsty. The blurred lines of love and hate were depicted so well in this book. Their inevitable irritation with eachother while simultaneously being obsessed. Their stubborn and pettiness had me loling more often than not.

The shared Grands grief was believable and heartfelt. Made me want to give my grandmother a big ole hug.

Couldn’t have asked for a better improvement to an already well loved favorite of mine.

Read if you like:
🌊Northern California coast
🛠️Home renovations
✌🏻2nd chance romance
🤬Enemies to lovers
🏐Beach volleyball
🐈‍⬛Black cat FMC
🏠Forced proximity
🥵Slow burn

The Co-op by Tarah DeWitt is a terrific story about two people who meet as teenagers, have a steamy Summer fling which ends when the Summer does. They move on, grow into adults, and are thrown back together under sad circumstances when they inherit a home their Grandmothers owned. Oh, and it seems that Summer fling was never really forgotten, by either of them.

I was engaged in this story right from the beginning. Both LaRynn and Deacon were interesting characters with many layers. Their emotions ran deep and strong. I really enjoyed watching them interact and peel those layers away, bit by bit. Their back and forth banter was at times cringey and at other times laugh-out-loud funny. LaRynn was stronger than she knew and could come on pretty tough, but that stemmed mostly from her upbringing. She really was smart and sweet and simply wanted to be seen. Deacon was incredibly attractive, accommodating to a fault and desperate to prove he was good, capable and deserving. I adored all his vulnerabilities. These two really were the perfect match. Everyone seemed to see that, except for them!

The evolution of their relationship was captivating and charming. The story flows back and forth from future to past and back to the future again. Honestly, it works for this story, but it is my least favorite way to read, so I'm dropping a star on this review. That being said, for me this was a completely enjoyable read that I highly recommend to all. I loved it!

Tarah DeWitt is a heartstring virtuoso. She knows just how to build up to a moment, to wield her words for maximum impact. The Co-op transforms two very common, beloved tropes - second chance romance and marriage of convenience - into opportunities for the characters to heal. Deacon and LaRynn need this second chance to repair what they did to each other as teens, and they need their marriage, their partnership, to repair what each of their broken families did to them as individuals.

If you're looking for a blue-collar book boyfriend, Deacon is your man. Smooth lines, rough hands and a whisper of an east-coast accent..Tarah likes to make us swoon! The way he saw straight through LaRynn's walls (figuratively, since lack of actual walls is a thing in this book) and called her on it made me actually yell out loud.

First things first: this cover is just PERFECT!!! I am so in love with this cover ad this book that I can't express well enough how I loved the plot and the main characthers.

This book has, as well, the best tropes you can find in a romance book.

And the chemistry between them? SO GOOD!!

Please, please read this one!

I love Tarah Dewitt’s writing. Her characters are real and poignant. They bring real life struggles and make them palatable.

This was such a cute book, I loved every minute of it, the romance was to die for and cant wait to read more by Tarah!

This book was perfect when I first read it and this new revamped version is even more perfect. Deacon and LaRynn are truly the definition of quiet love. Tarah Dewitt did such a careful and poignant job of showing the history and back stories of each these characters, how everything they went through was a step they were taking towards each other. Showing how the person you love will love each part of you even the parts you think are dark and shameful. I just feel so connected to LaRynn’s character and how she uses little snipes and remarks as a defense mechanism to keep people from getting to close in fear that they will leave her. Also her desire to just be happy and living a quiet life that fulfills her. This is truly one of my favorite books of all time!

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This book follows Deacon and LaRynn who used to know eachother but haven’t seen each other in years. Now they are married in order to get access to money to be able to fix a house that they both inherited.

This book was so beautifully perfect and truly broke my heart and put it back together. I loved the main characters so much and felt for them so much.

They both deal with feelings of being inadequate. How much it effects your life and how different people deal with this really rang true to me.

There is something unique and breathtaking about Tarah’s writing and her characters that has me in a choke hold.

Read if you love
• Marriage of convenience
• Second chance romance
• Emotional reads

#bookstagram #tarahdewitt #kindleunlimited #romancereads

The Co-op by Tarah DeWitt is a heartwarming and engaging contemporary romance that beautifully blends humor, emotion, and charm. DeWitt's storytelling prowess shines through in this delightful tale of love, community, and second chances.

The story revolves around two protagonists who find themselves unexpectedly thrown together in a co-op living situation. Their initial interactions are filled with witty banter and playful antagonism, making their journey from reluctant roommates to something more all the more enjoyable. The chemistry between the characters is palpable, and DeWitt does an excellent job of developing their relationship in a way that feels natural and deeply satisfying.

The supporting cast adds depth and richness to the narrative, bringing the co-op community to life with their unique personalities and contributions to the story. The dynamics within the co-op are both entertaining and heartwarming, highlighting themes of friendship, collaboration, and the importance of finding one's tribe.

DeWitt's writing is crisp and engaging, with well-paced storytelling that keeps readers invested from start to finish. The balance of humor and emotional depth ensures that the book is not only a fun read but also one that resonates on a deeper level.

Overall, The Co-op is a delightful and uplifting romance that will leave readers with a smile on their faces. Tarah DeWitt has crafted a charming and memorable story that celebrates love, community, and the beauty of unexpected connections.

This was a very nice second chance romance with humor and great supporting characters.

A lot of emotions built up over how things ended the first time, plus more at the surface because of the loss of their grandmothers. I cried several times because those emotions were very well written.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. It appears this book was previously published with a different cover but the new version will come out November 12, 2024.