The Co-op by Tarah DeWitt follows LaRynn Lavigne and Deacon Leeds, two former flames who are thrown back together after being named the two owners of a family home.

LaRynn and Deacon have a complicated history. After meeting through their grandmothers, they agreed that their relationship would stay purely physical, but relationships like that don't often stay solely physical, especially with people like LaRynn and Deacon. When one confesses their feelings for the other, both end up with broken hearts and what ensues is years of silence until they both end up back in the same, nostalgic beach town trying to figure out what they want to do with the home their grandmothers once owned.

I've never read any of Tarah DeWitt's books before, so I wasn't sure what to expect, but I absolutely LOVED this book! Her sense of humor is infectious and she has such strength in character building.

Romance is my favorite genre to read, hands down. But sometimes, I find that while the romance in a novel can be amazing, the characters can lack a certain degree of depth. And while I have no problem with this, it also was NOT the case in The Co-op.

LaRynn and Deacon were multi-dimensional characters each with their own backstories that added so much to what could've been just a fun romance novel. I loved each of these characters so much and I really enjoyed the fact that you typically get a grumpy/sunshine romance where the male character is grumpy and the female is sunshine and in this case, it was flipped. I loved the character development in this novel – there was one point where one of the characters said, 'I don't care if it sounds pathetic anymore' and this one line is just one example of how much these characters grow with and for each other. LaRynn and Deacon feel like completely mature, developed versions of themselves by the time you reach the end of the book.

The Co-op is also a unique novel because of the incorporation of music and the concept of having a soundtrack to one's life.

My only piece of criticism is that I wish there was more female friendship (or friendship in general) portrayed in this book. I loved the romantic relationship LaRynn and Deacon shared, but I do wish that we could have seen some more moments of friendship between LaRynn, Elyse, and June and also friendship between Deacon and Jensen.

Overall though, I loved this novel!

I love a good second chance romance and Tarah DeWitt certainly delivered! The flashbacks and budding romance between LaRynn and Deacon was easy to root for, however there were times I wished the pacing was a little faster. Overall an enjoyable read for any fans of the genre.

This book started out so promising. I loved the tension between LaRynn and Deacon. I wasn't annoyed by the flahsback chapters (as I sometimes am). They weren't too often and got to the point quickly. The renovation part also wasn't too detailed, so didn't get annoying either. I do love an enemies to lovers, and that is mostly what this one is. However, the book went from enemies and fighting to the death (but with some hate-sexual encounters thrown-in) to immediately turning on a dime to sweet nothings and I love yous. It didn't feel genuine and the chapters after this switch (still about 25% of the book) were a bit slow and, I must admit, I skimmed through a lot of it. And, to add even more ire, there is an epilogue that jumps 10 years in the future. I can usually abide a one-year-later one, but ten years and then summarizing all that came between. I did highlight several passages in the first half of the book and I enjoy the writing style of the author. Maybe I'm just not as interested in the lovey-dovey parts - give me the angst! LOL
Overall, I am going to give this author another try with some of her backlist. I found the steamy scenes readable and...well, steamy. Although after they finally consummate their marriage (finally), there were several chapters of just the sexy times which got a little redundant after a while.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

This was SO good! Such a phenomenal enemies to lovers, done so incredibly well. I can’t put my finger on why this wasn’t an overwhelming 5 star, but definitely a 4.5. I think I was hoping for some flashbacks, especially flashbacks with their grandmas. Also so surprised there wasn’t any cousin jokes lol. Otherwise, loved it!

I'm so glad I was able to get my hands on this re-release of The Co-op. Tarah DeWitt has written some of my all time favorite rom-coms of the last decade- do not sleep on her work!! So excited to see what's next and watch her evolution as an author.

LaRynn & Deacon had a summer fling as teenagers, and now a decade later they are both left in charge of their grandmother's building. Both have big plans but need each other's knowledge and finances to complete the remodel.

The MCs have an up and down journey as they learn to work and live together. I'm not always a fan of the miscommunication trope but I enjoyed that as the characters have gotten older that they have improved communication

I want to start by thanking the author and publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book. I liked the book, but it wasn’t a page turner for me.

It took a little while to get into this book, especially because of the hints of flashbacks, but in the end, I found myself really enjoying it. I loved the tension that existed between LaRynn and Deacon while they were still in their pseudo enemies phase and I was eagerly waiting for more and more snippets into their history together. Once they were happily in their relationship, I didn't feel like I was waiting for the other shoe to drop. Conflict isn't abnormal in romance books, of course, but I live for the happy moments, and I loved getting to see the ones between these two. I also adored the epilogue! So cute and so fun.

This book was full of my favorites. Second chance romance.! Marriage of convenience! Forced Proximity! Home renovation! And then the banter…….seriously?!? Tarah Dewitt has become one of my favorite authors over the last year and when I saw this up for a read on NetGalley, I was ready.

I liked Larynn. I loved Deacon. I adored the Grandmothers.

The main characters communication was chefs kiss with willingness to be vulnerable and own their faults. I loved how they started out so dang petty and then became so darn precious (all the while keeping the teasing banter).

Give me all of the Tarah DeWitt

Cute. Fun banter and great chemistry. The premise was also a unique way to set up a marriage of convenience.

This has already been released but I really enjoyed it. This was my first book by the author and I can’t wait to read more. The storyline was unique and the romance made me feel everything. Highly recommend for romance readers!

This was not my favorite of Tarah’s books but it was charming and an enjoyable read. I found it a little slow and didn’t fully fall in love with the characters, but still thought it was a cute story!

3.75 stars rounded up

First of all, thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read this book for an honest review. I enjoyed many aspects of this book, but it wasn't a groundbreaking romance for me. There was a LOT going on here with all the tropes thrown in - second chance, (lovers to) enemies to lovers, forced proximity, marriage of convenience, and quite the game of cat and mouse between the two main characters.

Let me preface my criticisms with the fact that I hate the miscommunication trope. Deacon stole my heart and was the cutest golden retriever from their teen years, and I loved his wit and personality that shone through in the present years. LaRynn gave him a lot of attitude that I don't know was deserved and was quite immature for the majority of the book, all based on them not speaking their minds both as both teens AND adults. So much of their issues could have been solved if they had a much needed conversation when they reunited and then I think the love story would have been a bit more likeable for me. That said, the setting of the small beach town, their renovation, LaRynn's transition into a slower-paced lifestyle, and their frequent run-ins with friends playing volleyball gave the book enough substance outside of the tension in the house that it still moved the book along at an okay pace.

All in all, the story was cute enough, a nice slow burn, and I'm sure plenty of people will enjoy their story.

Two adults that didn’t know how to act like adults! Haha. I love Tarah’s writing and the book was fine I just prefer her other ones.

The Co-op by Tarah Dewitt is a romance that I really enjoyed! I found myself giddy over a lot of the moments with a marriage of convenience, forced proximity, and second chance. I also enjoyed the house renovation that tied it all together. I found this book to be a different vibe than Tarah Dewitt's other novels but I loved it nonetheless!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc in exchange for a review!

Even better the second time!! I wasn't sure how Tarah Dewitt was going to beat her indie version of the Co-op but boy did she do it! This book felt comforting but also refreshing in the best way possible. DeWitt's writing feels like a warm hug on a cold evening. I love the communication that LaRynn and Deacon are able to achieve after so long. Overall, I absolutely loved it!

I liked this book, it was not my favorite from this author. The romance was cute but it was hard to connect with the characters.

The Co-op is a great beach read! Love a book that takes place in a location I know - it makes it all the better to imagine in my mind while ready. A forced proximity marriage, with childhood connects on the beach - you can't go wrong. I loved the grumpy MMC that evolves, as well as the FMC that starts out snobby but comes down to earth. They tend to balance each other out.

Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for this arc in return for my honest review.

Pub Date: 12 November 2024

Are you looking for a sweet, second chance romance? I would highly recommend The Co-Op!

This was such an adorable read with some spice thrown in. Deacon and LaRynn meet each other as teens when their grandmothers fall in love. They have a whirlwind summer romance which leads to heartbreak and then reuniting after years.

I really didn’t want to put this one down and would have stayed up all night to finish if I didn’t have to work in the morning. I loved the characters especially Sal. The chemistry was very well done.

It took me a bit to get into this one but I ended up liking it. I wish they wouldn't have been so stubborn; that did get hard to read after awhile. I wish their past would have unraveled a bit quicker, but ultimately I enjoyed this.