I’m a huge fan of everything Tarah DeWitt writes, and The Co-op is no exception! I had been wanting to read this ever since it was first published, but I’m so glad I finally got around to it, especially now that it's been re-published with a stunning cover. I normally don’t love second-chance romances, but I loved it. It was hilarious, steamy, and packed with so much banter that I couldn’t put it down.

LaRynn and Deacon had a brief summer fling when they were teens, and now, a decade later, they’re forced to work together to restore a property left to them by their grandmothers. LaRynn needs to be married to access her trust so they strike a deal to get married temporarily, renovate the place, and split the profits.

What made this story stand out was the dynamic between LaRynn and Deacon. They have this hilarious, snarky chemistry, and watching them navigate their forced marriage was so entertaining. There were so many moments where I was laughing out loud, and the steam between them just built and built. I loved how the book explored the idea of restoration of the building and their relationship.

I absolutely loved this one!!! I thought Deacon and LaRynn were two complex, multifaceted characters that felt real! And their romance was just chef’s kiss. The tension!!! Will never NOT like a Tarah DeWitt book😇

Chemistry between the mains LaRynn and Deacon is undeniable as they spend the summer together renovating not only properties but their lives. They find themselves having to “conveniently” get married. Will they stay married? Will they their marriage turn from convenience to love?

Thank you NetGalley for the Arc!

I loved the attachment I was able to feel to the characters, the house, and their grandmother's. I laughed, I cried, I got frustrated. All the things I look for in a book!

This romance book has everything that I could’ve hoped for ! A marriage of convenience, forced proximity, and everything to turn up the heat between LaRynn and Deacon. When they make a deal to marry in order to access her trust, they are truly put to the test in close quarters. This was a quick read with so much romantic tension, I truly loved it! This was my first time reading this author, but I will definitely be reading more of Tarah DeWitt now!

GAH I just adore the Tarah DeWitt. Her stories are always heartfelt, emotionally resonant, and beautifully explorations of humanity, love, and growth. She has the remarkable ability to weave tension, humor, and real-life struggles into a story that feels both relatable and immersive, and that somehow always deeply touches my heart. I LOVED the Co-Op.

Deacon and LaRynn shared a summer together eight years ago, but they have since lost touch. Now, they find themselves in a marriage of convenience to access her trust fund and renovate the house their grandmothers left them.

I am always feral for AUTHENTIC marriage of convenience stories, where it feels natural and less contrived. It always creates a great forced proximity and makes for awesome sexual tension. These two had a lot to work through, a lot of lingering baggage—navigating old wounds and grudges while trying to coexist peacefully in their fake but turning very real fast marriage. And with construction abounding LOL-it's actually a really beautiful metaphor for them building their relationship and working on themselves. I loved watching them slowly warm up to each other, opening their hearts, and falling for each other. The slow burn was deliciously built, and it's worth the slow build to their beautiful HEA.

I remember reading this.. well trying too. The pacing felt off to me and couldnt keep me interested but i am determined to read it again in the future and hope to enjoy it.

There wasn't anything particularly wrong with this besides it's ability to hold my interest so I'm putting this down. The pacing wasn't really working for me and while I can appreciate the past and present timelines in a romance, this one didn't feel like it was actually establishing the relationship in either timeline. The whole thing just felt flat.

Larynn and Deacon must live together to refurnish their grandmother's house.
Took me awhile to read. Past friends to lovers.
Can they work through their old past to work things out.

I really enjoyed The Co-Op by Tarah DeWitt! The premise of two people with a complicated past coming together to renovate a house was unique and provided the perfect backdrop for their slow-burn romance. The tension between the characters was palpable, and their banter was sharp, witty, and often laugh-out-loud funny.

I loved the growth the characters experienced throughout the story—both individually and as a couple. My only minor critique is that some parts felt a little rushed, particularly toward the end.

That said, this book was a heartfelt and enjoyable read, and I’ll definitely be picking up more from Tarah DeWitt in the future!

I dnf’d this one about 45% in. I don’t love the way that DeWitt’s writing flows, purely a personal preference.

The fmc is taking care of her grandmother’s estate with a guy she has a sordid past with. A young love romance. The mmc is helping her take care of cleaning up this apartment as it was his grandmother’s as well (separate grandmas, don’t worry). When they’re forced together, the biggest issue is the cost to get all of this done. Seeing as the fmc’s parents have pulled financial support unless she gets her life together, which apparently includes having a husband? They decide to fake get together. Right around this point is where I stopped reading. The book wasn’t bad by any means, the writing style just wasn’t my personal cup of tea!

Tarah DeWitt is one of those authors that I’ve seen on booksta for yeaaaarrrrs but never added Tommy TBR for some unknown reasons. But with The Co-op being rereleased, I figured now was the perfect time to start reading her work.

Overall, I really liked this one! The premise was a unique blend of tropes (a little bit a second chance, a dash of enemies, a pinch of forced proximity, and a whole lot of marriage of convenience) that really worked to build tension. The story hooks you from the first page and I really loved getting to see LaRynn and Deacon navigate life in a construction zone together. Having that glimpse into their relationship alongside flashbacks to their teen years gave the relationship a lot of depth and avoided the instalove that tends to be present in some marriage of convenience stories.

The line-level writing was stunning, but what held me back from giving this a full 5 ⭐ was that parts of the story felt a bit melodramatic and forced for me, particularly LaRynn and Deacon’s backstories. It’s clearly just a matter of personal preference, so don’t let my feelings dissuade you from picking this one up as it’s clear many readers have fallen in love with it.

The Co-op is out now. Thanks to St. Martin's Griffin and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed The Co-Op by Tarah DeWitt! The premise of two people with a complicated past coming together to renovate a house was unique and provided the perfect backdrop for their slow-burn romance. The tension between the characters was palpable, and their banter was sharp, witty, and often laugh-out-loud funny.

DeWitt did a great job of balancing the emotional weight of their shared history with lighter, more humorous moments. I also loved the growth the characters experienced throughout the story—both individually and as a couple. The setting of the renovation project felt so vivid and added an extra layer of charm to the narrative.

My only minor critique is that some parts felt a little rushed, particularly toward the end, and I would have loved a bit more time to savor their happily ever after. That said, this book was a heartfelt and enjoyable read, and I’ll definitely be picking up more from Tarah DeWitt in the future!

Marriage of convenience and forced proximity... say less!!!
Head over heels at 18 and now several years later they're back where they were, just not on the terms they thought.
They both need each other and despite what went on with each other, they can't help but help each other out.

Their story is captivating for two who didn't think their love could last while being young but as they matured and by being forced to be together, love conquered all. Their banter was icing on the cake and made the book very enjoyable.
No third act break up makes my heart flutter with joy at the end.

The way I loved this book! Tara DeWitt's writing is a joy! I can't recommend this enough! A total must read.

Marriage of convenience meets enemies to lovers in this novel and I have to admit, this combination is often messy for me to love.

LaRynne and Deacon are characters with history, carrying their own personal life shaped baggage that creates a hectic romance. One that was slathered with miscommunication which is something I do not enjoy in my reading.

What I did enjoy and what kept me reading “The Co-Op” was the fun nicknames and banter, the love they had for their grandmothers’ home, and the growth by both Larry & Deacon.

This is my second book by DeWitt and I’ve struggled with liking her characters in both novels. I have “Savor It” up next so maybe the third time will be the charm for me!

LaRynn and Deacon have history, but now they must come together to honour the memory of their grandmothers.

For me this book was ok.
I didn't think the characters had much chemistry, and because of this I did not buy the zero to hero romance.
And while I love a marriage of convenience story, this one didn't really do it for me.
Having said all that I did enjoy it, just not enough to recommend it

I applied for the ARC of this book after realizing that there was going to be some changes to it! The author has a way of making me laugh with the character's wit and humor. This book is real and left me entertained throughout the entirety of it. There's something about when author's make characters relatable...🤌🤌🤌

The Co-op wasn't the book for me. I was really excited to read it, but it couldn't grab me. I could not connect to LaRynn's character, and sometimes I just could not deal with all the storylines. I really wanted to like this one because the premise seemed interesting, but maybe it better suits someone else.

The mood and characters in this book and Savor It could not be more different. My first look at Tarah DeWitt, in Savor It, was pure indulgence and lovely. Gentle, beautiful openness, falling into each other and such softness. On the other hand, The Co-op is conflict, snark, sharp edges and high fences.

Going into this, already having fell in love with Sage and Fisher from Tarah's other book, I wasn't quite ready for LaRynn. She's prickly, combative, and boy does she have some walls built up. She's not easy to love, and while Deacon might be, their relationship definitely needs some work.

Connected by their grandmothers, who fell in love later in life, Deacon and LaRynn met a few times throughout high school. There was an attraction, but also a lot of red flags. One summer, they start up a casual thing that leads to unrequited love and heartbreak, and then LaRynn does everything she can to avoid Deacon, including not visiting "the Grands" as often as she'd like.

Following their deaths, the Grands have left their property to Deacon and LaRynn, though it needs a lot of love and repair. The two agree that they can't leave the house like it is, and they'll repair it. First, the biggest obstacle is money - something LaRynn should have plenty of, except her father has added a condition to her trust fund; she can't access it until she marries.

Unaffected, Deacon puts forward the idea that they get married, fix the house, then sell it and go their separate ways. They can put up with each other for that long, certainly. Except everything the other does gets under their skin, and there's too much history for them to start over. Can they make it through this project without coming unglued?

I really like the way their second attempt at a relationship develops. There are a lot of obstacles, and while communication doesn't come easy, it is there and I feel like there's never a huge miscommunication aspect. While these characters weren't my favorite, I did root for them, and will definitely be reading future Tarah DeWitt books as well.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for bringing this one to my attention, and for the ARC!