I really enjoyed this book. Honestly, there hasn't been one by Tarah DeWitt that I haven't enjoyed! An interesting plot, wonderful character development, and romance, what more could I ask for?

The Co-op centers on the tumultuous reunion of two former lovers, Andrea and Deacon, who are thrown together by unexpected circumstances. Tasked with restoring a neglected farmhouse—symbolic of their fractured past—the two must navigate the unspoken tensions and unresolved feelings lingering between them. The dual timelines of the story—past and present—deftly unravel the depth of their connection and the reasons for their initial separation.

DeWitt excels in blending humor with raw emotional depth. Andrea’s sharp wit and Deacon’s steady demeanor create a dynamic that keeps the reader engaged, alternating between moments of lighthearted banter and profound vulnerability. As they tackle physical repairs, they also confront the emotional damage from their shared history.

The Co-op is a second chance romance with a lot of heart especially as it relates to the grandmas who have passed. I liked the book but did not love it. I think I would have preferred the book edited into two sections- backstory and then what happens next. The back and forth just felt off to me and it took me forever to figure out why she was so mad at him, so then I just ended up being annoyed at LaRynn. I would have liked some resolution or understanding of why her father is the way he is or even her mother as well. Deacon is a model book boyfriend for the most part.

This was my first Tarah DeWitt story and I enjoyed it! I thought it was a cute second chance romance and that is exactly what I was looking for going into it. I loved all the tropes and am a sucker for a marriage of convenience plot and think this was done well in this story. I also think the ending was perfect!

I originally read the Co-Op back in 2022 when it was first published, and I was excited to re-read it again in 2024. The new content added just adds to LaRynn and Deacon’s love story.

Tarah Dewitt writes some of the best banter out there - literal laugh out loud moments. When the story begins, Deacon and LaRynn are just so short with each other. But bit by bit, their walls start to come down, they realize that their feelings from years ago are still there and decide to give it another chance. Once they get past the enemies phase, they truly do bring out the best in each other. These characters are flawed and sometimes difficult but they also feel like real people.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for giving me an ARC copy of the book. All opinions are my own.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3.5)
🌶️🌶️🌶️ (3.5)

I love Tarah DeWitt! Savor It is one of my all time favorites, and I loved Funny Feelings as well. I enjoyed the Co-op, though it didn't live up to my love of the other books I've read by Tarah DeWitt. It did make me cry though 🥹

You might love this book if you're a fan of:
Second Chance Romance
Forced Proximity
Marriage of Convenience
Dual POV & Dual Timeline
Open door spice but not super smutty
Hate-to-love

Thank you Tarah DeWitt, NetGalley, and St. Martin's Press for a free copy of The Co-Op in exchange for an honest review.



For 2024, I’ll be using this rating scale:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I mourned the ending of this journey 🥹
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ really enjoyed and would recommend
⭐️⭐️⭐️ it was fine
⭐️⭐️ I didn’t enjoy this journey
⭐️ I dnf’d or wish I’d dnf’d
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ this is smutty smutty erotica 🥵
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ a lot of spice
🌶️🌶️🌶️ some spice
🌶️🌶️ romantic b plot / closed door / YA romance
🌶️ no romance / nonfiction

This is my 2nd book by Tarah and again she did not disappoint. She definitely has a special gift when it comes to writing the fake dating/friends-to-lovers/forced proximity trope. In this instance it was a marriage of convenience between two people who had feelings for each other in the past yet blame one another for their broken hearts. LaRynn and Deacon were loveable characters more so Deacon but LaRynn grew on me. I found it quite funny the more they argued the deeper they fell in love with each other. There were many instances where their playful banter turned into heated arguments. But I liked how they’d always circle back and discuss their differences. And even with the back and forth there was a lot of chemistry between the two especially when things got spicy. Overall, it was another great read can’t wait to read more by Tarah.

this was such a fun read, i couldnt put it down once i started! I love how it was light hearted but we also got these amazing in depth characters. marriage of convenience is one of my favorites and this one was done so well! the second chance aspect of this one was done so well and i just love these two's story! this was my first book by tarah but i will definitely be reading more in the future

LaRynn Lavigne and Deacon Leeds had difficult family lives growing up. They were often dropped at their grandmother’s in Santa Cruz, CA for summers. Their individual grandmothers found each other later in life and were married. After both of them pass a few months apart, Larynn and Deacon find themselves joint owners of their rundown building. They both bring a lot of personal baggage to their current situation including as teens being romantically involved. Deacon has construction skills but no money to fix up the property. She has a trust fund that can help but she can’t access it till she is married. A bargain is struck to get married, renovate, sell and split the proceeds.

Her characters are a little broken and I connected emotionally to them. I got my typical annoyance at his childish nickname for her. But I love that every chapter is important. I like that instead of telling about their relationship over summers there are flashback chapters showing how they came together. One small criticism I had of a previous book by the author was that too much was going on. In this book almost every chapter is focused on them. Them as teens, the current renovation, them discussing their family situations and relationships. And I love that there wasn’t a last act breakup. I don’t always need an epilogue a decade out but here it fits perfectly.

This seemingly was published previously in 2022 and I am happy to see it getting a new release. Read this If you enjoy second chance romances, with messy family situations, mixed with some spice (on page, not overly descriptive).

I absolutely loved "The Co-op" by Tarah DeWitt! The story of LaRynn and Deacon is beautifully written, filled with emotional depth and engaging characters. The unique marriage-of-convenience plot kept me hooked from start to finish. Watching them navigate their past and rebuild not only the house but also their relationship was so fun and sweet. Tarah DeWitt's writing, as always, is both heartfelt and steamy, making this a perfect blend of romance and redemption. We are so lucky to be alive at the same time as her!! Highly recommend!

So, I thought this book was cute, the chemistry between the characters wasn't bad, but I couldn't staaand the fmc. The mmc also wasn't that great. I love an enemies-to-lovers trope, but they just seemed to completely hate each other for a good chunk of the book. I'm also already not a fan of the miscommunication trope and this just proved it for me. They don't know how to communicate and they act like kids, which honestly didn't make it too enjoyable. They're constantly picking fights with each other instead of talking.

The story was also just okay imo - it's a second-chance romance with forced proximity and a marriage of convenience trope, and it seemed the author was just doing a lot all at once.

Thank you to NetGalley for this arc.

I don't know what I expected to get into with this book but I was stunned and hooked from the beginning.

The Co-Op is a gripping tale of two teens who fell out of love and then topple right back into it as adults. The baggage and trauma they were handed that ruined them years ago follows them into adulthood, but when they finally start sharing some of the weight, they become more entwined with one another than before.

If you're looking for a book that's light and funny, this one probably isn't for you. While there is levity between the pages, I was left feeling wrecked at some points and then completely patched together by the end. The Co-Op is a definite must-read.

I love a forced proximity situation and this one was pretty fun. The addition of the marriage of convenience and their past was also good. I enjoyed the characters and their relationship.

5 STARS!

"The Co-op" by Tarah DeWitt is one of my favorite books. I didn't think it could get any better, but it did! I loved being back with LaRynn and Deacon again, falling in love with their romance and their story for a second time just like they did. Their disdain for one another based on their complicated past morphs into something accepting, gentle, and lovely by the book's end. These are two of my favorite characters ever written. They are not perfect. They are messy, complicated, and engaging, but they are willing to work on their problems. This book is in-depth, intimate, realistic, raw, sexy, spicy, filled with banter, filled with grief and grieving, full of laughter and tears. DeWitt is one of my favorite authors, and she really digs deep at the core of grief, love, living, and acceptance over a methodically paced period of time. I am still in love with this book and this story. I highly recommend reading it!

Thank you to NetGalley, Tarah DeWitt, St. Martin's Press, and St. Martin's Griffin for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.

The Co-Op by Tarah DeWitt is a heartfelt journey of love, growth, and healing that beautifully intertwines a second-chance romance with a dual timeline that adds so much depth to the story. The way the narrative shifts between past and present gives readers bits and pieces of LaRynn and Deacon's history, allowing us to slowly uncover how they fell in love the first time—and how they're destined to fall in love all over again.

Watching LaRynn and Deacon fall for each other twice was such a delight. Their chemistry is undeniable, and the push-and-pull of their relationship keeps you invested in their story. Tarah DeWitt masterfully balances sweet, spicy, and emotional moments, making this book a rollercoaster of feelings.

What really sets The Co-Op apart is how it touches on important themes like grief, learning disabilities, deep-rooted fears, and family issues. These elements add layers to the characters and make their journey even more impactful. LaRynn and Deacon’s personal struggles and growth are just as compelling as their love story, making this a truly well-rounded and satisfying read.

If you’re looking for a romance that will make you laugh, cry, and swoon, The Co-Op is a must-read. It’s a testament to love’s ability to endure and heal, even in the face of life’s biggest challenges.

Thanks to St Martins Press and Netgalley for this advanced copy!

I am a big fan of DeWitt's novels, and this one was no exception. LaRynn and Deacon are so fun and moody and wonderful in this marriage of convenience lovers to enemies to lovers romance that has so much heart. Brought together by their grandmothers, forced to marry to keep some real estate, these two can banter and drive each other batty in the best ways. DeWitt is a must read for me at this point.

This was such a fun read!!!

It was a little bit slow in the beginning but once it picked up I flew through it!

Sexy, sassy, and so fun!

Def recommend for romance fans!!

4/5

This is my 3rd Tarah Dewitt book. I adored this book. I’m a sucker for second chances and I loved everything about this one, from the grans’ story to working through the damage parents choices had done to them.

Tarah has such a way of writing about feelings, love and grieving. Having to work through one’s emotions is so hard on its own, but having the right words to understand what you’re feeling is so important. Through her writing, she’s able to have you relate to the characters.

The banter is always excellent! I look forward to her next release!

Thank you NetGalley and St Martins Press for this ARC!!

Read if you like:
💋Enemies to Lovers
💋Forced Proximity
💋Opposites Attract
💋Slow Burn
💋Roommates or Shared Living Space

*The Co-op* by Tarah DeWitt is a delightful, charming rom-com that checks all the right boxes for fans of slow-burn romances and witty banter. The story centers around two protagonists who start off as reluctant roommates in a shared co-op situation, and as they navigate their differences and forced proximity, sparks fly in all the best ways.

DeWitt excels at creating relatable, multi-dimensional characters. The enemies-to-lovers dynamic is executed brilliantly, with the tension between the characters building gradually, making their eventual connection all the more satisfying. Their chemistry is undeniable, and while the romance is slow to develop, it feels all the more rewarding as the characters slowly open up to each other and themselves.

The pacing is perfect, with just the right balance of humor, conflict, and emotional depth. The setting of the co-op, with its close quarters and communal living, offers the perfect backdrop for the opposites-attract trope to shine. Watching the characters learn to navigate each other's quirks and differences adds both humor and heart to the story.

*The Co-op* also has a surprising amount of emotional depth, with moments of vulnerability and personal growth woven seamlessly into the romance. As the protagonists confront their own pasts and struggles, their journey of self-discovery and healing is just as compelling as their growing love story.

Tarah DeWitt has crafted a feel-good, heartwarming read with *The Co-op*, offering a mix of lighthearted fun and touching moments. If you’re a fan of romantic comedies with emotional depth, relatable characters, and a swoon-worthy slow burn, this book is sure to leave you smiling.

Thank you so much to the publisher for my gifted ARC!

I adored the original Co-Op while at the same time, I felt it was ordinary in a way where it wasn't too exciting but perfect? Rewriting made it the 5 stars it originally deserved!