Ahhh this book was so much fun to read! The book is told from a dual POV and I immediately fell in love with Deacon and LaRynn’ story. The characters are flawed and relatable and I enjoyed seeing their growth throughout the book. This was such a heartwarming book and I enjoyed the witty banter and romance. The epilogue was absolutely everything!! 🥹🥹

Read if you like:
🔨 Second chance romance
🔨 Marriage of convenience
🔨 Forced proximity
🔨 Dual POV

I’m not usually a romance girlie but every now and then I’ll get in the mood for a good romance book and this one definitely hit the mark. I think those who read a ton of romance and those that don’t will fall in love with this story.

I really enjoyed this author's writing. I haven't read anything by them before, but I really got into the story and the pacing of it. The characters were well developed and lovable.

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

The Co-op is a sweet read, filled with my favorite things: home renovations, volleyball, coffee shops, and forced proximity! This is a very fast pace read just like Tarah DeWitt's previous book "Savor it" but it's fun and has some great characters. I loved the setting of Santa Cruz and the occasional flashback to when the MCs were younger. This book did have everyone's least favorite trope communications, but I think in general it was tasteful and not completely frustrating.

3.5 stars!

Tarah DeWitt took my favorite tropes and somehow made it something so amazing. I really loved this book and she is one of my new autobuy authors.

Tarah is an author I love to read. I love the humor she writes with. Her characters have emotional depth and you will not find a miscommunication trope in her novels.

Thank you to NetGalley for the arc copy of this book. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.

After a teenage summer romance ends in heartbreak, LaRynn and Deacon find themselves thrust back together years later when they inherit their grandmothers' property. The property is in desperate need of renovation, and as a contractor Deacon has done everything he can to fix it with limited funds. The good news? LaRynn comes from a wealthy family and has a trust fund. The bad news? She can only access it by getting married. Being logical, LaRynn and Deacon marry for the necessary funds to restore the property. As they renovate and live together, they must wade through past feelings and heartbreak that demand attention.

I felt very seen as a reader throughout this book. My parents hate each other to this day, and as a growing up I would go to my grandmother's house as much as I could. I was too busy navigating young adulthood and did not spend much time with her in her last years, just like LaRynn. Like Deacon and LaRynn, the relationship with my father specifically is non-existent. It's like Tarah found my teenage diary.

These characters are beautifully vulnerable, especially Deacon. I was so frustrated throughout the book, knowing they loved each other, but were too afraid to be together. I'm a sucker for a good romance, and this has easily become a favorite for 2024. I laughed, I cried, and I was sad when I finished it.

I read this book a few years ago on kindle unlimited, and I’m not sure how much has changed since that edition, but I’m definitely different now. It hit very differently this time around.

Deacon and LaRynn are a mess, but I love them. I loved especially LaRynn taking on her issues and taking accountability. She put in the work.

I wish the first half of the book would have been like half as long, just because of how angsty it was. Their story didn’t really start until they were honest with each other and decided to work on their issues, which I felt happened too late.

Overall I’m glad I re-read this and I enjoyed it.

Rating: I really liked it!
Narrators: 5

Thank you SMP for the arc!
Each Tarah book i’ve read keeps getting better and better. This is my first year reading her books and I’ve enjoyed getting to know all of her different characters. LaRynn and Deacon were no different.

I loved that this took place in what feels like they bay’s backyard, Santa Cruz. I think on the first page it talked about driving highway 17 and it already just felt familiar.

LaRynn and Deacon had a fling as teenagers, which ended horribly. 10 years later, they are two very different people who have to come together because their grandmothers left them shared ownership of their Santa Cruz home. They both need the renovation of the home to go well, so they are forced to work together. The icing on the cake is that they both have what each other need (LaRynn, Funds. Deacon, construction expertise), but LaRynn can only access the money if she is married. Marriage of Convenience enters the chat. This book was originally released in 2022, but has since gone under renovation (;)) and was re-releaded in November!

This book was SO GOOD. All the way down to the epilogue.

All my favorite tropes are in this one story and tied with the perfect bow. A second chance love story that left me smiling long after I read the last page.

I needed a book that would transport me to another world and this story truly did that. I was kicking my feet and giggling the whole way through.

I highly recommend you pick up a copy of this book now on shelves! You won’t regret it :)

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martins Press for an arc of this book. All opinions are my own.

I’m very so so about this book. I didn’t love it, but I didn’t hate it. The book kept me pretty well engaged the whole time, I just really wasn’t a fan of the fmc in the beginning and it was hard for me to get past it for the rest of the book. I’m notoriously hard on fmc’s, so this happens to me a lot, but I did love how the fmc and mmc came together. It was a cute romance, but not my favorite.

Love Tara Dewitt! Her stories are always funny and romantic. Glad to have gotten a copy of this to review.

This is the second book by Tarah DeWitt that I’ve read, and I’m even more in love with her writing. LaRynn and Deacon are two characters I fell for right away—I lost count of how many times I caught myself smiling at my Kindle. Tarah brought plenty of tension between the characters, and the chemistry between them is just off the charts. I also love how she introduces serious topics without making the book feel heavy. I’m completely obsessed with this one!

Tarah Dewitt is amazing and I adore her. Anything she decides to write, I will be reading. Her plots and characters are so unique while still being realistic. The Co-op is a perfect example of this and Dewitt’s usual writing style aka perfection.

The tropes in this book are extremely exciting and every one adds more fun elements. LaRynn and Deacon had a spark when they were younger that has now morphed into enemy-like feelings. Things get even messier when they get married and begin to live under one roof to complete their renovation.

Format - E ARC (NetGalley)

Rating- ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Spice- 🌶 🌶

Series- N/A

Troupes- Second chance, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, constriction romance, Marriage of Convince

Representation-

CW- Death of Loved ones

Why did I wait so long to read this book??I do not know, but don’t you make this same mistake.

I love everything Tarah writes this author can do not wrong in my eyes. And when I figured out that this is a Marriage of Convince with my favorite micro troupe of romance in the mist of construction I was gleeful!

LaRynn and Deacon have off the charts chemistry from the very first pages. And the banter and wit only got better. There is so much to love about this book and Tarah’s writing style is only one of them.

I can not wait for Tarah’s next book!

Thank you to the author and publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This just wasn’t for me. This is my third book by this author and I have just realized that I don’t think we click. I didn’t care about the characters at all, and to be honest the FMC really annoyed. I wasn’t really drawn to the storyline. The writing was overall well done, but I just wasn’t invested at all. Totally a me thing, but not a book I enjoyed.

4/5
Another coming of age story for two people who have known each other since childhood and grown through the years. I loved the love story of their grandmothers and how their grandmothers brought them back together.

Tarrah DeWitt’s *The Co-Op* has an intriguing premise and moments of genuine wit, but it doesn’t quite stick the landing. The slow-burn romance has its charm, and the banter between the characters is enjoyable, but the pacing felt uneven, and some plot points lacked depth.

While the humor and chemistry shine in places, the story sometimes veers into predictability, leaving the emotional stakes feeling underdeveloped. It’s a decent read for fans of light contemporary romance, but it doesn’t fully deliver on its potential. A mixed bag with flashes of brilliance.

I am not being dramatic when I say that I loved this book and it was everything to me. The banter between Deacon and LaRynn is the best. I found the FMC and MMC to be very relatable and their relationship was swoon-worthy! Tarah DeWitt is a great author and I cannot wait to continue to read her books in the future!