Just finished The Co-op by Tarah DeWitt, and I absolutely loved it! This book is a perfect mix of second-chance romance and home renovation chaos.

LaRynn and Deacon, once teenage sweethearts, are thrown back together when they inherit a rundown Santa Cruz building from their grandmothers. To access her trust fund, LaRynn needs to be married, and Deacon has the construction skills but not the funds. So, they strike a deal: marry, fix up the property, sell it, and go their separate ways.

Living in a house without walls brings them closer, and old feelings resurface. The chemistry between them is undeniable, and the slow-burn romance had me hooked from start to finish.

If you’re into witty banter, steamy tension, and a story about rebuilding both a house and a relationship, The Co-op is a must-read!

Tarah Dewitt has not done me wrong ONE single time, and this one blew me out of the water just as much as the last!

I adored every moment of this book, and while it took me longer to pick up than I wanted, once I did I couldn’t put it down for literal hours. I effectively read this in one single sitting, and didn’t find myself losing interest even once. This has so much that I love: forced proximity, an (actually) prickly MC, two characters who have complicated pasts but are genuinely doing their best, and conflict that reflects that in the most human way possible. It also has laugh out loud humor, the most genuine and sincere connection, toe-curling spice, and a stunningly satisfying conclusion.

I adored both of these characters so much, and found that they both made an intimate kind of sense to me, even though I couldn’t actually consider either of them similar to me at all. I think this says something wildly impressive about Tarah Dewitt’s writing, and it’s something I’ve found to be true in every book of hers I’ve read: she knows how to write humanity in this perfectly understandable and compassionate way, and also manages to keep the inevitable complications involved in that humanity from tearing the story into a dark and dull place. Instead, it makes it this perfectly charming balance of charm and humor and sincerity.

I just don’t have enough words to accurately depict just how impressed I am, but what I will say is that Dewitt has officially worked her way into Emily Henry status for me. It makes me endlessly excited for everything that is to come, and for me to set aside some time to read the rest of her backlog (which only consists of Rootbound and Left of forever, both of which I cannot WAIT to get my hands on!). Thank you so much to St, Martin’s Press and Netgalley for this eArc!

3 stars

This book follows LaRynn and Deacon who are renovating their grandmothers house that was left to both of them in very bad condition. LaRynn came back to town that she spent her summers in growing up after her father cut her off after she dropped out of college. To get her trust money (to help finish renovations) she has to get married. And Deacon volunteers to get (fake) married.

Tropes:
Fake marriage
Second chance romance
Forced proximity

I really wanted to love this book but I just could not get over the main characters. But they actually like kids instead of adults. Don’t get me wrong I love a little arguing and miscommunication in my books but this was borderline annoying. I loved the plot and storyline and loved ALL side characters. If they acted more like adults I would have loved it way more.

Second chance, forced proximity, marriage of convenience, and even a bit of enemies to lovers: this mix of tropes makes this book a little something for everyone. Enjoyed the audiobook, too!

4 ⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Tarah is always an auto-read author for me! She almost never misses. This one certainly had all the steamy bits and snappy banter you can expect from her work. The only piece I really struggled with was the our MMC and FMC were related! Yes, it was just by marriage of their queer grandmothers…but still. Doesn’t that make them at least second cousins or something? I had a hard time getting past that fact. 😬

Tarah DeWitt is SPICY but funny and writes chemistry so incredibly well. This was my first book by her and I really loved the setting and careers of her characters. I think she shines in dialogue. Can't wait to read more by her.

This is my first book for Tarah and I had a really great time with it. I recently learned she’s a local to me author which was what put this on my radar after going to an event for her. I have a couple others of her books on my shelves now that I’m really excited to get to.

This book had me grinning like a fool and blushing in equal measure! LaRynn and Deacon’s enemies-to-lovers, forced-marriage-for-money situation is the kind of messy, tropey perfection I live for, and the tension between them crackled from page one. The banter? Sharp. The steam? Piping. And the emotional walls? Slowly but oh-so-satisfyingly knocked down like the drywall in their fixer-upper.

It had just enough angst to tug at the heartstrings without getting heavy, and watching them fumble their way toward something real amid sawdust and sarcasm was such a treat. A solid 4 stars.

I just really enjoyed this story and I just didn’t want it to end. I just lost myself in and I just couldn’t get enough of these interesting characters. I can’t wait to see what’s next from this author.

This book is a total win. LaRynn and Deacon’s fake marriage is the perfect setup for banter and some steamy moments, all wrapped up in a renovation project. If you’re into second chances and forced proximity, The Co-op totally delivers.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley, I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The Co-op was a very cute, quick read. I literally read this book in one sitting. It is a lover to enemies to lover's trope, and I ate this book up. Tarah DeWitt did an amazing job, the premise of the book is what first caught my attention, and she did not disappoint.

This book is dual POV which is my absolute favorite it shows LaRynn and Deacons side of the story. They are joined through their grandmothers being together and leaving them a house. After many years they are reunited and get married (marriage of convenance.) I don't want to spoil this for anyone but the romance was perfection to me and the banter between the two OMG!!! Definitely recommend this book if you are in the mood for a quick fun read.

The Co-op by Tarah DeWitt is a charming, slow-burn romance that brings together LaRynn and Deacon, former teenage flings who inherit a dilapidated building in Santa Cruz. To access LaRynn's trust fund for renovations, they enter a marriage of convenience, leading to a journey of rebuilding both the property and their relationship.
This novel weaves together second-chance romance, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, and marriage of convenience tropes. DeWitt's storytelling balances humor and emotional depth, making it a delightful read for fans of character-driven love stories.

The Co-op is a lovely second chance romance with fun tropes including forced proximity, marriage of convenience, and slow burn! The story follows LaRynn who after her grandma's recent passing, has coinherited a home with Deacon, the former fling who broke her heart. Set on selling the house, LaRynn is shocked to find the home is in complete shambles and in dire need of renovations after a recent fire. In order to accomplish that, Deacon and LaRynn agree to marry so she can access her trust fund and they can renovate the house together. When the two begin cohabitating together, they are forced to acknowledge what led to the end of their previous relationship.
I absolutely loved this book, and had so much fun reading it! Deacon and LaRynn were amazing together. I loved the character development and how the two admitted to the faults in their previous relationship and were able to move on from it. Once they did, the connection they were able to forge was so healthy and comforting. I also enjoyed the tumultuous relationship the two had in the beginning, the banter and the way they were at odds with each other was so entertaining.
This is my first ever read from Tarah Dewitt and I'm blown away by her writing, l'm so excited to dive into her other books.
ARC provided by the publisher for honest opinion

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of this book! I really enjoyed it as my first DeWitt book. I really enjoyed the writing style and the growth made by both characters from teenage years to adulthood. It showcased how everyone evolves and grows in their own ways, and you can still find your way back together, maybe with a little help from Grandma ;). As someone super interested in house flipping, I would have loved to get more into the complexities of the work, not for the tediousness of it but more so to showcase how much so many decisions cause fights between people, not just enemies/ex-friends but with loved ones as well! Would have found it more realistic than just that the FMC spent all the money on stupid expensive throw pillows. That move alone made me disassociate with the FMC because the audacity!! (I’m in accounting so it makes sense haha). Looking forward to another book by this other though! I do really like the chemistry she builds between relationships.

Thank you NetGalley for an arc of this book in exchange for my honest review. I wanted to love this book so much with how much I love Savor It…but unfortunately this just was not it for me. While this had many of the tropes that I love (marriage of convenience, second chance romance, forced proximity, “enemies”/rivals to lovers), even those pros could not sway me over the bickering of the two main characters. Truly, the bickering felt more like the all-out screaming rage matches that siblings have growing up (I speak from experience) or that of two people who are toxic for each other and should have been in a relationship in the first place. And the pranks just felt juvenile and I felt myself physically cringe anytime one came up. I did enjoy their relationship once they figured their shit out and actually communicated with each other, but the journey to get there just didn’t feel believable.

When they were younger, LaRynn and Deacon would spend summers together because their grandmothers were best friends. One summer they finally got together. But when they get caught in a compromising position by LaRynn’s father, Deacon acts like what they had was nothing. It was the last time she ever wanted to see him. Ten years later, cruel fate has them getting married to save her grandmother’s house. The house they spent multiple summers in has been left them. There was a fire that destroyed a good bit of home, and a renovation that was done years ago was not permitted. Unfortunately, neither of them have the money it would take to fix the home. Since LaRynn dropped out of law school, her father has been restricting her funds. But if she gets married, then she has full access to her trust. This is how Deacon and LaRynn find themselves married to each other. It’s temporary though. Just until they are done fixing the house. The more they work together on fixing the house the more old feelings resurface. But if they were to give their relationship a second chance, they’ll need to confront their past and learn to let their walls down.

The Co-Op is the second book I’ve read by Tarah DeWitt and I loved it. The storyline and characters were well developed. Tarah wrote a beautiful story about two characters that had messed up families and childhoods, but were still able to find love with each other. LaRynn didn’t get the love she needed from her parents. She didn’t want to be demanding or needy, and was afraid to open up to people because eventually they wouldn’t be there anymore. Deacon’s parents made him feel like he wasn’t good enough. This caused LaRynn and Deacon to unintentionally hurt each other when they were younger. I was glad that they were able to talk things through and get their second chance at love. I really enjoyed this book, and I will definitely be reading more books by Tarah.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press and Tarah DeWitt for the ARC!

I love Tarah DeWitt’s writing, so I was very excited to read The Co-Op. It was a beautiful, emotional second chance love story. I loved LaRynn and Deacon as individuals, as well as both their platonic and romantic relationship. Sometimes I don’t enjoy flashbacks or dual timelines in books but I appreciated the flashbacks in this book. It helped me understand each character and I loved getting to read about the unique way they met each other. If you enjoy marriage of convenience, slow burn, or second chance romance with palpable tension and unresolved feelings, you should definitely read The Co-Op.

I love Tarah DeWitts writing and really enjoyed this! I am a sucker for marriage of convenience because it always leads to forced proximity, and the fact they have to live together in the house made for some excellent tension. I also enjoyed the second chance romance element and the slight enemies to lovers. I loved the flashback to their past together. As always, Tarah writes with such heart and will always be a go to author for me!

I absolutely loved this. The connection between the characters was full of tension and authenticity. I also loved the setting of the home renovation with them having to be forced proximity of them living within the project. It’s one of my favorite romances of this year.

The Co-op is a steamy story about restoration and renovation, and uncovering all the things that build character within ourselves. It’s about the never-ending construction project that partnership is, and finding enjoyment at every stage.