Tarah DeWitt is a master class when it comes to her characters. She gives them so much depth and relatable qualities. This enemy to lovers has a timeline that flashes back and it transported me to those moments that were pivotal in linking a strong connection to Deacon and LaRynn relationship and the transition was seamless from past to present. I’m so in love with both Deacon and LaRynn and when the line said “I don’t think there’s a version of you I couldn’t love” I audibly moaned. There were some very sexy moments in this book but also so many fun quips and pranks that I caught myself laughing out loud in public. This has got to be a top favorite read of mine from Tarah DeWitt. Truly her writing is legendary.

Thanks Tarah, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for a chance to read and eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Fake marriage, enemies to lovers and forced proximity, this was made for me, so it was no surprise that I loved it. I listened to the audio and loved the narration, the narrators really brought these characters to life. I won't lie, I wasn't sold for the first couple of chapters, but once they got married, which happens surprisingly fast, I was all in. I enjoyed the sass, with actions like wearing black to the wedding. Once they started to get closer the sexual tension was incredible.

There is a second chance element to this and the reason they broke up initially was really stupid. Thankfully, it came to light so late that it didn't affect my enjoyment. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc I slept on, I'm really glad I finally got around to it.

Tarah DeWitt has quickly become one of my favorite romance authors! THE CO-OP wasn't my favorite by her, but I still had a great time with the characters.

Second chance romance is my absolute favorite trope, and I will take it in any form! LaRynn and Deacon had a summer fling when they were teenagers. Years later, their grandmothers leave them shared ownership of their building, bringing them back into each other's orbits.

Marriage of convenience isn't my favorite trope, so I think I would've loved this story more if it was excluded from the plot. I did really enjoy the connection between LaRynn and Deacon and wished there was a way for them to work together without getting married.

I love Tarah DeWitt's books--Funny Feelings is one of my favorite romances in recent memory--but this book didn't quite hit the mark for me. It's well-written and well-paced, but I had a hard time connecting with the characters. Because the book is so well-written, I won't hesitate to recommend it to romance readers looking for an emotional second-chance romance. This book is the second in a series and I do hope DeWitt continues to write books about this family, because I do think I'll enjoy books centered around some of this book's supporting characters.

How have I waited so long to read a Tarah DeWitt book? I absolutely loved this one and flew through it. I really enjoyed reading LaRynn and Deacon’s story and they felt like such real and well rounded characters. The miscommunication went on a little bit long for me but I loved seeing their relationship develop and I loved that there was no third act breakup! I’ve already picked up more DeWitt books to read!

The Co-Op 🪚
— Real tension and a kind of stubborn house

★★★½☆ (3.5/5)

This book surprised me in a good way. I went in for the marriage of convenience + house renovation chaos, and honestly? It delivered exactly that. The setting was super fun, the dynamic between LaRynn and Deacon had that perfect mix of sharp banter and buried feelings, and the tension? Solid. Not too much angst, just enough slow burn to keep me invested.

I actually really liked the whole fixer-upper as a metaphor — it never felt forced. The house needed work, so did they, and watching both get pieced back together was satisfying in a very soft, low-stakes kind of way.

That said, the pacing dipped a little in the middle. Some flashbacks felt a bit jumbled, and I wish we had more time seeing the emotional shift happen instead of it just being told to us. I didn’t fully feel the turning point in their relationship — but I still rooted for them the whole way.

The cozy small-town side characters, the second-chance energy, the forced proximity — all worked for me. Not a perfect book, but definitely charming and enjoyable. I smiled a lot while reading, and that counts for something.

Would I reread? Probably not.
Would I recommend it? Yeah, if you like slow-burn, character-driven romance with that renovation aesthetic.
Would I read more by Tarah DeWitt? Definitely. This one made me curious about her other books.

This book started slow in the beginning but ended up picking up about halfway through. I do love a marriage of convenience trope so of course I enjoyed it!! I also love there was no 3rd act break up.

Title: The Co-op
Author: Tarah DeWitt
Rating: ★★★★☆ (4/5)

I really enjoyed The Co-op, it perfectly captures those small-town vibes where everyone knows each other and secrets feel heavier. I'm also a sucker for a marriage of convenience trope! It always gives an added layer of tension and makes the blossoming romance that much more fun and appealing.

“𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒎𝒆,” 𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏. “𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒔𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒆𝒔 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒎𝒆, 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰’𝒗𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒌𝒆𝒅 𝒔𝒐 𝒈𝒐𝒅𝒅𝒂𝒎𝒏 𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒔𝒐 𝒎𝒖𝒄𝒉 𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒊𝒆𝒓 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒆𝒍𝒔𝒆." YESSSSS! Makes your toes curl, your feet kick a little and your heart beat faster, I loved the emotion in this book and how the characters are flawed but yet perfect.

This was my first Tarah Dewitt book and I'm excited to pick up something from her back list this summer. I love when ARCs lead to me finding another author that I enjoy.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of this book, all opinions are my own.

The Co-op was a cute, light read that will make anyone swoon. This expanded edition of The Co-op adds so much background/flashback to when they originally separated. The banter between the two main characters was hilarious and addicting. If you love second chance romance, with marriage of convenience this will be your cup of tea.

This book made me feel so much and I instantly fell in love with both LaRynn and Deacon. What a bunch of dumbs in love. Add to the story, character development and beautiful writing, the fact that they are somehow a mix of my favorite romcom couples - NaomiNicholas with their screaming, banter and general chaos it's all there, with a hint of NoraCharlie (nothing too specific, just a vibe and okay maybe the fact that she is tall and romcom writers are afraid of writing tall women) and even WesMaybell with their home renovation. It just gave me the same feeling of warmth and comfort that these books did and I have to add it never had any unnecessary drama once their original problem was resolved. It was just... everything! READ IT. And read everything else written by Tarah DeWitt because IT IS WORTH IT.

Thank you net galley for the book


Honestly the first 60% of the book the FMC LaRynn was so annoying.

I love a marriage of convenience and hate second chance romances so this one was a struggle for me. The elements of a second chance that I do not enjoy made this marriage of convenience, inheritance romance just slightly miss the mark for me. Well written and full of the fun adventures that come with an inheritance and renovation romance this was a fun romance, just not the perfect one for me.

Rating: 4/5 Stars
Genre: Contemporary Romance

LaRynn and Deacon had a summer fling as teens that left them completely heartbroken. Now a decade later, both their grandmothers, who were together, passed away and left them shared ownership of their home that needs significant work. LaRynn has a trust that she needs to be married to access, so despite not being able to stand each other these days, they decide to get married just long enough to get the money and fix up the property. But being in forced proximity to someone you've already had feelings for is a recipe for a second chance!

This is a slow-burn that I enjoyed. I love a marriage of convenience and a second-chance. I also enjoy a book around home renovations because let's face it, it's so stressful, especially having to live through it in the space and then with someone else, so the tension and banter are always top notch. I didn't love the reason for the marriage of convenience, it wasn't fully believable to me, and I felt like the reasons why they hated each other and were still holding on to that grudge was a bit ridiculous, but the growth these characters had and the mental health issues they were dealing with and how it was handled was done really well. And then when they did get together, the chemistry was fantastic! I loved the last third of the book immensely, especially!

Thank you St. Martin's Press/St. Martin's Griffin and NetGalley for an eARC. The above honest thoughts and review are my own.

Super enjoyable, well-written story that evolves over time to a believable happy ending. Despite having many of the elements that usually annoy me in romance novels - lack of communication, childish reactions rather than trying to understand each other, history and drama built on misunderstandings - there was something so HUMAN and relatable in the way DeWitt wrote LaRynn and Deacon and their lives that it didn't feel melodramatic or overdone. We cringe along with them, and feel their heartbreaks along with them, and ultimately root for them both together and as individuals to get the lives they want and deserve.

When I die please bury me with all second chance romances. If I want to feel something, I’ll forever read them. ESPECIALLY ones written by Tarah DeWitt. She is the queen of writing characters that are perfectly imperfect. The way she can show character flaws but also show their growth in a realistic way. CHEFS KISS. 😚

LaRynn & Deacon had great banter and made their slow burn love that much better.

This book like many of Tarah’s other books have a lot of depth but are also low stakes. Personally I feel like it makes her books the perfect summer reads.

I’m also a SUCKER for the fact that Tarah always does these small little crossovers in all her books. I love seeing characters I already fell in love with again. Even if it’s just a blip. 🥹 I’m looking at you, Funny Feelings.

“Be my wife. Stay my wife. Forever, LaRynn. I don’t care where we end up or what we do as long as I have you.”

What to expect:
- second chance
- enemies to lovers
- marriage of convenience
- home renovations
- slow burn
- dual pov

This was a really fun set up! I enjoyed seeing LaRynn and Deacon work together on the reno and the marriage of convenience aspect was fun. I loved the story about their Grandmothers!

I struggled at times with finding LaRynn likable but I was deeply sympathetic to her struggles with depression and struggling to find the right job while depressed. I would have liked to get a bit more exploration of whether she was grieving or struggling with clinical depression.

If you like a renovation romance, second chance or a marriage of convenience this one is for you!

Due to medical reasons, I was unable to fully read this book before it expired. I throughly enjoyed what I did read, however I cannot write a proper review due to this. I apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your understanding.

“I don’t know if we’ll always get what we wish for. I know that life is going to come with its battles. I know that love will, too. But I’m starting to think that’s the whole point—finding the person, or people, who’ll fight and dream with you.”

When it was announced that The Co-op was being re-released and DeWitt announced that she was renovating the book ahead of its trad publication, I remember reading her author’s note and just knowing I was going to fall in love with this story and these characters. So naturally, I put off reading it for months; scared it wouldn’t live up to my expectations but my goodness did it exceed my hopes for it.

Tarah writes the kind of romances you want to wrap yourself in. They’re rich in character development, funny, hot, and unassuming in their emotional depth, until you come across a sentence that feels like it punched you in the throat and all of a sudden, your eyes are welling up.

Rynn, my resident mean girl, trying so hard to make herself impenetrable to hurt and pain, that she built a fortress around her heart. And Deacon, who mirrors her pain but instead remains open in the hopes that someone proves him wrong about his assumption of other people. They are uniquely capable of being able to understand and love one another because they see past the other one’s defenses. And I love them for it.

Also, talk about a happy ever after that felt 100% earned. Reading their epilogue felt like getting a letter from an old friend and being caught up on all the new and improved updates of their life, and feeling overjoyed by their joy.

This is in my top 5 romances so far this year. And I can’t wait to continue chipping at DeWitt’s backlist soon.

‼️SPOILERS BELOW‼️
Often I see romance readers complain about the predictability of HEA’s in books— how 9 times out of 10, the book ends in marriage and children for the main characters, as if the author is unable to come up with something more creative, and while sometimes I agree (as do many others, see: the “do I think these couples stayed together past ‘The End’” videos that are popular on BookTok), this book is not one of those. A good romance author is one who prepares you for the happy ending long before you get to the final chapters and shows you why this specific scenario is the only one that makes sense for their characters. For LaRynn, whose childhood was characterized by constant moves and a lack of meaningful friendships which made her feel unmoored and without roots, a HEA that sees her firmly planted in a life of her (co)creation makes 100% sense. Bolstered even more by the scene on the cliffs when her and Deacon pick out their dream houses. She picks the home that is warm and full of love, and lived in. It’s further set up when Deacon says to Rynn, if I could give you that house, I’d give you that house. And when he said house, he wasn’t just talking about the physical structure, but everything it represented, and what the outside inferred about the inside. Also, I love how DeWitt points out through Rynn’s pov, the five bicycles on the lawn—two adult sized and three smaller ones, and how in the end, her and Deacon had three little ones. Offering Rynn a mirror into her future at a time when she started to become honest with herself about the things she desired out of life, even if she couldn’t see the path towards them. I love Tarah DeWitt so much.

This book is perfect! I love both the FMC and MMC so much and their personalities. I will totally be recommending this author and book to all my friends!

I wanted to love this, but it tried to juggle too much—two timelines, multiple tropes—and ended up falling short. I couldn’t connect with the romance in either timeline, and the characters felt immature and unlikable. Their relationship lacked emotional depth, making it hard to stay invested. It upsets me because I have loved some of her other books and had such high hopes for this one.