Oh, I absolutely adored this book! ❤️‍🔥

It's the perfect blend of a marriage of convenience with forced proximity, and a touch of second-chance romance. The characters, Larynn and Deacon, share a summer fling when they were 18, which ends in heartbreak, only to reconnect eight years later. This combination of tropes is just my absolute favorite! 😅

From the very first page, I was hooked, and as I read, I couldn’t help but think of my rating. The pacing, tone, and emotional depth of the story had 5 stars on my mind from the start.

Larynn and Deacon’s journey was so touching. Watching them go from not being able to stand each other to slowly building trust and developing a deep connection really resonated with me. Their growth, both as individuals and as a couple, was truly beautiful, and by the end, they had completely won my heart.

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. It was great in a lot of ways. The development between LaRynn and Deacon over time was quite amazing. I really enjoyed them together. I also liked that we were able to glimpse flashbacks of their earlier years. The ending and epilogue were really excellent, and I really like how the story ended. From start to finish, this was a very great book. Anyone searching for a touching story about friendship and discovering a home in unexpected places will love it.

Thank you so much to St. Martin's Press & Netgalley for e-arc.

My Rating:
5 ⭐️
3 🌶️

“You’re a fine friend and everything, but I can’t take having less than all of it with you.”

OMG! I did not expect to love this book as much as I did. It was so good in so many ways. A summer fling (in their younger years) turned heartbreak turned forced proximity/ marriage of convenience due to their grandma’s passing and leaving them a home that they decide to renovate and live in together while doing so. The hate for each other in the beginning was so real but at the same time I could still see the effect they had on each other. The back and forth banter was so good. As time went on the growth between LaRynn and Deacon was absolutely amazing. I truly enjoyed them together. The banter! The little moments like dancing and her wearing his clothes. Everything! Was so good about this book. I also enjoyed that we got flash backs to see moments from their past. I always enjoy a book with grief, it helps me realize that I’m not alone in my pain so I enjoy that part of this story as well. Such a great read. The ending and epilogue were also so good and I love the way the story ends. This was truly a great read from beginning to end.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

I loved this book start to finish!!

LaRynn and Deacon haven’t seen each other since they were 18, when everything went wrong. They don't see each other again until both their grandmothers pass away, and they both co-own their old place. When the opportunity of an inheritance comes up, the decide to get married to access it and use the money to renovate and eventually sell.

The chemistry these two had was great! You can’t help but fall for them and root for them. This was a quick and fun read and had some of my favorite tropes and they were written so perfectly!
✅ second chance romance
✅ marriage of convenience
✅ forced proximity
I just adored this book and look forward to reading it again!

📘: the Co-Op by Tarah Dewitt
🗓️: November 12, 2024

Thank you to NetGalley, Tarah Dewitt, and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I really tried to enjoy this but I just didn't vibe with the story. DeWitts writing is great, I just couldn't connect with the plot or the characters enough to finish the book. I decided to dnf at 80%.

lesbian grandmas left their house to both of their grandchildren, Deacon & LaRynn. who were "a thing but not a thing" back in high school. that house is falling apart, the value would drop a lot if they sell it in that state. so the alternative is to renovate it at first, to make it at least decently habitable. problem is, Deacon didn’t have enough budget to renovate it alone, and LaRynn is broke and didn’t have her access to the trust fund anymore since she dropped out of law school. the only way to access it again is if she get married, so that’s exactly what LaRynn & Deacon did.

see the plot was okay. the conflict was there and didn't seem forced. but still it really didn’t do much for me. just lack of charm.

The novel follows a group of friends navigating the ups and downs of life while living together in a cooperative house. DeWitt’s writing is both humorous and poignant, capturing the essence of friendship beautifully.

I really enjoyed the strong character dynamics, with each member bringing their own quirks and challenges to the mix. The humor added a nice lightness to some heavier themes. However, there were moments when the plot felt a bit predictable, which took away some of the suspense.

Overall, The Co-op is an uplifting exploration of community and the bonds we create. It’s perfect for anyone looking for a feel-good story about friendship and finding home in unexpected places.

Very much enjoyed taking my time reading this one. I would read and pause on this one because it wasn’t fully catching my attention but I did want to know how the story ends. I loved this epilogue so much, their happy ending was so cute.

The main reason why I gave this a 3 was because it didn’t hook me in. I felt like I had to get myself to really push through the first half, I think it might be because it took the female MC a bit long to open up and for me to connect with her.

This fresh take on a marriage of convivence combined with the house flip setting was a needed change. LaRynn and Deacon, former friends, are brought back together when they inherit a dilapidated property. In order to obtain this property, they enter a contract marriage.

The overall writing was a great combo of humor and heartstring tugging. The two of them have a chance to work through their feelings for each other, although there are some moments of miscommunication. Overall, I would say this heartwarming and intriguing story of finding yourself and your love is great for those who love a second-chance romance with added personality.

Thank you NetGalley for this eARC!

The Co-op has a lot to love. Second chances, enemies to lovers, forced proximity and marriage of convenience - all tied together with this innately heartfelt core.

The book’s strength is creating the chemistry between the main characters, LaRynn and Deacon, whose history is as strained as it is magnetic.

Ultimately, the Co-op is an addictive read that combines heart, humor, spice and drama. If you’re looking for a romance that balances emotional depth with playful romantic tension, this one is for you.

I don’t typically read romance novels, but I really enjoyed this one! I laughed out loud during some scenes and loved all the tropes in here: forced proximity, marriage of convenience, and second chances. It was spicy, it was steamy, and a slow burn. I loved the scenery as well (I may be biased as I’m a Northern California native who loves Santa Cruz!). If you’re in the mood for romance, give The Co-Op a try!

Thank you to the publisher, author, and Net Galley for a copy of this novel.

The Co-op

“I like being a good part of someone’s day.”

Oh my heart this book. It was absolutely a good part of my day. I absolutely adored the funny, heartwarming and spicy story.

Check this one out if you’re looking for:
🏠 Renovation romance
🏠 Enemies to lovers / second chance
🏠 Forced proximity
🏠 Modern day marriage of convenience
🏠 He spins his hat backwards 😏

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for this ARC! My opinions are my own.

6 stars. I love this book and these characters with my entire heart and soul. Idk how Tarah did it but she somehow made this book even better. The past chapters added so much to LaRynn & Deacon’s story and i fell in love with them all over again. I loved getting to see how they started and where it all went wrong. I think it added so much depth to their current story. LaRynn is such a special character to me and i see myself so much in her. I echo everything i said in my previous reviews but love this book even more than I did before. 🧡

An absolutely adorable, impossible to put down, feel good novel. LaRynn and Deacon have history, and it isn’t necessarily good. So when their grandmother’s leave them their condo, which is completely falling apart, in Santa Cruz, LaRynn is absolutely dreading figuring out what to do with it - so she keeps putting it off, until she can’t anymore. When she arrives with no money and the only prospect of gaining her trust fund is marriage, she doesn’t know what to do. Until they hatch a plan: a fake marriage, they can access her trust fund, contractor Deacon has the know-how to fix and flip the condo and then they can go their own way. But that history? It’s coming back and both are struggling to figure out how to make this situation work while the sexual tension is slowly tearing them apart.

A super fun, quick read. Told in alternate time-lines and voices (LaRynn and Deacon), it was engaging and steamy.

A fun, easy enemies to friends to lovers story….
Must read for lovers of second chance, marriage of convenience and close proximity fans.

DNF at 11% book was fine just didn't really capture my interest and lots of other books to read. Would still recommend wasn't for me but I'm sure it was an audience. I want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

The Co-Op is full of all the tropes - second chance romance, marriage of convenience, forced proximity - and it was so fun & sweet!

It was the perfect balance of depth, banter, and angst. I was touched by so many parts of LaRynn and Deacon’s story - both as a couple and individually. Most of the story takes place in the present, but the flashbacks to the past were a nice touch to help understand their history! My favorite part of this story was how I could FEEL the characters really falling for one another. 🤍

I had the pleasure of reading the indie version of The Co-op in September of 2023 after meeting Tarah DeWitt at SteamyLit Con. I rated it 5 stars back then, because I loved Deacon and LaRynn so much.

I was super excited that this book was not only picked up by St. Martin's Press, but was going under construction itself!

While the story to its core remained consistent, somehow, the components re-written elevated the story. I'm not sure how Tarah does it, but I absolutely love everything she writes.

There is something so satisfying about the moment when two characters harbouring grudges over hurts the other inflict on them without realizing they also inflicted hurt feelings on the other realize they're mutually at fault. The immediate remorse and better understanding of one another is the moment their deep rooted connection flourishes. Deacon and LaRynn's moment is flawless.

I love the multi-lingual and Canadian representation. In my reading experiences, the bilingual one giving out sweet pet names in another language is often the MMC and we get to witness the FMC swoon over it. But in The Co-op, LaRynn is from Quebec and speaks french - I love the internal monologue moment when Deacon acknowledges how much he loves when she switches to french.

Doing renovations with your partner is HARD. Doing renovations with your ex who mutually holds onto hurt feelings and living in said renovated space together is a whole new level of tension.

I love a marriage of convenience, and getting married in order to access LaRynn's trust fund to finance the renovations on their late grans' house created such an entertaining circumstance.

I also love how competitive LaRynn and Deacon are when playing volleyball against one another! So many fun little dynamics within this beautiful love story.

Thank you to NetGalley, Tarah DeWitt and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

I loved how the story alternated between past and present, letting us see how the relationship developed, fell apart, and ultimately came back together. While the marriage of convenience didn’t feel central to the plot, the steamy scenes and heavier emotional moments added depth, as the main characters worked to heal and grow.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for providing me with an ARC for review.

This book was a really fun read. It brought marriage of convenience and second chance romance together for a very fun mish mash of tropes.

One of the best things about this book was the way they avoided falling into the miscommunication trap, which I think happens so easily in marriage of convenience. Despite their issues, LaRynn and Deacon always talked things out and it led to better chemistry and banter on the page.

I'm so glad that this book is getting a traditional publishing!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.