I loved this book! It was super cute and had me giggling and kicking my feet.

This was my first Tarah DeWitt book but it will definitely not be my last.

The Co-op was fantastic. I am a sucker for a second chance romance and this one was perfection. I especially loved how the MCs recognized the issues that drove them apart and both wanted to work on themselves, to be better. The banter was top tier between Rynn and Deacon. I would love to read the grans story as well!

This was exactly what I’ve come to love from Tarah Dewitt. Fun flirty and the true highlights of how communication in adult relationships is hard. We can all read romance novels and get frustrating because we just want them to communicate and spit it out but that’s pretty hypocritical. Well done.

I really enjoyed this one! I loved the home renovation aspect and I’m a sucked for a second chance romance. I felt like LaRynn and Deacon had so much chemistry that i just was desperately waiting for them to get together. I’m so excited to see what this author comes out with next!

LaRynn Lavigne and Deacon Leeds had one short and contentious summer fling when they were teens.
Certainly nothing to build a foundation on.
But a decade later, when their grandmothers have left them with shared ownership of their dilapidated Santa Cruz building, they're thrust back together and have to figure out how to brace up the pieces.
LaRynn has the money, but to access her trust, she has to be married.
Deacon has the construction expertise, but lacks the funds.
A deal is struck: Marry for however long it takes to fix up the property, collect a profit, and cut ties.
Thrust into a home without walls, they quickly learn that it's easy to hide behind emotional ones, even in a marriage. But, with all the exposure and pitfalls that come with living with the opposite sex (and none of the perks) they'll also have to learn what it means to truly co-operate as a team.

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.

Loved it

Title: The Co-Op
Author: Tarah DeWitt
Rating: 4⭐️

Thoughts:
This is the first book by Tarah DeWitt that I have read, and I will definitely be checking out more of her work!

LaRynn and Deacon have some not so great history, so when they are co-owners on a house, feelings start to stir up. Overall this was a very cute, quick (read it in a day), and fun read! There was amazing character development throughout the novel (even though at some points the FMC slightly *annoyed* me). This is a dual timeline book, and I don't always love those, but it flowed very nicely with the story. I did not read the previous version of this book, so can't speak to any comparisons!

This book is great for those who enjoy:
- Home improvement
- Marriage of convenience
- Second chance
- "Enemies" to lovers
- Dual POV

Make sure to check out this book when it releases November 12th!

The Co-op is my first Tarah DeWitt book and I loved it! I love marriage of convenience and second chance tropes. Pair them with the funny banter, the steamy romance, and the flashbacks and I was completely entertained.

The romance is so real and I love the parallels DeWitt made between the work that goes into renovating a home and the constant work that marriage requires. I also liked that the characters are imperfect because we all are and all relationships require work. The key is finding “someone who loves my sharp edges as much as all my softer ones”.

This story hit all the right spots and I can’t wait to read more of Tarah DeWitt’s work.

4.5 stars! The first 25% or so took me over a week which is pretty slow for me. I had an hard time connecting to the characters at first, but after the initial hump, I read the rest in 24 hours. I LOVED this story. I felt so connected to LaRynn and her rough-around-the-edges personality. I felt like the initial toxicity is so relatable for that age and it was really beautiful to see LaRynn work on those things while also very obviously being a constant work in progress. I really felt for her and was rooting for her throughout. I also just loved Tara DeWitt’s writing style.

I received an ARC of this book and, while I’m a little later here, I was ENTHRALLED! I adored Savor It and I adored this one too! Dewitt has that special spark that makes you fall in love right along with her characters, but not just the main ones, all the ones orbiting their story, right down to the pets! This one was a great mix of the past and the present, unsaid words and assumptions making a you know what out of you know who—but also seeing the deep family and personal ties, how young love can be so full of naive mistakes as you are learning to navigate your own self discovery, and how, most importantly, forgiving yourself and also standing up for yourself and how you feel are not only liberating, but can lead you down paths you didn’t dare to dream of! I loved the story of “the grands” and I wish I had a love story like Deacon and Larry. While they had their own personal struggles and tough times, they had a glorious summer, amazing role models in the grands and Sally, and came back to each other under strained circumstances, watching their second chance play out was so sweet and meaningful, with a lot of laughs and some tears too. She did it again folks—another story to live rent free in my head! Highly recommend!

Tarah DeWitt does it again with the sweet and steamy second chance romance/forced proximity/marriage of convenience tale of LaRynn and Deacon.
Second chance romances with summer flings especially get me for some reason, and I love everything I’ve ever read from Tarah so this was an absolute banger for me.
The hero and heroine connect so deeply and I enjoyed their interactions and honestly their whole journey from start to finish. “Be my wife. Stay my wife.” Are you joking???
Absolutely loved this one despite home reno type romances have been feeling a little played out to me lately until this.

3 to 3.5 stars.

I will start with saying that I absolutely loved and adored Savor It, the only other title I’ve read by the author … but I didn’t like this one. It was fine, and it was an OK read - but, it was just fine, and just OK, not great.

I tried to read this updated, re-written, and re-released version of The Co-Op, and listen along to the old audio version I had purchased previously (but never had a chance to listen to before), but she’s changed so much, right from the first sentence, that this couldn’t be done. It was completely different. She has definitely changed a lot.

This is a second chance, basically step-cousins romance (or something on the family tree - they’re now related because their grandmothers got married), marriage of convenience, living together in forced proximity, and fixing up their grandmothers’ old place to live in, or sell. The marriage to Deacon allows LaRynn to get at her trust fund, so they have the cash to do the renovations. (can I also say I really dislike the character name? just use Lauren. that bugged me the whole way through, too!)

The chemistry between them feels extremely forced. The family dynamics are all over the place. It’s definitely a strained feeling the whole way through. I struggled to motivate myself to finish (I had to take a break and come back to it). I read a lot of romance and don’t normally feel this way, even when a book isn’t well written (this isn’t poorly written, it’s just the storyline leaves a lot to be desired) - I was especially surprised when it was re-written and re-released and beloved by so many, and having loved one of her other books so much, that it was still leaving me this unsatisfied.

I know a lot of other readers adored this book, so there will be a lot of great reviews and fans, but there’s something I can’t put me finger on, even after the re-write (I will have to listen to my old audio version to see if I like the original one or not), that’s leaving me so lackluster in my opinion! I’m not a fan, but I know so many others out there will be. The marriage of convenience trope normally draws me to a book, but this one is a “pass” from me, this time. Thank you to NetGalley, and St. Martin’s Press (St. Martin’s Griffin) for the early copy - this is my honest opinion.

Thank you to SMP and NetGalley for the ARC of this book. All opinions on it are my own.

Tarah can do no wrong. I said what I said. The Co-op continues this trend. Tarah truly has a way of making you fall in love with her characters. I was ready to pack my bags and move into their town just for a chance to hang out with them. The romance is top tier and the character development is fantastic. This review doesn’t need many words because one sums it up: perfect.

If you love romance, go get this one. You won’t regret it.

<b>"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."</b>

The re-released version of The Co-op is incredible. I loved it before, but the changes Tarah made to it were truly a love letter to the original in the best way. The additional tidbits and expanded descriptions truly bring so much to an already lovely story.

I love that LaRynn is not a "likable" character. She is a complex woman who has experienced pain and neglect in several aspects of her life and has finally had enough. So many women put on a facade or a mask and act nice and sweet when inside, I think a lot of women wish they could let go and embrace being a little more "mean". And the way Deacon loves her just as she is and embraces every version of her is one of my favorite parts of this book.

This book made me laugh out loud, cry real tears, and smile so big that my cheeks hurt. I love these two and the way they love each other is so real and honest. No relationship is easy, they require work, resilience, and patience. But when it's worth it, the effort doesn't feel too much to bear. So happy to have this one back in the world with a brand-new cover!

Oh, how I love a good second chance romance! LaRynn and Deacon had a short, passionate fling when they were teenagers, but of course life happens. Years later, they find themselves inheriting an old building from their grandmothers. They both have something that the other doesn't that is necessary for restoring the building. Let the marriage of convenience and forced proximity commence! Tarah DeWitt is just a master of writing characters that are incredibly relatable and handing tough topics with care. Of course there is some spicy moments, but they're enhanced by the emotional connection.

I absolutely loved this book! It was the perfect blend of second chance and enemies to friends to lovers. I felt the angst from Deacon and LaRynn’s past relationship and felt their struggles to open up with each other again and show their vulnerability. I also really enjoyed the relationships that both Deacon and LaRynn had with their grandmothers and the glimpses we got to see into their pasts. This was my first book by Tarah DeWitt, but it definitely won’t be my last.

4.5/5 stars
2/5 spice

Tropes:
Second chance romance
Marriage of convenience
Forced proximity
Hurt/healing
Dual timeline
Dual POV

This had all the angst and pining that you could want from a marriage of convenience, but also add in the emotional trauma of healing and you get some tender moments that just makes you melt.

Really loved how both characters were imperfect but wanted so hard to be better and do better. The dual timeline gave us those moments of young love that really set the backdrop to the present day conflict. There are times where you shake your head at the shenanigans they get into but it was great to see the character development for both LaRynn and Deacon.

Overall, it's a poignant story that had some great laughing moments. I highly recommend for fans of second chance and marriage of convenience.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and offered voluntarily.

This was my second book by this author and it didn't disappoint. Small Town, marriage of convenience and just such a fun rom com that will have you rooting for the couple.

Thank you NetGalley for sending me this ARC. I was so excited to read this. Full review on Goodreads to follow.

Exquisitely tender, captivatingly sweet, and delectably steamy.

This was just such a beautiful and cozy love story. The yearning and the angst between LaRynn and Deacon felt so palpable that I had no choice but to love them and root for them the entire time. Their banter and their dialogue was also top tier! I loved LaRynn, she was such a force to be reckoned with but also a total softy, while Deacon was a fantastic multi-layered, golden retriever MMC that I absolutely adored.

There were parts of the exposition that I found a bit wordy and made me feel like the book was a bit long, but I was so invested in these characters that I didn't mind too much. The story also had some miscommunication, but I get it. I totally get it. In the context of this story and the characters and their background, I understand why this trope was used and could look past it.

Overall, I loved watching these two idiots fall in love as they built a foundation, tore down their walls, and reconstructed their relationship.

Read The Co-Op if you like:
🏠 second chance romance
☕️ marriage of convenience
🏠 "that's my wife."
☕️ home renovations
🏠 forced proximity
☕️ dual pov
🏠 flashbacks

This was such a sweet story! This is the kind of second chance romance that makes you feel all the feels…there isn’t a ton of levity, but the beautiful love and communication that builds between Deacon and LaRynn was so special. There was lots of wonderful steam too!