Tarah DeWitt's “The Co-op” is a slow-burn, marriage-of-convenience romance about a woman starting over and her childhood ex-boyfriend as they renovate their grandmother’s house.

Twenty-six-year-old LaRynn Cecilia Lavigne is down on her luck. Growing up in the shadow of her parents' tumultuous marriage, LaRynn often found herself spending summers and many Christmases at her grandmother CeCe’s house in Santa Cruz, California. After CeCe’s passing—the woman LaRynn loved more than anyone else in the world—LaRynn was consumed by grief. She dropped out of law school and lost job after job, unable to find a way forward.

Her father, who had always been distant, cuts off her trust fund and repossesses her car—a vehicle that, ironically, is still in his name. Then, LaRynn receives an unexpected phone call from her childhood ex-boyfriend, Deacon Leeds, who threatens to sue her unless she comes to Santa Cruz to help fix up her grandmother’s house.

After months of crashing on friends’ couches, LaRynn sells the few belongings she has left, buys a used Honda Accord, and embarks on her reluctant journey to Santa Cruz.

Over a decade ago, CeCe met Helena, Deacon’s grandmother, who was her next-door neighbor. The two became close, eventually marrying and knocking down the walls separating their units to combine them into one home. Deacon began spending his summers with them while his parents traveled with his brother for baseball tournaments. LaRynn, however, immediately resented Deacon for taking up her grandmother’s time and for sitting in her seat at the dining table. Things only worsened when Deacon started calling her “Larry.”
When LaRynn turns nineteen, she decides to turn her relationship with Deacon into a physical one, using him to explore intimacy. The two spend as much time together as they can, but in secret—claiming they’re out shopping or staying with other people. LaRynn tells herself she’s not supposed to develop feelings, but when she admits she loves Deacon, he coldly responds, “It’s just sex, LaRynn.” The situation reaches its breaking point when her father catches them in the act.

Seven years later, Deacon, now twenty-seven, hasn’t seen LaRynn since they ended things. He’s been struggling to juggle working at the campgrounds, a property he owns with his brother and mother, and fixing up the dilapidated house his grandmother left him. When LaRynn informs him that her trust fund has been cut off and she’s broke, she reveals that the only way to access the money is if she’s married. In an effort to help both himself and her, Deacon agrees to a marriage of convenience. They plan to marry long enough for LaRynn to access her trust, repair the house, and then they will sell or rent out the house. However, living under the same roof becomes tense as they’ve never fully addressed their past hurt and unresolved feelings.

DeWitt’s use of metaphors—comparing the renovation of the house to the restoration of their relationship—is brilliant. As they tear down the literal walls of the house, LaRynn begins to tear down her emotional walls, opening up to Deacon. As the house is renovated, so too is their relationship, as they have the tough, long-overdue conversations. Told through dual timelines and alternating points of view, the novel is less about finding new romance and more about rediscovering that the love between them was never truly lost—it was always there, waiting to be restored.

One of the frustrating aspects of the novel is its repetitiveness and the characters’ lack of communication skills. The characters are in their late twenties, yet they consistently keep their feelings to themselves, which only creates more tension in their household. LaRynn, in particular, has suffered emotional damage and has internalized much of her pain. However, despite this, I found her character hard to like. She is rough around the edges, much like the cactus she is metaphorically compared to in the novel, and this makes it difficult to fully root for her and her "happily ever after." At times, she comes across as a brat—someone who throws tantrums when life doesn't go as she wants.

That said, I did appreciate the moments of her growth, particularly when she learns to communicate her needs, especially with her mother. Unfortunately, there is a noticeable gap in the novel when it comes to LaRynn’s relationship—or lack thereof—with her father. He is barely present in the story, appearing only to explain how she is penniless and carless. This lack of development regarding her father leaves an emotional void that feels like an unfinished part of her character arc.

I requested this off of NetGalley because it sounded like something I would really enjoy, but I ended up so bored reading it.

LaRynn and Deacon had a summer fling when they were young, telling themselves it was just physical and nothing more. Fast forward and they both share a house that belonged to their grandparents, who have passed away. In order to access the funds to renovate the house, they get married, agreeing that they will divorce when the renovations are done.

Second chance romance is often a favorite of mine, but only when I care about the characters. This one felt a bit choppy, physical scenes taking over with some character development haphazardly thrown in. I didn’t really have time to develop any feelings about the two of them, and by the 67% mark, I didn’t even care about the ending or their relationship.

I wanted to like this one, but it just wasn’t for me.

This was so adorable!!! I LOVE this author and this book was just as cute but meaningful as her other books. Highly highly recommend!

this was sweet. i actually quite enjoy the subgenre of renovation romance and i did not reread the blurb before i picked this up yesterday so that was a nice surprise! i liked the angst between the two main characters, though i found the dual timeline a bit jerky.
i didn’t love larynn to start, but she did grow on me. i really enjoyed watching both larynn and deacon start to trust one another and open up as their relationship developed - this was probably the highlight for me.

I feel like this storyline had a lot of potential but ultimately the book fell flat for me. I never fully connected to the characters and it was all just very ok.

The Co-op is a second chance, enemies to lovers romance. Both the attraction and the antagonism between LaRynn and Deacon practically crackles off the page. As teens, they both started off thinking the worst of each other, yet they couldn't stay away from each other, resulting in an intense but short-lived summer fling that ended rather badly. Because neither of them was mature enough to initiate a straight and open conversation, ten years later, the antagonism has gotten the upper hand.

At the start of the book, they are forced into close proximity, living together in their grandmothers' shared house, which desperately needs major renovations if they are to have any hope of selling it for a decent price. Of course, the antagonism boils over. The problem is that they need each other to succeed. Deacon has construction knowledge but no money, while LaRynn has a trust fund that can fund the reno, but she can only access it if she gets married. Their shared goal provides the impetus for them to finally stop picking at each other long enough to start working together as a team. From there, the attraction bubbles right up once again.

Both Deacon and LaRynn were flawed but sympathetic characters who honestly didn't know what a normal relationship looked like. LaRynn was pretty unlikable for the first half of the book, although she had good reasons for acting the way she did, while Deacon tended to just jump in and judge her without bothering to get the facts. I wanted to yell at both of them a few times, but I was also totally rooting for them as they struggled to form a mature connection with each other.

My biggest niggle with the book was that I felt there were too many flashbacks to their prior relationship, but in general I'm not a fan of flashbacks so not surprising I wasn't wild about them here. Otherwise I would recommend the book. My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.

I ADORED this book. The chemistry between Deacon and LaRynn was off the charts. And Deacon was SO dreamy. The second chance, the forced proximity. I had so much fun. The spice was spicing! Love love love this!

What a fun read! Many thanks to the publisher and to netgalley! I keep seeing that this is the mix of beach read and you deserve each other and I sort of agree... It was hard to root for LaRynn and Deacon whose communication difficulties are the whole plot. A marriage of convenience second chance trope seems right up my alley. It was hard to believe that these characters were adults and felt like they were teenagers. The plot sounded great but didn't really work for me.

LaRynn and Deacon had a short but fraught fling as teens, then years later are left a falling down, fire-damaged building by their grandmothers. She has the money to renovate in a trust that requires her to be married to access funds, and he has the expertise to complete the project. They decide to marry and move into the building long enough to rebuild and recoup their investment, and while they rebuild the house they also work through their own issues resulting from their parents' marriages, their difficult childhoods, and painful misunderstandings from their teen years. Balances popular genre tropes (second chance, dual timeline, marriage of convenience, fake relationship, forced proximity) with enough emotional depth from the main characters' genuine pain and loss to make the story feel real and grounded.
I will recommend to fans of Tessa Bailey, especially the Hot & Hammered trilogy that centers stories around home renovations. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a digital review copy.

✨ Marriage of Convenience
✨ Second Chance
✨ Forced Proximity
✨ Hate to Love
✨ Home Renovation

Okay, I absolutely loved this spicy second chance, marriage of convenience home reno romance! The characters are perfectly imperfect and real. I laughed, I teared up (crying is hard for me), and just got all up in my feels. I was rooting for LaRynn and Deacon right from the beginning and thoroughly enjoyed their hot and heavy early 20s situationship to their begrudgingly re-ignited love in their late 20s. I also enjoyed the side characters and would love an Elyse and Jensen book!

There are some heavy themes of parental abandonment and grief over beloved grandparents’ deaths. These themes greatly influenced the main characters and honestly made them more complex and real.

This was my first Tarah Dewitt book and I absolutely need to read more by her! Thank you so much to St. Martin’s Press for the gifted copy! ❤️

This book was so refreshing. I love how genuine the characters relationship and dialogue felt. It was the perfect balance of cheesy and spicy for me. How the characters worked through deep family issues felt mature and realistic. The banter between LaRynn and Deacon was done so well. I loved learning about the grandmas too 🥹 The ending was just the cherry on top. I loved this book.

Read if you like:
▫️marriage of convenience
▫️second chance
▫️home renovations
▫️family baggage

This book was such a pleasing read. It didn't jump out at you to bring you in, no, it sauntered along and let you fall in love slowly.

Second chance love is such a rewarding trope. In this case, it truly made the characters work for it. Very hard, in fact. But man, it was so worth it in the end.

I'd definitely recommend this book.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

no one sees, exposes, and cares for tender spots like tarah dewitt. a misunderstood (read: unlikeable) larynn returns to the only place that has ever felt like home to find it in need of TLC, requiring her to work with her "situationship" of years past, deacon.

while containing some of our favorite tropes (marriage of convenience, black cat/golden retriever, second chance), they feel very natural in 'the co-op' - as though they happen and we figure it out later. the story is handled with love and care that it feels like larynn and deacon could be your neighbors or friends - they are whole people who are flawed but attempting to be better for themselves and each other.

yes, this is a contemporary romance novel, but this is a ROMANCE. my heart fluttered, my feet kicked, and my chest ached throughout this book, feeling the characters' pain, growth, and peace. and there is spice; it was a little heavy-handed toward the end, but I also appreciated the sex-positive approach to scenes.

4.5 stars / thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC. the 2024 publication of 'the co-op' is a renovated update to the previously self-published book of the same title. I have not read the previous edition.

3.5 stars

The Co-Op first came to my attention because of its comparison to Beach Read and You Deserve Each Other. I agree that it is a good comparison. However, I will note that if you disliked You Deserve Each Other, you may also struggle with The Co-Op.

DeWitt gets a lot of praise for her stories and romances, and I get why, but what resonates with me is her settings and female leads. Both of these made this story stand out. DeWitt uses her settings to help tell a story, one of my favorite things in a book. Emily Henry, Carley Fortune, Julie Soto, and Tarah Dewitt do it very well. It adds so much depth to the story.

Can we talk about LaRynn Lavigne for a moment? I love her attitude, her sarcasm, and her undercover vulnerability. She exudes so much confidence but is such a loyal soul. I adored her.

The other thing I loved was the side characters, especially Sally. She made me laugh and laugh.

Read if you enjoy:
Second Chance Romance
Marriage of Convenience
Forced Proximity
Dual Timelines
Strong Female Leads
A Little Bit of Spice
Small Towns
Enemies to Lovers

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

LaRynn and Deacon, the main characters in The Co-Op, are messy. And I fully support (even celebrate!) messy characters in my romance reading. But, in this case, I just found them frustrating and annoying.

The dual timeline was easy to follow and added emotional heft to the story. I wasn't totally convinced of the reason they broke up in the past, but it mostly worked.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

🔨 Dual POV
🔨 Forced proximity
🔨 One bed
🔨 Second chance
🔨 Fake marriage

I liked the premise of why our MCs were forced back together, it was nice to see their 2nd chance romance play through. Also, enjoyed the characters. Would’ve liked more build to what made our MCs the way that they were.

I read Savor It earlier this year and really loved it. I knew I wanted to read anything new by Tarah DeWitt, so I jumped at this book when I had the chance.

🎧 Stephanie Rose & Nelson Hobbs were good here. This was my first audiobook with either individual involved. They did a great in keeping my engagement and fit the shoes well for LaRynn and Deacon.

I have become a huge fan of Tarah Dewitt and I can't wait to keep reading more of her writing. This book is no exception I adored this book.

LaRynn and Deacon had a brief summer fling a few years ago, it ended badly and they haven't seen or spoken to each other since. But when their grandmothers both pass away within months of each other, they leave LaRynn and Deacon their dilapitated house. The two of them have to work together to get the property up to code so they can sell it. The problem: they are both broke!

They have the perfect solution, they get married to access LaRynn's trust fund and now they are living in a mess and their emotions and feelings are a mess and it is the perfect set up for this romance!

These two are forced to live together and work together and in the beginning there is so much fun passive aggressive behavior between them. I loved the "fighting" and the sarcasm and the pranks they played on each other. I also loved how they both continued to have feelings for the other, but both believed the other didn't have feelings, which made their conflict that much more fun to read about.

Being in such close quarters, they eventually have to come to terms with what happened that summer, and actually talk about it. They also have to confront their current feelings as well.

I loved the flashbacks to when they were kids and their shared summer together. It added so much to the story and explained so much of their current dynamic. I loved how they were both a little broken from the behavior of their parents and how they both opened up about that to each other, something they did not do as kids. Deacon's declaration to Rynn was absolutely perfect and I just wanted to scream FINALLY when they both gave into their attraction, chemistry and feelings.

I also adored the side characters in this book, I loved Rynn finally finding her place and her home. I loved how much Deacon loved her, even when he acted like he didn't.

Tarah is an auto buy author for me, I love how she is able to write such beautiful romances with characters who feel real and flawed, but the stories are also funny and sweet.

Thank you to Tarah Dewitt, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for my arc of this book!

The Co-op is a dual POV following LaRynn and Deacon in present day and with flashbacks of the past. LaRynn moves back to Santa Cruz to help repair her grandmother's old building. She shares partnership with Deacon who was her first love but she now despises. In order to receive her trust fund money, she marries Dean then begins to work on the building with him. As luck would have it, they start to learn more about each other and develop feelings yet again.

This book was really cute. I liked the back and forth between now and then. The characters and side characters were all loveable. You really rooted for the MCs to make it work this time.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I highly recommend you read this newly edited and updated version of The Co-Op. It’s a second chance romance where the two main characters find themselves with shared property that needs to be renovated. In order to get the funds to do so, they get married. While the walls are literally coming down in the house and they’re picking swatches of paint, the walls around their hearts soften too and they revisit who they were as teens together. Set in Santa Cruz, it’s the perfect blend of a modern marriage of convenience and rediscovery of themselves. Plus it’s incredibly hot, even if Tarah makes us work for it.

Tarah said that reworking this book felt like she was going through it along with her characters and you can see it in the writing. The tortured young love throwbacks and the guarded wounded adults trying to figure out who they are now. I also grew up in Santa Cruz and she did a great job capturing the setting and feel of the town!

Vibes:
Second chance
Marriage of convenience
Slow burn but fireworks
Mutual masturbati*n
Working on the house while working on themselves
Black cat who’s a secret softy FMC
Cinnamon roll MMC
Flashbacks
Beach town
Dual POV

Thank you SMP for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

She's got the money he's got the construction knowledge to restore a house however for that to happen for her to get her money that have to be married. But they hate each so what could go wrong. Could this be enemies to more or will it blow up in there faces. I did indeed love the banter between these to.