This was such a sweet read.

I absolutely loved the dynamic between the main characters.

The rival/hate/to love relationship had me so excited. I love the way this author writes relationships.

And the spice was spicing. I just adore her books and love reading all of them.

okay so, this book? absolute romcom gold. the forced proximity, the slow burn, the ridiculous amount of tension?? perfection. tarah dewitt really said “let’s take two stubborn, emotionally constipated people and make them fix up a house together” and honestly, thank you for that. the banter is hilarious, the chemistry is fire, and somehow there’s also a lot of heart in between all the snark.

A heartwarming and refreshingly unique take on romance, forced proximity, and second chances. There is humor and emotional depth throughout the pages. The characters truly shine, with their quirks, flaws and layered personalities.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

What I loved about this story was the journey the couple went on. Yes, it was a bit of enemies to lovers, but really it was a second-chance and two people figuring out what they really wanted in life and love. I liked that the story infused the past with their present as that added some depth and intrigue to the story as they went through the twists and turns of figuring things out - both relationships and some renovation work. Also, I love a couple with good banter, and that was very much Deacon and LaRynn. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the look at this one!

“Be my wife. Stay my wife .”


THATS ALL

4 stars!!! Very amazing

Loved the audiobook. Loved their banter. The characters were amazing. Definitely recommend Tarah books

This was not my favorite Tarah DeWitt book, I will continue to pick up her books as there have been many great reads!

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I have to say I struggled with LaRynn during the first half of this book. Part of me understands why she feels the way she does, but the other part wonders why she wants to be almost angry at anyone that wants to get closer to her. She was kind of unreasonably mean to the Deacon at times for no real reason. I do feel like she eventually turned it all around once she let her guard down. Deacon wasn’t much better but he figured himself out much quicker. I was wondering a little why they even liked each other at all. I did really enjoy the last bit of the book though.

WHY DID I PUT THIS OFF FOR SO LONG??? It took me a long time to get into this, but once I got past the first two or three chapters, I was hooked and finished it in less than 24 hours. It wasn't easy to put this down and I was looking forward to reading it in every spare second that I had!

I often struggle to like second-chance romance stories, but I loved how LaRynn and Deacon’s story was done. I especially liked seeing their growth, communication, and vulnerability to overcome the issues that affected their relationship when they were teenagers.

I LIVE FOR MARRIAGE OF CONVENIENCE in any way, shape, or form. Unfortunately, The Co-Op is missing something when it comes to a marriage of convenience story and what I love about that trope. I can’t quite put my finger on what's missing, but it fell a bit flat in that area that I typically obsess over.

Despite it falling flat there, the TENSION between LaRynn and Deacon was off the charts, immaculate, palpable, and I ate up every scrap that Tarah gives us in their story. I think that Tarah also did an amazing job with the throwback scenes and POVs, sometimes I don’t love how dependent second-chance romances can be on those past scenes, but this was done REALLY well. The throwbacks were really cute, helpful for the story and most importantly, really helped with the character development for both LaRynn and Deacon, and did a fantastic job building that tension!

I liked the portrayal of LaRynn’s relationship (or lack thereof) with her mom, and her vulnerability in being honest.

Overall, I enjoyed this read and will be starting Savor It ASAP, and can’t wait for Left of Forever and meeting Tarah in SLC next month!!!!

Thank you St. Martin’s Press for the ARC <3.

Unfortunately this book fell flat for me. I was so bored and couldn't connect to the story. I have liked other books by this author and will continue to read her books going forward.

I was so excited when Tarah announced she was re-releasing The Co-Op with new updates and edits. When I first read this story two years ago, I liked it but was really bummed that I didn't love it because I could feel this story had the potential to be something great. And WOW did this new version hit all of my marks

When Deacon and LaRynn are forced to reconnect after a decade of not speaking to renovate their grandmothers' house, they are forced to face all of the heartbreak and emotions they left unsolved. Like all of Tarah's previous characters, LaRynn and Deacon are beautifully flawed, messy, and most importantly, human. They feel like fully fleshed out beings that could easily pass you on the street or even be your best friend. Their banter is laugh out loud, kick your feet funny and their love story is complex and filled with tension that has been waiting to burst for years. But it's their care and determination to fight for what they've built together that truly makes their happily ever after feel meant to be and deserved

A sizzling second-chance romance with forced proximity, a marriage-of-convenience twist, and a renovation project? Sign me up!

LaRynn and Deacon’s chemistry was off the charts from the very first page. Their past summer fling may have been short-lived, but their lingering resentment (and undeniable attraction) made for some fantastic tension. Watching them go from reluctant co-owners to begrudging partners—and eventually something more—was so satisfying.

I loved the construction/renovation backdrop. It wasn’t just about fixing up a building; it was about tearing down emotional walls, too. The forced intimacy of their arrangement made for plenty of fun, bickering, and some seriously steamy moments. And while the marriage-for-money trope can sometimes feel contrived, it worked really well here, adding just the right amount of stakes to their relationship.

My only small gripe was that both LaRynn and Deacon were a little too stubborn at times, dragging out their emotional journey more than necessary. But when the walls (literal and figurative) started coming down, the payoff was worth it.

This is a good book. The two main characters are Larynn and Deacon. Their grandmothers were married to each other. Larynn and Deacon would go see their grandmothers over the summer and see each other. They started dating in high school. When Larynn went to college she didn’t visit as much. When both of the grandmothers had passed they left their house to Larynn and Deacon. Larynn came back to help Deacon fix the house. They fell in love.

Before reading The Co-op, I had read two other novels by Tara Dewitt. One, I rated 5 stars. The other, 3. So going into this book, I knew it would confirm which of these three books is the outlier, and whether I really enjoy the author's style or not. And to my delight, I absolutely loved The Co-op. It confirmed to me that I do really love the way Tara Dewitt writes. Not only are her stories compelling and romantic, but they also always have something genuine to say about the human experience.

I will admit, it took me a little while to get into this story. For the first chapter or two LaRynn felt a little too standoffish. Then, once I'd warmed to her, I found that Deacon was a bit too much of a playboy for my liking. But as the story continued, I fell head over heels for these characters, and honestly, that was largely due to the facts that they do have flaws. These main characters both feel so incredibly realistic. LaRynn specifically really drew me in. I really love reading about female characters who are guarded and wary of love. I find that a lot of romance books stick to a "broody man x outgoing girl" dynamic, so I love when authors switch things up and explore different types of female characters. And while the main character's flaws and personal insecurities are what created the conflict in their relationship, it is also what made them so true to life.

Throughout this book, LaRynn and Deacon both let their insecurities get the best of them, and at times, it really messes up their relationship. While this did make the tone of the novel a bit heavier than that of your typical romcom, for me, it's what makes this book stand out. The book explores such universal themes, like how dips in your mental health and moments of insecurity can cause rifts in relationships, even ones with strong foundations. One line that stood out as incredibly impactful to me was "I hate the idea that love and shame could coexist like this". Without spoiling too much, I'll just say I really was wowed by the character depth and development in this novel - even if I sometimes wanted to shake the characters and tell them to just open up and be happy.

And while I enjoyed this story from start to finish, I absolutely devoured the second half. The yearning hits hard, and I was absolutely eating it up.

Overall, I don't expect this story to be for everybody, especially people who hate the "miscommunication" trope. But personally, I really loved it, and think that LaRynn and Deacon's flaws and miscommunications are what made their story so compelling. They feel like real people who have to overcome real obstacles to reach their happy-ever-after.

I loved this so much! This was my first book by Tarah DeWitt, and I already know she's going to be a favorite author of mine moving forward. She knows how to write complex characters who are flawed but still lovable. This is second-chance slow-burn romance with a marriage of convenience plot, and the tension between those two was everything! And their banter and bickering! I laughed out loud many times. I loved how it touched on deeper topics as well, like grief, toxic parents, wanting to prove your worth, etc. I had a great time going through the ups and down of renovations with LaRynn and Deacon! Just a tiny thing that annoyed me were the French dialogues. Being a French Canadian from Quebec, it was hard not to cringe at the errors. Hopefully, those have been corrected in the final copy.

This was my first time reading Tarah DeWitt's work and I have been missing out!

Aside from the frustrating miscommunication trope (a personal pet peeve of mine) I adored this adorable and swoony second chance romance. It was a light easy read with lots of tension and excellent character development. I can't wait to read more from this author!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for access to the e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

I love Tara’s newest books (Savor It and Left of Forever), but this one was not my favorite. The miscommunication trope drives me nuts. Just talk to each other Iike adults! I was doing my eyes, it was driving me nuts.

LaRynn and Deacon had all the banter and undeniable chemistry in this second chance romance. While they start out in a bad place hating each other because of their past mistakes, you know it's not going to last long. We love the marriage of convenience trope because it forces the characters to face each other and solve their beef. Miscommunication was at the core of all their problems! We loved that Tarah DeWitt added flashback chapters into this new published version. It gave the story more depth and even though we didn't always love LaRynn and Deacon, we could understand them more.  

Read if you like:
▪️dual timeline
▪️marriage of convenience
▪️forced proximity
▪️home renovation adventures

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

OMG! TARAH!!! She does it again! I absolutely loved this book. The perfect amount of both past and present pov's and in both characters!!!

The queen of spice & depth is back again with another delightful read. I really loved both LaRynn and Deacon and how they keep coming back to each other over & over again. This truly felt like the right person, wrong time and once they found their timing they were so so good together. Plus their spicy scenes were *waves face*..

The only issue I had of course was the miscommunication. Their relationship suffered because neither of them could be honest with one another. They felt the same way about each other, but both were too stubborn and not working through their trauma to come together. In actuality they almost were suffering from the same traumas and could have discovered this earlier, but of course they both were 19/20 and that's not fair for people their age. We're all dumb idiots learning to be adults so I understand why they couldn't figure themselves out.

Tarah DeWitt never misses. I was locked in from the first page to the last. The story was so beautiful, well written, and emotionally invested. The past and present timelines were well executed, which fully encompassed the complexities of both characters. That is something that I really loved. I love when we don't have to pick sides. When everything is told so succinctly that you feel like you're a friend witnessing this love story in motion. 10/10 would recommend.

Thank you, NetGalley, for this ARC!

3/5
1/5

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this ebook!
I absolutely loved Tara DeWitt's other book Savour It, so when I saw this one I HAD to read it. However, I wish I hadn't because Savour It was much much better. The major downside for me of this book was the major miscommunication trope which is my least favourite trope and usually I can tolerate a little bit because, well, that's life. This was exclusively miscommunication and it just felt boring and whiny more than anything else.

Onto the positives, I do love a good second chance, marriage of convenience situation which was well set up in theory, each of them has one piece of the puzzle to make this shared ownership of the Santa Cruz building left to them by their grandmothers (that concept is so cute!). The chemistry between these two felt hot and cold to me though, some moments were sizzling (which TOOK LONG ENOUGH) and some felt a bit forced and lackluster especially early on. I remember DeWitt doing a great job of writing the journey with grief into her characters in Savour It, but it felt a little recycled at moments here.