Can I blame a book for giving me the ick? Is that a thing?

Tarah DeWitt and I may have started on the wrong foot with one of her other novels, Savor It, but I'm more than generous with the chances I give to authors to prove me wrong.
So here I am, almost fooled, giving her more credit than the last time, but still reconsidering my reading choices.

I'm not in any way a miscommunication girl - I believe very few people like the trope in the first place -, but I understand why they did what they did.
The things that hold back LaRynn are kinda personal to me, so I relate to her and the reasons why she can't show her true self to anyone; and, at the same time, I get why Deacon felt the way he felt - and probably still feel a bit. I don't even blame them for acting like teenagers again and putting up the same shenanigans, but enough is enough.

The first half is good, I love a good old marriage of convenience, but very soon the focus isn't on them anymore and when they were supposed to start working things between them, we read about of they have crushes on each other again.
Long story short, it got boring pretty fast and we’re left with two people saying they understand the other but, when in need, they get frustrated and shut down because the other doesn't open up.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Griffin and NetGalley, who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.

I'm really happy that Tarah Dewitt's back catalog is getting the attention it deserves.

Once you get to the end, you really appreciate both characters and really want them to succeed. I loved that she was french and her use of french curse words made my little french heart happy. The narrators New England accent was *chefs kiss*, all in all it was a good time.

I really enjoy Tarah Dewitt's writing, and I love that the stories are economical, that they're not forever repeating. However, I think in this one I wanted a little more time with the characters and their romance, especially since some of their relationship was already established. But thats my only real issue, if you could call it that.

Thank you to St. Martins Press and Netgalley for an e-copy.

Tarah is out here writing the realistic, vulnerable, steamy romances of my dreams!
This marriage of convenience and second chance romance is fun, witty, and emotional. I think romance readers who really connect with characters who slowly fall for one another will eat this one up.

Tarah DeWitt’s _The Co-Op_ is a charming, heartwarming romance that blends humor, wit, and genuine emotion in a story reminiscent of the beloved film *Ten Things I Hate About You.* This second-chance romance centers on two characters with undeniable chemistry who must confront their past to find happiness in the present. DeWitt’s storytelling deftly balances spicy, flirtatious banter with moments of vulnerability, allowing readers to feel the weight of each character’s emotional journey.

The protagonists, who share a complicated history, are beautifully layered and relatable. Both are marked by childhood trauma, which has left them guarded and hesitant to embrace the love and happiness they secretly crave. The result is a will-they-won’t-they dynamic that’s both frustrating and satisfying as readers root for them to overcome their fears and let love in. DeWitt writes with humor and authenticity, making even the heaviest moments feel accessible and ultimately hopeful.

With its delightful combination of romantic tension, heartfelt backstory, and laugh-out-loud scenes, _The Co-Op_ is an irresistible read. It captures the magic of rekindled love and the challenge of moving beyond old hurts to create a future together. DeWitt’s novel is perfect for fans of character-driven romances that balance fun and flirtation with deep emotional payoff.

Small Town
Enemies to Lovers
Second Chance
Forced Proximity
Marriage of Convenience
Dual POVs

This was my first book by Tarrah DeWitt but it will definitely not be my last. I fell in love with her writing while reading The Co Op! I am a sucker for the enemies to lovers and forced proximity tropes and The Co Op DELIVERED!!

A summer fling years ago was all but forgotten for LaRynn and Deacon. That is until they are forced to reunite and take ownership of a property their grandmothers owned and left to them… but there’s a catch. They must marry in order to sell and collect the money!

I loved that LaRynn and Deacon were so real and likeable. The slow burn of enemies to lovers was done so well and I absolutely ate it up! Watching these characters grow and work through old habits was such a joy. What set out as a challenge to earn a payday ended in maturing and earning themselves a HEA! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and would recommend it to a friend.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read an ARC of The Co-Op.

This is my third Tarah DeWitt book and it did not disappoint. LaRynn was such a complex character. She started out rubbing me the wrong way, but I also know it's because we get so little of her story at the beginning. But I absolutely love her character ARC. And Deacon...that angel of a man. He had his moments, but he moves through life with LaRynn with grace for the most part and she begins to do the same with him. Its a beautiful story of love, loss, and family. The epilogue was beautiful as well. I love it when they're way in the future.

“I’m so gone for you that sometimes I want to tear this place apart just so we can do this all over again.”

there's just something about tarah's writing that just feels like a warm hug. it's refreshing and makes me so giddy. i loved larynn her character. her strength. i know he's fictional, but i just know that deacon would be THAT man. rugged and rough. and im confident he would smell delicious 😂🫣 the way they loved each other and all their rough edges. no notes. 10/10

•such is life•

I read the original copy of this book by Tarah Dewitt and this second time reading it was SO GOOD. I want a love like LaRynn and Deacon.

Imagine having a “no strings” fling with your grandma’s new wife’s grandson. Then years later, co-owning their house together and one of the clauses is to get married. This story only kept getting better as time went on. I am obsessed with Deacon and how much he loves LaRynn. Their pasts definitely influence them growing together and it’s absolutely beautiful to witness.

I have mixed feelings about The Co-op. While I appreciated many elements of the story, there were parts that made me cringe. The toothbrush scene was one of those moments where I had to pause and question whether I should keep reading. I also felt that the teenage conflict could have been resolved with just one conversation, rather than carrying it into their adult lives. Despite these issues, it was an okay read, and it did have its enjoyable moments.

this was lighthearted and fun filled with forced proximity, banter, and marriage of convenience- all things i love in a romcom! for me i didn’t feel like the FMC was super believable at the start of the story so it took some time getting into it.

This story had me with its gorgeous cover and marriage-of-convenience premise, but I stayed for the witty banter and electric chemistry between LaRynn and Deacon. Their dynamic is explosive, with both sharp humor and deep-seated emotion woven into every interaction. The dual timeline is “well-constructed,” effortlessly blending their rocky past with the slow, steamy rebuild of their relationship in the present. The story is more than just a romance; it’s about the work that goes into building trust and the joy in finding a true partner. This second-chance romance is a must-read for anyone who loves a mix of humor, steam, and heartfelt character growth. Highly recommend!

Read if you like:
🔨 Second Chance
🔨 Dual Timeline
🔨 Marriage of Convenience
🔨 Forced Proximity
🔨 Home Renovation

I really needed a book these past few weeks that was light-hearted and would make me feel good, and Tarah delivered! I’m so excited to have gotten an ARC of The Co-op in its newly updated trad published version! This second chance romance made me so giddy and was the perfect thing to help me feel better.

This story follows LaRynn and Deacon, who reunite a decade after their summer fling that ended in heartbreak. As teens, they met through their grandmothers, who had lived in the same house (that was split into three units) and fell in love, knocking down the wall between their apartments to make one home. After both grans pass away, they leave the place to the two grandchildren, which is where our story begins. With the house falling apart and in need of repair, they must work together to get it back into shape in order to rent or sell it off. The problem? Both of them are low on funds unless LaRynn gets access to her trust fund, which she can only do if she gets married. Told through flashbacks and present moments, we see what happened to these two that fateful summer that led to their resentment and bitterness towards each other now. But as they begin to fix up the house, they find it isn’t the only thing that will be restored.

I truly loved their relationship so much. They started out bitter and angry at each other, with many jabs and arguments to be had, but as time goes on, we see them learning to open up and communicate, something they struggled with in the past. The story isn’t just about rebuilding a house, but about rebuilding a relationship and finding the beauty in what once was broken. These two are so precious and I adored all of their flashbacks to when they were kids. It is a sloooow burn with lots of tension, but so worth it in the end! The pacing of the book was well laid out, with plenty of humorous moments and heart touching scenes too.

I also adored the epilogue, set ten years in the future. I love getting to see characters and how far they have come!

Thank you NetGalley for the copy of this book!

Pick this up if you love:
❤️ spice
❤️ second chance romance
❤️ ENEMIES to lovers
❤️ dual POV
❤️ dual timeline

Be sure to pick up the edition that just came out this week! It has some updates. I love dual POV. I just love getting both perspectives. The timelines got a little messy for me and the characters were borderline mean to each other in the beginning. But I really enjoyed the fixing up of their grandmothers' home plotline.

I love this book so much. I read the first version of it two years ago and while I couldn’t tell you what has changed, I can say that this new version is absolute perfection. It’s full of tension, banter, push and pull and so much growth. LaRynn and Deacon are two flawed characters but seeing their love for each other felt truly special. As they slowly renovated the house, they were also building their relationship and their trust in each other. It was so beautiful to see them overcome their past trauma together and move past their previous mistakes.

I really enjoyed the back and forth between the present and their first summers together. It added so much depth to the characters to know where they were coming from and to see how the relationship had been shaped before.

My one tiny little complain is that I had hoped that the French mistakes would have been corrected in the published version. I know it won’t bother most people, but as a French speaker, specifically from the province mentioned in the book, it hurt a little to see such easily fixable mistakes.

Read for:

Marriage of convenience
Second chance
Forced proximity
Home renovation
No third act breakup
Dual timeline
Dual POV

LaRynn and Deacon inherited their grandmothers’ house when they pass away, but Deacon and LaRynn haven’t spoken in years. The last time they saw each other was when their summer fling ended badly, and now they co-own a home that needs major renovations. They have to put their feelings aside to work together and fix the house.
This was a fun mix of tropes - we had second chance romance, enemies to lovers, and marriage of convenience here, and it was cool to see how they all played out. LaRynn and Deacon’s very complicated past was made more clear through all of the flashbacks in the story. Their love story was messay and full of miscommunications, but it was nice to see them slowly open up to each other and fall in love again.
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the advance copy.

➻fall vibes
➻small town vibes
➻enemies to friends to lovers
➻marriage of convenience
➻second chance romance

Marriage of convenience is not a big trope that I enjoy, I went in blind to read this so I was kind of taken aback. I think if I tried again I might be more all-in, but I was not fully convinced on their love. It was a great palate cleanser and a good romance story for just any day. Nothing groundbreaking.

“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.”

+ marriage of convenience
+ second chance
+ slow burn
+ forced proximity

This was my first Tarah DeWitt book and I’m OBSESSED. I loved every minute of it and I’m absolutely blown away by Tarah’s writing. I can’t wait to read more from her!

There were so many things I loved throughout this book. For starters, the tension!!! *chefs kiss* I love a relatable character, with flaws and lessons to learn and character development. It makes a story feel so much more authentic. Not everything can be a perfect fairytale, ya’know?

Tarah broke my heart, and she put it all back together. Deacon and LaRynn are everything to me. Dancing in the kitchen AND no third act breakup?! SAY LESS

I’ve seen so many people raving about the epilogue and I have to agree, one of the sweetest epilogues I’ve ever read. the cherry on top right at the end, so incredibly well done.

A huge thank you to Tarah DeWitt, St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the arc of this republishing!

This is the second book by DeWitt I’ve read (the first being Savor It which I rated highly), and I’m disappointed that I struggled to get through it. I’m giving it the benefit of a doubt because I’ve been distracted by life, but the story didn’t compel me enough to want to put everything else aside to focus on it. First and foremost, I just didn’t care for LaRynn, the FMC. Yes, she had major baggage after being abused and neglected by her father and abandoned by her mother, feeling like she was incapable of being loved. However, her behavior towards Deacon, the anger, the rudeness, and her inability to be vulnerable and to share important parts of herself and her history, really frustrated me.

The use of a dual timeline (present-day and when they were lovers for a summer prior to her first year of college) and alternating chapters from both points of view, gave a full picture of their love story and the mistakes they both made along the way. However, in a character-driven romance, I need to believe in both main characters, and I just couldn’t with LaRynn for about 75% of the story. So, I was actually really thankful for the insight provided by the epilogue ten years in the future.

It’s not a badly-written book, and, if I were in a different frame of mind, I might have enjoyed it more. Unfortunately, I was just bored.

Apologies all, work is crazy and I had reviews sitting in a document that I posted while I had some time to myself. This wasn't that great. Give me a second chance romance and marriage of convenience and I can usually get into it. But, I started this book in July and it took me until November to get back to because it was not very good unfortunately. I think that Rainbow Rowell recently did a second chance romance better in my eyes because you have the two adults actually talk about what happened. I just can't with these books that have people acting as if they are teenagers when they are not.

"The Co-op" follows two friends (teen years) whose grandmothers left them shared ownership of a building. The two leads, LaRynn (which I won't lie I kept messing up her name) and Deacon were just boring and I didn't get any sense of chemistry from the two of them. Long story short, LaRynn has a trust she can't touch until she's married [we are still doing this shit? I guess with Trump 2.0 though it may become a reality that women can't have bank accounts again] and Deacon needs money for his business.

I think that this book was a very rough first draft but there were not enough pieces for this to be an enjoyable romance novel.

4.5⭐
1.5🌶️
Tropes: second chance, forced proximity (sorta), marriage of convenience, one bed, flash backs, slow burn, it’s always been you
Dual POV 1st person

When Deacon and LaRynn were younger, they had a friends with benefits summer. LaRynn fell in love, but Deacon apparently didn’t feel the same, so she went off to college and he stayed home working at his family’s campground. Fast forward several years, and Deacon’s grandmother has passed away. The apartment she shared with her wife, LaRynn’s grandmother, has been willed to them both, but it needs lots of work to get it up to snuff to be put on the market. LaRynn begrudgingly comes back to help him with the repairs.

This was such a great, satisfying book. I think if I were younger/closer in age to the MCs (they are in their late 20s) I wouldn’t have liked this book as much- I saw a lot of reviews complaining how whiny and childish they were, especially LaRynn. But at my ripe old age of “40s”, I get it. This is a romance but it’s also a women’s lit coming of age book. (yes, even in your late 20s!) I enjoyed watching them navigate the dynamics of their relationships, but also watching LaRynn come into her own and find her place within herself and family. It’s also just very sweet and swoony seeing them fall back in love with each other.

My only complaint- and this is probably a weird one- the author mentions at the beginning to not read if you don’t like reading about 19/20 year olds having sex….That honestly made it so I was very confused on the timeline and their present ages in the beginning of the book, so I tried to make the timeline clear in my review lol.