This book has so much potential! The story sucked me in, I found its take on the fake relationship/ forced proximity tropes to be fresh and effective. The metaphor of LaRynn and Deacon rehabbing their grandmothers’ house is very apt for their second chance relationship. The memories and characters are vivid and the story compelling. I always wanted to keep reading and see what would happen. I particularly loved LaRynn’s journey to overcome the emotional trauma of her childhood. It was incredibly moving to watch her find the strength to be honest with her mother. Unusually for a romance, The Co-op is honest about the truth that “ hurt people hurt people,” because of their negative beliefs about themselves and the world, what they’ve come to expect , and the dysfunctional but adaptive way they’ve learned to relate to others. The empathy alongside accountability for this aspect of LaRynn in the story is nuanced in a way you don’t see often. Also the intimate scenes were excellent, so hot. Deacon is a lovely complement to LaRynn, so giving when she hasn’t ever had anyone care for her unconditionally.

But I had trouble with many craft aspects of this novel. Sometimes the interiority of the characters felt stilted and unrealistic, especially during the flashbacks to their teen years. In spite of the dual pov structure, LaRynn and Deacon’s narration wasn’t distinct, their voices were similar and I’d have to check the pronouns to be sure which pov I was in. There were also several moments that felt weren’t there to serve the plot or build character, but rather to be able to include a romance trope. (For example, Deacon nailing her in the face with the volleyball and then fainting at the sight of the blood read this way to me). And, at several points, Deacon either read LaRynn’s mind or perfectly crystallized a complex relationship dynamic in ways that read like shortcuts.

And yet still there are these hints of greatness that make me excited to read what Tarah DeWitt writes next! She excels at encapsulating the way love can exist in tiny observations about the other person. She also understands that attention seeking dynamic that signifies love or hurt lie beneath the hostility . Finally If there’s one quote that sums up what I loved about the The Co-Op, it’s this: “I’d begun to believe that trying was its own love language.” I definitely recommend it to romance lovers ! I’d rate it 3.5 stars but I’ll round up to 4

Hands down one of my all time favorite Tarah DeWitt books! I love this book with my entire heart. LaRynn and Deacon touched parts of my heart and soul that i didn’t even know existed. It wasn’t just the laugh out loud moments that had me in my feels, no it was the emotional depth that went into these two characters. I could feel everything they were feeling and i was rooting for them the entire time.

This was another fun romance from Tarah DeWitt. I think that this pulled off the marriage of convenience trope in a way that was believable. I did find some of the resentments that the characters held on to from their time together as teenagers to be super frustrating, but in the end the author got me to root for them.

It did take me a little bit to get into, but after I got about a third of the way into the story, it really hooked me.

** I received an e-ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I could not finish this book. I honestly read it as a buddy read and none of us could. I know there are people will love this book, but I didn't connect to the plot or the characters.

I've listened to the original version of this book twice on audio and enjoyed it, BUT this updated/revised story is everything! I am a sucker for hilarious banter, plus when you can feel the chemistry between the characters through the pages, it makes the reading experience so much better. I highly recommend this new version of Deacon and LaRynn's story.

Thank you, Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I love Tarah, and this was no exception - incredibly well done, steamy goodness - just the right amount of steam, too. This is perfect.

Thank you to Tarah DeWitt, St. Martin’s, and NetGalley for an ARC of The Co-op. All opinions are my own.

The Co-op combined the lightheartedness of forced proximity between two people who hated each other with the hard topics like grief and personal growth really well. I think all the topics were handled respectfully and clearly had been thought through.

My one issue was that I wish there had been some discussion of attending therapy by both of the MCs, together and separately, to discuss their past trauma and learn healthy ways to grow together. There were just so many moments of both characters being snippy and using really hurtful jabs toward each other, and I would have liked to know they’d be learning healthy coping skills.

I hadn’t read this book as an indie so came into it purely from this version, so cannot speak to any changes it went through.

POV: dual first

You can expect: marriage of convenience, home renovation, second chance, dual timeline, he falls first (in both timelines), contractor MMC, enemies to lovers, roomance, forced proximity, “my wife”, he talks her through it.

Rep: queer side characters, grief, dyslexia, side character with colon cancer (past)

Spice: 3/5

CW: emotionally neglectful parents, death of a parent (past), cancer (side character, past), death of a grandparent

Thanks to NetGalley And st. Martin’s Press for this read. I read this book before and so enjoyed reading it again. Tarah writes great characters and her books always flow well.

Thanks for this!

Thank you, NetGalley, and St. Martins Griffin, for allowing me the opportunity to read this book. I had a great time reading this book and adored every second. Together, Deacon and LaRynn were wonderful main characters. I admired the character growth and the way the two were able to get past their past relationship's shortcomings. The bond they were able to establish after doing so was incredibly reassuring and healthy. The two's chaotic early connection was also enjoyable to me; their banter and animosity toward one another was hilarious throughout the book. This is the second book by Tarah I have read, and I love her writing style. It's easy to get you hooked and keeps you entertained. I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a cute second-chance romance with forced proximity. I liked that it was a more wholesome romance book and did not contain a lot of spice. I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars.

I absolutely adored this one! This was my first time reading this author and I can say that I am excited to read more from her. The characters are wonderful, the world building is great, and I’m about to read this all over again.

LaRynn and Deacon have inherited a house after their grandmothers have passed. The problem is they hate each other after a summer fling gone wrong when they were teens.

I LOVED this book! The banter, the emotion, the setting . . . it was all perfect. There were (several) times when I found myself laughing out loud and the ending had me in tears. LaRynn and Deacon were such great characters. I loved the sarcasm, the mutual disdain that you know is rooted in hurt and care. They're messy and complicated and relatable.

I love the way that the second chance romance was done. There's room for LaRynn and Deacon to grow, and to define who they want to become in adulthood. While still sticking within the rom-com genre, DeWitt explores how our upbringing and baggage can impact our relationships for life. We see our characters not only recognize the failings of their childhoods, but work through that baggage in a way that feels real, yet approachable.

I LOVE THIS BOOK! I loved it the first time, but I love it even more this go around. I feel like we got more background from Deacon’s perspective that explains more of what happened. I also think it’s more in Tarah’s voice now. Rynn and Deacon are so perfect together. I love them 😍

Tarah is and will forever be an auto buy author for me! I love her writing so much and she tells the most beautiful stories! I love LaRynn and Deacon so much! The banter was perfect and mix in forced proximity and marriage of convenience I am sold. I ate this book up and I can’t wait to read more books from Tarah!

Tarah DeWitt knows exactly what she's doing.
I had high hopes for The Co-Op after reading Savor It and absolutely loving it. Those high hopes were met!
DeWitt dives deep in this story, tackling grief, complicated parent/child relationships, abandonment, financial stress, mental health, trust building, and so much more throughout this book. She handles each of these topics so well, weaving them together while also giving them the time they need to be addressed properly and to support the love story being told.
Our characters feel so real. They're messy, they make mistakes, they have difficulty communicating (with each other and with other people), and they work through this in a way that's endearing to the reader while also helping to bring emotional depth to their relationship.
I absolutely love dual timelines when they're done correctly and DeWitt really delivers. She gives just enough of the past timeline to make our main character's present timeline relationship (or lack thereof) make sense. She's able to express the tender nature of the past relationship between our two characters, making its breakdown and the current state of their relationship heartbreaking, while still providing optimism.
I would describe this as a slow burn romance, something I'm realizing I can really enjoy if the angst, yearning, and tension is expressed adequately throughout the story. DeWitt does a fantastic job with all of these things, making the reader desperate for our main characters to finally share their feelings and move their relationship forward emotionally and physically. This adds so much to the story and makes this book an absolute page turner!
I must recommend The Co-Op! It's too good to not give it a read!

I love a second chance romance, it’s those moments where we as readers find out what happened but also just seeing them open up to each other just a little bit more as the book goes on, I loved it. And it was such a slowwww burn, and honestly I dig these kinds of books lol

LaRynn’s growth was beautiful to witness, she was so vulnerable and relatable, I LOVED HER! It’s kind of like we have the same thoughts, like when did you get in my head??

Deacon and LaRynn’s relationship was just amazing to watch unfold, the tension was off the charts, but those small gestures!! Ahhh my heart!!! They got me!
They were just so silly together, I mean it was funny seeing them not like each other and then everything just got easier, things clicked into place, I truly loved them!

Tarah does no wrong in my eyes, I have been a fan of her books for a while. So glad to have gotten a chance to read this one!

This book was another winner for me. I typically don’t like second chance romances and it took me a minute to get into this book but once I did, I really enjoyed it. I enjoyed the romance set during a renovation and the fake marriage trope. I couldn’t stop reading. Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read this book early.

This was a cute little romance that had a unique storyline. It progressed very slowly. I really liked Deacon and thought he was just a great guy!

All in all, it was a good read!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read this ARC for my honest review!

#TheCo-op #NetGalley

An ex who tore your heart to pieces and a house that looks the same… that’s what LaRynn and Deacon are in for when the story begins. As they work together to fix up the house, they end up fixing themselves up, too. Dewitt has a way of pulling you in and making the characters come alive. I really delighted in the side characters and wish I had more time with them. dual-timeline, dual-pov, fake marriage, enemies to lovers, second chance romance.

I received a complimentary arc of this re-release on NetGalley from St Martin’s Griffin

love, love, love Tarah DeWitt and the Co-op was pure perfection. I could not put this book down, I was addicted page one. It was such a cute and quick read that kept me entertained! Its second chance, marriage of convenience, forced proximity fun had had me laughing and blushing.

Tackling a renovation project is difficult enough. Add in hard feelings from how things went before. Mix in more miserable than the average childhoods to overcome. And the lack of funds. You now have the recipe for a horrific experience, but..... You are falling back in love. At first, it was slow for me to connect with, but then I did. And I totally enjoyed this spicy story.
4.25⭐