There’s always something refreshing to me when an impenetrable woman meets a golden retriever

Because that’s care, loving someone at their best and their worst and everywhere in between

I remember the same feeling when I read the indie version and loving the banter, the tenseness of the interactions, the want to scream at them, that blossomed into a warm conclusion.

The forced proximity was unique and essential to the story in a way I hadn’t seen before which hones in on the idea of renovation being an uncovering.

Also… I LOVE EPILOGUES

Thank you to NetGalley for letting me read the Co-op!
The Co-oo is a second chance at Romance, with grief, family issues, communication, and friendship! This was a wonderful introduction to Tarah DeWitt and can’t see what they write next!

5✨ it’s smart, it’s sexy, it’s fun, it’s full of banter and longing and pining and sarcasm and it’s absolutely amazing

i felt such kinship to larynn. she’s bold and badass and beat down and broken in ways that i have experienced and felt down to my bones. i just resonated so deeply with larynn. i know all too well what it’s like to have that summer home, summer place, summer friend(s) that mean the world to you…but that continue to go on without you when you’re not there. the feeling of missing it & them and knowing it probably doesn’t go both ways. and that is honestly a devastating and sobering feeling. it’s something that never goes away. i admired how she fought and tried every damn step of the way. it was heartwarming and encouraging. she’s sarcastic and moody and will give as good as she gets, if not more. and the way she loved deacon was honestly beautiful. the longing, the pining, the first love, first everything feelings that never went away. the aching need to get things done right and not lose it along the way. i just loved her. she’s strong and sassy and beautiful and so fucking capable. she made me ugly cry.

deacon. leeds. ladies & gentlemen may i present you to a class A book boyfriend. a man who gives you the chicken wings and takes the drumsticks because he knows you prefer them. a man who will stop by just to say hi. a man who will work with you, play with you, support you, love you, cherish you, do anything with you. a man who calls you <i>love.</i> a man who just wants to be able to fix and build things. a man who will dance you around the kitchen and kiss your palm when you lay your hand on his cheek. he is a man who knows you so perfectly, he helps you see who you are. a man i am so down bad for. he just wants to play house with her. he’s so painfully aware of her of at all times. his feelings are so big and bright and beautiful and clear as day to everyone except for larynn. his before just feels like an innocent unavoidable attraction to her. he’s goofy and sweet and funny and just wants to make the grumpy girl smile and it’s simply heartwarming. his pining and longing and desperate desire was so wow. his realization at just 21 about how he wants to love & be loved after everything he’s experienced and been through was incredible. the depth and dimension it added to his character was just beyond. i cannot say a single bad thing about this beautiful, sunshine, golden retriever man. he’s honestly just such a good man. there’s no way to not love him.

deacon & larynn’s relationship and their love was special. i was so looking forward to seeing their relationship heal. to see them heal with each other. and tarah did not disappoint with it. the way they feel about themselves and each other and the struggling and mental exhaustion and wanting to open up but shutting down just broke my heart. it made me so sad and so emotional. for them, for myself, for everything. they way they grew together only to grow apart and then together again in such a different way was depicted magnificently. they’re antagonizing each other by flirting and trying to top one another and i absolutely loved it. they both just want to be in each others lives. however they can. in whatever capacity. and it’s beautiful. but what’s even better is when they realize they can’t just to do that, can’t just be friends. they need everything from each other and honestly they deserve it. they deserve to love & be loved the way they did the second time around. i want to be loved and seen and enough the way they are for each other. i mean come on, they’re dancing in the kitchen and i think i might cry. and he kisses her palm when she lays it against his cheek. i’m done for. they’re so proud of one another. proud to be with each other. it’s such an epic and stunning evolution in decade+ long relationship development. they’re perfect. they broke each other only to put each other back together again.

tarah just really hit it out of the park with this. like she always does. but i know when i read the original co-op, it didn’t quite do it for me the way funny feelings and rootbound had. i don’t know if i was delusional then or if the renovated version is just so elite, but this was five star read without an ounce of doubt or question. i honestly can’t decide if this is topping savor it as my favourite TD book. i don’t even want to pick cause it feels wrong cause i just love these characters so much. the plot and the entire renovation and the working together and everything outside & in between was spectacular. incredible banter and pining and emotional, honest conversations. it was a story of maturing and growing both alone and with your person. they. are. beautiful.

thank you so much tarah & netgalley for the arc!!!

This book is fantastic, funny, sexy and so witty
Enjoy reading it a lot ✨
Larryn and Deacon They have become one of my favorite literary couples 🛐
And (oddly enough) I have no complaints! I genuinely enjoyed every page in this book.

Oh my GOODNESS this was a gorgeous exploration of past hurts and misunderstandings mixed with a marriage of convenience and home renovation, all with a side of a summer at the beach!!! Tarah you have done it again (or before?!)!!

LaRynn and Deacon’s grandmothers fell in love as apartment neighbors, and so they found themselves with new families, new summer spots, and new pains in their asses! Through strong emotions, family traumas, and lack of conversation, the two hurt each other deeply- and now it’s seven years later and both grandmothers are gone, and the house is left to them! Having to actually work together and communicate pushes these two back into each others lives- and showcases the right person/wrong time mentality- when they’re able to get the right timing!!

I loved the way that both Rynn and Deacon showed their own self-growth, to learning how to healthily communicate needs and letting go of the little things. The PINING in this book is UNREAL, and makes it all so so worth it for that beautiful life in the epilogue!!!

Thank you so much to Tarah DeWitt and NetGalley for a chance to read this in exchange for an honest review before the new edition comes out later this month!

First, thank you for this ARC read in exchange for my honest opinion.

I have read many books by this author and while I have loved them all, this one was not my favorite. The pace felt a bit off and the characters didn’t connect the way I wanted them too. I’m all for a slow burn but this was tragically too long.

Overall it was just okay for me.

A second chance romance, miscommunication, fake marriage romance with a bit of steam. LaRynn and Deacon had a thing when they were teens and then they didn't. Now, years later, they've been pushed into a corner over the house they inherited from their scheming grandmothers. She needs to be married to get the money they need to renovate, which Deacon can do but again he needs money too. Naturally, this leads to a fake marriage and eventually to.....For some reason these two keep talking past one another and avoiding talking about their history (that of course is part of the trope but I found it more annoying than usual). Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Over to others.

💍𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞
🩵𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞
🔨𝐇𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

✨Thoughts✨
𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 novel had a hint of nostalgia and many hilarious moments. LaRynn and Deacon started off as friends when they were younger, but through the years, their relationship turned into a fleeting summer romance. As teenagers, they struggled to communicate effectively, resulting in misunderstandings and shattered hearts. The story alternated between their past and present, where they made the decision to marry in order to save and renovate a shared building that they inherited from their grandmothers.

𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞 renovating, they began to question if there was still a spark between them, causing old wounds to resurface. Living in close quarters forced them to break down walls, both figuratively and literally, leading to a rediscovery of themselves and their love for each other.

𝐓𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐡 𝐃𝐞𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐭 skillfully crafted the characters, making them imperfect but fun. Their arguments drove me crazy sometimes, but their witty banter made me laugh. This novel was a joy to read. It is a must-read for anyone seeking a heartwarming and entertaining love story.

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 you to Tarah DeWitt and St. Martin's Press for this ARC. All opinions expressed here reflect my genuine experience reading this book.

𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝟒.𝟓⭐️
𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐞: 𝟑/𝟓🔥

The Co-Op is a marriage of convenience, second-chance romance with a slow burn. Here’s why I ended up giving it three stars: the pacing felt a bit slow. Just when I thought the characters were finally going to stop bickering and admit their feelings, they’d go back to fighting, not communicating, and starting over from square one. At the 50% mark, I thought, “Okay, this is when they’ll finally talk,” but no.

I did shed a few tears, as the pain and grief they experienced felt relatable, but without the epilogue, there wouldn’t be any real character or relationship development between them. The story also alternates between the main characters’ teenage years and the present, in their late twenties. I would have loved more scenes of them working together on the renovations and especially more about Elyse’s coffee shop expansion.

I know readers who enjoy a slow burn, marriage of convenience, and enemies-to-lovers tropes would appreciate this book. Overall, while I think it’s enjoyable for others, it just wasn’t for me. I felt like I was stuck in time with this one, unable to see the relationship truly blossom until the last 15% of the book and the epilogue.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC!

*second chance romance
*marriage of convenience
*enemies to lovers
*forced proximity

The adult MC’s are painfully childish, the FMC is the worst and this was so full of a giant lack of communication that I couldn’t move past it.

I didn’t enjoy this one.



Thank you to St. Martin’s Griffin and NetGalley for the DRC

DNF'ed at 20%
I did not like the FMC. She seemed so hateful.
This story was more haters than lovers, it did not interest me.
Yes, I DNF'ed a book that has my fave trope.

I enjoyed this book a lot!! I went into it after hearing mixed reviews, and I was pleasantly surprised. I thought the general premise of the book was interesting and really stayed consistent throughout. I am such a sucker for second chance romances, so this absolutely checked all the boxes on that front. I also felt like the dynamic between LaRynn and Deacon was realistic? Nothing was super overstated in terms of their day to day life and how they were around each other. And I found their banter so entertaining! All in all this was a fun read and one I definitely recommend! This was my first book by Tarah DeWitt too and I can't wait to give her other books a read :)

"The Co-Op" follows LaRynn 'Larry' and Deacon, who meet one summer as teens when their grandmothers fall in love. It's a summer that starts off with a rough game of volleyball and ends even worse between the two characters. Years later, LaRynn and Deacon have no choice but to reconnect after being left their grandmother's old residence, a place left in near shambles. Without much choice the two have to work together to restore this place that bears so much meaning. The journey is wrought with arguments, disagreements and a lot of will they, won't they, predicaments. If you like marriage of convenience, enemies to lovers, and found family tropes this book is for you!
Thank you to St. Martin’s Griffin, and NetGalley for an early review copy of this book!
“The Co-op” is out November 12th 2024. Go check it out!
*Posted to GoodReads on 11/1/2024

This is a witty, steamy second-chance romance with a unique renovation twist. LaRynn and Deacon inherit a crumbling Santa Cruz property and must enter a marriage of convenience to access her funds and his construction skills. The only problem is they cannot stand each other. Their relationship rebuilds alongside the property, blending humor, tension, and genuine emotion. Tarah writes THE perfect couples and I continue to fall in love with her writing with each release. This book is the perfect read for fans of enemies to lovers, forced proximity, and marriage of convenience. Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Instagram review will be live on 11-Nov-2024.

In "The Co-op" by Tarah DeWitt, the struggle between love and construction creates a fascinating backdrop for a story about personal growth and teamwork. LaRynn and Deacon, who used to be high school sweethearts, have to face their past when they inherit an old, rundown building. Their plan to marry for financial reasons brings up deeper emotional issues that they’ve both been hiding for years. This story shows that whether it’s in love or in business, partnerships need hard work, good communication, and being open with each other.

As they tackle the challenges of renovating the property, it’s clear that the effort they put into fixing the building reflects what they need to do to heal their relationship. It’s not just about restoring the building; it’s also about mending their hearts and discovering the joy of working together. The themes of second chances and the complexities of human connections make "The Co-op" an engaging read for anyone who gets that love, like construction, can be messy and unpredictable.

Four and a half stars!

I love books that have dual timelines, I like getting to know the characters at different stages in life. It was amazing to get to see how they both grew and changed.

Deacon and LaRynn have a very complicated relationship. They meet when their grandmothers get married. They end up having a summer fling and part on bad terms. Years later the grands have left them their house together and they have a lot of work to do to get it fixed up.

I really enjoyed this book! It is definitely one I would re-read.

While dealing with the internal gutting and renovation of a house that has sentimental value for both of them, LaRynn and Deacon begin to break down the emotional walls built in their pasts.

LaRynn has very little experience receiving and giving affection, let alone love. This leads her to come across as very confrontational most of the time. Deacon has his issues as well, but he is one of the few people who can see and chip away at the walls around LaRynn’s heart and help her learn to open up.

•Second Chance
•Flashback Chapters
•Forced Proximity
•Marriage of Convenience
•"That’s My Wife"
•Open Door Spice
•Dual POV (1st Person)

Thank you NetGalley for giving me access to an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is my second book by Tarah DeWitt and I can honestly say her books just keep getting better and better. This story was so heartbreakingly beautiful about how sometimes the fates can bring you back together. LaRynn feels a bit lost in the world since being cut off by her father and the loss of her grandmother when she find herself thrown together with her high school flame to fix up her grandmother’s old house after her partner passes away and happens to be her ex situation-ship’s gran as well. Deacon has been holding things together after the passing of his gran and her and her parented house of falling apart. This books of primarily told via LaRynn’s past and current experiences but I love when the author also tells us Deacon’s perspective as well. This book was such an enjoyable read and kept me wanting more and more of their story!

I absolutely flew through this book, I was so immersed in LaRynn and Deacon. As I was reading, I found myself continuously surprised by how many pages I had read, which caused me to feel anxious towards the end because I wasn’t ready for it to be over.

I think Tarah did such an incredible job balancing grief and regret within the romance of the story, and I have a feeling so many will be able to relate to the way LaRynn and Deacon both experience these emotions throughout the book.

I typically love books that jump between past and present, particularly when it comes to second-chance love stories, but I don’t think the ‘before’ chapters were necessary with this one; as there were so few of them, i didn’t feel like the ‘before’ chapters added much depth to the characters’ relationship, and a lot of what those chapters covered probably could have been weaved into the rest of the story.

The development of LaRynn and Deacon’s relationship was really enjoyable to read, and the tropes involved were executed well without feeling over the top or clichéd. I also appreciated the fact that these characters made an effort to communicate with each other about their feelings and pasts most of the time because nothing frustrates me more than miscommunication, so it felt like a breath of fresh air to see characters actually pushing past their pride and simply talking to each other.

Thank you, netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for this arc. All
opinions are my own.

The was a cute and easy read. If you are looking for a palate cleanser ink between the darker or heavier books, this is for you. I enjoyed the development and reconnection of the main characters. The epilogue was my favorite part of the whole story. I loved that we got a glimpse of what happens to LaRyan and Deacon 10 years later. Thank you Netgalley for the e-book in exchange for an honest review.