LaRynn and Deacon hadn't seen each other since that fateful summer when they were 18, but when both their grandmothers pass away, they find out they both co-own their old place. When the opportunity of an inheritance comes up, the decide to get married to access it and use the money to renovate and then eventually sell the house, but things don't go quite as planned.

The relationship development between them was so much fun, they had great banter and so many laugh out loud moments as they navigated being married and renovating a house! The slow burn was so satisfying and filled with great tension and chemistry. They were both flawed in the best way that you couldn't help but love them.

Overall this was a really enjoyable read!

𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞:
💜 marriage of convenience
💜 hate to love
💜 second chance
💜 forced proximity

The Co-Op is a dual POV forced proximity marriage of convenience romance. LaRynn and Deacon were brought together as teens by their grandmothers. After a disastrous summer romance as young adults, they went their separate ways, only coming back together because of the house they jointly inherited. Needing LaRynn’s trust fund to finish fixing the place up to rent out, they reluctantly agree to a temporary marriage to make ends meet.

This was my first book by this author but I enjoyed it very much! It had a mix of funny moments and angsty moments, as they found their way to each other and through their baggage. Very moving and captivating story!


Read dates: 10/15/2024 - 10/16/2024
Goodreads review: 10/16/2024
Instagram review: 10/17/2024
Blog review: 11/12/2024

I love stories that start out when the couple was young and it doesn't work out and the meet up later... 2nd Chances give me hope.

This was so much fun and ended with a depth I wasn’t expecting. Fun banter and a way to cute ending and epilogue. Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for this copy for read and review

The Co-op by Tarah DeWitt is an absolute must-read for fans of second-chance romance! LaRynn and Deacon’s journey is full of chemistry, heart, and just the right amount of tension. Their forced proximity as they navigate both home renovations and old feelings creates an irresistible story that pulls you in from the start. The way the author intertwines personal growth and romantic tension makes this a truly satisfying read. With steamy moments, humor, and emotional depth, this book is pure romance magic. If you love characters you can root for and a plot that keeps you hooked, this one’s for you!

This second chance romance was overall, an enjoyable read. Several aspects of the novel certainly drew me in, including: Deacon and LaRynn’s chemistry and banter; the flashbacks to their young adulthood and how their relationship progressed to where it is today; the mature themes represented throughout the novel; and the setting of the novel, i.e., how Deacon and LaRynn are tasked with restoring an old house. However, I found that certain aspects of the novel fell flat for me that ultimately prevented me from being fully engrossed in the novel. For one, Deacon and LaRynn have extremely poor communication skills that led their main conflict to draw out to the point of boredom and frustration. In my opinion, the novel could have been much shorter and more effective if the characters’ issues with one another did not span 95% of the book and instead their positive interactions were displayed more frequently throughout the novel. For instance, I would have appreciated more interactions of them restoring the old house together. Relatedly, I disliked the main conflict, namely, the reason why the two characters ended their relationship when they were younger. I understand that trauma influences the way we interact and communicate with one another, but the characters' relationship ended due to poor communication and I found that this did not reflect well on their characters. Consequently, it was not fully believable and it was hard for me to root for them to end up together. In addition, I was excited about the characters' fake marriage that took place at the beginning of the novel, however, I found that the trope was not fully fleshed out. It's very infrequently mentioned and simply has no implications on their relationship or causes them to suffer any consequences. I love a good fake marriage trope, but I felt that it was unnecessary here and ultimately prevented me from being fully immersed in the novel. Nevertheless, I did enjoy this novel and I will try another one of Tarah DeWitt's novels in the future.

Thank you NetGallery for the Arc!

💜I loved this so much!! 💜

✨tropes✨
-close proximity
-marriage of convenience
-summer fling
-enemies to friends to lovers
-second chance romance

The perfect summer/beach read. Fun, cute, enough spice and super swoon worthy epilogue!

This is a really sweet story and I was rooting for the LaRynn and Deacon the whole time. Is it some big surprise book?! Of course not. It's exactly what you want, what you expect, what you came to the book for. But the plot is so much fun and so unexpected! A summer fling gone off the rails, so much left unsaid, lesbian grandmothers leaving the two of them their house, a renovation of epic proportions...and a restoration of a lot more. It's sweet, it's painful, it's heartbreaking, it's sexy as hell...just read it.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC of this book. Opinions are my own.

This was my first Tarah Dewitt book and I had no idea what to expect going into it. I was not disappointed. I really enjoyed the sassy banter between LaRynn and Deacon and I loved the small town vibes. I also loved learning about the grands and I really enjoyed the dual POV and timeline. Having said all of that, I found their relationship to be incredibly frustrating. In my opinion, it took them too long to figure their stuff out and I would have really enjoyed reading more about their relationship once they finally came together. It was a little too much of a slow burn for me and I feel like we skipped the good part. Despite my few comments, this book kept me engaged and I found myself wanting a happy ending for LaRynn and Deacon — the flash forward at the end had me kicking my feet!

Read if you like: second chance romance, enemies to lovers, marriage of convenience, dual POV, & dual timelines

Thank you to St. Martin’s & NetGalley for the ARC!

Second chance, marriage of convenience, home renovation, set in a beach town, some of my all time favorite tropes. Tarah Dewitt knows how to pull on every single one of my heart strings and simultaneously make me laugh out loud. I loved this book the first time I read it 2 years ago, and I loved this updated and revised version as well! It’s a rollercoaster of emotions that you won’t want to get off of! Both Deacon and LaRynn have so much character growth from the beginning of the book to the end, and I really felt like I could feel all their internal struggles and loved seeing them get their happy ending!!

Second chance romance, lovers-enemies-lovers, marriage of convenience. I mean what move could you want from a trope trifecta!

Loved loved loved

"They say love and construction don't mix."

This book was the perfect mix of swoon, second chances, and marriage of convenience. Tarah nailed it with this one. I adored LaRynn and Deacon the entire time I was devouring this book.

IT'S A MUST READ WHEN IT COMES OUT NEXT MONTH!!

This book was a good time overall! Friends to lovers - second chance romance - small town etc. It’s the perfect blend of romance and coziness. I enjoy how the characters aren’t super out of touch with reality. They have flaws and characteristics that’s aren’t always the best. It makes it feel far more realistic! I did want or need a bit more of the romantic relationship evolution and some tender moments that helped bloom their love into the happy ending. I enjoyed it overall I had fun!

Thank you for allowing me an advanced copy of this book. This one fell flat for me personally. I love a marriage of convenience but the miscommunication for a lot of this book really turned me off. I felt like a lot of the issues weren’t really issues but they made it out to be such a big deal. The pacing was a little strange as well. Also I had a hard time connecting with LaRynn.

I know a lot of people liked this one but it really just was not for me! I will give her books another go though.

This is quite possibly the most well done Enemies to Lovers delivery I’ve read in a romance yet you guys. There is such contention between these two that their love-to-hate-you chemistry just sizzles off the page. That first kiss scene - I mean just WOW. She’s a black cat. He’s the golden retriever everyone else loves. They’re complete opposites, and it’s what makes it work so well. The background story of their beloved grandmothers and their grief is so beautiful as well. It’s a second chance romance and with that comes a lot of holding back emotions and miscommunication. I know that bugs some of you so I have to put that out there. I really love how each person is held accountable for their actions and shows growth in this book like a true partnership. I. DEVOURED. IT. This was my first Tarah Dewitt book, but she’s been on my radar for a while. It will not be my last. I just have no other words.

I truly enjoyed this book. It was a nice palate cleanser compared to what I usually read such as dark romance.

I had a hard time throughout the book rooting for the couple. LaRynn seemed like a brat a majority of the time and Deacon was just...there. I didn't understand why they had to be together for a majority of it when there was already the forced proximity in renovating the house. It all just fell flat for me.

Redeeming quality was the ending, especially with Sal and the cafe. The epilogue was cute and made me a bit teary with the death but it was a good wrap up to their story.

IMMEDIATELY FIVE STARS!!!!!!!!! a book hasn’t made me feel like this in a minute but oh how i am so warm and happy and 🤗 inside. tarah dewitt my girl, you have just done it again with a beautiful second chance love story. i’m extremely picky about second chance, miscommunication, etc., but it’s no shock i would love one written by the queen. this book means so much to me. larynn and deacon are such special characters who deserve to be known and valued for all the love they hold in their hearts and the sadness/trauma/misunderstanding that has thwarted them time and time again. i was wrapped up in this romance from the beginning and absolutely rooting for these two like there was no tomorrow. the banter was so good and their secret soft moments were so precious that i knew we were building up to what would be a love for the ages. my heart is so full, i love you deacon leeds and larynn lavigne!

Deacon and LaRynn have a rocky past—a prior friends with benefits situation in their college years that ended badly. Due to their Grand’s passing, who owned a beautiful home that needed a lot of renovations, both LaRynn and Deacon inherited the home, and thus a shared need to restore it. Deacon couldn’t afford it on its own and LaRynn needed the money, so they united under the pretense that they would combine their funds and labor to renovate the home. They reluctantly decided to marry in hopes of using the financial benefits of marriage and a trust to help pay for the renovations, but all the time they spend together, they begin to realize that maybe they don’t want to be apart again after all.

This is a slow burn, forced proximity, marriage of convenience romance filled with angst and prior flashbacks of their lost love they found as “friends with benefits” so long ago. It’s a cute story of coming together with shared end goals that accidentally become end game.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC to read and review.

Dnf at 8%

I'm not liking the characters.
The way that LaRynn acts doesn't impress me much and doesn't compel me to read more about her.