I really enjoy Tarah Dewitt’s writing. This was a very cute and fun second chance romance.
Overall, it was an enjoyable read. I highly recommend checking it out!
Thank You Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this book. I didn’t love it right off the bat… they’re both so angry and petty but as you start to understand what happened in the past, I started rooting for them. The slow burn almost killed me in a good way. It’s beachy and heartwarming and would recommend.

I love everything Tarah has ever come out with. She’s got such a way of writing that you see parts of yourself in every character. I listened to this original book and was SO excited to see an updated version it’s so so so good. I just want you all to read it.

This is my second read from Tarah DeWitt and she's very quickly becoming a fave of mine! I absolutely loved this book. The push and pull, banter, and HEAT between LaRynn and Deacon was everything, and I adored being along for the ride as they navigated their relationship and past. The setting was perfect and I loved getting to see the messy relationship mishaps happen alongside a messy renovation. I adored everything about this book and can't wait for more.

I first read The Co-Op two years ago after its initial release - I was unable to put this book down and devoured it in one sitting. Since then, Deacon and LaRynn have lived in my brain and I think of them (and all of Tarah’s stories) often. Tarah’s books have become comfort reads and I love revisiting these stories and I swear they get better with every reread.

I didn’t think it was possible to love this story more, but gosh, I adored every moment of this renovated edition and all of the updates fit so perfectly. Adding the ‘before’ timeline was brilliant and I loved getting to witness the early stages of Deacon and LaRynn’s relationship and get to see their love evolve. As with every reread, my heart ached for Deacon and LaRynn as shared their hearts and vulnerabilities with each other - not holding back in sharing their desires and past pain - and then put in the work to build a home where they belonged and a future where their hearts were safe and cherished.

I am absolutely ecstatic that The Co-Op is being rereleased and more readers will fall in love with Deacon and LaRynn and get swept away by Tarah’s writing.

I really enjoyed this book! This was my first by the author and it definitely will not be my last.

This was the perfect length, had no third act breakup, and had some of my favorite tropes! It had second chance love, forced proximity and marriage of convenience. The misunderstandings of their past were not resolved quickly but they did make sense in the timeline.

The renovation on the house was a great tool for conflict and “team building” haha. I also appreciated how funny this was. The characters had great banter and chemistry and I laughed out loud a few times. There was even a FRIENDS reference that cracked me up.

I wish we had seen a bit more of the side characters; but I liked that the conflict the mom was solved. However, we didn’t see any resolution with her dad.

Overall, loved this and had a great time!

DNF at 13%

Childhood enemies to summer fling to enemies to (one assumes) lovers forced to cohabitate in the home their grandmothers left them and that they now co-own. First update at 12% - this book is a struggle for me so far. It rarely takes me this long to finish something that I’m actively trying to complete. The language is so wordy and many sentences are just phrased awkwardly, but the biggest obstacle so far is that I absolutely cannot stand the FMC. What does it say that my favorite characters so far as the deceased lesbian grandmothers?
This book could use some major editing to work on the language flow and awkward phrasing. There would be potential if the FMC wasn’t so unlikeable.

*** thanks to NetGalley for the ARC

the co op | tarah dewitt
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

“The trying was what it was really about. I’d begun to believe that trying was its own love language. Trying to understand a person, trying to make them happy, trying to make yourself happy.”
_____

GAH!

This book was so wonderful, I could just type up all of the quotes I highlighted (there are many) and I think it would do the job for me here.

LaRynn and Deacon left each other with broken hearts when they were younger. When they co-inherit the home their grandmother’s owned, they are forced back into each other’s lives to renovate the house to be sellable. What starts as a home project ends up being a relationship renovation as well - torn down and built back up into something beautiful.

Trust me when I say that this belongs on your TBR. Tarah delivered a WHOLE LOT of heart and feeling (and a good amount of spice) and I really don’t have a single complaint.

*if you also read this the first time around, I don’t know what exactly got rewritten, but YES, it’s somehow even better now!

_____

“People aren’t houses or projects. You can’t disassemble them and find out how they operate, identify their broken bits and replace them. You can do your bet to understand the, as they are, but… people change. They grow. They learn. They just… are.”

THINGS TO LOVE:
+ second chance
+ dual timeline
+ marriage of convenience
+ home renovation
+ forced proximity
+ he is down bad
+ character growth
+ a house with no walls
+ it never stopped for me
+ banter
+ dancing in the kitchen

“”But someone loves me at home. Someone who loves my sharp edges as much as all my softer ones, too, and even the ones I haven’t quite figured out yet.”

“ Would you punch a shark for me?” he asks.
“I’d bite a shark for you,” I say. I’m a little scared of how much I mean it.

_____

{a gigantic thank you to Tarah DeWitt, St Martins, and NetGalley for the advanced copy!! Out 11/12/24}

Why did I wait so long to read this? This was SO CUTE! I love Tarah's writing, she's so talented. I'm going to automatically love anything forced proximity, but add in a marriage of convenience? Sold!. If you haven't read this one yet, you need to!

Posted on GR & storygraph 10/9, adding to IG mid October

I've been waiting for this book to come out on audio and it didn't disappoint! A fun, slow burn, second chance, marriage of convenience, forced proximity, reno roommance that sees former childhood sweethearts joint inheriting an old house and having to fix it up together before they can sell it. The sexual tension in this book was fierce and I was so there for it and when the couple do finally work through their past baggage and hook up the wait was well worth it! Good on audio narrated by Stephanie Rose & Nelson Hobbs (who does a great job with an accent!). While I still think I liked Funny feelings more, this was a very entertaining and satisfying listen from a fav Indie romance author now re-released by a traditional publisher!!

I tried to keep an open mind with this book, but it honestly was just alright to me. One thing I can’t stand in books, is the miscommunication trope. If it doesn’t make sense why the main characters have been apart from each other then it just ruins the whole storyline for me. I’m also pretty fast when it comes to reading romance books, but this took me a lot longer than usual to get through. There were parts that I thought were cute, but I’m not gonna lie LaRynn bothered me so much.

I love a second chance rekindling and this didn't disappoint!! From the beginning I was so invested and wanted to know how Larry and Deacon would reconnect again. It was paced so well, and I was enamored with how they really had to work on themselves and their faults to get on the same page. With them having such strong convictions against each other and having to put up with each other, seeing them finally solve their issues was the best part. I saw so much of myself in Larry and seeing her growth made me emotional. I loved seeing both the past and present intertwine and how they finally matched steps with each other. I am always a sucker for second chance romance, and this book did it so perfectly! I cannot wait to pick up a physical copy on release day!!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Griffin for this e-arc read and review exchange!

Thanks to NetGalley I received an advanced electronic copy of the book to read and provide a review.

This was fine! It was a fun read that was interesting and it had a good amount of angst. The ending was predictable and I’m still not entirely sure why they didn’t talk for years - it seems like an over dramatic miscommunication trope. But all in all, it was a good enough read to finish.

Thank you to NetGalley for the e-ARC!

I’m a bit disappointed in this book. I loved Tarah’s last book, Savor It, ans gave it 5 stars so the fact that I didn’t like this one kinda hurts.

It’s a marriage of convenience/ 2nd chance romance and I normally eat these tropes up! The FMC was pretty annoying. I would go thru a few chapters and like the way the story was going but then it would just get boring and I’d lose interest. I typically finish a romance in 2 days and this took a week and that’s only because I MADE myself finish it. This one unfortunately is a miss for me.

The Co-Op by Tarah DeWitt is another absolute gem and a 5/5 star read for me! DeWitt continues to prove herself as an auto-read author, delivering yet another contemporary romance that’s packed with humor, heart, and the perfect balance of banter and pining. This story hits all the right notes, blending a marriage-of-convenience with second-chance vibes that pull you in from the start.

LaRynn is such a refreshing and unique heroine. We’re so used to seeing the grumpy men in romance (which I’m here for, trust me!), but LaRynn brings that sharp, no-nonsense energy that you don’t see often enough in female characters. She’s real, she’s relatable, and she’s definitely not out here smiling just because someone told her it’d make her look prettier. Deacon, on the other hand, is an absolute gem. Together, their chemistry is electric—their dynamic a mix of tension and vulnerability that makes their slow-burning romance so satisfying.

The premise—LaRynn and Deacon marrying to gain an inheritance and fix up the house they co-own after years apart—is irresistible. Watching these two navigate their messy history while rebuilding not just the house, but also their trust in one another, was everything. The banter had me laughing out loud, while the emotional moments had me fully invested in their growth, both as individuals and as a couple.

If you love flawed but lovable characters, a solid mix of laugh-out-loud moments and emotional depth, and a romance that keeps you hooked from start to finish, The Co-Op is a must-read. Tarah DeWitt has once again crafted a romance that feels so real, heartfelt, and just plain fun—definitely one of my favorites. If you’re looking for a book that’ll make you laugh, swoon, and cheer for these characters’ happily ever after, this one’s for you!

Another cute read from Tarah DeWitt! This was fun. I loved the flirting, I don't 100% get why all the expressions LaRynn made were cruel or mean, I think that could have been a little more toned down, but I loved everything else! From the content warning, I think I expected something a little more explicit too, but this wasn't anything out of the ordinary. So happy to get a copy of this one from NetGalley!

The Co-op by Tarah Dewitt is a fun, sexy romance that had me hooked from start to finish! The marriage of convenience trope is done so well, adding the perfect blend of tension and chemistry between the characters. The banter is witty, sharp, and laugh-out-loud funny, making their dynamic even more entertaining. I absolutely loved how the story combines second-chance romance and forced proximity, creating plenty of steamy moments and emotional depth. Dewitt has a gift for writing characters you can’t help but root for, and the slow-burn romance keeps you turning the pages. If you love well-executed tropes, sizzling chemistry, and clever dialogue, The Co-op is a must-read!

This was just so FUN, spicy in the right way, felt real and raw, but also the perfect escape. This was my first DeWitt book and I'll be back for more!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Every time I read something by Tarah Dewitt, I fall more and more in love with her writing. At this point - she is easily becoming one of my favourite authors.

I was a little worried about this one because I am usually not a fan of second-chance romance and miscommunication, but this constantly had me on the edge of my seat. The way in which Dewitt wrote the angst and tension between these two had me worried that MAYBE they hated each other a little too much to fall in love. I was EATING IT UP. Dewitt has a beautiful way of writing a character’s backstory and The Co-Op was no different. We see so much growth between these two characters, both together and separately, that makes you genuinely feel so much emotion alongside them. As they grow, you see them open up to each other and truly become the other’s other half. You can see the anger, angst, and tension between them blossom into something so special, so beautiful.

The idea of a second-chance romance with a side of forced proximity in the shape of home renovation felt GENIUS to me. It was so unique and wonderful to read. I truly enjoyed every second of it. On top of this - Dewitt provided us with one of the MOST satisfying epilogues that I’ve ever read. It tied up all lose ends and really showed us a perfect display of their future together.

Tarah Dewitt continues to never disappoint. With her witty banter, epic tension, hilarious side characters and happy endings for the best of characters… Dewitt is set to never release a less than perfect story.

this is like beach read meets you deserve each other. i loved this book SO BAD. their banter and tension just kept me going and going. marriage of convenience with forced proximity, past to present, everything you could ever want!!! loved savor it and loved the co-op!!!