[arc review]
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
The Co-op re-releases November 12, 2024

Deacon and LaRynn jointly inherited their late grandmother’s house and must come up with the funds to renovate the sinking ship.
Since LaRynn’s trust fund was revoked because she didn’t go to law school, the only way she can gain access to it is if she gets married, hence a marriage of convenience ensues.

The characters were beyond unlikeable and held so much hostility and animosity towards each other.
Coupled with the less than stellar communication, I just didn’t have the patience for this story.

<i>“I don’t know how to do this, how to have a discussion where feelings are involved. All I know is fighting and retreating, passion eclipsed by resentment.”</I>

Most, if not all of the renovations happened off-page in the background, leaving a bloated summarized chapter that felt more like an afterthought to catch the reader up to speed.

There was a stark contrast in characterizations between the “before” sections, present day, and the epilogue that took place ten years later, which in turn, kept giving me whiplash.
I have a hard time believing that Deacon and LaRynn would last as a couple since their relationship had less of a stable foundation than the house they inherited.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for a review.

LaRynn is a very complex character, and interesting but sometimes I found it hard to relate or forgive her. So much information about LaRynn and Deacon's past that I spent the first third of the book confused about what exactly wrong. I did love Deacon and felt he was a lot more gracious and kind than I would've been in his position. I didn't truly start enjoying this book until their barbs and honestly were more evenly matched instead of the constant barbing with stupid childish pranks. In the end, I'm happy with how the story is all wrapped up, but I wished we had more of their flashbacks in the beginning.

LaRynn Lavigne and Deacon Leeds had one short and contentious summer fling when they were teens—certainly nothing to build a foundation on. But a decade later, when their grandmothers have left them with shared ownership of their dilapidated Santa Cruz building, they're thrust back together and have to figure out how to brace up the pieces.
LaRynn has the money, but in order to access her trust, she has to be married. Deacon has the construction expertise, but lacks the funds. A deal is struck: Marry for however long it takes to fix up the property, collect a profit, and cut ties.
Thrust into a home without walls, LaRynn and Deacon quickly learn that it's easy to hide behind emotional ones, even in a marriage. But with all the exposure and pitfalls that come with living with the opposite sex (and none of the perks, much to their growing mutual frustration) they'll also have to learn what it means to truly cooperate as a team.
Filled with crackling tension, The Co-op is a steamy second chance romance about restoration and renovation, and uncovering all the things that build character within ourselves. It's about the never-ending construction project that partnership is, and finding enjoyment at every stage.

I absolutely love second chance romance and this novel was no exception. The wonderful characters and their personalities added so much to the plot and I absolutely will be reading this again.

Wow, this was amazing! DeWitt crafted wonderfully flawed characters that brought us a mix of angst, tension, and a whirlwind of emotions. The dual timeline was brilliant, providing a richer understanding of the characters' current situations and adding layers to their feelings. Even with all the angst, there were moments that made me laugh out loud — Dewitt has an incredible knack for blending romance with serious themes effortlessly. Also, I particularly enjoyed the clever reference to Funny Feelings. Overall, this was an incredible read. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the copy!

I will read anything and everything Tarah Dewitt writes even if it’s just a grocery list. Her writing style is unique and sucks you into the story. You can feel what the characters are feeling and feel as if you’re part of the story.

The Co-op covers grief with so much grace as LaRynn and Deacon’s loss of their grandmothers bring them together. Their story is beautifully entwined with good music and shows how two imperfectly perfect humans belong together.

What a beautiful book!! I loved how fleshed out the MCs are. I’m not as much of a fan of second chance romance & there was a lot of fighting lol so this didn’t quite do it for me, but I appreciated the story all the same. And I love home renovations so that was a win!

First of all, the way Tarah writes is so captivating. I’m instantly hooked from the very first page. The Co-op has become a new favorite of mine, for the second chance and connection between the MCs. I can’t get over the witty banter and the tension. It generally feels like I’m reading about two very real people and that is one of the best feelings as a reader. I never wanted it to end! I also squealed that this took place so close to my home town, where I could instantly envision the places they were at, particularly driving highway 17 because that is a one of a kind drive.

Second chance romance is one of my favorite tropes and this was no exception. I have become such a fan of Tarah Dewitt. She has such great balance of angst and fun, and the side characters always add so much to the charm. Absolutely loved this!

I would like to start by thank St Martins Press and Tarah DeWitt for an e-arc copy of The Co-op!

Tarah DeWitt is the queen of a cute rom-com with top tier banter and tension! I found myself kicking my feet and giggling when reading this book, which honestly what more can you ask for when reading a romance! 💕

This was such a fun book! I really enjoy this authors stories and was excited to read this one! It’s a great forced proximity and marriage of convenience. Would recommend to all of my friends!

📚 The Co-Op
✍ Tarah DeWitt
📖 Contemporary Romance
⭐3/5
🌶️ 🌶️

🙏 Thank you to St. Martin's Press, NetGalley and the author for an advanced copy of The Co-Op. All opinions are my own.
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🎯 What I loved: I really like romances where the two characters have to figure out some of their issues through the lens of a project and the renovation backdrop of this book was perfect for forcing the characters to compromise, share space and reminisce about their grandmothers who brought them together in the first place. I also really liked that their grandmothers, despite having passed during the bulk of the story, were central to their connection and felt like their personalities infused the rest of the book along with the other side characters who were all a lot of fun.

🙅‍♀️ What I didn't: I usually love dual timeline/dual POV romances but I don't think the timeline set in the past did anything to push the storyline of The Co-Op forward. It didn't really lend itself to explaining what caused the initial rift between Deacon and LaRynn and didn't create any anticipation. My primary issue with this book though was just that I really didn't like LaRynn. Even after more light was shed on her background, I still didn't really understand her reason for treating people the way she did- I'm all for a tough and feisty FMCs but LaRynn seemed to hold vendettas and lacked accountability which made her unappealing to me as a reader. And despite liking most of the tropes used, there were almost too many layered on top of each other to parse what made this story unique.
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Read if you love:
*2nd chance romance
*enemies to lovers
*marriage of convenience
*beach town setting
*renovation project
*slow-burn
*forced proximity
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See also: Built to Last, One Last Summer, Happy Place

This story is a perfect build (construction pun intended)! The tension, pain and chemistry between LaRynn & Deacon is intense and palpable. They are the definition of that thin line between love and hate. They are both flawed characters with their own baggage and trauma. They felt so honest in their imperfections which made their story feel so real. Once I started this book, I could not put it down. I just needed more & more! The side characters were also perfect and made their story really come to life. That epilogue (chefs kiss) was the perfect finishing touch. I already cannot wait to reread this book.

This is my second Tarah DeWitt book, and I will now be busy reading everything else she has written!

Did I read this book last year and thoroughly enjoyed it? Yes, I did. Did I also request this book thinking it was a new book due to the cover change? Also yes. The Co-op is still a good book but this new beautiful cover will definitely bring more interested readers. Me included.

This novel was just what I needed for a stay in and read kind of day. DeWitt builds characters with emotional building blocks that allows the reader to be a part of the story too. We find similarities in each character that allow us to relate: grief, sadness, depression, anger, etc. The list goes on. The angst in the beginnign of the book was heavy and juicy. The 'enemies to lovers' vibe in the air. But the mix of the characters here and now stories alongside their before story was vital to the novel.

I was excited to get to read this one based on the blurb. It sounded like such a good story but was a hard read for me. I didn’t feel a connection to the characters at all. It could be because of the back and forth timelines. There was so much back and forth that it kind of drove me crazy and I couldn’t focus on the story. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the chance to read and leave my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and St Martin Press for this ARC! I absolutely loved this book. It was such a fun second chance romance with marriage of convenience. Reminded me of beach read :)

The Co-op had an intriguing premise, but it failed to deliver on almost every front. The characters felt one-dimensional, especially LaRynn, who comes off as entitled and disconnected. Her backstory lacked depth, and her constant crying without any meaningful follow-up made her character frustrating to follow. The marriage plot—a key point—felt forced and lacked any believable motivation or chemistry between the leads. Additionally, the story moved at a painfully slow pace, with unnecessary side plots and endless renovation details bogging it down. I struggled to stay engaged, and by the end, it felt like a chore to finish. Disappointing read.

3 stars

The characters in this book are well-developed and full of depth, each with their own unique motivations and backgrounds. The plot is creative and skillfully executed, keeping the story engaging from start to finish. However, on a personal note, I didn’t feel as strong of a connection between the characters as I have with characters in other books, particularly in *Savor It*. While the second-chance romance aspect is handled well, it’s not my favorite trope, which may have influenced my overall experience of the book.

The Co-Op is the 2nd Tarah DeWitt novel I've read & enjoyed both stories. The Co-Op is a good story that spans a number of years through the relationship of LaRynne & Deacon. Both have skued views of what love & marriage should be from the errors of their parent's ways, but LaRynne & Deacon work closely together on a home renovation to also realize how much they need each other's support & love their lives. There is plenty of passion in this book & although the overall storyline was a bit slow, the ending comes together beautifully to make a fantastic romance novel.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book on #NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own, but please read this novel, especially if you enjoy reading romances with a little heat.

LaRynn and Deacon feel like they are meant to be. They have an interesting dynamic. Although I liked the characters, the novel feels pretty average. It isn’t bad; however, it isn’t exceptional either. Nothing felt very surprising to me. I would’ve preferred a little more tension between LaRynn and Deacon at the beginning because I feel like it would make sense with the book's tropes. The pacing was also a little slow.

This review will be posted on my Instagram on November 20th, 2024.