Thanks to NetGalley for access to this book!

My overall rating for this book would probably be 3.7.

I enjoyed most of this book- it has some of my favorite tropes: marriage of convenience, second chance romance, forced proximity.

To be honest, I was worried I would have to force myself to finish this book when I was reading the first few chapters. LaRynn’s temper was kind of off-putting because of how easily she could be triggered. And I also was worried about how I was going to like Deacon because, of course, you only get her POV about what happened. But as the story went on- I genuinely was invested in their relationship and their situation. It might have taken me a bit to get used to the past/present flashbacks, but I do think they were done very well and were kind of necessary to help understand the characters and how they each felt and viewed their history!

I enjoyed the sexual tension and most of the banter between them! Their chemistry was very good together, but at times you do worry if they’re toxic for each other—- however I think that gets out to rest as the story continues.

I do think that their best friends could have had more character development and inclusion in the story. The minor characters felt a little unfinished.

Marriage of convenience and second chance are two of my favorite tropes so combining them should have knocked it pit of the park for me. I did enjoy this one a lot but there were definitely times I wished the story would have moved a bit faster through things. The romance really doesn’t pick up until about 85% through (no third act breakup though!) so it just felt a little under developed even though we did get a lot of their history in the flashback chapters. Overall I’ll give this one 3.5 stars.

Content flags: death of parents and grandparents off page and in last; strained parental relationship

I voluntarily read a gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.75

This book is for the trope girlies 🤭💘
- black cat x golden retriever
- forced proximity
- marriage of convenience

La Rynn and Deacon are such powerful characters that totally captured my heart. La Rynn in particular resonates deeply with me 💘They are not just characters in a story, but reflections of ourselves at our most passionate.

Deacon was written so well. I really loved his acceptance and patience for La Rynn 🥹 it feels both refreshing and inspiring.
Also, the spice was 😏😏

Basically, this book was like a perfect cup of coffee - warms the soul, makes you happy, and brought the perfect amount of coziness 🥰

Tarah DeWitt’s The Co-op brings together a second-chance romance, home renovation, and the ever-popular marriage of convenience trope. While the concept has plenty of promise, the execution didn't quite work for me, mostly due to the frustrating personality of the main character, LaRynn.

LaRynn and Deacon (yes, those are the names) had a high school fling. They forced to reunite after their lesbian grandmothers leave them a dilapidated Santa Cruz property. They strike a deal: she has the money but needs to be married to access it, and he has the construction skills but lacks the funds. This premise sounds fun, but the dynamic between the characters is more grating than endearing.

LaRynn’s sharp attitude came across as more irritating than relatable. Instead of feeling like a woman with well-justified emotional walls, she often seemed stuck in patterns of immaturity and deflection. While flawed characters can be compelling, LaRynn’s constant prickliness made me wish she’d opt for some serious therapy sessions instead of rehashing old grievances with Deacon. Her journey felt stagnant for much of the book, and it’s hard to cheer for a character who’s clearly in need of growth but seems resistant to it.

Deacon, on the other hand, is the more balanced of the two. He’s patient, capable, and the kind of steady presence that might make readers wonder why he's so willing to endure LaRynn’s constant drama and her emotional overspending jags. His layers are slowly revealed, but the chemistry between the two doesn't quite carry enough weight to feel believable. It often feels like Deacon is doing a lot of the heavy lifting in their interactions, and his growth is more subtle but real.

If you enjoy forced proximity romances with a slow burn and/or second chance romances, this book definitely has its good moments and might be right up your alley.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to review a temporary digital ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

Tarah DeWitt is such a fantastic story teller. She writes the best romances. They sweep you up in the drama and feelings. I really enjoyed this second chance romance. I like the back and forth from present to past.

Second chance romances have a unique charm, and when it involves a couple with intense, angst-filled chemistry like Deacon and LaRynn, it's irresistible. Their story is not just about rekindling an old flame; it's a journey of personal growth and healing. Both characters have had troubled childhoods, with experiences that left deep scars. LaRynn, who faced constant pressure to be perfect, never felt good enough. It's heartwarming to see her find someone who cherishes her for who she is—sharp attitude, smooth edges, and all. Deacon, similarly, finds acceptance and love in LaRynn. The renovation project is more than just a backdrop; it's a metaphor for their lives. The building, once broken and in shambles, mirrors their fractured relationship and individual struggles. But as the walls are mended and rooms are brought back to life, so too are Deacon and LaRynn's spirits, leading to significant growth for both. As they collaborate on renovating their home, they also rebuild their relationship, discovering love anew amidst the sawdust and paint. The elements of forced proximity and a marriage of convenience add spice to the narrative, but it's the characters' development that truly captivates. Tarah's talent for creating characters that readers can instantly adore is evident. Deacon and LaRynn's story is a testament to the beauty of second chances and the magic of love's restorative power. They are tender, sweet, and perfectly imperfect—simply meant to be.

This was a lot of fun and I had a great time while reading this book. It reminded me a lot of Tessa Bailey’s hot and hammered series and was just a lot of fun,

Slow start but damn did I enjoy this. This was a vaca read for me so maybe it felt slower in the beginning because I was chasing three kids around the pool and beach and I was constantly starting and stopping. 🤪

A marriage of convenience deal is struck between once upon a time lovers and shit gets messyyyy.

LaRynn and Deacon have known each other for years, brought together by their grandmothers. One fateful summer the two finally cave to the tension and fall fast and hard for one another. When summers over, so are they and they stay far away from one another until suddenly they can’t. When they come back together as adults, things are awkward to say the least. We get forced proximity, marriage of convenience,second chance romance, it's always been you, a dash of spice and interactions that will make you laugh out loud while reading!


I lost my cool when Deacon finally snapped and laid all his cards out for LaRynn. I freaking love when the tension builds to a point of bursting and that's exactly what happened here. It was messy and beautiful all at once and I was an absolute puddle by the end of the scene.

This one comes out in November and is a perfect romance to m you up on a cold night! Put it on the list for this fall!

LaRynn and Deacon met as teenagers and have a bitter ending to their young love due to miscommunication and a need for more self discovery and personal growth. They are reunited as adults when both of their grandmas leave a duplex to them that they must fix up and rent/sell. In order to do so, they enter into a fake marriage so LaRynn can access her trust fund. We flip back and forth between present and past and the way .

Loved this one and the premise. Would make a great movie! Wish this place was costed in real life!

It was very difficult to connect with LaRynn—her anger and meanness was a little too much for me. The banter between her and Deacon was also a little too heavy-handed. I felt an uncomfortable push and pull where the story felt like it came from DeWitt's heart, and then BAM forced banter/forced "strong woman". This didn't hit the mark for me, but I know many romance lovers will enjoy.

I've really enjoyed other novels by Tara Dewitt. I don't know that I love this trend of authors re-releasing older books after some notability is gained. However the story was charming and do look forward to new books from her in the future.

Second chance romance is a favorite trope of mine and this book did not let me down. This is also a marriage of convenience and I loved how these two tropes played out together. LaRynn and Deacon have a summer fling as teenagers that ends badly. The two are reunited after they gain ownership of their grandmothers’ building after their passing. The two need to figure out next steps for the house, but for renovations they need money and to get access to LaRynn’s trust fund they need to get married. The two have to navigate through current struggles while their past fling weighs heavily on them. I loved seeing this relationship play out.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I first read The Co-op about a year ago and I enjoyed this read much more the second time around. LaRynn and Deacon enter into a marriage of convenience to access her trust fund in order to fix up a house that was left to the both of them. This is a second chance romance with a touch of enemies to lovers. I do wish there was more of the flashbacks and backstory to get to know better the foundation of their relationship. Overall, it was a cute read but I enjoyed Tarah’s other books, Funny Feelings and Savor It, a bit more.

I've loved every Tarah Dewitt book I've read so far. Although this wasn't my favorite, I still really enjoyed this book and its characters. LaRynn's and Deacon's playful banter mixed with their heartfelt moments made this story a winner for me.

“I just want to say it as much as possible. Want to say it enough times to make you forget the one time I didn’t.”

ARC REVIEW: THE CO-OP BY @authortarahdewitt

I thought that The co-op was really great, Unfortunately! I think the timing of my read as well as reading it right after a 5⭐️ Really affected my review and i’d love to go back and maybe read before it releases and if i do then i’ll absolutely update!

I Loved the whole remodeling house together, forced
proximity, no real bedroom aspects of the whole novel. The Mutual getting each other off was *chefs kiss* and the grief representation as well as the flashbacks where we saw the grandmas was so gorgeous.

I think Tarah is a wonderful writer, this just didn’t hit as
much as i was expecting it too, and that’s not anyone’s fault but mine. I’d definitely still recommend the book to anyone who asked!

Definitely Reccomend <3

This book was perfect. I loved every minute of this one. I love a marriage of convenience and this was just so cute. Highly recommend this one!

Tarah never misses and this woman has a gift. The talent she has for making you so invested in her couples is insane. This book was beautifully written (duh), filled with so much heart and emotion and was just also written for me. The dancing, the playlist, the epilogue?!?! LOVE THIS BOOK

Tarah Dewitt is on my must buy author list. She has been since the days of her Kindle Unlimited series. I truly enjoy everything she likes. She gives me everything I want from a romance- dual POV, intense couple exchanges, intricate histories between couples, and most importantly, solid friendships between couples and secondary characters.
Deacon and LaRynn are forced back together to renovate the home of their grandmothers. They desperately want to keep the property, but life and money is forcing them to renovate and sell. But more importantly their grandmothers co-op is bringing them back together. This is a couple that meant to be since they were teenagers and yet they’ve allowed life and miscommunications to get in their way. It was so nice to see a grown-up romance with grown-ups getting their second chance at love.

Thank you, #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The second version of The Co-Op is (if possible) a tighter, better, deeper, and more emotional ride than the first version. It was interesting to reread this and have new fun parts to enjoy. It feels like Deacon and LaRynn are now fully fleshed out characters with full hearts and souls. Tarah writes messy and complex characters SO DAMN WELL. They are probably my fave characters of hers. I full on sobbed three times and felt so connected to LaRynn. Her mean self was so clearly a defense mechanism I fully understand. Deacon is a gem of a man. He made me laugh SO hard. I could picture them both in my head while reading and it played out like a movie for me. I want a book to hurt my heart, make me howl with laughter, and leave me breathless with sexual tension and this accomplished all three. Slow burn perfection. DIRTBAG MALE BEYONCÉ. I died. 🤣