Tarah DeWitt is a fairly new discovery for me, and I was excited to see this on here after binge reading everything available on Kindle Unlimited. This is a second chance romance, which isn't usually my favorite trope, but DeWitt blends it with other tropes that I do often like - marriage of convenience, enemies to lovers, and forced proximity - in a way that I found really effective. Both of our main characters, LaRynn and Deacon, are flawed, complex, and varying levels of prickly, and they happen to jointly inherit a dilapidated old building in Santa Cruz that was owned by their grandmothers (who were married to one another). LaRynn has been ignoring Deacon's attempts to communicate about selling the place, but she's out of money after dropping out of law school and being cut off financially by her father, and she has no other choice. There are sparks right away between LaRynn and Deacon, and not always the good kind. But they're forced to live together in what is essentially a house without doors, so they have to deal with things pretty quickly. When it turns out that LaRynn can access her trust fund (which would be enough to fix up the place to sell) if she gets married, they reluctantly decide to go through with it. This has what I have come to think of as hallmarks of Tarah DeWitt's writing - sharp and funny dialogue, good chemistry between main characters, flawed main characters who are recovering from family-related trauma, and a pretty satisfying story arc. Highly recommend to fans of DeWitt's other novels.

LaRynn and Deacon met as teenagers when their grandmothers fell in love and got married. LaRynn and Deacon had a love/hate relationship and a summer romance which ended badly, leaving them not on speaking terms. When both of the grandmothers pass away, they leave their ramshackle house in Santa Cruz to both. The house needs a lot of work and neither can really afford to keep it but they ultimately agree they owe to their beloved grandmothers to fix it and try and get as much money for it when they sell but to do that they need money. They agree to get married so LaRynn can access a trust fund which, combined with Deacon’s construction experience, should enable them to fix all the problems in this house but they’re living together and still not getting along which only adds to the animosity between them but there’s a lot of sexual tension and they’re both still insanely attracted to one another. This was a truly hilarious story that I found really entertaining although it definitely left me with absolutely no desire to ever buy a fixer upper.

I don’t even know how I would categorize this trope- grumpy x grumpy mostly? I don’t even know, either way I ate it up!! The angst, the slow burn, the mis(non)communication was killing me. I just needed to know how this was all going to unfold. It did not disappoint. I loved it! This was my first Tara Dewitt book, but definitely not my last.

I really enjoyed The Co-op! LaRynn and Deacon’s second-chance romance is full of everything I love—crackling chemistry, witty banter, and emotional growth. Their story, where they’re thrown back together to renovate a building left by their grandmothers, had me hooked from the start.

LaRynn was a character I connected with so much. She’s got her issues, sure, but once she let her guard down, she really blossomed. I also loved how fiercely she supported her best friend. Deacon is the perfect counterbalance—strong, a little brooding, but with his own baggage to unpack.

The slow burn between them was perfect, and the spice was just right without overpowering the deeper connection they built. Honestly, I laughed out loud at some of their banter—it felt so natural, and I was rooting for them to figure things out. The only thing that held me back from giving it five stars is that I wished they communicated a little better. Some of the misunderstandings felt unnecessary, but it didn’t take away from the overall enjoyment.

Plus, the Santa Cruz vibes were on point! I could easily picture the beach, the boardwalk, and the house they were fixing up.
This book made me feel all the feels—I laughed, I swooned, and even teared up a bit. If you love second-chance romances that mix humor, heart, and a little home renovation, this one’s definitely worth a read!

This one was cute although I didn’t absolutely love it. It was still a solid read. The pacing as a bit slow at times. I loved the banter between Larynn and Decon. It was hilarious and priceless at times. Love the second chance romance mixed with enemies to lovers. Two of my favorite tropes. The characters were well developed with great goals. The writing was good and the conflict kept the story going. It was pretty light on the spice. Overall, a fun read. Huge thank to St. Martin’s press and Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

He’s got the skills and she’s got the money. There’s just once catch, they have to get married.

LaRynn and Deacon met as kids when their grandmothers became neighbors, fell in love and decided to turn the top floor of their building into one big rental. LaRynn and Deacon spent several summers together and the summer before LaRynn went to college they fell in love. But their own family issues kept them from moving forward. Years later, their grandmothers have passed and left the dilapidated rental to them. Deacon has been trying to keep it afloat but is out of money. LaRynn can get access to her trust to pay for the renovation, but her trust requires her to be married first. With Deacon on board, will this construction project go up in flames or be what they need to rekindle their love?

This was such a fun lovers to enemies back to lovers story! At times LaRynn’s character came off as bratty and whiny, I would have liked to have seen more depth to offset this behavior like with what we saw with the cafe scenes. I was left with some unanswered questions at the end of the book that I would have liked to know. For example, when LaRynn tells Deacon she loves him for the first time in the Bronco and her dad shows up; where did he come from? How did he know where they were? Why was he there? It seemed that in the first phone call LaRynn has with her mom that her father knows where LaRynn is or knows what she has been up to, but she has not had communication with him. It was never explained how he knew this information. We also never find out if they reconciled or if they ever have it out. Overall, enjoyed this book and really like this author as this is my second book I’ve read by her!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the arc of this book. The male and female main characters have a past and are thrust back together by circumstances beyond their control. This book goes between the present and the main characters shared past. This book was an easy fun read, I was glad some of the standard tropes were missing from this book. At moments I wasn't a fan of the female main character but I think that was the author's intention. Once I started this book, I did not put it down. This was an enjoyable light read.

LaRynn and Deacon spent summers together when they were teenagers after their grandma's got married. They didn't end their last summer together on a good note and didn't speak for a decade. But when their grandma's die, they leave their house to LaRynn and Deacon. LaRynn wants nothing to do with Deacon meaning she wants nothing to do with the house.
But Deacon can't do this alone anymore. He needs money to finish renovations on the house before selling it. LaRynn finally comes back and prepares herself for a fight. What she wasn't prepared for was falling back in love with him.

So I kept forgetting that this was a marriage of convenience story. I was kind of expecting it to be a bit more focused on that. But it was only getting married and then a couple of mentions of "my wife" and that was it.
Overall, I enjoyed it! I had fun. And that's really all I want from my romance novels!

*Title: The Co-op-a standalone

*Release date: 11-12-24 | Read: 9-6-24

*Author: Tarah DeWitt- read Savor It gave 4⭐

*Format: e-book, 352pgs.

🙏🏽Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press| St. Martin's Griffin for this ARC🧡! I voluntarily give my honest review, and all opinions expressed are my own.

*Setting: Santa Cruz, CA

*Genre: New Adult, Contemporary Romance, Adult Fic

*Tropes: marriage of convenience, 2nd chance romance, enemies to lovers, friends with benefits, small town, forced proximity, slow burn, home renovation, LGBTQIA+ rep

*POV: dual, 1st person and dual timelines "Before" and "After"

*Look out for: emotionally abusive parents, death of family members, cheating-not H/h, h has dyslexia

*Synopsis: LaRynn and Deacon hooked up during the summer when they were sixteen. Now their grandmothers have passed on and left them a dilapidated fixer upper. With no money, LaRynn comes to her grandmother's place to claim her portion of the house and sell the home, but Deacon is already living there. He wants to fix the place up and sale it, but he doesn't have the money. They agree to a marriage of convenience and will use LaRynn's trust fund to get the place in selling shape and go their separate ways.

*Characters
* LaRynn "Larry" Lavigne-26, was in law school and dropped out. Her father Max put a condition on her trust fund-she has to be married to receive it. She works @ Spills the Beans Cafe. Her parents divorced; mom Allison remarried.
* Deacon Leeds-27, construction expert/general contractor, has his mom Macy+ brother Ramsey, dad deceased.
*Cecelia+Helena-both their grandmothers, married to each other and left their home to LaRynn and Deacon equally.
* Elyse-LaRynn's BFF since childhood
* Jensen+June-Jensen is Elyse's fiancé and Deacon's BFF. June is his twin sister
*Sally-85-year-old neighbor and was Cecelia's BFF now living @ home, Deacon helps care for her.

*Review: This was an angsty second chance romance between LaRynn and Deacon. Both had serious parental issues they had to address before they could really be together. While restoring the house, they rekindle their romance and make peace with their past. I loved the last chapter ten years later and would definitely read more by this author.

*Rating: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

*Spice level- 3/5 🔥🔥🔥

WOW, I’m officially obsessed! 😍 This was my first read by Tarah Dewitt, and I’m already adding her entire backlist to my TBR! Deacon and LaRynn’s story was EVERYTHING – emotional, hilarious, and oh-so-swoony. 💖

The marriage of convenience? 🔥 Add in a second-chance romance with a dash of enemies to lovers and you’ve got the perfect storm of angst and comedy. These two had me laughing out loud with their banter (and the wild renovation moments 🙈) while pulling on my heartstrings with their journey of healing and growth.

The slow burn between them was chef's kiss, and their chemistry? OFF. THE. CHARTS. 😏 But what really made this story special was watching them tear down their emotional walls and finally find the love they both deserve. Oh, and that epilogue... cue the happy tears! 🥹

I seriously felt all the emotions with this one – I laughed, I cried, I swooned, and I smiled non-stop. 💕 If you’re a fan of heartfelt romances with some laugh-out-loud moments, The Co-op is an absolute must-read!

Thank you again Tarah and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Co-Op tells the story of how a shared connection can lead to heartbreak but also healing. A second chance romance steeped in hurt, emotional baggage and sexual tension, LaRynn and Deacon take us through their ups and downs as they explore what went wrong and how the loss of their grandmothers and desperate financial circumstances brought them back together. At times, I found LaRynn's resentment of Deacon was a little too intense and it was hard to see past all her hurt and anger to empathize or even root for their romance. Once the sexual tension began to manifest into something more it certainly changed my outlook on LaRynn and their relationship.

It's a super cute contemporary romance that will be sure to have you in your feelings, but perhaps just didn't resonate with me personally as much as Tarah's previous novel., Savour It, was able to.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for providing an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

4 stars

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

LaRynn Lavigne and Deacon Leeds had a brief, tumultuous fling as teens, but now, a decade later, they’re forced to reconnect when they inherit a rundown property in Santa Cruz from their grandmothers. The catch? They need each other to make it work. LaRynn has the money but can’t access it without being married, and Deacon has the skills but not the funds. Cue the perfect setup for a marriage of convenience—at least, in theory.

I quickly became a Tarah DeWitt fan after reviewing Savor It last year, so I was super pleased to see The Co-op pop up on NetGalley. Although I think it may be impossible to upstage Spunes, I really enjoyed the atmosphere that she creates here. Second chance romance meets forced proximity is already a promising combination, but their grandmothers’ backstory made it feel so much more layered and nostalgic. The renovation theme ties in nicely with their personal growth, as both characters have to learn how to tear down their defenses and build something lasting. To top it off, the spice was well-paced and beautifully written. Another win for Tara!

I thoroughly enjoyed this enemies to lovers book. LaRynn is wonderful. I know she's a bit messy with baggage, but once she started letting down her walls, she blossomed. She was relatable on so many different levels, and I loved how great of a friend she was to want to help her best friend's business. Deacon was sarcastic but a Greek god type of man, so I enjoyed it. Especially when his true colors started showing as he's an amazing guy. Sal was honestly my favorite character. She's a little firecracker, and her little sarcastic comments had me giggling.

I received this ARC from St Martin's Press and NetGalley to read/review. All of the statements above are my true opinions after fully reading this book.

ARC Review

The Co-op
By Tarah Dewitt
Publish date: Nov 12, 2024

⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for sending me a copy to review.

I enjoyed the slow burn between Larynn and Deacon and their banter.

My one critique is I wish there was better communication between Larynn and Deacon.

I enjoyed Tarah’s writing style it was captivating and drew me in from the start.

Read if you enjoy:

🌻 Marriage of convenience
🌻 Forced Proximity
🌻 Enemies to lovers
🌻 Second chances

It was so good to read the renovated Co-Op. I love it! I think Tarah did such a good job! Marriage of convenience to force proximity to small town romance, it check so many troupe boxes! It's so easy to love LaRynn and Deacon! From the banter to there vulnerable and how they communicate to them falling in love, it was wonderful! High recommend!

This was a cute small town, enemies to lovers, second chance, forced proximity situation.

I enjoyed this sometimes, but feel like the entire book was one big miscommunication. Only bonus is there was no third act break up, however, if I had to deal with miss LARYNN I would have dumped her immediately. I did come around to tolerating her toward the end though.

Over all this was okay, I would recommend to the college aged kids, they would probably relate a little more than I did.

2.5 stars. This one was just not for me.

I never really felt pulled into the story. Even though the main characters had this encounter years earlier, they really didn't seem to have chemistry. LaRynn really grated on my nerves, and Deacon just took so long to develop that he was ultimately two-dimensional. There without really being there. The miscommunication that caused so much conflict could have been resolved so much sooner. The flashbacks didn't really seem to provide a whole lot of added oomph. Just a bit flat.

That said, the writing is really great. Enjoyed the style and word choice.

3.5/5

This was an enjoyable read, but it wasn't anything spectacular.

I felt as if not much really happened throughout the course of this book and what did happen was rather predictable (but that could also be because of the genre it's in, it tends to be a rather formulaic genre, but that formula can be spiced up and made unique).

These characters weren't the most likable for me, I found them to be a touch annoying at the very beginning and the very end of the book. But their banter and picking at each other between the beginning and end was really fun!

At first, you don't really know what's going on between these character, why they behave that way with each other (what the unresolved, past drama is) and that was attention-captivating. By the end of the book, all has been revealed and the reader understands what's up with the two.

But there is quite a bit of miscommunication in this book. And I am not the biggest fan of that. It makes me want to shake the character and scream at them "JUST TALK TO EACH OTHER! USE YOUR WORDS!" But that was a massive part of their past and present and the movement of the story, so I guess it has to be there.

This is a rivals to lovers situation, which is always fun!

Overall, this was fun, quick and easy reading experience. I wish there was a bit more going on besides just their bickering and relationship, but I would still recommend this to someone who wants a fun lil romance to read and giggle over.

Thanks to NetGalley for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review! My review is up on Goodreads and my TikTok (Zoe_Lipman) review will be up at the end of the month with my monthly reading wrap-up.

Tarah DeWitt creates these flawed characters that make me want to hug them and give them a shove in the right direction.

The Co-op is no different.

"They say love and construction don't mix. By that logic, hate and construction may as well be condemned.

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."

We go back and forth in time meeting LaRynn and Deacon where they are now and the crack in the foundation that led them there. It's a poignant journey as we grow with them and see each of them learn more about themselves as they get older.

There's banter and spice, but above all there's heart and perseverance -- the things that always make me love her books.

First, thank you for the ARC and the opportunity to read this book!

I really struggled with this book. It was slow to get going and even once I got into the main part of the story, it just fell flat for me. The characters didn't seem to have a ton of chemistry. The flashbacks didn't seem to provide much to the story, to be honest. I kept waiting for a big reveal, but it just never came.

As adults, they continued to act like teenagers. I get having animosity towards someone over hurt feelings, but at the end of the day, they're adults now. The marriage of convenience wasn't really anything except those actual words. It wasn't really a main driver in the story, other than them marrying to gain access to her trust fund.

Some of the dialogue did get me to laugh. I do love good dialogue, so I'll give credit where it's due.

This one just wasn't for me!