I saw some people calling this Beach Read meets You Deserve Each Other and was intrigued so I had to give it a try for myself. While I really enjoyed Beach Read, I DNF'd You Deserve Each Other a while ago, and sadly The Co-op fell more in line with my feelings on that end of the spectrum.

To start with things I enjoyed: first of all, the cover is gorgeous. The setting/forced proximity of renovating a house together was a really fun idea. There were also a few moments set up in the story that I absolutely loved that were so unique and romantic, as well as some quotes in here that were genuinely stunning. There were also a few parallels to Beach Read for sure, and as a big Emily Henry fan, I enjoyed that. Also: there was no third act breakup!!!!!!!!!!! Unfortunately the positives end about here for me.

The main characters in this story were so frustrating. Our FMC LaRynn specifically drove me absolutely nuts--she felt so out of touch with reality and selfish, and threw fits like an actual spoiled child. It was beyond annoying to read about and made me unable to care at all about this love story because I disliked her so heavily.

I also did not understand at all why this was a marriage of convenience. The forced proximity due to their occupations made sense. I liked the second-chance aspect of their relationship as well. Why tf was this a marriage? It felt like the author was like "how can I squeeze in a few more trending tropes?" and decided to throw that in there for shits and giggles.

Most importantly: how have so many years gone by and these adults are still unable to communicate about something that happened when they were teenagers? They could not communicate to save their lives. I feel like, not only do I hope that people mature/learn to communicate better as they age, but also if something happened YEARS ago that bothered you as much as it clearly has bothered these 2, they'd have thought over the years of things they wish they had said or would say if they ever did find each other together again. I don't understand how they are still unable to work through this.

Sadly, this was more of a frustrating read than enjoyable for me, but I can definitely see why lots of people are liking it. I do think the You Deserve Each Other comparisons are pretty on par--I can see this book being polarizing in the same way that one was and an either you love it or you hate it sort of deal. I would still say if you have interest, give it a try and see on which side of things you fall. For me, this is a 2.5 rounded down.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I’m always a sucker for a marriage of convenience book! The chemistry and banter between the couple was amazing and drew me in from the beginning! It’s a perfect book to read in the fall!

I loved the original edition of this book and when I saw that Tarah DeWitt was writing an updated version I had to read it!! I loved that Tarah kept the storyline mostly the same, but added more past scenes from when L and D are teens. I think this really added more depth to their characters and relationship with each other. I also just love how much they love each other!!!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

The Co-Op is a forced-proximity, kinda second-chance romance set in a quiet little beach town in California. After blowing up her life and quitting law school, LaRynn is in the midst of figuring out where her life will go next, while fixing up her grandmothers' house, her one safe place in childhood. DeWitt does a great job altering between the past and present, and spends a good amount of time dissecting LaRynn and her history and traumas when it comes to relationships; similar attention is paid to our MMC, Deacon. We build up their past tension to some extent, though it sort of falls into trope of poor boy/rich girl and feelings of inadequacy, and the book feels like it's not trying to explain to us how the relationship was an issue and has changed, but rather that these are two very different people whose lives make sense together now.

Though I felt the book did drag towards the middle, feeling like nothing was really happening besides the two of them circling around each other while simultaneously being in love, I did feel like this was a well-written romance with a dash of exploration of our characters' psyches that felt somewhat reminiscent of an Emily Henry book. It didn't quite have the memorable factor of either fun! or deep yearning that would make me bump it up to a five stars - but I appreciate good writing when I see it! I haven't read Savor It, but that is definitely on my TBR.

LOVED LOVED LOVED!! I never wanted this one to end 😭😭 I'm so so obsessed with this book!! The tension was so swoon-worthy, and both of the main characters were complex and interesting. Tarah DeWitt might be one of my new fave romance writers.

Tarah DeWitt is the Queen of romance and I will literally buy any book she writes. The Co-Op is funny, endearing, and poignant and the romance sizzles off the page. Dewitt manages to write what feels like literary fiction, but reads like romance. In a word, The Co-op is an utter delight and I loved the updates she made from the originally version of the story. 5/5 would recommend every time

The Co-op was really fun. I did not read the original, but after reading this reworked version I went back and listened to some of the original audio, and I can tell that author made a lot of really great changes. I love that she included the flashbacks in this version, and I feel like the characters were much more fleshed out. I definitely would have rated the previous version lower, especially the audiobook. The male narrator’s bizarre accent is so distracting- no idea what he was going for. Anyway, I really loved this shined up version of The Co-Op. It was a fun, enemies to lovers rom com that’s perfect for beach reading. Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for the e-arc!

DeWitt wrote this so well. I don't usually like dual timelines in romance but this one was captivating. I loved how the characters grew and how real they seemed. This is a great romance read!

I didn’t read the first version of this novel by Tarah Dewitt. The renovated version of this book about a former couple who has to reunite to renovate their grandparents Santa Cruz house that was left to them did not disappoint.
It was all of my favorites, fake marriage, it’s always been you, dual POV, two timelines. The main characters had great banter and Deacon gets to say the infamous “that’s my wife” at Larynn’s work😮‍💨
This is spicy and cute and gets a little emotional. I read this book vacationing on the beach and loved the summer vibes it was giving. I feel like a release date of November might miss this books ideal read season.

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

This is my first read by Tarah DeWitt--and it certainly won't be my last. I love discovering new authors!

The Co-Op is a deep but witty second-chance romance with lots of real, down-to-earth vibes, force proximity eagerness, and plenty of banter. I found myself constantly laughing, crying, and earning more from our MC's ( Deacon and LaRynn ). It's a perfect end-of-summer read.

Thank you so much to Tarah & St Martins Press for providing me with this ARC. 🤍

I absolutely devoured this book. When he calls her his nickname for her, it sent me swooning and that will live rent free in my mind for a long time.
I felt their pain, I love their journey and when it got spicy... It was just right!
I've already told my bookish friends to put this on thier TBRs

I really enjoyed reading this book. Childhood enemies to lovers are my favorite reads because it gives such a homey/comfy vibe in the ending. There were a couple errors with punctuation and saying the wrong name for who’s talking. Other than I really loved this story line, especially with them renovating a house together! I loved that the whole reason they misunderstood each other was because of huge miscommunication when they were younger. I think I loved the part where Deacon put sex off the table until could get their shit together and talk about what went wrong in the past. This book definitely teaches some lessons in communicating better with people instead of assuming things right off the bat. The ending was the perfect!! I loved that they ended up having kids together and that they were all surprises since they never talked about it before!🤣I do with we got more scenes with June; Jensen’s twin. I hoped LaRynne and June could experience that close friendship but ohh well. I especially loved the saying “sure is life” because that’s so relatable. Overall, I enjoyed reading this book through NetGalley! It was worth the read.

DeWitt’s writing is both witty and tender, capturing the essence of community and connection with authenticity. The book’s engaging characters and their evolving relationships make it a delightful read for fans of contemporary romance and feel-good stories.

While the beginning was a little bit slow, the rest of the novel more than made up for it. A charming and fun read including many romance tropes including marriage of convenience, second change romance, enemies to lovers, and small town vibes.

The two main characters were well developed and interesting. They had obvious flaws but were working on learning from their prior mistakes. Plus, they had excellent banter. Highly entertaining.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for this honest review.

As teenagers, LaRynn and Deacon shared a summer fling...fast forward ten years later and they now find themselves sharing ownership of their grandmothers' home that is as run down as their relationship (or lack thereof). In order to update the house to make a profit, LaRynn and Deacon get married in order to access LaRynn's trust so repairs can get started while they are living under the same outdated roof.

The messy state of the house forces LaRynn and Deacon to confront the messiness of their past, which they both have their own take on. As they sort through budgets and repairs on the house, they develop a partnership while making time for 'team-building' hangouts and prioritizing being good friends after understanding one another's perspective from their past. There was so much misunderstanding between the characters and it was beautiful and satisfying to see them sort things out and be proactive in their relationship to ensure they were each clearly communicating how they felt.

This book includes dual pov and flashbacks from the past. The pacing of the story felt a bit off and was a slow start for me - meaning it took some time for me to get invested in the story and characters, but once I did, I really did! I expected there to be more to the story from their past (what shifted them apart and caused tensions to be so high in the present day), but it was much less climactic than anticipated. Overall, this was such a fun, tender-hearted read with precious main characters that remind us the importance of love languages - to really show our love for those we care for in a way they can see/feel it, not just the ways most convenient or natural to us.

Loves:
- The MESS: the house being a never-ending repair journey and how the same is true for the relationship LaRynn and Deacon share. All good things require maintenance and throw the unexpected our way - this was portrayed in a funny and relatable way by the author!
- The role of music: there were so many song references that gave a further feel for the setting; music also served as something LaRynn and Deacon could share, even when tensions were high
- HILARIOUS moments: I laughed out LOUD reading the book. I'll give a few no context references: using a maxi dress as a towel; Good Vibrations (the song); "Artichoke me."
- FMC w/ dyslexia; FMC who views herself as being 'prickly' when she is really loving and protective of those she loves
- MMC known as being the golden retriever type (+ the WHY beyond this archetype: really delightful as it's never unpacked in romance books and often discredited as an 'easy' way of being!!)

Quotes:
- "'Obnoxious slut' felt too affectionate. Some of my favorite people are obnoxious sluts."
- "Reasonable is not what you and I typically inspire in one another."
- "You're brilliant and you're secretly kind, and you try to make everyone's life better for whatever capacity you're in it. Even with all our bullshit you've done that in mine."
- "The gratitude on his face right now decimates me. What a fucking treasure he is, to want all the pieces of the people he cares for, the inconvenient and painful parts, too."
- "I want you to get everything you want, but I want it to be with me, too, and I don't care if that sounds selfish anymore."

🛠️𝔸ℝℂ ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨🛠️

📖: Co-Op {the renovated version} by @authortarahdewitt
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫{4.5}
🌶️🌶️🌶️{3}

So I listened to the OG version of The Co-Op before diving into the new, renovated if you will, version of it! I wanted to be able to appreciate all of the changes and additions made! That being said, I really feel that the new version was emotionally impactful because the scenes from the past helped to give the characters more depth! I also loved getting a little bit more of the Grands and trulyyy appreciated the additional spice 😮‍💨 I am also obsesseddd with Sally!! She’s my hero haha. Let’s talk about Deacon and LaRynn though, our golden retriever and black cat. 𝐈 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐌 𝐒𝐎 𝐌𝐔𝐂𝐇. There was just so much glorious angsty banter and sooo much amazing self-healing that happened! They truly complimented each other so well and their relationship just felt so REAL and I loved that so much!

This one follows their story after they inherit their grandmothers home. They have a history of “dating” in the past that did not end well but are forced to work together to renovate the place to get it ready to sell. And in order to do this, they get married to get access to LaRynn’s trust fund. Both have complicated family dynamics that have affected their lives both past and present that they need to work through.

𝓡𝓮𝓪𝓭 𝓲𝓯 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓵𝓸𝓿𝓮:
🛠️marriage of convenience
🛠️forced proximity
🛠️dual timeline//dual pov
🛠️hgtv//fixer-upper shows
🛠️complex family & interpersonal dynamics
🛠️black cat x golden retriever

𝓕𝓪𝓿𝓸𝓻𝓲𝓽𝓮 𝓺𝓾𝓸𝓽𝓮𝓼:

𝚃𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚔 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚝𝚘 𝙽𝚎𝚝𝚐𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚎𝚢, 𝚃𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚑 𝙳𝚎𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚝, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚂𝚝. 𝙼𝚊𝚛𝚝𝚒𝚗’𝚜 𝙿𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚜 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚎𝙰𝚁𝙲. 𝙰𝚕𝚕 𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚘𝚙𝚒𝚗𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚜 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚛𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚠 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚖𝚢 𝚘𝚠𝚗.

If Tarah Dewitt writes it, I am going to read it and there is an excellent chance I am going to love it! I initially read (and thoroughly enjoyed) The Co-op when it was independently published and while there have been changes (or renovations), as the author has warned, I felt they they worked well. The Co-op, is a marriage of convenience, second chance, dual POV romance with tons of excellent banter between the two main characters, LaRynn and Deacon. LaRynn and Deacon had met as teens following a marriage between their grandmothers. Years later, following the deaths of each of the Grands, Deacon and LaRynn are brought back together after inheriting their Grandmothers rundown beach house. Through renovating the beach house, LaRynn and Deacon are able to reconnect as adults and mend the cracks in their relationship that had occurred years prior. For anyone who has read some of the author’s earlier books, look out for an excellent nod to Funny Feelings.

Thank you to the publisher, St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Griffin, NetGalley and the author for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Why are people not screaming from the rooftops about how good The Co-op by Tarah DeWitt is!?

Like, are you kidding me? Marriage of convenience, second chance romance and forced proximity all mixed together? Really? I mean, come on! Oh ya, no third act break-up either!!!

Say it with me now: the chemistry!!! And oh, so very sex positive!!! Bonus for all the memories associated with songs; and yes, I'll take the bad to get to the good!

Stubble. Five o'clock shadow. All of the body hair. I was a goner from the get-go!

Audiobook narrators Stephanie Rose and Nelson Hobbs were spot on! Their voices worked so well together, and somehow exuded the chemistry their characters had! Did I walk longer, further and faster because this book was playing through the headphones on my head? Yes, yes, I did! Was I also out there giggling, blushing and rubbing the back of my neck from all the humour, steam and lust? Yes, yes, I was!

So, ya, this is me screaming from the rooftops, so that everyone knows just how incredible DeWitt's writing is!!! I’ve already got Rootbound, Funny Feelings, Christmas Presents and Savor It lined up, ready to read because I just can’t get The Co-Op out of my head!

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and St. Martin's Griffin for the complimentary copy to read and review.

Slow burn > forced proximity > marriage of convenience > it’s always been you > SECOND CHANCE?!?! Ahhhhh. The burn burnt sooooo good. Lovedddd the pining and when they finally gave into each other. Ugh. This was so delicious. Loved the glimpses into the past. And the character growth with Larynn’s mum. Loved the nicknames too hehe. This was so well written, it had me staying up waaay past bedtime to keep reading. I love a good slow burn.

My only complaint and it might not be specific to this book, just pretty much any mainstream romance novel, is that in every epilogue there’s without a doubt some future glimpse of a family. The happily ever after is always FMC & MMC had multiple babies yayyy. And I just feel like that’s not always everyone’s goal for a HEA.

Deacon Leeds has been calling LaRynne Lavigne for a while, but she absolutely refuses to give him the time of day. Deacon, on the other hand, won't continue the upkeep and renovations of the home their grandmothers fell in love in by himself. Because while he has the skills, he no longer has the money. LaRynne can provide the money.. but the trust can only be accessed when she's married. So the pair make a pact to finish the house, amicably divorce, and share the money after the house is rented out. Unfortunately, having a past fling as teenagers could possibly complicate their seemingly mess free plan.

I don't think I've ever found a book couple more realistic than LaRynne and Deacon. Coming from someone who is an occasional mean-flirter, LaRynne's excitement from getting under Deacon's skin is SO real. Their chemistry and communication skills are unmatched, and I am extremely pleased at the lack of the third act miscommunication trope that is so frequently found in this genre.
I fully believe that Jensen and Elyse deserve a story of their own; they didn't get enough attention. The spice was decent, but I genuinely was eager for more banter!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC! Projected publishing date: November 12th, 2024