“Dream and fight with me, let me dream and fight with you, too.”


““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.
He snorts . “Thank the grands you’re on my side these days, Larry.”
Always, my heart says.”



ARC PROVIDED BY NETGALLEY IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW


larynndeacon came home to me again!!!

I'm so so so happy I got to read this arc, it reminded me of the excitement I had the first time I welcomed them to the world. I loved them instantly and this time it was no exception.

to me, when tarah decided to republish them, it was like when taylor announces a re-recording and the new parts of the book we won were the vault tracks

this time around we have more about that special summer larynndeacon got together and how the bases of their love came to be, and that also gave us a little bit more of the characters heads during those moments so we got more sweetness and tenderness and it made the present much more special by adding a special layer into their story.

everyone that loved their past version will adore and love this one even more.

thank you again tarah, for more magic!!!!!!


now more of my favorite quotes from them, and trust me, I highlighted a lot!!

(beware some might be spoilery but not actually spoilers)



“People talk about falling in love like it’s some comfortable, easy thing. Maybe it is sometimes, or maybe it is in steps, but it’s also overwhelming and scary. It’s giving yourself over to this thing you can’t see the bottom of, and then trying not to struggle against it so that it drags you down too fast.”



“What a fucking treasure he is, to want all the pieces of the people he cares for, the inconvenient and painful parts, too.”



“He does have the best hands, and yeah—that, as well . . . but he’s also got the best mind and spirit. He works harder than anyone I’ve ever met. He can look at anything and find a way to figure it out or tackle it with enough time. He can dance and isn’t one of those men who will stand off on the sidelines. He’s playful. He makes mundane things fun and indulges me in my silly games.”


“You’re a dreamer and a fighter, LaRynn Cecelia. I know you can do it. Let yourself dream a bit and at least ask.” A dreamer and a fighter. I want to be just that . He does make me feel that way, like I could dream and then fight for those dreams to come true. Like I could belong to whatever home and whatever life I want to make.”



““What if I told you I was scared I’d get lost in myself again? That I’m scared of changing, too. What would you say?”My brows pinch together. “I’d find you,”I tell him, firmly. “And I don’t think there’s a version of you I couldn’t love.”He lets out a wet laugh, shakes his head with a smile. “See?””

This is my favorite book by Tarah DeWitt. The FMC LaRynn and the MMC Deacon have a summer fling that ends in the most embarrassingly spectacular way causing LaRynn to hate Deacon. Fast forward to present the two of them are thrown together and in order to gain access to LaRynn's trust, she proposes a marriage of convenience and to use the trust fund to rebuild and then sell the house they inherited in Santa Cruz. Tarah takes us on an emotional journey of not only remodeling and rebuilding a home but also a relationship. Second change romance at it's best when Deacon and LaRynn have to fight to show up for not only each other but themselves each day. The story delves into the trauma that has made LaRynn the way she is and Deacon the way he is it is easy to relate to both their experiences because of the realness. The ending of this book wraps up the emotional growth and reconnection in the perfect way.

Overall I did enjoy this book and like the relationship dynamics between LaRynn and Deacon. The enemies to lover/second chance romance/marriage of convenience was a nice mix of several tropes and it was nice to see LaRynn take on the grumpy character while I wouldn't necessarily call Deacon sunshine. I enjoyed the bickering between the two and how they eventually come together. The story as a whole was interesting.

While the plot was good I felt that the story did drag on and the flashbacks did not not always move the story along but muddy it more. I was hoping for more character development for both LaRynn and Deacon regarding their past and family relationships. In addition I sensed that there was a lack of information regarding their summer together which was really needed to bring the story full circle for me. It was also odd to the me that the character enter a marriage of convenience in order for LaRynn to get access to trust but that is hardly even mentioned throughout the rest of story. There was also too much miscommunication between the two main characters that could have easily been resolved if they just talked.

Ooph. But Daddy I love them.

Anyone who loves home reno shows and a lot of good, flirty banter will be obsessed with this. Tarah describes scenes and places with such good detail I actually felt like I could envision their little home.

Deacon Leeds could lead (😉) me into a pit of fire and I would say “yes sir”. This man is like a Lindt chocolate ball, hard shell but gooey sweet on the inside. I love him so much. He’s so incredibly caring and giving(in all the best ways)

LaRynn is the black cats of all black cats. She a whole lot of bark AND bite. But god is she fierce. She would not let anyone hurt the ones she loves and would stick up for them without a second thought. But that’s not the case for herself. She is hard on herself and would rather lash out than have to say “that actually hurt me” and I love that she had that growth through the book to be able to stand up for herself.

My favourite part of the whole book is how they actually helped each other become their best versions. They worked on the foundation of their relationship, starting fresh and strong compared to their past versions.

The second chance and dual timeline was done so well. I didn’t feel like I was missing something between the past and present.

And of course it can’t be a Tarah book without making me cry a little.

This is my favorite Tarah DeWitt book yet! This is a dual-timeline, dual pov, second-chance romance story about Deacon and LaRynn. Deacon and LaRynn met when and dated when they were teenagers-with it ending badly. Years later they are left a house by their grandmothers. In order to renovate, they agree to a marriage of convenience. The book follows their renovation journey-for both the house and their relationship.

I loved this book! I really enjoy Tarah Dewitt's writing style. It is easy to follow yet she delivers some beautifully poignant lines about life, love, and growing up. Besides her writing style, one of my favorite things about Tarah's books is the way she makes the characters so normal and relatable. I related to aspects of Deacon and LaRynn's childhoods as well as their struggles later on. The banter and dialogue between them was fun, hot, and real. The slowburn to spice fit in perfectly with their timeline and dynamic.

This was a great summer read with the beach/coastal setting. I felt like I was part of the small town and friend group. I smiled, I laughed, and I teared up. I definitely recommend this read!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

I was so certain I was going to love it. I liked it, I didn’t love it, and that was for one reason only, LaRynn the FMC. I could not relate to her up until 70-80ish%. This is absolutely only a personal opinion and I would absolutely still recommend this book, for sure.

Deacon was amazing, such patient upbeat vibes from him. There were so many parts where I would read out loud to my husband and tell him, “this is you, you do/say this”. The plot was interesting and unique and I really liked the side characters so much. This was a slow burn, but when we got to the spice, it was good.

The writing was beautiful and I will definitely be reading more books by the author.

My first book from this author and sure won't be my last. She wrote such an amazing second chance romance. I cannot wait for this to come out so I can also buy it as well.

The Co Op by Tara Dewitt

Tara knocked it out of the park again. I was lucky enough to read a gallery of Savor It and was absolutely thrilled to get the chance to read her latest book. I love it even more than Savor It, much to my surprise.

I fell in love with the two main characters, LaRynn and Deacon, to the point where they truly seem like old friends. We get to see them in flashbacks as teenagers, which really helps get to know who they are and why. Neither had a perfect childhood (who does, really?), and that causes them to struggle in their relationship as teenagers and adults. My favorite thing about this book is how real it felt while they worked through their issues. It may have taken time, but they both ended up addressing their individual problems and supported each other through it. It felt so real and honest, and was so relatable. Though unconventional, their romance was one of my favorites. And the slow burn! My lord. 🔥🔥🔥

We only got to see glimpses of "the grands" (their grandmothers), but I instantly fell in love with them, too. They seem like such lovely, fun, encouraging people. I would honestly read a book about their story, too.

This book is early in production (I think), so there are some grammar issues, but they were few and far between. Hopefully, those will be corrected before it's release.

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book. I adore it and absolutely recommend it for any romance readers.

I absolutely adored Savor It so I went into this one with high hopes. Unfortunately, I was a little let down. I think my main issue was the FMC. I just didn’t love LaRynn. I know she had her reasons and normally I’m all for a firey, somewhat bitchy attitude but hers was too immature and over the top for me. I did however really like the MMC, Deacon. He was fun, sweet and charming with a bit of mischief behind his eyes. And although Tarah’s writing is great and the storyline had real potential, the romance felt a bit forced. I just didn’t think Deacon and LaRynn had great chemistry.

Overall, I didn’t love it or hate it. It was a fun story and I do love a good marriage of convenience trope. This one is set during summer so I’m glad I hit it this season. I’m giving her 3.5 ⭐️

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

a beautiful second chance story, I loved the addition of the “before” timeline and will always have a soft spot for deacon & larynn

Tarah Dewitt has a beautiful ability to imbue humor into her stories that make it so much fun and impossible to put down! I love a second chance romance, and Deacon and LaRynn have so much history and unresolved tension that you can feel it dripping off the page. I was crying and laughing and sweating my way through the whole thing. Definitely one of my top books of the year.

I am a fan of Tarah DeWitt's work, and I was surprised to discover I had read this one last year. I remember really liking it, so I settled in to read this new edition. I was not disappointed.

LaRynn and Deacon's grandmothers have passed away, and they have inherited the Santa Cruz home they both love. LaRynn and Deacon end up living together to facilitate the house renovation before selling. Despite the painful end of their past relationship, they can’t deny they still have chemistry. There is a lot of personal growth and hot shenanigans.

This was a great close-proximity, second chance romance and I’m so glad I opted to read it again. 4⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this complimentary ARC. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

A classic lovely romance by Tarah with some deep feelings regarding the loss of beloved family members, which I can relate to very well, I loved the setting! Everything felt summery and sun kissed and slow and perfect.

this book exceeded every expectation i had going into it and i have never been more happy because of it.

larynn and deacon were both such real and relatable characters which made it so easy to get swept into their story. they showed so much about grief and communication and even though i wanted to smack their heads together quite a few times, i absolutely adored this book from start to finish.

i am ashamed it took me so long to dive into tarah’s books but now that i have, i need all of them.

thank you to netgalley for this arc <3

Simply sensational. She has quick wit and depth like no other author I’ve ever read. This book is real and entertaining in every single way

Deacon and LaRynn have been connected through their grandmothers since they were teenagers. After a whirlwind teenage romance and heartbreak, they haven’t seen each other in years. Now they’ve both been left their grandmothers’ home and they need to renovate it in order to sell it, but Deacon can’t afford to on his own. LaRynn has the means to fund it with a trust, but only if she is married. This leads to a marriage of convenience between the two of them while they fix up the house that holds so many memories.

I absolutely loved this book! I never read the original version so I’m not sure how much it has changed, but it is so heartfelt and such a beautiful story of young love, grief, and rebuilding relationships. There are dual timelines of their teenage love story as well as the current timeline, which builds background and helps the reader understand both characters’ perspectives. It is definitely a slow burn to build up the tension, but once the spice hit, it was steamy! I enjoyed the tropes of forced proximity, marriage of convenience, second chance romance, and grumpy (her) /sunshine (him). I feel like I need to read all of Tarah DeWitt’s books now after enjoying this one and Savor It so much!

Thank you so much to Tarah DeWitt and St. Martin’s Griffin for the ARC and opportunity to read and review this book.

I absolutely loved this novel. The characters were wonderfully vulnerable, the town was perfection, and the tension developed in such a satisfying way.

Definitely pick this one up!

4.5 Stars— I enjoyed the absolute heck out of this.

LaRynn is snarky, strong, and an absolute pain in Deacon’s side. And I love that. She doesn’t let him get away with anything and holds the plot together nicely.

Deacon is lighthearted, bull-headed, and caring. He finds himself in the most unlikely situations but he won’t let LaRynn back down from their chemistry.

I really enjoyed this book. I loved both main characters but LaRynn was amazing. She was such a hard ass on the outside but a complete sweetheart on the inside. Deacon got on my nerves just the tiniest bit but overall his character was great too. The banter! *fans self* woo the banter was glorious. They could each dish it out in spades.

The side characters were a great addition as well. Sal.......she said the craziest shit sometimes but I loved it! Jensen and Elyse were great friends to the MCs and had some spunk of their own.

This story is about two grandmothers who fell in love and married. With that LaRynn and Deacon would visit or stay with them over the years which is how these two meet. Both make assumptions about each other but over time tolerate each other then go on to hook up. Feelings get involved. Anxieties spike. Hearts break. Then years later the "grands" pass away and leave the house to the two grandkids. They need to fix it up but there's a lack of funds that can only be accessed by LaRynn if, yes you guessed it, shes married. They come up with a fake marriage plan to access the funds and fix the house. But old feelings are still raw and miscommunications happen along the way.

I was truly enamored by this whole story. I shipped the fuck out of Rynn and Deacon. I got aggravated over misunderstandings and fears but that added to the story to make it this amazing. Its what was needed for these characters to see their mistakes and grow. And grow they did! LaRynn especially. I'm only a reader but even I was so proud of her. I felt their connection and their pain.

Only reason I gave this 4 stars instead of 5 is because of a scene where Deacon wants to remain friends without complicating things but then says I know a relationship is not on the table. Like dude you made that stipulation not to expand things. Thats the only part that really irritated me.

Overall, read this book. Their love story is worth it. And so is that beautiful epilogue.

Thank you so much Netgalley for the ARC. I loved it.

Loved this one. I love second chance. I really loved how they were both fractured and put themselves back together later on. Great characters. This is my first Tarah DeWitt but it will not be my last!