REVIEW: The Co-op by Tarah DeWitt

The Co-op by Tarah DeWitt: LaRynn and Deacon never expected to ever see each other again after their heartbreaking summer fling as teens, however it would seem that their late grandmothers have other plans for the two. Years after seeing each other last the two are brought back together when they inherit their grandmothers dilapidated Santa Cruz building. Now not only are the two stuck with each other but they are also stuck with a building that is not worth much in its current state. If they have any hope of selling the building, they need to do some major renovations. While Deacon has the construction knowhow, a reno of this scale will cost a whole lot more than he has available. Which is where LaRynn comes in, while she might not know anything about construction or remodeling, she has the money, well sort of… if she wants to get access to the trust fund that her grandmother left for her, then she needs to get married. It would seem that the solution is staring them in the face, get married for however long it take to reno the building and sell it for a killer profit. The only problem with their plan is the fact that they will be stuck living together for the foreseeable, with little to no privacy and a whole lot of compromise… the question is can these two make it work or are they just going to bring the house down?

A marriage of convenience, forced proximity, summer fling second chance romance, yes please! I loved the sound of The Co-Op and let me tell you the book did not disappoint one bit. I loved the fact that this book while being cute and playful still packed an emotional punch. There was so much to love about this book, it really just got better and better as the chapters went by. I will say this was bit on the longer side but I liked that it was paced out in this way, instead of being rushed.

“The bane of my existence. My dear, sweet, husband.”

LaRynn and Deacon were such incredible characters. I really liked that they were both flawed and they had very relatable personalities. It was easy to like these two as individuals but also as a couple. I will say LaRynn was not your typical bubbly overly happy leading lady, she had more of the grump/black cat vibe going and I actually liked this change. I will say the more we got to know her and understand her past, the more I found myself liking her character. She was definitely an interesting one and I liked getting to understand her and see her grow. As for our hero, well Deacon was pretty great. While he might have been a bit guarded at first we get to see him open up and lower his walls as the book progresses and finally get to see the real sweet Deacon. Their journey felt heartfelt and realistic in a way that made reading this book all the more special.

“Be my wife. Stay my wife. Forever, LaRynn. I don’t care where we end up or what we do as long as I have you.”

Their teenage love affair really influenced these two in a large way, but a lot of the past hurt was from lack of proper role models on both sides an also fear. I will say I liked that they were both mature enough to realise that they were both at fault for their first relationship and wanted to talk about the past. They handled the entire situation really well for the most part and I liked that this was a more mature take on a second chance romance. There was a lot of growth and understanding that came with them having to share a space and having to communicate. While there might have been some bad blood between them at the beginning there was no denying their attraction to each other or the very clear chemistry that they shared. I will say they could have worked on having better communication but they do get better at this as the book progresses. I think the build up in their relationship felt natural and followed a nice pace.

I really enjoyed reading The Co-Op, if you are a fan of a second chance romance with some forced proximity, marriage of convenience and a bit of enemies to lovers vibes then this is definitely a book to check out!

Book Info:

Publication: November 12, 2024 | St. Martin’s Griffin |

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.
LaRynn has the money, but 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, they 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) they’ll also have to learn what it means to truly co-operate as a team.