The Co-op by Tara DeWitt
Thank you to NetGalley and SMP Romance for the advanced electronic copy.
A second chance with a slow burn, witty banter, and two now-adults who strive not to repeat the non-communication issues they had before, The Co-op brings a fresh twist on the marriage of convenience with its living in a renovation (no walls!) forced proximity situation.
Do you know those books you are almost fearful of reading because you have heard so much about them? This is one of them for me. And it mostly lived up to the hype
Tara DeWitt, The Co-op
“I don’t mind your mess”
I say.
He looks at me, his coffee eyes warm.
“I don’t mind yours, either, Rynn.”
LaRynn Lavine is slow to open up and struggling to adapt to life without parental support. She is also nonconfrontational, avoiding dealing with her parents and her ex or tackling her grief and even hiding from her single best friend. Raised by emotionally unavailable parents, she found refuge in summering at her grandmother’s beach condo.
Then, the summer she is 19, she falls for Deacon Leeds, who is carrying his collection of baggage.
And it is magic until it isn’t.
Neither has the maturity (or bravery) to reach out until eight years later when they inherit a beloved yet disrepair mess of a home.
So much of this place is
Tara DeWitt, The Co-op
achingly familiar
and yet none of it is mine.
The conflict between Deacon and LaRynn was clear from the beginning; they had both broken each other. I loved that they recognized how they had previously used physical intimacy as a barrier to admitting to their growing (mutual) feelings. Their (now) reluctance to act on these desires as more mature adults added a new layer of depth and a lot of anticipation.
The payoff for their self-restraint was vibrating with tension and well worth the wait. I loved how they evolved emotionally from taunting to tenderness with each other’s bodies and hearts.
Set in a smaller beach town, I felt the setting supported the characters. From their reno to the frequent beach volleyball matches, there was plenty of action to move the timeline, allowing their relationship time to heal slowly. I enjoyed the foil of their best friends’ relationship and how it compares to Deacon and LaRynn. Lots to enjoy!
Ever the sucker for a second chance, I relished this one in the end and look forward to working through DeWitt’s backlist.
