Thank you to the publisher who gifted me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
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 in order to access her trust, she has to be married. Deacon has the construction expertise, but lacks the funds. A deal is Marry for however long it takes to fix up the property, collect a profit, and cut ties.
Thrust into a home without walls, LaRynn and Deacon 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, much to their growing mutual frustration) they’ll also have to learn what it means to truly cooperate as a team.
If you are on the lookout for a book set in a small town with enemies to friend to lovers and marriage of convenience this is one for you. It is sweet, funny and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
LaRynn and Deacon had one short summer fling when they were teens, nothing they expected to last. But years later, when their grandmothers leave 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 money in a trust but must be married to access it. Deacon has the construction expertise, but lacks the funds. So, they make a deal. Get married, fix the property, collect a profit and then cut ties.
I loved LaRynn and Deacon! They are both so realistic and loveable. Throughout the book, we get to see their flaws and how much their younger years have affected how they love other people, especially each other. LaRynn is so funny without even realising it. Her pettiness had me laughing out loud. Deacon is so caring and thoughtful and the perfect male character.
The pair together are amazing and their romance warmed my heart. I loved that is it in part a second-chance romance story. It was lovely to see little glimpses into their earlier years and how their relationship has changed due to what they have both been through either separately or together. Plus, a huge bonus of this book for me was the fact that there is no third-act breakup which made me incredibly happy. It just allowed for a smooth romance with many adorable moments.
I’ve never really read a marriage of convenience before and I will certainly be picking more of them up in the future. I instantly fell in love with the trope and it was amazing to see the way the pair’s relationship developed because of this.
Tarah DeWitt has gone from being an author I’d heard of to an author whose books I will instantly be purchasing from now on. I read Funny Feelings last year and loved it and now after loving this one too, I’m sure I will love her other books too. She is an excellent romance authors whose books you can rely on for a sweet, heart-warming romance.
Overall, The Co-Op is a cute, heart-warming and quick-paced romance novel that I had a lot of fun reading! If you are on the hunt for a marriage of convenience book with hints of second chance romance I would highly recommend this!
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