One Old, One New - Tarah DeWitt

One Old, One New features two books – one old, one new, which are connected in some way. Today I am featuring two books by Tarah DeWitt. *NOTE: St. Martin's Griffin is re-releasing The Co-Op, but I read the version published in 2022. 

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The Co-Op by Tarah DeWitt
Published by Independently Published on October 20, 2022
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Goodreads

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 in order 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, 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.

Filled with crackling tension, The Co-op is a steamy second chance romance about restoration and renovation, and uncovering all the things that build character within ourselves. It's about the never-ending construction project that partnership is, and finding enjoyment at every stage.

I had recently read Dewitt's Savor It and Funny Feelings, and I wanted more! I was worried about reading this book after seeing an interview where Dewitt mentioned major edits for the re-release. Maybe the updated version is better, but I must say, I rather loved this book.

LaRynn and Deacon were reunited almost a decade after he broke her heart in order to renovate and sell their grandmothers' home. Already forced together, things got a bit stickier when LaRynn and Deacon entered into a marriage-on-paper to access her trust in order to pay for the renovations. Years may have passed since their torrid summer romance, but it seemed that feelings still ran deep.

I am a sucker for a second chance romance, and this one worked wonders for me. There were so many reasons why things went wrong the first time - they were young, they were stupid, Rynn was leaving for college, etc, etc. But, here they were, grown and in very different places in their lives. 

Rynn was sort of bottoming out. After being cutoff for dropping out of law school, she was homeless and jobless. At the same time, Deacon was doing fairly well for himself with the campground and general contracting. However, they were also in very different head spaces. Deacon had grown into quite an incredible, caring, considerate man, and LaRynn had grown a lot, too though they she still had some major baggage to unpack.

My heart ached for them as I learned about all the pain they experienced, but it was such a thrill to see them bond, grow a friendship, and help each other heal. There were many beautiful and touching moments shared between these two, as well as with other pivotal characters in their lives. It wasn't all heartache and tears, I also laughed a lot. These two had great banter, and the mild pranks gave me a few chuckles as well.

But let me tell you, it was that epilogue that put me over the top. First of all, I love epilogues! I need that closure, but Dewitt took me through quite a few years of Deacon and LaRynn's life. It was something special to see the highlights of their life together, and I may be crying a little right now because it was so lovely.

Dewitt is three for three with me, and I cannot wait to read more of her work.

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Rootbound by Tarah DeWitt
Published by St. Martin's Griffin on May 2, 2023
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Goodreads

You really can't go home again.

Tait Logan is proud of the life she’s built for herself. Despite her world-shattering divorce, not having any genuine connections with other humans apart from her sister Ava, and the fact that the remainder of her family is estranged from her life, she’s happy…happy-adjacent, at least. She’s rebuilt herself through her photography; her dream career, the one thing she does still have. When that career contracts her to do an assignment on her estranged family's home, Logan Range—a now famous ranch functioning as the setting for a popular TV show—she’s left with no choice but to agree. It’s only a six-week assignment, after all. She has no plans to set down roots, or get to know the family that, seemingly, has had no interest in a relationship with her since her parents' divorce when she was seven.

Henry Marcum is a cowboy who has dedicated his life to the Logan family and to their ranch. He owes them for raising him, rescuing him, and giving him purpose… He also owes them for every hardship he’s inadvertently brought their way. So, when Tait Logan shows up after 20 years of near total silence, he takes it upon himself to protect the people he knows and loves.

It’s a rocky start when Tait and Henry first collide; he is naturally wary of her intentions, and she is more than perturbed by their literal collision - which results in her broken camera, during her first night on location, no less. But as the pair get to know each other better, they’re thrown off balance time and time again by their growing feelings, and by the story of the Logan family as it becomes increasingly less clear from their perspectives.

Set in the mountains and valleys of Idaho on a rustic ranch, Rootbound is a steamy romance with a warm country feel that touches upon family, heartbreak, and whether the potential for disaster is worth the risk that accompanies love.

I may have read DeWitt's books in reverse order, but I have loved them all!

Once again, she crafted a fun romance that touched my heart. Families can be complicated, and Tait sure had a lot of baggage when it came to hers. This was an amazing opportunity for her to reconnect with her past and unpack some of those emotions that had been holding her back from fully realizing parts of her life. My heart was already hurting for Tait with regards to the demise of her marriage and all she lost, but I also felt bad that she missed out on so many years with her family.

And Henry - what a gem! It was an interesting contrast as to how different Tait and Henry's experience was with the same people. Tait's memories were tainted while Henry shared such a wonderful past and present with this family who took him in and treated him as one of their own. But he did have some wounds when it came to trust and relationships, and it was great to see him work through it enough to open his heart to the possibility of something with Tait.

Loved the setting, the characters, and the family focus so much in this one. Glad I finally had a chance to read it, and I cannot wait for DeWitt's next release.

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