4.5 stars (rounded up)!

I thoroughly enjoyed "Take the Lead" by Alexis Daria! It's a character-driven romance about Gina and Stone, two people who have both been given public personas they are trying to shed in one way or another. Gina is a dancer on a "Dancing with the Stars" type of reality show competition, and Stone is the "celebrity" contestant. His family participates in a reality show as well, one that showcases their lives living in Alaska in the wilderness and how they survive up there away from big city living. Their chemistry is palpable from the moment they meet. As time rolls on, Gina and Stone are obviously smitten with each other. The dancing premise of the story leads to many, MANY sexy and sensual moments of tension and sweating and yearning, but Gina does not want to get roped into a "showmance" with Stone. She knows the ramifications that something like that could have on her career and public persona. As they slowly but surely put the pieces of their feelings for one another together, their chemistry is undeniable, and it's like a dam breaking loose.

I loved reading all of the descriptions of the dances, and how those sensual moves are often the only time Stone and Gina get to touch one another. We learn what it takes and how much work goes into being a dancer from behind the scenes. This is one spicy book! I love the OwnVoices Puerto Rican representation in this book! Gina felt like an authentic, lived-in character. She is strong in more ways than one, but she still manages to be vulnerable, too. She is constantly worried about not becoming a stereotype, so much so that she might let it get in the way of her potential relationship with Stone. Stone is also authentic in other ways. He has been given a stereotype to live up to (husky, hulking mountain man), but he knows he's more than that. Sensitive, artistic, opinionated...everything he's NOT allowed to be on TV. Alexis Daria weaves a delicate tapestry of sensuality, sexiness, dance, and trauma together to form one helluva book! I hope she continues this series with some of the secondary characters from this novel! I'd sure as heck read them!

Thank you to NetGalley, Alexis Daria, and St. Martin's Press/St. Martin's Griffin for providing me with an ARC copy of this book! All opinions are my own, and I was not compensated for my review.

Thanks @netgalley @stmartinspress and @alexisdaria for the early look at Take the Lead. It’s perfect for fans of Dancing with the Stars and anyone who loves Daria’s HOTT and emotionally satisfying books. It’s available on February 14, 2023.

After several lackluster years on The Dance Off, Gina Morales is hoping her newest costar, sexy survivalist Stone Nielson, will finally be her ticket to the finals. To increase their chances, they agree to a showmance. The explosive chemistry between then is hard to deny making them question whether there’s a real future for them.

Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Steam: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Tropes: opposites attract, reality tv, fake dating

Take the Lead by Alexis Daria is sweet romance about two strangers, teamed up for a reality TV dance competition who have an instant attraction. Gina loves her job in entertainment and refuses to get involved with her celebrity dance partners. Stone is a reluctant reality-TV star who longs for an authentic life.

Overall, I liked the premise of Take the Lead, the pace was really good, and it was steamy in places, but ultimately the chemistry between Gina and Stone was lacking. They definitely have physical chemistry but we're missing the scenes where they are truly emotionally vulnerable and intimate with each other. I wanted more of what they are like off the dance floor.

Fun to read, and I would recommend to anyone who loves romances and Dancing with the Stars.

Such a great comfort read!! I absolutely fell in love with both Gina and Stone. They were both so different from each other yet they absolutely clicked together. The plot, characters, and overall story were beautifully executed by Alexis Daria.

Gina Morales is a professional dancer on, The Dance Off (a reality TV show similar to Dancing with The Stars) and she has had her eye on at least making it to the finals. Perhaps this season is her chance when she is paired with rugged Alaskan Wilderness star Stone Nielson...but when it becomes clear the producers have paired them off as an elaborate "showmance" (TV show romance), Gina has her doubts as she has explicitly stated that she will not participate in any showmance - even if it is to potentially further her career. However, their chemistry is undeniable on screen and off. Will the passion on the dancefloor be Gina's undoing?
This is a re-release (originally released as an e-book in 2017) just in time for Valentine's Day, if you're feeling romantic. Told from alternating POV of Gina and Stone, this is a steamy contemporary romance novel with the dating-but-must-hide-growing-feelings trope with a Latinx lead. Alexis Daria does an excellent job in creating friendships amongst women that are supportive and without competition. Gina struggles with her personal morals while also maintaining the covert relationship with Stone. Meanwhile, Stone is pulled into reality TV due to his family financial struggles. The personal and professional stakes are high for the MCs and readers will find themselves empathizing with both characters' reasoning during the conflict.
Overall, a fun read for Valentine's Day and if you enjoy competitive dancing reality TV, 3.5 rounded to 4.

Alexis Daria is just awesome. I loved her Primas of Power books and this was excellent as well. Gina and Stone were 🔥🔥🔥. The story was good, the side characters were good, and the romance was great. It was spicier than I expected!

Definitely excited to read Natasha’s book when it’s out!

When I saw this book, the cover immediately drew me in. I'm one of the worst dancers in the world, so dancing fascinates me. This book made me almost think I could dance lol!

This book follows Gina, a professional dancer on a dance competition show, and Stone, a wilderness reality tv star as they dance their way through a show! Gina is completely against showmances, but fortunately for us, Stone was too hard to resist. This book was unputdownable. I finished it in 2 days. It was heart-warming and spicy.

I was given an ARC by Netgalley and St Martins Press in exchange for an honest review! Do yourself a favor and buy this book!

For many years, I have watched Dancing with the Stars and always wondered what went on behind the scenes that we were not privy too. Take the Lead really opened up that backstage presence for a dance show for me! If you have ever wondered just how scripted a show like this is, then be sure to read Alexis Daria's hot dance debut!

Gina is the professional dancer, and after five years, she wants to win it all. Stone is a reality star in his own right, but he's not keen on being this much in the spotlight. He takes on the task to help his family and embarks on hot, steamy journey he had not expected.

From the wild Alaskan frontier to the glitz and glam of Los Angeles, the pair get to know each other as the sparks fly and feet jive. Yet, there are secrets being kept and the pressure of winning, on both sides, mounts. As the script tangles the relationship they discover, they must ensure that their dancing is perfect so they can take home the prize and not overlook what is important to both of them.

If you are looking for a hot romance with visions of reality TV dancing their way into your dreams, then this is the perfect novel for you! Stay tuned for more!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC. The opinions expressed are my own.

Reality TV? A dance competition show and an Alaskan survival show?
Yes please!
I love the drama and with the dancing it really makes things so much sexier.
Gina and Stone had so much chemistry from the beginning and just got hotter and hotter. A fun read that sucks you right in, I couldn’t put it down.

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martins Press for an eARC.

Take the Lead is another charming story by Alexis Daria. The lead character, Gina, is a dancer on a Dancing with the Stars-esque show who is partnered with a member of a reality TV "survivalist" family. Gina is written as a more career driven than I'm used to seeing in a romance novel, and it's refreshing for her to be given ambition and a healthy love story, even if the story toys with whether she can really have them both. As much as I like the love story, I could just read an entire series detailing how her career changes over the years and be happy.

Stone's story is a bit complicated for me. Although Stone is written as kind, generous, and patient, it never feels like he is as developed as Gina. Every time the story begins to explore just how toxic his family is, the story cuts away, or Stone stops thinking too hard about it and mentions how much he loves his mom. Instead of providing depth to his character, it made him feel underwritten.

Overall, I did enjoy this story. I'll just be crossing my fingers for a series about Gina's career.

3/5⭐️

The Dance Off is a reality competition show with professional dancers that pair off with celebrities. Gina is the professional dancer and Stone is the celebrity from a survivalist reality show. They immediately have a natural chemistry but producers want them to have a showmance.

I really liked the concept of this one and I liked the characters but I found myself not feeling invested until the second half of the book. I also think I might have liked it more if it was in first person POV. But this story was really cute! Gina so talented and driven and Stone is basically a quieter mountain man that’s so sweet! A good romance for fans of reality shows and competition shows.

I read the original edition of this back in 2021 when I decided to read all of Alexis Daria's backlist. So I already knew I liked this story and the entire Dance Off series. But I was so pleased to read it again, in this updated edition with such a beautiful new cover.

Gina is a professional dancer on The Dance Off. For this season, the celebrity she is paired with is Stone, known for his role on a reality TV show about Living Wild in Alaska.

I loved being behind the scenes of a ballroom dance competition. I used to ballroom dance competitively, so I have always loved watching those shows more than any other type of reality TV. This book felt like it gave us real insight into what it could be like and how reality is manipulated.

I so appreciated the fine line that Gina describes between being sexy and sexualized. She refuses to play into stereotypes about Latinas. Though originally written years ago, this still felt so relevant. And there are so many more themes about family, integrity, and love.

Take the Lead is presented as an opposites attract romance with a city girl and survivalist. But like all the best of this trope, Gina and Stone aren't truly opposites at all. They are such a great pair, on and off the dance floor. I enjoyed re-reading this so much, and I can't wait to see updates for the rest of the series.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. These opinions are my own.

4.5 stars rounded up

This book had my attention from the start. Gina is a professional dancer on The Dance Off and is on her way to meet her celebrity partner for this season in the boonies of Alaska. She hopes that he is an Olympian with some dance experience. Instead she meets Stone, whose family has a reality show called Living Wild. After a scare during their first meeting, they next meet up in the rehearsal space in the studio in LA. I prefer the singing shows to the dancing shows and found myself drawn into the world of dance. They fight their attraction to each other as they both have reasons to not get involved. Will they overcome their obstacles and find a way to make things work out? Read this fun, sexy book to find out. I would give this book 4.5 stars.

I received a free copy of this book to review through NetGalley.

Take the Lead

rating: 4.5 STARS ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
genre: romance
steam: way open door, multiple scenes

This is my third book by Daria, and I have to say - I am enjoying her banter and steam more than ever! I cruised through this book and read the whole thing on a single Saturday. I couldn’t put it down!

Why was Donna such a jerk?
What secrets was Stone hiding?
Would they win the competition?!

This book had such a colorful cast of characters, and even the ones you’re not supposed to like, you still laughed at their lines and didn’t hate seeing their name on the page.

Gina & Stone was an amazingly cute couple that showed if you really want it, you can make it work. And they live up to the cliche: love will show up when and where you’re least expecting it.

Do yourself a favor and pick this one up!

If you love Dancing with the Stars, opposites attract romances, and books filled with humor and complex emotions, this book is for you.

Some of my favorite things about this book:
- The dancing! I learned so much about dance in this book, and it was just such a fun read! There were so many different types of dance that I had no idea existed before, and I went through a bit of a rabbit hole while reading this book looking up dances on YouTube…
- I also loved the dance competition feel around this book! The competition aspect kept me hooked, and I loved how it reminded me so much of Dancing with the Star and Strictly Come Dancing!
- I loved Stone and Gina’s relationship. I love how they both had personal things they needed to work through and how they navigated through that together throughout the book. I also loved that they had wonderful communication and were able to discuss their problems instead of ignoring them or causing miscommunication.
- I adored Stone. As someone who watched a few survivals shows, I was able to clearly picture what type of man Stone was, and I really enjoyed him. It was so nice to see him find his voice and to grow into himself and stand up for what he loves.

This was my first ever Alexis Daria book, and it for sure won’t be my last. I had no idea that this was an updated book! I found that this book was so well written and I was clearly able to picture everything, from the dancing to the costumes. The only complaint I had is that I think Gina was a bit too harsh on Stone at the end, and that the conflict was a bit drawn out, but overall, this was such a fun read. The characters were for sure the highlight of the book for me, and I would highly recommend it!

4.5 ⭐

*I received a free ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

This book was such a whirlwind! I adored every second. The plot was really strong from the beginning and the chemistry between Stone and Gina was excellent. I liked that the book followed the TV show episode by episode, without any weird gaps or jumps. It kept the story from feeling rushed. I also found this to be a really interesting "peek behind the curtain" moment for reality TV shows that are similar to the ones in this book.

Overall, a really great read! I can't wait for the next one.

Absolutely great look at what goes behind the scenes in a reality dance competition. I laughed throughout at the just ridiculousness of some of the things that producers want to do the the contestants. Nice and steamy which I love in a romance novel. Truly enjoyed this story and can't wait to read the rest of the series.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This review is based on an ARC from NetGalley, courtesy of the publisher.

Dancing Reality Shows are not really my thing but if they were more like this story, I would be into them!

This book felt like a story within a story because it gave not only the show but a peak behind the curtains. The main characters are wonderful and enchanting. The author effortlessly wove in aspects of latinx culture into this story. I came to understanding what is was like for Gina to be a latinx woman in the industry, but also some romance and fun. Stone was a great character. A bit of a cinnamon roll hero which is not my favorite, but his mountain man ways won me over.

Overall, I really enjoyed this story, and it should absolutely be on your TBR. This was my first title by Alexis Daria, and I have added all her other titles to my must-read list.

Binge alert!

Holy cannoli batman! Stone & Gina are E V E R Y T H I N G!! I loved Take the Lead so much!

Take the Lead is an entertaining, sexy and swoony romance set against the backdrop of a reality dance show competition. The chemistry between the two main characters is instantaneous, and if you enjoy Dancing with the Stars or dancing in general, the rehearsals and performances are written in such detail, you will feel transported to the stage. Alexis Daria added great commentary about the stereotypes of Latin American women in the media, and I always love reading her books to gain new perspective. While this was Daria’s debut novel and originally published in 2017, this reissued edition with an updated cover comes out on Valentines Day.

Read if you love:
-Opposites attract
-Latinx Rep
-Workplace romance
-Reality dancing shows
-Guy falls first
-Open door romance
-Alaskan wilderness hero
-Peurto Rican heroine