read Alexis Daria’s Take the Lead after seeing it on Entertainment Weekly’s best romances of 2017. Take the Lead was Daria’s debut novel and has now been somewhat reworked for a rerelease. While I did not have the time to reread the earlier version, my impression is that she’s taken an already good book, tightened it up, added a little, and made it better.

Gina Morales is a professional dancer on the reality dance competition. Going into her fifth season on the show, she has never made the finals. This season she wants to win. Stone Nielson is already on an Alaskan wilderness reality show with his family. He hates it, but his family needs the money. He’s agreed to be a celebrity contestant on Dance Off to help with his mother’s medical bills, and maybe pay off his student loans (relatable). His family’s reality show is based on a lie, which puts Stone under additional pressure. Gina and Stone are paired to take advantage of the drama their differences will create, and capitalize on a possible romance. Neither wants to feed into a fake romance storyline, but as their real romance grows the balance between being honest and being private becomes difficult.

One of the things that struck me on this read was how deftly Daria builds the relationship between Gina and Stone. There is an instant attraction, but they don’t know each other. Daria deftly shows them getting to know each other in the crucible of a reality show. The forced proximity and need to become a team on camera fosters the friendship and affection off camera.

The ending of the first published version was, by far, the weakest part of the book. With a small change and an epilogue, Alexis Daria gives Stone and Gina and ending that’s fully consistent with their characters. This was a great read. I’m so glad she got the opportunity to rework and expand her debut novel.

I received this as an advance reader copy from St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley. My opinions are my own, freely and honestly given.

Hmm....

I really hope this doesn't deter people from this author because You Had Me at Hola was a 5 star read for me but it is NOT surprising that this was Daria's first novel.

Our plot surrounds contestants in a celebrity dancing competition, the celebrity and his pro dance partner. Calling this "inspired by" DWTS would not communicate how much this felt like I was just reading a season of Dancing with the Stars.

Also, the writing and storyline felt like something I could have come up with at 15 years old, which is not a compliment.

Thanks to netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

I love Alexis Daria! You Had Me at Hola, and A Lot Like Adios were so good, and I can’t wait for Along Came Amor. So I totally jumped at the opportunity to read the ARC of Daria’s remastered debut novel Take the Lead. No surprise, I adored it. It was such a fun, steamy, dance filled romance.

The story focuses on Gina Morales who wants so badly to finally make it to the finals on the hit show, the Dance Off. Her newest partner Stone, the sexy star of an Alaskan reality TV show, could just be her chance to end the four year losing streak. Joining a celebrity dance competition is the last thing he wants, but he will do whatever it takes to help his family.

Gina and Stone were 🥵! The tension and chemistry between them was outstanding, and it kept me more than entertained. I was pulled into the well written story right away and the in-depth descriptions by Daria allowed you to feel totally immersed. Not only in the story, but also in every single dance.

So much to love here;
💃 Opposites Attract
💃 Slow-burn Romance
💃 Celebrity Dance/Reality TV
💃 Forced Proximity

The new edition of Take the Lead is available 2/14 and I’d recommend for fans of romance who enjoy DWTS and reality tv!

Thank you to SMP Romance and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest options. I can’t wait to see where this series goes.

If you like shows like Dancing with the starts and wish it was a romance novel then this is the book for you. I loved Gina and Sloane. Gina is the dancer and her celebrity guest and duo partner is Sloane. I personally love books that have a dance element to it. I don’t get to read them very often, so this was a very nice change of pace into my current to be read pile. Definitely recommend giving it a read!

Alexis Daria has become and auto-read for me. First with her amazing Primas of Power series, so of course I jumped at the chance to read her re-release of Take the Lead. This book was an absolute delight--fun, sexy, great character growth, and a ton of emotion. Highly recommend to all romance readers. This book made me want to get up and dance, even though my skills are not on par with Ballroom but more in the Zumba-at-the-gym level. Excellent, excellent. Eagerly awaiting what's next from Daria.

I loved this book so much! If you are a dancing with the stars fan, then you probably will too!

I loved the whole story line, the way Gina and Stone meet and how they have an instant attraction to each other that only builds and builds! They had insane chemistry and connection. I loved how Gina brought Stone to life and opened him up and how he helped her as well. It was beautiful.

This book seriously has me wanting to go salsa dancing now! The dancing aspect was so fun! It was such a wonderful read that gives you all the warm fuzzies, but also brings the heat!

Gina is a dancer who performs on the "reality tv" show that would be IRL Dancing with the stars and Stone is her celebrity dance partner. I liked Gina, she wanted to be recognized and rewarded for her dance abilities and not for anything else. Stone has been living a lie in his family's reality tv show. I liked the way the author portrayed the producers who would do anything for ratings and that the product seen on TV is manipulated and scripted. I liked how the relationship between Gina and Stone developed. It was a good read and I'll admit I was hesitant to read about another TV show but I'm glad I did.

Four and a Half Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭒
Take the Lead by Alexis Daria is the first book in her Dance Off Series. It's a story of a reality tv show about ballroom dancing.

Story Recap:
Dancer Gina Morales has been on the hit dancing show, The Dance Off, for four seasons and has yet to make it to the finals. She’s surprised when her new partner, Stone Nielson, star of an Alaskan Wilderness show, has some good moves and could be good enough to get her to the finals this year.

Stone’s family stars in an Alaskan wilderness show and his family needs him, so he agrees to go on The Dance Off to help his family. He misses the wilds of Alaska, but can’t help feeling attracted to his professional dance partner, Gina.

When Gina finds out that the producers of The Dance Off want a showmance between Stone and herself, she’s angry because the last thing her professional reputation needs is gossip about her relationships.

My Thoughts:
I’m not a fan of reality TV books unless they are like Take the Lead where the books show off the less glamorous side of reality TV. Take the Lead gives us a romance with a lot of chemistry and a lot of problems and the characters are realistic and likable. I loved the dance scenes as there was clearly a connection between Gina and Stone.

I loved the author’s take on reality tv. I like that she doesn’t pull any punches and lets the readers know about the behind-the-scenes manipulations of the stars. However, the heart of the story is Gina and Stone, and not the dance competition.

Recommendation:
I highly recommend Take the Lead to anyone who enjoys romance. I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Take the Lead by Alexis Daria tells the story of Gina Morales, a talented dancer and professional star of the televised dance show, The Dance Off. She has been on the show for many years and wants this to be year she wins so she can advance her career, hopefully all the way back to Broadway.

Stone Nielsen, is a literally Living Wild in the back bush of Alaska along with his parents and siblings. Their show, Living Wild, is successful and his business-minded father is hoping Stone's appearance on a national dance show will drum up even more success.

The two are an unlikely pair, made even more awkward by a scheming producer Dana, hoping for a show romance or "shomance" to boost ratings. The question on every viewer's mind now is are they or aren't they?

I love Dara's previous works, Primas of Power, and this new book does not disappoint. Her dialogue is witty and full of life but she's also capable of bringing real emotion to her characters as well. Both Gina and Stone have things they need to work through and that journey is big part of this book's heart. I can't wait to read more by Daria and this series in particular.

Note: I received a complementary copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Take the Lead by Alexis Daria is a steamy rom-com set during a season of a celebrity dance competition show.

When Gina is paired with the sexy star of an Alaskan wilderness show, Stone...she finds that all the rules that have gotten her through the past 4 seasons have gone out the window.

A fast and fun read that will have you wanting someone to dance with 💃

4.5 stars rounded up!

This was such a fun story. I loved the premise of a tv dance competition, the opposites in dance partners, and the focus on Gina’s career ambitions. Stone and Gina, both separate and together, were great characters and played off of one another so well. Their chemistry was electric and I rooted for them from the start! Considering this is a re-release, the book felt very up-to-date!

A couple of things are keeping this from being a full five stars for me. I was really happy to see a diverse cast of characters included- from different ethnicities as well as the LGBTQ+ community, but I do wish they were more a part of the story and not just blips on the page. The main thing that felt uncomfortable for me- but wasn’t necessarily a deal-breaker- was how the sexual harassment between two contestants wasn’t addressed at all. Sure they were separated in tactful ways, but the behavior itself was never called out and I think that could have been a good teaching moment in the book.

I’m definitely recommending this book to my friends because there is just so much to love about it. It’s fun and light, but also addresses how complicated relationships can be when the woman is the one with major career ambitions.

Take the Lead by Alexis Daria is the story of Gina and Stone. Stone is a reality television star who lives in Alaska and known for his family survivalist show "Living Wilder". Gina is a rising star who is currently one of the professional dancers on "The Dance Off", a show very much like "Dancing with the Stars". Gina and Stone are pair up as partner and they begin their journey to try and win the whole competition.

The character development was very well written in this novel. In a lot of Rom-Com stories the character lack a certain depth, one that really makes you understand why the characters struggle, what makes them happy and what makes their actions reasonable or unreasonable. Ms. Daria did an excellent job with her characters. Gina and Stone came to life in this book. It was very well thought out character-wise.

I would give the spice level in this book a 3/5. There are moments that the character are involved in that make you pull at your collar a bit, but it was not as graphic as some Rom-Coms or Contemporary Romances are becoming. With that said, the romance is there...the romantic moments in this novels are well written and truly feel heart-felt (Hello character development!).

Over-all I would 100% recommend this book to other readers. Out of the hundreds of Rom-Coms/Contemporary Romances I have read this is one of the more thought out and well executed ones. Any fan of dancing will absolutely love this book as well. Well Done Ms. Daria, I think you deserve a mirror-ballish trophy for this one!!

Final rating: 4.5 stars

I absolutely loved this! In this remastered version of Alexis Daria's debut novel, we follow Gina Morales, a professional dancer that is determined to make it to the finals of her dance competition show, and Stone Nielson, a reality TV show star that is her celebrity partner. I really enjoyed the emotional build-up between the couple as they learn to trust each other both on the stage and off it.

Alexis Daria's writing style is very fluid and it immediately immerses you into the "Dance Off!" world. This is the perfect sizzling read for Valentine's Day!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love this author! This was a fantastic debut and I’m so glad it’s getting the recognition it deserves. The writing, as always, was phenomenal. Daria made sure that both Stone and Gina were characters you wanted to see grow, to see succeed, and to see happy. I loved the rep, how real the story felt even thought it was based off of a “showmance” and reality tv. The reason this wasn’t a perfect 5 star read was because of the giant miscommunication that happened. While everything worked out and it redeemed itself, I think the book would have benefited from not having that in there at all. That aside, I will absolutely read everything that Alexis Daria puts out!

Gina Morales is a professional dancer on 'The Dance Off'. She is from the Bronx and has always dreamed of making it big, ultimately performing on Broadway. Stone Neilson is part of a reality tv show, where he and his family live out in the Australian wilderness.

Stone is set to be Gina's dance partner but, as they got to know each other through dance, they began to feel something for one another. They were from two different worlds, but nothing could stop them from falling in love through romantic and sexy dance numbers.

I really loved Gina and Stone's relationship. They both respected and cared for each other and wanted the best for one another, even if it meant not being together. I really felt the chemistry between the two main characters . It made me think of the telenovelas I grew up watching! Alexis Daria did an amazing job creating this stellar romance that had me smiling and crying along with the characters.


Thank you to St. Martin’s Press/Griffin and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

https://www.goodreads.com/notes/57426932-gothikana/125020877-gabriella-lindsey/a709af8f-128a-49a4-9e3c-fc5ca7c6b828?ref=notif_crn

Cute cute cute. If you've ever wondered what the behind the scenes of DWTS was, it's this! My rom-com girlies will like this. A tad bit predictable for my tastes, but a solid book if you're looking for something fluffy!

An absolute smash hit, which is totally unsurprising. I LOVE Alexis Daria. Her characters are so fun to get to know, I find her voice so easy to sink into, and I love the Latinx representation. I didn’t know that I was missing this, growing up mixed. I find Daria writes in an authentic way that illuminates the diverse experiences we have. I love the chemistry of the romance. I loved the dance element. Yes to everything, always by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

This is a solid romance from Alexis Daria, perfect for fans of Dancing with the Stars. Gina and Stone have chemistry from the start that both try to avoid but that can only be denied for so long with forced proximity as dance partners on a reality show. I enjoyed the fun behind the scenes aspects of the show. As a dancer myself I appreciated that the difficulty and skills required were highlighted in this story. This book did leave me wanting more of an emotional connection to be shown on the pages not just the characters sexual chemistry. I would recommend this book for a light fun read!

A book that is basically like Dancing with the Stars?! SIGN ME UP

When Gina Morales went to see who her new dance partner for the season was, she was expecting an Olympian skier or something similar, considering they were flying her up to Alaska. She didn't expect to get an extremely handsome viking as her dance partner. The minute she laid her eyes on the sexy star of an Alaskan wilderness show, she knew the producers were trying to set them up as the season's showmance.

The only issue is that Gina wasn't interested in that and wanted to win the competition based on their talent rather than some fictitious love story they were starving for. Gina cannot deny that Stone Nielson is extremely handsome, even though she is confident they will not participate in this showmance.

Since their first meeting, they had an immediate connection. Those sentiments keep intensifying while they dance together, which can be a very intimate activity. In addition to witnessing the chemistry and intimacy between Gina and Stone, you can watch how each of them slowly develops into a unique person.

Stone never intended to start enjoying dancing, having fun, and being one with his emotions; he went on the show to make his family happy and, perhaps, get the money at the end so that he could help pay off hospital bills for his mom. Gina never imagined allowing herself to give in to these impulses and do the things she had promised herself she would never do. Gina was determined to win the competition and avoid connections with her partner because her past relationships had shown it to be a horrible idea.

Gina can't and won't accept what would happen to her profession if their relationship is revealed; thus, they are keeping everything about them a secret for the time being. But what will happen between Stone and Gina once it is revealed?

DNF at 20%
This story is ok, but after not really connecting with the characters at this point, I’m setting this e-ARC aside for now.

I’d recommend this one for those who like opposites attract romance, dance, and reality TV show settings.