An author who is quickly becoming a favorite and auto-buy at the same time. This is the third novel I have read by the author and I loved it.

Quick Synopsis: Stone is a reality TV star along with his large family where they all live together in the Alaskan wilderness. Despite the fact that it’s a rather large farce and the show is generally a fake representation of that lifestyle, Stone elects to join a version of “Dancing with the Stars” and is paired with the beautiful Gina. Throughout their many dances, the two find themselves increasingly attracted to one another, but also constantly fighting that for various reasons.

Trigger Warnings: difficult family relationships, minor injuries to a character while dancing, dancing related injuries

What I liked:
-I always like Daria’s writing style; very easy to read and digestible.
-Stone was a great character (he is definitely the lumberjack man from Tiktok)
-I liked the premise of the reality tv show
-There was great discussion on women’s empowerment, Gina having to overcome stereotypes and maintain her foodhold in an industry that only values people for the drama they can provide and not the skills they have
-I loved the conversation around how producers manipulate and connive to get a certain scene or outcome in a reality tv show and how messed up that is.
-There were just some really great scenes and it is spicy, but not excessively so.

What I struggled with:
-The beginning was a bit slow for me. Initially I thought the whole “dancing with the stars” arc was a bit trite, but it did grow on me overall.
-The ending seemed a bit too fortuitous, but then again, it’s a romance, so I can’t complain too much.
-I personally hate a third act breakup, so again I didn’t love that aspect of it.

Altogether, a really enjoyable read and just another reason I’ll continue to read Alexis Daria’s books, no matter what she puts out.

This was an enjoyable - and spicy - rom-com read. It was a bit of a deviation from what I normally read/enjoy, and some of the spicy scenes felt like they came out of nowhere (which wasn’t my favourite thing) - but the story revolving around the set of a dance reality show was a lot of fun to read about and the relationship between Gina and Stone was swoon-worthy! I would definitely recommend this book to rom-com fans!

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars
There is something about romances involving dance that just allow them to have the best chemistry. Perhaps it is the characters constantly touching one another, or them having to be attuned to one another's emotions for the sake of the art, but either way I love it. Take the Lead is a quick, cute romance perfect for Valentine's Day season (yes, I consider it a season). I recommend it to romance readers, especially those who like those perfectly cliche movies such as Step Up.
Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC

This book was hands down one of the best romances I’ve read. Maybe it’s because this book is not an enemies to lovers story which is what I’ve been reading in a lot in romances lately. I love that this book instantly establishes such a strong attraction between the main characters.

Gina as a character is admirable and I love reading about a strong Latinx lead. The author did such a good job of establishing her down to earth personality and genuine care for people. As for Stone, what a sweet guy and where can I get one of him?!

The spice in the book was exquisite and the attraction between Gina and Stone leapt off the page. The romance is expertly executed.

The only thing I did not like was how Gina acted in the end. I know both characters need to go through some growth but I wanted instant gratification!

Drop everything to get this book and gush with me over Stone and Gina!

2 stars

My Strictly Come Dancing-loving heart has longed for a romance set in the world of reality dance competitions and having had success with Alexis Daria in the past, I figured that Take the Lead would be the perfect way to scratch that itch.

On paper, the concept is absolutely fabulous - a dancer on a reality dance competition trying to win while fighting her feelings for her hunky partner - but the execution of this book for me just completely missed the mark. We spend very little time in these characters' heads and when we do, it tends to be the same ideas repeated over and over again. The physical attraction is decently developed, but I constantly felt like I was constantly being told that there was an emotional attraction rather than actually seeing it develop. They honestly don't really have a lot of conversations with each other on page and there are a myriad of moments where important conversations or events are referenced as having happened between chapters that we never actually get to see. It made the entire romance plot, which is supposed to be the cornerstone of the book, feel flat and unearned. On top of that, this book about dancing has remarkably very little dancing in it as there are very few practice scenes and most of the actual dances on the show get skipped over.

I honestly wanted to love this book and it makes me so sad to write about how disappointed I was. The good news is I can always go back to Daria's You Had Me at Hola if I want a sexy entertainment industry romance.

Thank you to NetGalley and St.Martin's Griffin for an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review!

A fun read - opposites attract, a dance competition, and romance all in one. Gina and Stone are an odd couple but they work, they work in all the ways that count. Will Gina finally win the competition? No spoilers from me. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. This isn't heavy lifting but it's very entertaining.

This book was the award winning debut novel by @alexisdaria in 2017 and is re-releasing with this new swoon worthy cover and scenes on February 14th 💕
This was a FUN, SEXY, and exciting romance set during a reality dance show. Professional dancer Gina Morales enters her 4th season of Dance Off with the mirrorball trophy 🏆 in her mind. She is partnered with Stone Nielsen, a sexy Alaskan wilderness TV star who would rather wrestle a bear than be on a dancing show. Stone is strong, silent, and introverted in contrast to Gina’s vivacious outgoing personality who is much happier in the spotlight and in a big city. Watching these two from their hilarious meet cute in Alaska through each week’s dancing challenges was a blast. Their chemistry was 🥵 and I was attracted to each main character’s backstory of how they ended up in the reality TV industry. Their competitive spirit and desire to support one another careers was had me swooning and cheering for their relationship.

Check out the book’s playlist on Spotify if you need an immediate mood boost and add this read to your February TBR 🙌🏼.

4.5 stars
Take the Lead tells a story of Gina, a Porto Rican descendent that is one of the choreographers for a reality show that is based on a dance competition. She is paired with Stone, a big brooding guy, that is also part of another reality show that is focused on survival. Although they have great chemistry there are several things that will be in the way of a possible relationship between both of them.
I really enjoyed this book! Firstly, I really appreciate the descriptions of the dances, the inclusion of latin american rhythms, mentions of food and other details that made me really appreciate that the main character was in fact a latina. I also thought that the discussions of the "Latina stereotype" was well made and I was pleased to see that in moments of conflict she did not fall into those same archetypes.
Stone, as a MMC, was also a pleasant surprise.. I thought I was going to see a grumpy-sunshine trope but it was not really it. He started quiet because it was what was expected of him, but he slowly started to open up, trying new things and at the end I thought he was really emotional mature and could also express his feelings without being a cave-man.
The only thing I would point out that made me remove half star from my rating is that even though Gina had valid reasons for her arguments at the end of the book, I felt that it was a bit hypocritical/selfish of her.
For those that like spice, this book has quite a bit of it and I really enjoyed how it moved the plot forward.
Lastly, I was super pleasant with the end that get away of the traditional resolution of romance books!

Such an amazing story! I loved how Gina and Stone find their footing while dancing around. I’ve always love how descriptive Ms. Daria is, the Puerto Rican culture front and center. And I loved how Stone went from grumpy mountain man afraid to live his live in his own terms to taking the lead and making Gina his forever. Loved it!

The two of them are super cute and I enjoyed this book. I do wish they spent more time together off camera doing something that is not sex. I believed that they were in love but I wanted to see them do more domestic things.

I received an arc through netgalley.

Gina is a professional dancer on a celebrity dance show (a la "Dancing with the Stars") who has prioritized her career her entire life. She gets paired with "Wilderness Expert", Stone and feels an immediate connection to him that she is determined to squash. Stone brings his own secrets to the show and both feel the pressure when the show's producers demand that they be this years "Showmance"

I liked this a lot! I really like Alexis Daria's writing and characters. I thought both characters had a lot of personality and their motivations made sense.

The spice was top-notch and the scenes were also very sweet. The third act breakup was not my favorite, but then again it never is.

Overall I recommend this! Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for a review. All thoughts are my own.

Gina and Stone hit the dance floor in this spicy and cute romantic novel! I really liked how similar it was to dancing with the stars, a reality guilt pleasure of mine. I was on my toes and liked some of the twists in the plot. This one had plenty of spice as well. Everything wrapped up in the end too.


Thank you to Net Galley and St Martins Press for the advanced copy!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Take the Lead by @alexisdaria
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Please note: this was an ARC provided to me by @stmartinspress on @netgalley with a publication date of February 14.
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Genre: romance
Series: Dance Off # 1
Setting: Los Angeles / Alaska / NYC
POV: dual, 3rd person, past tense
Tropes: opposites attract, forced proximity, secret workplace relationship 
Spice Level: 4/5🌶, 3+ explicit scenes
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What I Liked: Pretty much everything! There was so much pining and chemistry and cuteness. I thought both MCs had great motivation and communication, which is so rare. The Latinx representation was wonderful and I loved our gentle giant of a MMC. I thought the balance between smut and plot was excellent - they only made the other better!
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What I Disliked: There were a few “ick” moments for me during the spicy scenes, but not enough to detract a star from my rating.
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Overall Thoughts: I finally found my first five star rom-com in forever! If you’re craving a spicy yet meaningful read, definitely check this out. I will definitely be reading the rest of this series.
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Memorable Quote: “They were in the city of angels and she was heaven on earth.”

4.25 stars

Alexis Daria's debut novel Take the Lead is perfect for fans of Dancing with the Stars. Gina, a Puerto Rican professional dancer, has to lead Stone, a wilderness reality TV star with the build of a viking, through a season of Dance Off. Immediately they are both attracted to each other, but they each have their own reasons for trying to ignore those feelings. You can guess how well that turns out.

This debut novel was fantastic!! I loved that we got both Stone & Gina's POVs. They had great chemistry and I loved how their relationship progressed both on and off the stage. I love dancing competition shows, so that also made this book really fun to read. I wish there was a *tad* bit more tension in the novel, but overall it was great. I'm so excited to read more by Daria!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review. Just want to mention that the book is available now, but it is releasing with a new (gorgeous!) cover in February!

I was in the mood for a good romance and Take the Lead was exactly what my soul needed. I've always enjoyed stories that feature dancers and dancing (despite never being a dancer myself) and I really liked that this one combined elements of a Dancing with the Stars style reality tv competition. I adored Gina and Stone's characters and really enjoyed not only seeing their relationship grow as a dancing pair but also their off-screen relationship.

Be prepared for lots of steam. This was my first book by Alexis Daria, and I'd always heard they were pretty steamy, and now I know why.

This was a lot of fun and a very quick read. Definitely recommend this one.
Thank you, St. Martins Press and NetGalley for the eARC!

I'm pretty sure I was aware that this book was a republishing of Daria's debut from 2017 and just didn't think of it when I requested the ARC..I think I personally just didn't mesh with this book; it read very 2017 romance, which isn't a bad thing!! I think I would've loved this, had I read it a few years ago.

Personally, I'm not too into romances where it's like. instant physical attraction without much emotional connection. I just get bored when so much of the narrative focuses on the physical attraction. Of course, Gina and Stone do get to know each other throughout the book so that made me feel a little better, but this still was a sticking point for me. Again, a personal opinion! I do think many others would enjoy this book; I read it in a couple of hours, so if you're looking for a hot read to speed through, give Take the Lead a try.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
I missed out on Take the Lead when it first released, but having more or less enjoyed Alexis Daria’s more recent work, I was excited her debut would be getting a print release with a new cover. Having heard good things about it from friends back in its first run, I am pleased to concur with them in that this is largely an enjoyable read.
Gina is an interesting character, and I like how it focuses on the complexities of being a professional dancer on a dance show, a la Dancing with the Stars. She faces immense pressure to make the finals, after not seeing much success with previous celebrity partners. She also has greater aspirations to get into acting, and her fears about the PR machinations the producers are pushing, and its impact on her career potential, feel very real.
I had mixed feelings about Stone at first. He’s kind of your standard massively tall (6’7”) man, and super broody to boot. The latter has been done to death, although the former is somewhat more forgivable as this is an older title and I don’t think men were as big back then (I could be wrong, I didn’t read much contemporary in 2017)? But I do like how that translates into his overall persona, being more at home in the wilderness and his own reality-tv environment chopping wood, as opposed to Gina’s more sparkling ballroom-dance environment. However, he has his own family to worry about, including his mother’s medical bills.
Gina and Stone play off each other very well, with great on- and off-stage chemistry. And while there are some misunderstandings between them, they are executed in a way that isn’t annoying or casts doubt on the potential of their relationship.
This is a solid debut book from a well-loved author, and I am glad it’s getting a second life and a wider release. If you enjoy diverse contemporary romance, I recommend checking this out if you didn’t read it the first time around!

What a fun story! We get a behind the scenes glimpse of 2 reality shows. We have 2 fun main characters that have chemistry. Okay he isn't remotely a dancer so why is he on a Dance With the Stars wannabe. But he is a hunk and Gina is a determined to win as a choreographer. He needs money and she craves fame. Together can they win? There is plenty of the back biting you would expect but not just from the competition. I liked the book. I liked the light hearted relationships and the ones with a bit of sizzle.

Take the lead is being re released on Valentine's Day this year. It was originally published in 2017 as an ebook but now it's getting a paperback release as well. Alexis Daria apparently did some editing and made a few changes to this version so it would be interesting to compare it to the original (I did not). Unfortunately this book wasn't really for me. I think if you're a big fan of dance you would probably enjoy this more, for me I found the parts that focused on the technicalities of the dances and stuff pretty boring and in general I found myself skimming quite a bit while reading this book. The concept of a romance that takes place on a dance show (essentially Dancing with the Stars) is super fun, and I think a lot of people will enjoy this so don't let my opinion dissuade you from giving it a try if you think it sounds interesting. The part I enjoyed most was reading about Stones struggles with his own reality show. I will say the book got more engaging in the second half after the characters actually admit their feelings.

Thank you to NetGalley and SMP for an ARC in exchange for na honest review

CW: blackmail, house fire (past), parental abandonment, family tensions

I would recommend if you're looking for (SPOILERS)

-m/f contemporary romance
-dance competition
-insta attraction
-amazing sexual chemistry
-forced proximity
-this is just a hookup
-Latinx rep

I enjoyed this book so much. This was a great dive into the behind scenes looks of a celebrity dancing show, seamlessly integrated into the romance. I loved how the dances, and Gina teaching Stone about dance also heightened the sexual tension between the two.

Stone and Gina were two sides of the same coin. Both dedicated, both looking to get something out of the show, and definitely not looking for love. Except they were smacked in the face with their attraction for each other. This was a lot of fun, with so much sexual tension as these two accidentally fell in love with the other. I love how they saw themselves as a team and despite some human failings, both wanted to ultimately work together to meet their goals.

Steam: 3.25