This was such a fun read from Alexis Daria based on Dancing With the Stars!

Stone is the rugged wilderness man paired up with Gina, the sexy Puerto Rican dancer on this season of The Dance Off. From their first meeting, the chemistry between these two is off the charts hot. We get to know them over a season of rumbas and jives and a memorable “boylesque” routine all the whole Stone and Gina are exploring their chemistry while realizing their season could end at any point.

I really enjoyed seeing the relationship between Stone and Gina blossom and their chemistry is super steamy. The book had a great balance of scenes focused on their dancing and other situations so it didn’t feel too one dimensional. I wished they would have had a more serious heart to heart about their future sooner - the conflict felt a bit dragged out and repetitive (they frequently used sex to avoid adult conversations but I’m not complaining all that much!). Overall loved this series opener and can’t wait to read the rest of them.

Content warnings: Gina’s parents are divorced and her father is absent; Stone’s family can be manipulative and deceptive; the antics of the show producers at times felt overly manipulative and bordering on voyeuristic.

I voluntarily reviewed a gifted copy. All opinions are my own.

Not sure why it took me so long to read this! It reminds me of Dancing with the stars meets The Simple Wild 😍 it was sometimes a slow build but it was a cute story.

Thanks Netgalley

I was in love with this book! The world, the characters, it was hard to not fall in love. I wanted more.

Exactly perfect formula for a romcom. I think this new cover is eye grabbing and will get lots of new readers. I love all the new books from this author. This one definitely delivered.

Take the Lead is a re-published novel about a fictitious dancing reality TV show inspired by Dancing with the Stars. While I haven't read the original publication to compare it to, I really enjoyed reading this! It was similar, almost too similar, to the author's other novel You Had Me at Hola.

The characters and their journeys were a delight to follow, the atmosphere of The Dance Off was fun, and the chemistry between the characters was fiery.

I wish we had gotten more time with the characters getting to know each other outside of the dance settings though, as that would have deepened their connection even further. The miscommunication trope near the end was also silly, and both characters acted immaturely, which was a bit annoying.

All in all, this was really enjoyable! I can always count on Alexis Daria for some fun and steamy escapism.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is a reality tv romance. Gina is a professional dancer and Stone stars on a reality show with his family in the Alaskan wilderness. The author does a great job going giving the reader an inside look at how the reality dance show is produced. The characters offer fun takes on the plot. As they dance towards the finals Gina and Stone perfect their moves and fall firmly in love.

❄️ There is nothing I would rather do on a snowy day than curl up with a coffee and a good book ❄️

Thank you to @netgalley for this digital ARC of Take the Lead by Alexis Daria!

Daria first stole my heart in You Had Me At Hola. I was so excited when I saw Take the Lead was available on NetGalley!

Here's what I absolutely loved:

👠 The ballroom dancing competition a la Dancing With the Stars was a ton of fun! I did ballroom in highschool and loved being able to picture the dances.
👠 Stone is a stone cold hottie. He's sweet, he's determined, and he treats Gina like a professional.
👠 Gina is a badass through and through. Her absolute dedication to her craft comes through on every page.
👠 I love Gina's best friend and want her to have her own romance novel!
👠 All of the featured dances where the characters were really in the moment, especially with Stone out of his comfort zone were really special.
👠 The steam had me 🥵🥵🥵, Daria never disappoints here
👠I loved the quote surrounding Gina's absentee father: "He doesn't get to be proud of me, you know? He didn't do anything to contribute...So no, he doesn't get to be proud, because he wasn't there for any of it."

Things that weren't my favorite

👠 I wish we got to "see" more of the full dances and less of the rehearsals for a lot of the numbers. Felt like a lot of exciting moments on stage became fade to black or skipped entirely.
👠 Stone and Gina don't really spend any time together off the dance floor. I don't understand where they intellectually fell in love outside of physical chemistry. The only real moment I loved was the salsa club at the very beginning. I wish there were more of those because that one was really well done!
👠 This miscommunication made me want to scream. Stone is an idiot and I think the reason for his choice is moronic.
👠 When the Broadway agent says (after asking if she can sing) "Not that it's a deal breaker if you can't. That can be taught." My note: " Lol. Yep. No prior singing experience needed for Broadway. JFC", 🤦🏻‍♀️ killing this choir director here

This sweet romance is out February 14th this year! Go and get yourself this cute romance on Valentine's Day 💓

I have picked this one up three separate times and still haven't finished. I think it's going to go in the bucket of "not for me".

I was drawn to the premise (I find celebrity romances to be completely irresistible) so it seemed like it was a good fit. I think the writing is just not working for me and I'm feeling really disconnected from the characters. The story is entertaining, but I"m not FEELING anything in the way I would like to. Ultimately, for now, this is a dnf at 25%.

If you love reality TV, cinnamon rolls and competing for your dreams this book is for you. Stars Gina, a professional ballroom dancer and Stone, reality survivalist. In the coming weeks they are challenged with their chemistry as partners, intense dances and a fight between what’s real and what to keep private or share.
#NetGalley

My first Alexis Daria book and it was quite an enjoyable tale. Gina and Stone are one hot couple, and watching their romance grow was fun and angsty, but not too angsty. This is the kind of book you sit down and read when you want fun and heat.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for giving me this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I am such a fan of Alexis Daria and so excited these are being re-published! This book took me back to the days of watching celebrity dance shows and now I am wondering why I ever stopped? It is always so fun to see the costumes and choreography and storytelling through those dances and this book managed to capture the pure joy those shows were.

I was entirely sucked into the competition and how Gina and Stone would do on their dances. TAKE THE LEAD kept me engaged in the romance AND the dancing plot so well that I honestly couldn't decide if I wanted the next chapter to be about the warm fuzzies or a determined rehearsal practice. Not to mention the themes of privacy/publicity and living authentically and the pressures to present yourself a certain way.

Gina and Stone and the romance factor was adorable from the beginning. He's a quiet, big, wilderness man who does not want to be there; she is big, loud, bubbly, city girl from the Bronx who wants him to take this seriously, dammit! This was a total opposites attract forbidden romance and I was hooked every single moment. They had amazing chemistry that only grew.

This one just made me so happy. After a few "just okay" romances this one was the warm fuzzies smile-on-my-face book I've been craving!

This was an updated version of the original book published a few years ago. I loved Stone and Gina together. On her own, Gina drove me a bit crazy.
They definitely had chemistry, but I found myself wishing for more conversation and substance between them.
Overall I enjoyed this book, but I don't feel the need to continue on with the series.

Loved the concept, loved the characters, and just had so much fun reading this one! I can’t wait to recommend it to all my romance loving friends, and maybe even convince some of my non romance reading friends who like dancing with the stars to give it a try!

If you’re a fan of Dancing With the Stars and like romance novels this is the book for you. I am a fan of the show and I really enjoyed having a reality TV show as the backdrop for a romance. It was super interesting to see behind the scenes and I thought the author did a great job at portraying that aspect. Gina and Stone had great chemistry instantly, there’s something so sexy and intimate about ballroom dance and their dance scenes were almost as hot as the actual sex scenes. Despite the reality tv setting this still had lots of depth too with Gina dealing with being a woman of color in a brutal industry. This was actually the authors debut back in 2017 and it’s being rereleased with a new cover! So a solid debut and since we’ve seen what the author can do this just places her firmly in my must read author list.

As fans of reality tv, and people who occasionally watch Dancing with the Stars, we knew we had to read this book! We were first introduced to Alexis Daria in 2020 when You had me at Hola was released. Once we devoured that book we needed to know if she had written any other books. Luckily for us she had!

Take the Lead is the first book in the Dance Off duology (that also has a novella!). This book was first published as an ebook and now in paperback with a new cover, updated text and bonus materials! We follow pro dancer Gina Morales and her celeb partner Stone Nielson during this new season of The Dance Off. Right off the bat they have chemistry that you can’t wait to see where it takes them and how being from two completely different worlds (Stone lives in Alaska with his family as wilderness survivalists) affects their relationship.

If you’re looking for a fun, spicy and interesting book this is definitely for you! (And check out the whole series while you’re at it!)

What we liked:
▪️Behind the scenes look into the show
▪️Gina and Natasha’s friendship
▪️camaraderie between Stone and other celeb contestants
▪️🌶🌶🌶🌶
▪️the Spanglish

What we didn’t like:
▪️Donna the producer and Lauren! (Probably not supposed to like them anyway)

Can two reality stars whose livelihoods are on the line, make a go of the passion growing between them? Or will the "reality" of it all bring them down?

On paper, the heroine and hero don't have much in common.
Gina Morales is a dancer on the competition show, The Dance Off (think Dancing with the Stars).
Stone Nielson is on the reality show, Living Wild, basically living off the grid.
She loves LA.
He loves Alaska.
But, coupled together for the new season of The Dance Off, they find they have a couple things in common.
Their hatred for the fake side of reality TV.
Their commitment to look good in the eyes of their family.
And most importantly, their shared attraction.

I like the couple’s interactions as they first started working together on this dance show, feeling each other out, so to speak. Both are respectful of one another and supportive in their journey. Things get complicated as they get closer, and Gina's responses didn't always seem fair. And I respected how Stone called her out on it.

While the overall plot was predictable, I enjoyed the evolution of this couple's story, and how they ultimately overcame the drama surrounding them.

This is a rerelease of the author's first book, and a fun one if you love dancing and/or reality shows.

This book is a re-release but feels incredibly fresh.
Gina Morales is one of the experts on a television dance program. She has been on the show for awhile but has never won. She needs to come out on top so that she can stay on the show. Hopefully she gets matched up with someone famous. Well, he sort of is.
Stone Nielsen became famous when his family with eight siblings was scouted for a reality show when they lived in the wilderness. He hates it. But he needs the money to help pay for his mom's surgery so... more reality television.
While their show handler feels different, Gina does NOT want to have a showmance. First, she wants to be taken seriously as a dancer and second, she doesn't want to perpetuate the myth of Latinas being oversexed. But she is fiercely attracted to Stone and they start a romance behind the scene.
What happens if their personal time together becomes public? How will the chips fall?
A little too much of a big misunderstanding at the end, just too much drama but overall a fantastic book.

Oh that slow burn…

This was sooo good! I felt so much while reading it - the passion, the desire, the connection, the hurt, the anticipation, the anxiety, the relief, the fall. I felt it all!

I also appreciated the representation and diversity in the cast of characters. I can definitely relate to Gina’s character in being typecasted based on your race and to try to constantly combat that.

Overall, this was such a good read and will re-read again!

4 stars! Thank you to NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

It definitely took me about 30% to get into the story but once I did, the story was good!

Gina has such great character growth and it’s nice to see her lower he walls and truly let Stone in. It was really nice to read all about the rehearsals and I enjoyed the friendship between her and Natasha.

Stone was so caring and I’m so happy that he break away and fine a true passion away from his family. It was great seeing him not as quiet and how he really opened up in the presence of Gina. You could really feel the tension between Stone and Gina!

This was a good read!

This book was just a delight to read. I highly recommend for anyone who wants just a charming romance to read that's centered around dancing. You can't go wrong!

Gina and Stone had great chemistry and I really felt the struggles their were facing with their future and life choices. Everything about their storyline just made sense and flowed so naturally. I can't wait to read more from this series because the brief moments of Natasha had me ready to read her love story.