Take the Lead had a number of really good things going for it; awesome characters, both MMC and FMC, great side characters, an interesting plot, and great chemistry and spice!

Gina and Stone were really cute together, with immediate chemistry but not insta-love necessarily. The setting, a celebrity dance competition, was unique in I hadn't read something similar in quite a while. The biggest thing I didn't connect to was the back and forth of will they/won't they. It was A LOT of hand-wringing, but it did feel more natural than other contemporary's that I've read.

Romance is my number one go-to genre, but I rarely do traditional contemporary romance. I am not super into contrived conflict, I usually go for the true conflict of someone being kidnapped, stalked, abducted by aliens, etc. I don't like drama in my real life, but I love fake, suspenseful drama in my romance novels! Generally, there was a good amount of drama without it being too over the top angsty.

I would recommend this book to folks who like contemporary romance, those who enjoy reality tv, and anyone who is looking for a light beach or flight read. 4/5 overall!

A fun, romantic, and steamy read. This novel has some of the signature Alexis Daris flair seen in her best selling You Had Me At Hola. Set against the backdrop of a celebrity dance competition. A fast paced read with plenty of chemistry and a solid plot. This romance checks all the boxes for a good time.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for an advanced electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Gina is a professional dancer on a celebrity dancing show, and she wants to win, proving to herself and everyone else how skilled she is. Stone is a reality TV star on a survivalist show in Alaska with his family, and he doesn't want to be on a dance show, but his family needs the money. Little do either of them know what this pairing will do for them...

I love Gina and Stone. Their chemistry, their banter, their everything is perfect. All of the conflict was realistic, which I loved because sometimes it feels like fictional conflict is blown way out of proportion. This was Alexis Daria's debut, being re-released into the world, and I think it deserves your attention!

CW: sexual content

For when you're vibing with: celebrity romance, Dancing with the Stars, opposites attract, showmance, and contemporaries with really hot sex.

Gina Morales, pro dancer on the hit reality show The Dance Off, is determined to win this season. Her plans hit a snag when her celebrity partner turns out to be Stone Nielson, the gruff, survivalist star of Living Wild. Not only is Stone quiet and not particularly enthusiastic about dancing--there's an immediate attraction between them. And Gina has a rule about dating her partners for a reason...

This is Alex Daria's debut, rejacketed with a bit of editing for a new release--and I've gotta recommend it. It's fun, emotional, and hot, with an immediate chemistry between the leads. Gina is driven, ambitious, and relatable in her efforts to stay professional. Stone is secretive, a bit awkward, and very, very appealing in his earnest smitten kitten nature.

Quick Takes:
--One of the things that's fun about a celebrity romance (even when the characters are low-level celebs like Gina and Stone) is the "behind the scenes" glimpse of how their worlds work. In this case, you have Stone and Gina pushed towards a showmance by their producers, and the catty bullshit between competitors as a great backdrop for tension.

--Speaking of: I haven't watched Dancing with the Stars in years, but the way I fell right back into the chaotic vibe? This book does really scratch an it on that front. I remember the couples that people wanted to see date so badly, I remember those that definitely did, and I remember the rumors about so and so hooking up with with so and so. There was something really fun about leaning back into that vibe.

--The sex was hot. After reading so many contemporaries where that just sort of falls apart, it was such a relief (and, though this cover is cute! Not something I necessarily think people will expect based off of it). Alexis Daria takes full advantage of writing a hero that's six and a half feet tall and capable of tossing his heroine around in complicated lifts and spins. What I'm saying is... he tosses her around in other arenas too, and thank God he does.

--I do think that the conflict driving the third act could've been a bit stronger. At points, I was a bit frustrated by certain stances characters would take, as they just didn't seem like a big enough deal to justify their decisions. However, this did feel acknowledged in the narrative, which took some of my annoyance away. And this was balanced by Stone and Gina having such an endearing romance that I just wanted to see them together, no matter what.

If you haven't been able to strike gold with a contemporary romance just yet, this could be the one for you. Its appeal feels universal and engaging, and it's just in the middle of high stakes and low stakes. Personally? I had a great time.

Thanks to St. Martin's Griffin and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I am a sucker for a celebrity romance. I’m not sure what it is. Maybe the secrecy that usually comes with it? Through in a competition too and you got me hooked. I liked this book and I thought it was so cool that it being re-released and I am excited to read the next book (which I think will also be re-releases because I cannot find it anywhere).

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book. Last year I discovered Daria's other two books and absolutely loved them. When I requested this one, I had no idea that this was not a new novel, but that didn't stop me from loving it! The one con I could see is that it took about the 50% way in to get to the spicy stuff but once you did boy it was good. Definitely worth the read and I'm sure lovers of Daria will love the characters and story as much as I did.

I must admit that I am not a huge Dancing With The Stars Fan, but I am now a huge fan of Take The Lead and Alexis Daria. This rereleased novel follows a couple on a reality show ballroom dance competition as they compete to win the tacky trophy (and each others' hearts). This novel has it all-romance, dancing, and behind-the-scenes drama of reality programming that any tv watcher will appreciate.

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

This book is a fun read for anyone who has ever enjoyed watching Dancing With the Stars - and wondered what things were like behind the scenes!

This is a reissue (with a new cover) of Alexis Daria's first novel. Since then she's published You Had Me at Hola and A Lot Like Adios, both bestsellers. For me, it was clear that the author has come a long way since her debut. Gina and Stone feel more one-dimensional than Daria's subsequent characters. I haven't read the sequel, featuring Gina's friend Natasha, but I'd be interested to see how it compares to book 1.

In sum: read this book if you like Dancing With the Stars, otherwise start with You Had Me at Hola.

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for sending me the e-arc of this book!

This was a delight, most especially because I am nostalgic about watching Dancing with the Stars with my mom in high school. If you have ever watched that show and were ever entertained by it, I think you'll enjoy this book. I really enjoyed both main characters and thought the trajectory of their relationship was natural. It wasn't instant love, there was a true slow progression, but I wouldn't call this a slow burn. The steam is there and it's good. I'd say the perfect amount for my taste. I hear this might be a series? I'm rooting for Gina's roommate Natasha next!

From my Instagram:

🔥 ℝ𝔼𝕍𝕀𝔼𝕎 🔥

Y'ALL! Why is nobody talking about this adorable, spicy little romance by award-winning author Alexis Daria? This book won the 2018 RITA® Award for Best First Book! 🏆 Well earned! 👏🏻

𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱
𝗕𝘆 𝗔𝗹𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘀 𝗗𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗮
𝟯𝟲𝟴 𝗽𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀
𝗣𝘂𝗯: 𝗙𝗲𝗯 𝟭𝟰, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯

You probably know Daria from her Primas of Power series: 𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝑯𝒂𝒅 𝑴𝒆 𝒂𝒕 𝑯𝒐𝒍𝒂 & 𝑨 𝑳𝒐𝒕 𝑳𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝑨𝒅𝒊𝒐𝒔. Take the Lead is actually her debut novel; the first book in the 𝑫𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝑶𝒇𝒇 series. It is being rereleased on Valentine's Day (fitting) with this hot new cover and updated text! 🔥

Stone Nielson is a burley, Viking-esque mountain man living in Alaska. He stars in a reality survival show with his family. Gina Morales is a polished Puerto Rican bombshell from the Bronx, and a professional dancer and choreographer. She's a regular on a reality TV dance show called Dance Off (think Dancing with the Stars). Gina and Stone are partnered for the current season of the show, and despite the scandalous producers' attempts to stage a "showmance", Stone and Gina plan to keep things strictly platonic -- both on screen and off. But things heat up - and not just on the dance floor. Sparks fly for these two and they can't help but be drawn to one another... until secrets catch up to them and drama on the show makes them question their priorities.

💭 This book has it all! High stakes, opposites attract, Forced Proximity, workplace romance, secret relationship, reality TV trope and more! It has high steam, sizzling chemistry, swoony romance, and is sprinkled with sexy dance routines. 💃🥵 The writing is strong and smart -- it's hard to believe this is a debut! It also has oodles of depth and touches on important topics like stereotypes, and the objectification and sexualization of women, particularly women of color. It's also an interesting look behind the scenes of reality TV. I could go on and on!

Add this one to your TBR friends!

Thank you @stmartinspress & @netgalley for the eARC ❤️
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A mountain man who BLUSHES whenever he’s asked a slightly flirty question? CUTE

Gina, a professional dancer on <i><s>Dancing with the Stars<s> The Dance Off</i>, is paired with Stone, a reality star on his family’s show <i>Living Wild</i>.

It was fun exploring the “realities” of reality TV. I felt completely immersed into <i>The Dance Off</i>. I was rooting for some partners and was sad to see when they were eliminated. Even Stone’s show was compelling. His family dynamics on & off screen were written so well.

The romance was lacking in comparison. Stone and Gina’s tension was done really well, and for half the book, I was <i>ready</i> for them to be together. However, after they hook up for the first time, we kind of time skip and gloss over their beginning as a couple. We go from sexual tension to settled into a (kinda) relationship. They still had incredible chemistry, but they became boring.

Gina’s point about not wanting to be sexualized because she’s Latina is understandable and explained well. Her reluctance to being in a relationship with a costar made sense, but it was frustrating to watch her insist nobody could know they were together while doing very little to conceal it. Oh, I was caught leaving your hotel by the paparazzi? Well, how about we make out at work?

During the third act conflict, both characters acted incredibly out-of-character. Stone, who is normally so understanding and patient, acted against Gina’s wishes. When she found out, she reacted so bitterly despite never lashing out verbally toward others when they messed up.

Overall, <i>Take the Lead</i> was an engaging read. As someone who enjoys competitive reality shows, this book gave me everything I could’ve hoped for: drama.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this copy of <i>Take the Lead</i> by Alexis Daria.

Told in dual perspectives, this romance novel is a fun and cute fish-out-of-water, secret romance book that reads very quickly. It's plenty adorable, light, fun, sweet, spicy and perfect for Dancing With the Stars fans. Like, seriously it's the ultimate DWTS fanfiction you didn't know you needed.

A Dancing with the Stars like setting with a romance between a Latina dancer and an Alaskan survival show star.

Gina is on her fifth season of Dance Off and has never made it to the finals, she feels this is her year until she meets Stone, a man who has lived off grid in Alaska for most of his life and with zero dancing experience. Right from the get go Gina gets a feeling she is being set up to fake a showmance for the sake of the show and is firmly against it. What she doesn't expect is for the intimacy and chemistry she builds with Stone while dancing, may lead to attraction off the dance floor as well.

This was so fun. I have never really kept up with Dancing with the Stars but have tuned into watch every now and then so this was such a good backdrop for a story. I really believed the chemistry between the characters, Stone was very swoon worthy, the behind the scenes look into reality tv production was the perfect levels of dramatic. This was a great read for me.

LOVE LOVE LOVE Alexis Daria! Seriously she's just the most fun and relatable writer... straddling the lines between heartfelt storytelling and very hot moments make her books just tick. I ate this one up and I'm eagerly awaiting her next release. Thank so much for a net galley copy of this release.

Honestly, give me anything written by Alexis Daria and I will gobble it up. Take the Lead was no exception. This was such a fun premise and I enjoyed the antics that ensued while we ramped up to our inevitable romantic coupling. I would die for Stone and Gina and I can't wait to read the rest of the Dance With Me series.

I love this author and this was another sizzling rom- com to be adored! I liked Stones character and the chemistry and banter between him and Gina. They were adorable and this book had all the feels, even though it could get serious at times. Gina’s family was super sweet too! A must read!!!!

So I just saw Alexis Daria's name and jumped on this ARC without paying attention to the fact that it's a republication of her debut novel, which I read a few years back. I realized it on the first page, but I wasn't mad about it because I'm a big fan and was happy to read it again. I forgot a lot about this, so I don't know if anything major changed from the first publication, but it was a really fun read. Gina is a professional dancer living in Los Angeles and working on a reality TV dance competition show called The Dance Off (which is basically Dancing with the Stars). For the upcoming season, she's paired with Stone Nielson, who is on a reality TV show with his whole family about living "off the grid" in Alaska. He's going on the show to get money to cover medical bills from his mom's recent hip replacement but Gina is in it to win it, having been threatened that if she doesn't win this season, she may be out of a job. Gina wants to keep their relationship super professional, but they get closer and also spend a lot of time very literally close, so things start to get a little complicated. I loved Gina and Stone separately and together, and I would absolutely love to see a movie of this.

This story is about Stone and Gina, who are on a dance reality series and trying to win, Gina to secure her place on the series and Stone, for the financial benefits. They have chemistry, but are trying to fight it.
I wanted to love this, but unfortunately it fell flat for me. It had all the things I normally love in a romance, forced proximity, slow burn and characters that were great on paper. I just don't know where it went wrong. I found myself not really caring if they got together or not. Also, Stone's family members are not that great and it's not surprising that he is the best of them. Gina's family on the other hand are all supportive and great. This one just did not work for me.

This was... okay? It feels less put together than AD's newer books--it felt like a re-release and i think i was hoping for more. It improved throughout the book and i liked it fine, but Stone's descriptions in the beginning ("her golden skin reminiscent of the cones of a sitka spruce after they had matured" "full lips the color of winterberries" "she stood out like a palm tree in the middle of the tundra") were a little too over the top for me.

This book is such a feel-good read! I love that it takes place in a reality dance show competition and that Stone comes from a reality TV show. Daria perfectly balances the different pressures put on men versus women and how that impacts success. She manages to do this without weighing down the mood of the book and keeps everything light-hearted while still tackling hard issues very well. I love the chemistry that builds and the pacing for the romance is perfect. There is a real depth to the characters and it feels very authentic. Really, really fun and cute romance book! I can't wait to read more in this series! 5 stars, 2.5 spice