This novel was boring Dancing With The Stars fan fiction. Not Daria's best work. I wasn't interested in the competition, Gina, or Stone, or any of the other characters.

Wonderfully written, and I just loved that the plot revolved around a Dancing with the Stars type show. THe connection between the couple was amazing and just so fun to read!

This was such a fun read! I enjoyed the characters and the dance competition scenery. I am a fan of Alexis and she did not disappoint.

3.25🌟 as someone who loves dance and dwts, i was super excited about this book! it's definitely a fun time, and i liked that there were high stakes for them if they were to take a chance on their relationship. i also thought this felt very true to how the politics and drama would unfold behind the scenes on a show like this, so it felt well researched and that made the reading experience even better! gina's internal conflict of wanting success in the industry, without sacrificing herself to the whims of the producers, and simultaneously wanting to push back against stereotypes of Latina women in media was such an interesting and nuanced discussion.

as for character backstories prior to the timeline of this book, i felt like we kept getting glimpses, but never fully committed to telling those stories, and i think that would've really rounded out these characters. additionally, i just wanted more emotional development to their relationship past the physical attraction to each other. outside of their close proximity and their lust for each other, i didn't necessarily feel like we were shown their deeper love connection.

*thank you st. martin's press & netgalley for the eARC!

the general plot was there, but the execution needed more tightening and the fears of the main female character almost felt exaggerated in terms of the story and progress. as much as she was fighting against a stereotype, it seemed as if she put her partner in one himself and it felt more and more as if their build up was forced. i really wanted to like it, but it just didn’t come together like i wished it would have. i did, however, enjoy the writing and the idea behind it.

Alexis daria can do no wrong! I adored this book and the premise was everything I love in a story. no complaints!

From the bestselling author of You Had Me at Hola comes another romance featuring celebrities and a whole lot of Latin love! Alexis Daria’s novel Take the Lead (coming out on February 14th) has everything you want in a romance book: sexiness, sweetness, and some juicy plotlines!

This book is basically a novelized version of “Dancing with the Stars” and I really enjoyed it! Reading about the descriptions of the dances Gina and Stone perform and having their chemistry build with each interaction was super fun to read about. But I also really liked the behind the scenes peek at what reality TV is really like and how scripted it all actually is!

Between the drama on and off the stage paired with a bunch of side characters that help move the plot along, this book is perfect for any fans of romance looking for a fun and flirty read.

This revamped version of Daria’s debut book is a fun read for any romcom fans! I cannot wait to read the rest of this series!

*I received an ARC from St. Martin’s Press in exchange for my honest opinion.

DNF at chapter 4. This seems too cheesy for my taste. I also don’t think hip surgery is the dire thing they made it sound to be at the beginning.

TAKE THE LEAD
By Alexis Daria

A debut novel by one of my favorite romance authors is hot hot hot! I love that the backdrop of this story is a dance competition, and between Gina and Stone, the chemistry was definitely swoon worthy and made me so happy to read this!

I am in love!

When professional dancer Gina is paired to dance Stone (sone of the star of a wilderness reality show) on The Dance Off, the producers make it clear that the two are this season’s “showmance.” The chemistry between Gina and Stone is undeniable, but their romance could ruin both careers.

I’ve always been a fan of Dancing with the Stars, so this was right up my alley. I thought the chemistry between Gina and Stone was great, and the reality tv show setting was super fun.

I enjoyed this book. Alexia Daria write a great book that is a quick read. She immerses the reader in the book world and I thought it was a great book.

A very fun read about dancing, with a slow burn romance, hate to love with Gina and Stone.
There was lots of fun drama that kept making me want to read.

4 stars

This was a fun and flirty romcom with a reality TV backdrop. The plot focuses on a “Dancing with the Stars” -esque competition show, and because a close friend and I had a phase in undergrad where we watched it consistently, the book made me reminisce about those times. It was a lighthearted story with a bit of angst and drama. All in all, I quite enjoyed reading it. Also, the cover art is beautiful.

Take the Lead by Alexis Daria. Pub Date: February 14, 2023. Rating: 3 stars. Set in the world of reality television, this story is of an unlikely pairing in a celebrity dancing competition. Sparks fly, dances are heated and emotions are put to the test in this drama filled romantic comedy. Two unexpected people are joined together in hopes of winning the competition, but can they win each other's hearts too? I liked this novel, but did not love it and found it to be a bit slow in development. I loved the premise though! Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review. #takethelead #netgalley

This was such a fun, entertaining, and lovely book. I felt like I was living this experience with the two main characters. And it was such a beautiful love story. I definitely recommend this book.

I really enjoyed this read! The dynamic between the characters was great and I loved getting a bit of an inside peek behind the curtain of reality dance shows!

Take the Lead was another anticipated release from Alexis Daria for me. I had a hard time believing the relationship between the characters and this might just be because I don't like reality tv storylines in books. I usually think that it would be better to watch than read, and that is how this felt for me. I kept skimming over all of the drama and was just interested in them together.

3.5/5 Stars

Another great book from Alexis Daria. I always have such a great time reading her books and this is no exception. I would say overall this was a four-star read, I did take half a star off but that was more for personal enjoyment as I'm not the biggest fan of reality Tv in books. Even with that being featured I ate this book up. I loved reading about Gina and Stone. This couple was on fire, I loved the chemistry between them, It turned me into a big puddle of goo. Also, I want to take a second to appreciate the amazing and strong Gina, She was freaking awesome. I absolutely recommend giving this a read! It's a great romance book and perfect for a romance reader.

I love Alexis Daria's books so much and really enjoyed her last two books. But, this book was different than the others that I have read. I felt like the connection between the two main characters didn't spark for me and it didn't really build, The connection just wasn't strong enough for me to completely buy into it and root for them in the end. That being said, I will always pick up and read any book by Alexia Daria.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this book.

Yes. I can’t even formulate a review because I loved every aspect of this book so much.