I loved this book. It was like stepping backstage on Dancing with the Stars. The characters’ chemistry was instant. The book gave you the romance with a side of the inequalities of show business. This is the second book I’ve read by this author and I’m sure I’ll be reading more in the future!

Gina Morales is a professional dancer on a dance competition TV show, and she is determined to win this season. Despite her wishes for an Olympian as a partner, she is paired with reality TV survivalist Stone Nielson. Even worse, her producer is pushing for a showmance, something that Gina refuses to do because of the way it might negatively impact her image. However, there is instant attraction between Gina and Stone, and the more time they spend together the more they trust and care for each other. Both characters have a lot of growing to do and secrets to share before they can be together, though.

A fun read with a wonderful cast of characters. Gina and Stone's individual development as characters and the development of their relationship is well written and well paced. Alexis Daria balances fun and flirty scenes with discussions of real issues. Perfect for fans of reality TV and Dancing With the Stars!

Some days you really just need a frothy, fun, enjoyable romance novel to take your mind off the world around you. This novel provides just that and it was even easier for me to get into it because I share a name with the main character. Gina is the dancing master on the dancing show that should make her a household name, when her new partner turns out to be an Alaskan wilderness man she wonders if she’s going to be able to make that happen. We all know they’re going to fall in love, but the getting there is the fun part.

I don't know how to describe what I'm feeling; other than confusion. Usually, I'm a dual POV hater. Totally hate it. When you add flashbacks to the mix I'd rather set the entire book on fire before I finish it. But somehow, in Some inexplicable way, Alexis Daria wrote a book with a dual POV that I enjoyed!?!?!?!?!
HOW DID SHE DO IT?!?!?
I know she got them dancing some salsa and had my entire time in her writing.
Alexis wrote super fun characters that are REAL and struggle and absolutely wonderful. Did I always agree with what they did?
Nope. Did I want to fight them sometimes? Maybe
but this book rocks and I disagree with anyone who thinks otherwise.

I received an advance review copy for free from NetGalley & St. Martin's Press, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This book was not for me, and I'm disappointed because the cover was so nice looking. I have read two of Alexis Daria's books before and I enjoyed reading them. I think that the reason this book wasn't it for me was because I thought it was going to be amazing. I didn't relate to the characters or vibe with the story. I guess I shouldn't judge a book by its cover.

I absolutely loved the remastered version of Take the Lead by Alexis Daria. I've had this book in my Want to Read list since I got Dance All Night from the Library, but I couldn't find it from the library. Rerelease to the rescue!

Gina and Stone are wonderful! Gina knows what she wants. She is fighting stereotypes with her amazing dance, choreography, and professionalism. But she is still pulled to her dance partner Stone. Stone comes out of his shell, comes more into himself, through the dances and the whole process. Their chemistry is off the charts!

I received an advance review copy for free from NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Where to begin... This is my third Alexis Daria novel and it will be my last. 1 ⭐️

Even though Alexis Daria is not at the top of my list for romance authors, if you love a smutty, drama-filled romance, her books are definitely for you! If you are a Dancing with the Stars fan, you may want to give Take the Lead a chance 💃🏻.

What I liked:
- Stone was my favourite love interest in all of Alexis' books. I mean, with a name like Stone, what's not to love? 😍 Unlike the love interests of A lot like Adios and You Had me at Hola, Stone was much more humble and selfless. A round of applause for the man who helped me get to the end of this book 👏🏼.

What I didn't like:
- As always, the relationship between the two main characters happened way too fast for me. Maybe it's just me but I am a slow-burn kinda gal 💓. It's all about the physical attraction for these characters. There's little depth to their relationship. I need more than just lust. I need some romance, please.
- If you love spice, this book is for you, my friend 🔥. For me, though, it was too much. At times it even took away from the story.
- Alexis Daria's writing has yet to surprise or impress me. It can feel choppy, spending too much time on some scenes while bigger moments are skimmed over. There are often times when the same issue/event is discussed multiple times between different characters to the point that it's just repetitive.
- I'm not a Dancing with the Stars fan - I've never seen a single episode - but I do love some reality TV. But it takes more than just 2 characters for a drama show like this book is based on. The side characters in this book were truly forgettable.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an eARC in exchange for my honest review! 💖

Gina Morales has been a dancer on the reality tv show The Dance Off for four seasons and never won. This season - her partner is Stone Nielson, a big sexy Alaskan wilderness reality star, and this might be her shot. Stone doesn’t want to be on the show, but is willing to do it to pay for his mom's medical bills, even if he's afraid of accidentally spilling his family secrets. The producers want them to fake a showmance; they're not interested. But the chemistry is real on and off the dance floor. Their romance being exposed might threaten their success or push them even higher into fame.

I loved the tension between them, and dancing so close was a great way to amp up the tension even higher. Keeping their relationship a secret also helped to make everything a little sexier with the prospect of getting caught.

Stone had fantastic depth to him, all hidden behind a quiet exterior. He was well fleshed out and very complimentary to Gina’s personality. Gina is strong, funny and full of life. I loved her morals and ambition. Their relationship forces them to dig deeper and take a look at their current lives.

I have a hard time with shitty workplaces in romance books, but it turned out not to be as bothersome for me. This book is for anyone that loves opposites attract romances and reality tv shows like Dancing with the Stars.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for the ARC!

Just in time for Valentine’s Day (as we await “Primas of Power #3), Alexis Daria has updated the first installment of her award-winning 2017 “Dance Off” ebook series, “Take the Lead”. The author has updated text and bonus stuff, plus the cover now includes more clothes and colorful avatars 😀 and will be in paperback.

After the bestelling “You Had Me at Hola,” I had already added Ms. Daria’s previous books to my TBR pile. Now I have one with a cuter cover (dudes-without-shirts covers never were my thing, going all the way back to Fabio).

In “Take the Lead”, Gina, a professional dancer, is in her 5th season of “Dance Off!”, not having yet won. She’s on a seaplane ride to remote Alaska to meet her new partner, blonde long-haired Stone, half-nakedly chopping wood (Oh! The previous cover of this title! I get it now!) He’s a survivalist TV veteran and Gina quickly realizes why she’s in full makeup and hair in the middle of nowhere — they will be the new season’s “showmance”. Gina’s goal is to win professionally; Stone’s goal is to get the prize money for his mom’s medical expenses (although he’s keeping that quiet). They definitely have the inklings of attraction between them, but a romance (no matter what the producers wants) might not be the best for them. But, then, oh you know….

I love this author’s engaging, delightful, funny writing. Her characters are well-written and even though the plot seems predictable, it’s a wonderful, romantic, easy read that will put you in a great mood. if you are a fan of Ms. Daria’s “Primas of Power” series, you’ll love the reissue of her backlist title. 5 stars!

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

Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): NO Stone’s whole outdoorsy-named siblings (Reed, Wolf, Winter, Raven, Violet, and Lark) mostly have mom Pepper’s bright blue eyes, although Reed and Raven have hazel eyes, the closest color to green.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): NO Appropriate Sitka Spruce in Alaska and anyway Gina “had healthy distrust of forests. Forests had animals and serial killers hiding behind every tree.” Also, Stone has a way of horticulturally describing Gina as “her golden skin reminiscent of the cones of a Sitka spruce after they had matured. Her full lips were painted the color of winterberries….”

I was so excited for this book! The premise is really fun, and I've never read a dance competition style of book. Gina and Stone had great chemistry, and it was fun seeing the ins and outs of the dancing competition. I wish this book gave more. The pacing of their story was a bit rough. The emotional journey was fun, but it took a while for them to get it together.

Overall, a fun quick read! I always love a book with Latina representation too.

3 stars

There were parts of Take the Lead that I liked... but for the most part it was just "meh" for me. Gina is a professional dancer on a "Dancing with the Starts" type show and her partner Stone is from a family reality series. Gina prides herself on using her talent (and nothing more) to advance her career, so when the producers try to engage her in a "showman" for ratings, she isn't keen on the idea. Even if she is rather fond of her partner.
I felt like the character development was missing a little something. Stone went from cold to hot quickly and couldn't decide if he was closed off or an open book. I didn't feel the any sparks between the MC's and would have liked to see a little more tension and a little less insta-relationship vibes.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Griffin for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you for the eARC of this book! If you’re a fan of dance reality shows like Dancing with the Stars, you will enjoy this book! The setting is a dance off competition show where we also get a taste of how the backstage production goes (taking some video clips without the dancers knowledge, pairing couples together to fill certain roles on the show,etc). Gina and Sloan develop something bigger than the show and it’s fun to see their relationship progress. This is a really enjoyable read.
3.5 stars!

This was a lot of fun and I genuinely enjoyed these two together. Not too much conflict and the resolution was a touch fast as well.

This book was so cute! I hadn't read the original version but I've read You Had Me at Hola and A Lot Like Adiós and really loved them. this book did not disappoint! highly recommend, 5/5 stars. perfect romcom to read while unwinding from a long (or short!) day of work. characters/storyline felt very believable. wish there was more...

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I would give this somewhere from 3.5-4 stars. It was a cute and fun read, and I loved how it was set in the world of dance and reality TV. The protagonists were incredibly easy to love and root for, and the conflicts felt realistic in the context of the setting and their identities. This was my first read by Alexis Daria, and now that I've finished it, I'm definitely planning to check out her other works!

I absolutely adored this book! My first read of an Alexis Daria novel and it was wonderful- I'll definitely be checking out her other books! Stone and Gina were such a cute couple, and the supporting cast were great (excluding Donna, obviously!) I don't watch Dancing With The Stars but the premise made for such a sweet book and I was so invested in their journey! I also love that the cast were diverse in many ways- not just with race/ethnicity. Supporting characters included a Paralympic gold medalist and a nonbinary Broadway casting director.

This was a super fun read! I will definitely recommend to friends. It'll be a perfect read for valentines next year to make you feel all the things!

Made me want to dance while reading. Really good detailed descriptive writing. Captured the tense emotions with the lead characters. Those dance scenes were amazing. Felt like a movie, like I wasn’t actually reading a book. These kind of books are my favorites. Gina and Stone felt like real characters with emotional paths. Great ending, the story felt complete and not forced. I did have a bit of doubt reading a book about a dance competition, but I blown away at how good this on is.

I was given an ARC by Netgalley and St Martins Press in exchange for an honest review! I absolutely loved this book! Fans of dancing with the stars will eat this up!!

It’s Gina’s fifth season on the Dance off and all she wants to do is win! She is paired up with Alaskan wilderness star Stone. He had no dance experience, hates LA and is only here for one purpose, He wants to pay off his mothers medical bills! Neither of them are looking for a romance or showmance for that matter! But feelings rise and things heat up on and off the dance floor. Gina and Stone will have to decide if love comes before their careers or not?

I absolutely loved this book! It reminded me of my favourite TV show dancing with the stars! I loved seeing the progression of Gina and Stone’s relationship! I loved seeing the two dance and practice and could picture each of the shows segments in my head. I loved the setting of Alaska throughout and Stone’s family! The spice was on point! Really excited to see what the final book in this duology brings!

Be sure to grab your dancing shoes and pick this up on Valentine’s Day Feb 14,23!

Oh, I loved this. Stone and Gina are incredible characters who I was rooting for the entire time, and I think Alexis Daria did an amazing job of setting the story against the backdrop of a dancing competition and she built out the side characters in such a fun way. I'm so happy for her that Take the Lead is getting a new cover to build off the success her Primas of Power series is getting and introduce this book to new audiences.