Take the Lead by A. Daria, published by St. Martin's Press, was originally published in 2017 as ebook and is now available in paperback too.
This is a beautiful opposites attract story.
Gina is a dancer and dances in a televised competiotion. Her partner is Stone, a Survivalist with his own tv show.
They simply fit like two peas in a pot. The story is set in Alaska, yay, one of my fav places to take place in a novel. A sweet story that mmade me laugh, swoon, gave all the feels, a witty and fun read.

I went into this book with no expectations as I had never heard of the author. Dancing isn’t a big interest to me unless it’s K-pop related, but I do love reality television so I was excited to read about what it’s like being the scenes, even if it is fictional. I’m happy to say that I was very satisfied with this book.

First a little warning - it is ghost pepper levels of spicy.

All of the characters are incredible, but I particularly loved the two main characters. Gina is a feisty Puerto Rican who is extremely talented and very focused on her career and goals. Stone resembles a cross between a Greek god and a Viking, and is basically living a lie. The way the characters are thrown together is really cool, and even through words their chemistry was sizzling.

The story itself is really intriguing. I found myself staying up way too late to read, wanting to see what happened next. I definitely loved the reality tv parts, and the darker side of the industry gave the story the conflict to keep it interesting.

I really enjoyed this book, and will definitely look more into this author!

'Take the Lead’ is a everything I want in a novel. There’s brilliant character development, a beautiful, steamy love story, and a portrayal of the characters’ world that is an accurate window to real life. Add in the fact that it takes place with the backdrop of a reality TV dance show? I already know it’s going to be fantastic.

Professional dancer Gina Morales is determined that this year will be her year to finally win it all on ‘The Dance Off.’ When she’s partnered with Stone Nielson, the sexy star of a wilderness show, she thinks that she might do just that. Stone doesn’t want to be on a celebrity dance show, but he will do anything for his family, including keep their secrets. When the producers machinations place them both in a precarious position, do they play along, or do they follow their own lead?

I found this book when I was new to contemporary romance, and it set the bar impossibly high. There’s meticulous plotting, great moments of humor, and chemistry that is so sizzling it burns up the page. Consent and communication are also at the forefront of this story, and I’m all the way here for it.

I also appreciate how Alexis Daria gives readers a no-holds barred depiction of what it’s like to be a Latinx woman in the entertainment industry, and all of the impossible barriers and standards that are placed in the way. This novel doesn’t shy away from the very real systems of oppression that are in place in real life, which I appreciated. After all, that is an integral part of Gina’s story.

If you’re looking for a book that will make you laugh, smile, smirk, and cheer, ‘Take the Lead’ will deliver all of that and more.

Thank you to St. Martin’s and NetGalley for generously providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

love me some Alexia Daria stories and this was one that i was old on. Plus look at the cover. Yum yum and they dancing. i was there for it all.

This was everything I signed up for!
Interesting, fun, diverse characters thrown into a reality TV show ! Romance between our MCs was lovely and steamy. It was cute and I was really rooting for these two. So, I would definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys a good contemporary romance!

A special thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.