This was a fun and sexy romance with unforgettable characters, a great take on a reality ballroom dance show, family drama and so much more. Once I started reading I knew that I would not be able to put the book down until I read the last word. I loved the instant attraction and explosive chemistry between professional dancer Gina Morales and Stone Nielson, her celebrity partner who is the sexy star of an Alaskan wilderness show. If you enjoy reality dance shows, you will love Take the Lead. I received an advance reader copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving my review. I liked it so much I purchased a copy to enjoy again later.

4 stars

It's a Dancing with the Stars-esque book, I love books centered around reality competitions probably because I watch so many of them in my spare time.

I really enjoyed this book, though I wish that the romance and characters were more developed but what is there I did enjoy. The largest part of the storyline focused on the dancing but there could have been more description of the dancing. The sex scenes were funny and wish that there were a few more humorous scenes in the book.

Thank you St. Martin's Griffin and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to St. Martin's Griffin, Alexis Daria, and Netgalley, for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Lots of drama, spice and good story! Love Alexis Daria's work!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for a review. I previously read Alexis Daria's "You Had me at Hola" and "A lot Like Adios" and really enjoyed them. I love the celebrity and second chance romances and as a fellow Puerto Rican I loved the authentic representation. I didn't know before I picked up this book that "Take the Lead" was a re-release of Daria's debut novel but I could see hints of it while I read. Take the Lead is compulsively readable and very enjoyable. I love a celebrity romance and Daria does a great job here of looking at some of the less glamourous aspects of fame As someone who grew up in the 2000's in the heyday of reality TV, I thought this was an insightful look at the affects of reality TV and how "real" it is or isn't. And of course it still has the steam you have come to love and expect from a Daria romance. The only reason I say you can tell this is actually a debut is that the main characters are slightly less fleshed out than in the Primas of Power series and I found Gina's reason for avoiding the burgeoning romance a bit immature for an adult romance (although I have seen the I got hurt once by a boy at 18 coming up more frequently than I would like). Overall, this is a very enjoyable romance that I would recommend.

I LOVE Dancing with the Stars, so when I read the synopsis of this, I knew I had to read it. It did not disappoint. It was a fun romance.

Gina Morales is a dance professionals on The Dance Off. Her parenter, who is partnered with Stone Nielson, is on a reality show with his family where the live in the wilderness. Gina really needs a win to keep her job and is motived. Stone's mom recently had surgery that resulted in some lofty medical bills, and he is motivated to win for the money.

They have amazing chemistry from the beginning. When they are nudged to have a "fake relationship" to help them win, neither it interested. But things get a bit steamy and maybe they won't actually have to fake that relationship after all!

Many thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Alexis Daria never fails to deliver the heat when I read her books. As someone who enjoys reality TV, I couldn't wait to read this. I loved the tension and the chemistry shared by Gina and Stone. I felt like I was in the room, watching them waltz across the floor.

With lovable characters, a competition, and dancing to keep these 2 chest-to-chest, what's not to love??? It's Dancing With the Stars with a romance!

***3.5 STARS ROUNDED UP TO 4 STARS ON GOODREADS***

411...

Gina Morales has BIG dreams when she hops on a seaplane to Alaska to meet her partner in the next season of The Dance Off. In the four season of being a contestant on the show, she has yet to make it to the finals. She's hoping to get paired with an Olympian who is agile and can easily learn the choreography. Who she meets when they dock in Alaska is not what she expected. Tall Rugged Outdoorsman Stone Nielson signed up as a contestant for The Dance Off to help out his family but a dancer he is not. He does however have some experience with reality tv since his parents and siblings are known for their show based on outdoor living in the Alaska wilds. When these two meet and realize just how big the differences are in the lives they're living, they question whether this can workout. To the shows producers, their differences are exactly what makes them the ideal dance couple to have a "Showmance." A storyline to fee the public and get them invested in Gina and Stones on screen chemistry is a tried and tru way to boost up the ratings. Neither one wants to fake a romance but they both have a lot to lose if they don't. For Gina, it's her last shot at fame and really jump starting her career. It's the reason why she left the Bronx and moved to L.A and she doesn't want to throw in the towel just yet. For Stone who is hiding a family secret, this show can grant him the money he needs to help them. This may not be his comfort zone but he's up for the challenge.

WRITING & FINAL THOUGHTS...

This was a tandem read between my eGalley copy and audiobook which may be the reason why I didn't rate it a bit higher. It took me a bit to get into the narrators style but I'd say two hours in is when elements of the show started taking off and I started to get into the story. It's fast paced with what can be called instalove but considering the whole setting is this episodic dance show, we get to see Gina and Stone's romance develop along the way. This wouldn't typically work for me but that's because I'm just a slow burn girlie, I actually felt the instalove worked in this story because of its dance show theme. Alexis Daria did her thing with scene and dance descriptions that brought excitement to the page. The competition aspects were woven in perfectly and because some of the dances practiced/performed are sensual, our couple had a ton of close proximity moments where it was just HOT!

As a fellow Latinx woman I loved seeing Gina address the stigma attached to many Latinx women. How in the entertainment industry, Latinx women are often seen as spicy, feisty and seductive. Taking care of her image and maintaining her professionalism is something she takes seriously because of these stigmas. This is definitely a romance but first and foremost we get a strong goal oriented Latina who knows herself and what will make her happiest is this career she's nurtured. Stone is also very true to his roots and Alaska is his home, we see him getting real with himself and redefining his wants/needs. I loved these two together, they're polar opposites yet their differences compliment each other so well. If you love dancing, choreography, and high stakes competition with a big dose of close proximity/steamy scenes then pick this one up!

- opposites attract (city girl & a wilderness boy)
- dance show competition
- instant connection

While this book started out strong for me, I ultimately became very annoying by our main characters. I liked the simple attraction and the way their dance rehearsals brought them closer together. But I didn't ultimately believe in their chemistry and I did not enjoy the 3rd act break-up.

Such a delightful romance story following Gina, a professional dancer, and her partner in her dancing with the stars reality show, Stone, an Alaskan wilderness man. As they get to know each other, sparks fly and they find more than just dancing in common. Loved this one!

Alexis Daria did a really good job at creating a reality tv show setting that seemed reasonably realistic and characters that worked really well in it. I thought that Stone and Gina’s dynamic was really nice, but I wanted more interactions between them that weren’t in front of cameras throughout the whole book. It felt like the miscommunication and avoidable situations were a bit unnecessary, and the conclusion at the end wasn’t as satisfying as it could have been since it felt like a too convenient and sudden change of mind and circumstance. I did really like how Stone grew more confident in himself and comfortable with himself (even though I felt he needed to initiate more of an explicit conversation with his family to address his issues). Overall, it was a nice read and I enjoyed it!

I loved Take the Lead so much!!! I loved the pacing, the romance, the setting, the plot, and the characters. I seriously can't say a single bad thing about this story. I think Gina and Stone's chemistry and friendship was written in such a realistic way and I couldn't wait for them to get together. This was such a feel good story which left me with so much happiness. I highly recommend!

This was a wonderful romance set in a reality dance competition. Stone is the celebrity who is part of another reality show with his parents about living in the wilderness in Alaska, Gina is his dance partner. As soon as they see each other, they know there could be chemistry there but Gina's past and Stone's secret are actively working against there being anything between them. it was a case of will they, won't they and Alexis Daria is a pro at writing loveable Latina protagonists who you can't help but root for.

I love Alexis Daria so much. She has never let us down and this book shows us why she is a consistent auto-buy or auto-read. I loved every bit of this, especially the merging of cultures.

Opposites attract in this reality dance competition romance between two dance partners. I LOVED this backlist re-issue from one of my favorite authors!! Gina and Stone were two main characters who were incredibly easy to root for and their chemistry was on FIRE!!

Heartfelt and spicy and great on audio too narrated by Seraphina Valentine. I can't wait for the other books in this series to come out on audio. If you like reality television romances like One to watch or Dancing with the Stars you don't want to miss this! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

This is the second book I've read by Alexis Daria and it won't be the last! Take the Lead was a fun spin on a Dancing with the Stars romance and I loved every second of it.

Gina is a seasoned dance professional on The Dance Off, a popular dancing competition that pairs professional dancers with celebrities and reality stars. She's never won before and the pressure is on this season. Nature survivalist Stone is more comfortable in quiet Alaska than the streets of LA, but he has his own reasons for trying to win the show. The pair may seem ill-suited as partners, but it's not long before sparks begin to fly.

You don't need to be a fan of Dancing with the Stars to enjoy Take the Lead, but I do think you may enjoy it more. I loved seeing the cast tackle all of the different dance styles and the backstage drama all felt very real. It felt like I was watching a season of the show. The chemistry between Gina and Stone was palpable throughout the novel and I felt they were a really great match who worked to overcome real drama. I hope Natasha gets a book next!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for a review copy.

This book was a joy to read, and I had so much fun with these characters. The characters were amazing and funny and seemed to have real struggles. I loved the way that Gina and Stone bonded I definitely felt like they had chemistry and I loved how much dance was incorporated into the book it made it so interesting. Gina was also very relatable in terms of struggling with having a relationship when she wanted to focus on her career due to problems in the past. I also loved seeing how they were going to dance every week. Overall loved the characters and it was a fun and quick read with a great romance. Thank you to St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Griffin, and Netgalley for providing this eARC in exchange for our honest review.

A fun book that reminds me of dancing with the stars.

Cute story with a fun premise, I read it in one night!

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of the book.

Alexis Daria is a new-to-me author. I was immediately drawn to Take the Lead.. The novel is immediately immersive. Gina is strong, determined and she has an amazing dance talent, both for teaching and dancing. Stone is mysterious and self-centered. He took longer to feel for.

The attention to detail is amazing. We see a challenging, cautious, then caring side to both of them. I liked this, as it gave their relationship a playful angle.

Is this strictly business or pleasure?

The writing style was very good and the attention to detail was perfect. Every very word was chosen for maximum effect, whether that is to create atmosphere for setting or character development.

Thanks to Alexis Daria and St Martin's Griffin for my eARC n exchange for an honest and voluntary review. Take the Lead was thoroughly enjoyable.

Really looking forward to more books from this author.



5 stars.

A closed-off dancer and a wilderness expert collide in a reality TV competition, sending sparks flying and exposing the darker side of Hollywood in Alexis Daria's "Take the Lead."

All Gina Morales wants to do is win. This is her fifth season on the popular dancing competition, The Dance Off, where she's always come close to the end, but never quite made it. Gina hopes that this season's partner will be able to keep up with her and get them the gold - something she doesn't expect from wilderness expert and television survivalist Stone Nielson. When the partners meet, the chemistry is off the charts, throwing both Gina and Stone for a loop as they navigate the press chasing after their romance and the real-life impact of their connection.

I really enjoyed Daria's writing style throughout the majority of this novel! Gina had a great personality that jumped off the page from the get-go. The first meeting between Gina and Stone is still one of my favorite scenes, especially with Gina's panicked internal dialogue as she realizes the producers are pushing the two of them together as a showmance, or faux couple, just to raise the show's ratings.

My issues with this book ranged, but mostly they boiled down to the fact that after the first meeting, I found myself not really invested in Gina and Stone's relationship. The dialogue was a little stilted for me and didn't feel quite realistic, especially with the constant back and forth of reminding the reader that almost every initial interaction is being filmed. Some of the situations the two of them are put in feel ridiculous, and while I could have disregarded a few of them for it being a romantic comedy, it did feel like they kept getting thrown into unrealistic situations. I think I would have personally preferred a toned down version that let the characters breathe and have a bit more of an emotional connection.

This book is perfect for avid watchers of Dancing with the Stars (in the states) or Strictly Come Dancing (in the UK) and for fans of celebrity romances that throw in the stress of the public eye. Overall, I really enjoyed the remastered version of Daria's debut and can see myself picking up the rest of the books in this series because I did enjoy the author's writing style!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and St. Martin's Griffin for providing me a copy of this book for an honest review.

An entertaining and sexy read!
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.