If it’s enemies to lovers, I’ll definitely read it and The Takeover was a great book in this trope! The chemistry and banter between Nami and Jae was perfect, but I also loved how strong Nami was and was rooting for her the whole time.

I liked the concept of this book in theory, that everything in your life is going wrong and to top it off, your childhood rival comes into your life when you’re having the worst time and it leads to witty moments. I just don’t think this book is for me, I wasn’t really enjoying it as much as I could’ve!

This one was funny, a little bit cheesy, and had a lot of heart. It’s obvious the companies that inspired each of the companies featured in the novel.

The childhood enemies to lovers thing was cute, and the spicy ramen scene had me cracking up laughing. Jae and Nami’s first and second kisses were also *chef’s kiss* amazing. I laughed quite a bit throughout with the teasing in this novel, and that grandma was a hoot. The grand gesture at the end was really sweet.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Ahh, I absolutely loved this book! I could not put it down honestly. I was hooked from the beginning.

The enemies to lovers/high school rivals was spot on!
The banter was so good and I genuinely laughed out loud at times.
Jae and Nami were such great characters and I loved how they made each other better.

I would definitely recommend this to others especially fans of romance and enemies to lovers.

I seriously could not put this book down. From the witty banter of a stolen office chair to the enemies to lovers trope. This book is perfection!! Please everyone read when it comes out this month!!

Did I read a different book than everyone else? Because that was… just, not good.

Even if you can get past the <i>wildly</i> unethical behavior both Jae and Nami display in getting involved while Jae is attempting an acquisition of Nami’s company, even if you ignore the fact that at no point do we see a version of Nami that seems capable of successfully building and running a business, even if you dismiss the outrageously sketchy way Imani keeps Nami out of the loop on her funding conversations as they try to save their company, even if you believe that two women of color who co-found a tech startup would put up with the walking lawsuit that is Dell, even if you don’t mind that this book apparently has a hard-on for crypto…

… the relationship between Nami and Jae is still incredibly immature, dominated by ‘witty’ banter that’s actually just juvenile insults and the inability to get past their high school rivalry (despite both being ostensibly very successful adults long-past graduation). He calls her an insulting nickname, in <i>business meetings</i>, and she never corrects him? He seriously thinks he can waltz back into her life and attempt a hostile takeover of her company, and she’ll be glad to see him? The only good thing I can say about these two is that at least they’re together so they don’t inflict themselves on anyone else.

I would say this book just wasn’t for me, but I’m sort of shocked it’s for anyone.

<i>Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.</i>

"The Takeover" is an enjoyable romantic comedy set in a workplace that is sure to make you laugh. The story follows Nami, one of the three partners of a business called Toggle, which is failing and needs to be bought. However, Nami doesn't want to sell it to anyone who won't keep its integrity intact. Enter Jae, the VP of acquisition at Rainforest, a mega-company that buys out tech companies and mines user data. Jae is also Nami's high school nemesis, and she is determined not to let him win Toggle.

Nami and Jae's relationship develops from enemies to lovers in a hate-to-love-you kind of way. It is a short book, so there's no slow burn, but there is an attraction on both sides. The banter between these two characters is amazing, and I love the quips and barbs that they throw at each other. Nami and Jae are a perfect match, with Nami being sweet, honest, a rule-follower, and obsessed with work, while Jae is morally grey, family-motivated, and also obsessed with work. We get a glimpse into each of their family dynamics and learn that they have a lot in common, and both undergo some personal growth throughout the story. I also enjoyed the chair drama that unfolds at the beginning of each chapter. The only thing I didn't enjoy was the repetitive mentions of Jae's chest and his height, which seemed to occur in just about every interaction between the two. Overall, it was a quick and fun workplace drama that had me laughing out loud.

Nami has put her heart and soul into the tech company she created, Toggle. But when selling Toggle seems to be the only viable option Nami does not expect her old high school nemesis to be at the bargaining table. Jae prides himself on being able to close a deal. No matter what happens to a company or its employees, Jae gets the job done. When he and Nami go head to head again they can’t help but ignite each other’s fire once again. Nami is determined not to sell to Jae’s company but can’t ignore the passion between them. Will she let her employees down or be able to save her company and keep her relationship with Jae?

This is one of the best office romances I have read! There is a lot of depth to these characters and it was so enjoyable to see them both be free and also vulnerable in each other’s company. Jae and Nami not only discuss business but familial expectations and slowly discover what they really want out of life. This was such a fun and enjoyable read, I highly recommend it!

This was a really enjoyable contemporary romance! I loved the witty dialogue, the even pacing, and the rivals to lovers romance. Nami is a great protagonist!

Such a great enemies to lovers romance!
I was instantly addicted to this book and could not put it down.
Everything from the delicious tension that they try to ignore, to the way they couldn't escape each other due to familial ties.
I also enjoyed the mother daughter aspect of this. I love those kinds of stories.
I would love to post about this book especially since it is a BIPOC author, but am currently abstaining from posting due to my St. Martins Press boycott.
The three demands are clear and simple.
St. Martins Press, do better.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC!

The Takeover was well written. The characters were relatable and funny! The first 25% of the book was hard to get through! As the story progressed it was an easy and quick read.

The Takeover was absolutely fantastic. I loved the hate flirting and the banter, and it was all around just a hilarious good time!

As Nami turns 30, she is feeling the pressure of her own expectations. There is aversion of herself she thought she'd be by now. And then to make matters worse, her high school nemesis Jae is back in her life. Jae now works at a company that is poised to buy out the one Nami leads and loves. Very quickly, they fall back into their own ways, but then their relationship goes in a different direction - as you might infer given this is a romance. This one took me a minute to get into, but once it got me, I was hooked! What I liked is the "extras" of humor, of family dynamics/culture, and of two humans just trying to figure out what they wanted to be. This was a delight of a romance read to start off 2024! Thanks to NetGalley for the early look at this January 2024 release!

DNF. I really liked the premise but the writing did not work for me at all. It wouldn't be fair to the book if I finished reading and gave it a low rating.

What a way to start off 2024 in books.

The Takeover by Cara Tanamachi

Gives major childhood rivals to lovers, with two POC MCs, and hilarious banter.

Both characters are lovable with their bag of issues. (As the oldest I feel for them both in different ways)

My favorite part?

Was it the banter? The sexual tension? the funny family and friends?

No! It was the Toggle Internal Chat

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Nami is running Toggle, a tech company she founded a few years ago, but she feels unsuccessful compared to her childhood nemesis, Jae, who she still contends unfairly beat her out for valedictorian. So Nami is devastated when her company seems about to be taken over by industry goliath Rainforest (a none-too-subtle dig at Amazon) – and the Rainforest takeover consultant is none other than Jae himself. Cue the sparks! Although I really enjoyed this fun read, I found Nami a little too childish in how hung up she was on her high school rivalry, and therefore hard to root for.

I honestly really loved this book!

Enemies to lovers is one of my MOST favorite tropes and I feel so many people can easily get it wrong by making one or both parties have no redeeming qualities. The just POOF go from enemies to lovers in a heart beat because of the "passion of hate" and it never feels genuine. This book, THIS BOOK, did it so well. Build so many pieces as a foundation to let us see the natural progression due to misunderstandings in their teenage years.
I enjoyed it SO much and found both of the main characters adorable.

Highly recommend!

This has rivals to lovers, hate-love, great banter, and a diverse cast. The banter and rivalry in this was so good. The romance was sweet, and I liked how it came about. I found that Rainforest (REALLY??? fictional knock off Amazon?) is the company and that was very funny to me. There's good and evil moments in relation to cooperation and employee treatment, it was borderline harassment. I thought the ending was okay, but it did feel a bit unrealistic just on the quickness Jae turned around and the other perfect ending for the company. The good thing is this is a romance, and anything is possible. .

In The Takeover by Cara Tanamachi, the narrative unfolds around Nami's 30th birthday, marking a series of unexpected turns in her life. Facing a broken engagement, impending financial troubles for her tech company, and grappling with jealousy over her sister's wedding, Nami's birthday wish for a soulmate results in the arrival of her high school nemesis, Jae Lee. Tanamachi skillfully crafts a vibrant office setting filled with diverse and relatable characters, bringing humor, camaraderie, and a palpable enemies-to-lovers romance. The story navigates the cutthroat corporate world, incorporating witty commentary on real-life giants like Amazon. The chemistry between Nami and Jae, coupled with themes of competition and personal growth, propels the narrative beyond a typical romance, providing depth and substance. Despite some readers finding aspects of the ending slightly unrealistic, The Takeover remains a compelling read, blending workplace dynamics, diverse characters, and a heartfelt love story that captivates and leaves a lasting impression.

I was really looking forward to this book because I loved the authors' first book about the FMC's older sister. But this one unfortunately hit me with two of my least favourtie tropes, enemies to loves and workplace romances.

While Nami and Jae's banter was good sometimes I found it a little to aggressive, which is the reason that enemies to lovers isn't a favourite trope of mine. It was a dual first-person perspective so that did help.

3 stars
3 spice