DNF 5%

This is one I may come back to at a later date, but I’m not really prepared to read contemporaries that deal with the pandemic because that’s just a reality too close for comfort. I’m also realizing just how much the high school stuff is playing a part, despite Nami having just turned 30, and as someone in their 30s I find it hard to believe high school experiences would still have that much influence if I haven’t stayed in contact over the last ~15 years. Just overall hitting me poorly and making it hard to get invested in the book.

Nami Reid and Jae Lee are enemies from high school who haven’t seen each other in years, but when Jae’s company is trying to buy Nami’s, the old high school rivalry comes back full force.

I was in need of a really good romance and I found it in this book. I have been in a romance slump when it comes to books, but this enemies to lovers romance check all of the boxes for me. The characters were so fun and easy to get to know and I was immediately invested in their story. The romance was perfectly paced, in my opinion, which made this book impossible to put down. I really loved the interactions between the two characters and how their passion, whether hate or love, ignited the constant competition between the two of them. I really enjoyed this book and can’t wait until I can find another romance that pulls me in as much as this did.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book!

Thank you Netgallery for the ARC!! This book was such a short and cute read that had enemies to lovers reunited, workplace romance and a HEA!

The drama in this one was just too much for me. I get why she didn't like him at first, but it quickly moved to more and I just didn't feel the chemistry between them. I did like that the FMC had a company and would do anything for her employees when times got tough. She was very caring.

This book checks so many boxes such as amazing writing, fun plot, women in STEM, nerdy jokes, witty banter, and so much representation! I read this book in less than a day and didn’t want to put it down. The two main characters had so many witty interactions that didn’t come off as cheesy or forced. I loved that throughout the book they learned more about their current and past selves but that didn’t change their wit or chemistry. It built their relationship and they were still able to challenge each other. Their families were great additions along with all the coworkers at Toggle. I loved the memos at the start of each chapter and the chair mystery always made me smile. This book is amazing and I have to read more from this author now! 5⭐️, 1.5🌶 (they have sex but it really isn’t descriptive)

Great for readers who are looking for an enemies-to-lovers romcom. Jae and Nami are perfect together. The tennis match making them play on the same side was such a clever way to make them realize they could work well together. The spicy bowl eating scene was also iconic! I also loved all the family dynamics at play, especially how Nami’s relationship with her mom, grandma and sister were described. That was very realistically and thoughtfully conveyed. The Wagner chair shenanigans were also hilarious. Highly recommend.

Well, I’m a big fan of enemies to lovers rom coms and this book didn’t dissapoint! Great chemistry between the two MC’s . The banter was perfect, a perfect blend of cutting bon mots and humor.

An enjoyable ride from start to finish! I will definitely be reading more titles from the author.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martins Press for providing me with an eARC of this book to read and review.

I received an ARC of this book and it was my first read by the author. I thoroughly enjoyed the enemies to lovers banter, the competitiveness, the adorable and nerdy vibe in the workplace (whiteboard polls and chair thiefs!). But most of all, I loved the way that Jae Lee fell for Namby, the family interactions, and the laugh out loud Nami-ness of the whole thing! Plus the end was adorable x3! Loved it!

Contemporary romance is always a hit or miss with me. It’s hard finding one that I really like and that keeps me reading. Sadly this wasn’t one of them.

I liked the FMC a lot, she's like an inspiration for women in tech and in business. The MMC.. kinda pissed me off. His whole reason to acquire the FMC's startup (which is the premise of this story) was exactly like billionaires who don't give a fuck about others. He fixed it in the end, yeah, but his epiphany came almost too late 🤷🏻‍♀️ he reclaimed his moral compass, yeah, but it wasn't exactly a character growth, I feel that he would've gone through with it all if the FMC hadn't figured out his scheme accidentally.

-- got an advanced copy from Netgalley

Thanks to NetGalley for the arc!
I put off ready this for while, for some reason! I wish I wouldn’t have! This book was really good! The enemies to lovers was a slow build and wasn’t some crazy change all the sudden. The storyline was great! Having the business aspect of it had depth instead of this being all romance. It kept a great balance, was fast paced and I was invested to see how it turned out! Highly recommend!

The Takeover was such a fun romance.

It was a rivals to lovers romance in the tech industry.

Nami was a passionate boss, but her company was in trouble and was about to be bought out. And her old high school rival who beat her out of valedictorian by less than .25 on his GPA, Jae Lee, was the evil wolf involved in that buy out.

I loved that Nami and Jae Lee grew up together and made everything into a competition because neither one of them backed down from challenges. It was fun and very intriguing to watch two passionate people hate/love each other.

The Takeover also had a fun cast of side characters, a very hilarious chair stealing saga, and families full of loving parents who just can’t help but interfere.

This romcom was so much fun.

Side note: while both characters ingested some extremely spicy ramen at one point, the rest of book wasn’t what I would consider spicy.

I enjoyed this romcom and definitely recommend it.

I'll admit that I didn't get super swept up in this story. I think they might have hated each other a bit too much at first and that made it harder for me to feel the pull for them to get together. But, they were really sweet once they were together and I enjoyed their character arcs. I also really appreciated the development of their family relationships throughout the story, and the bits of Asian heritage sprinkled throughout, from Jae's dad's Korean upbringing to Nami's grandmother's time in a Japanese internment camp during WWII. In the end, I enjoyed it and had a good time reading it.

This was a fun book to read. Nami and Jae are enemies who become lovers. The story is filled with sharp and witty dialogue. The story is told from both their perspectives and focuses on their family dynamics and work ethics. The plot is well developed and is easy to understand as the reader follows the developing relationship between Nami and Jae. Readers will love the wonderful variety of characters throughout the story and certainly find their favorite amongst them. Overall this is a truly wonderful story.

This book begins with Nami lamenting that her company, Toggle, is her life. She is a devoted boss and is blindsided when it appears that there is going to be a hostile takeover. The fact that it's her high school nemesis, Jae, makes her even madder. To say she is competitive and a bit petty is an understatement. She thinks Jae is arrogant, but seems to gloss over her own inability to see herself the way everyone else does. She was a hall monitor in high school and was known to wield a detention slip like it was a cloak of honor. Jae is quite successful, but bored with his work. He sees an opportunity to take on Toggle and see if there is still a spark with Nami. Things do seem to come around for them. The book was well paced and I did like the characters for the most part. I am not a fan of the theme that the man was 100% wrong when there is a misunderstanding. Nami needed to own her part in their lack of communicating to resolve their issues. I did like the book and found it to be interesting. I did want more of an epilogue though.

This was a decent book. The characters were well drawn and the plot didn't get overly dramatic. However, the plot did drag in the latter quarter of the book. The multicultural characters and references will enchant a lot of readers.

I FREAKING LOVED this!! I loved the competitive banter btwn Jae and Nami and it truly captures what growing up with a nemesis is like. I honestly could not put this down and it DELIVERED. You learn so much about each of these characters to the point you find them rooting for them...and for whomever stole Dell's chair. Hahaha, this kept me in laughter with the antics of the office family and the family dynamics. I highly recco this book, 100/10!!

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this read quite a bit. At first, I was worried it would be a little too cheesy but I kinda fell in love. It was a quick easy read - enemies to lovers in the corporate world.

I think the characters were cute and fun to read their POVs for the most part. They had a great back and forth banter and while I don’t get the headers of the internal chat, it was a funny side story going on.

Overall it was absolutely worth the read and I’d recommend picking it up if you want a light, campy, rom com.

You have to appreciate a book where Star Trek references come before Star Wars references 😊

I love enemies to lovers. It’s one of my absolute favorite tropes. I love the main character banter that comes along with this trope and Nami and Jae have GREAT banter! Whether in text messages, or through ConnectIn declines, I had many moments where I was simply smiling with glee at the interactions between these two.

I also enjoy a good workplace story. I appreciated Nami’s struggle and advocacy to maintain what’s important for her employees & customers amidst the challenges of a potential company acquisition.

Thank you to the St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for this advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are completely my own.

This was a fun read - just what I needed as an escape at a busy time. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys enemies to lovers romance. It didn't necessarily take me to places I've never been, but it was a solid, satisfying story.

Thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for allowing me to read the digital ARC in advance of publication.