This book was a very generic love story. Nothing wrong with it, but it was super predictable and easy to digest. The main characters Nami and Jae were both really charming characters and it was good to see their characters develop throughout the book. Nami and Jae's haters-to-love trope was fun to write as the banter between the two of them made the book go by quickly. Another thing that I enjoyed was the cultural aspect and how their families pressured them because of how each family viewed love and starting a family. Overall I gave this book a 3.5/5 stars due to the fact that nothing stood out. If you are looking for a nice, quick, romantic book this is the book for you! Thank you, St. Martins Press, Cara Tanamachi, and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️ 🌶️
This book gave me every trope I love:
Tons of banter
Enemies to lovers
Close proximity
Middle age characters
Workplace romance
Morally Grey MMC

This is the first time that I have read anything by this author and I loved it (once I got past some semi-cringe things for me). I loved the characters, the storyline/plot and the authors writing. With that being said the whole "if you loved me you'd break an NDA for me" plotline i just couldn’t get behind. Stepping away from a relationship that makes you happy because someone won’t break a legal contract is a bit wild to me. But even with that flaw, I did enjoy the book a good amount! I would suggest it to others.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the Publisher for gifting me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
What a cute read! The characters were likeable and the pace was just right. I recommend this to anyone looking for a nice, cozy rom-com with undeniable chemistry.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of this delightful novel.

Battling and competition were a way of life to Nami and Jae when they were in high school. Years later, Jae is representing his company in a buyout deal for Nami’s company. Let the barbs begin! With all their interactions, foes become lovers but the stakes are high in this catchy, delightful novel.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to St Martins Press and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

I will happily leave a review for this when the racist remarks by one of their employees is addressed. I want to support the author, but also want to know they don’t support this behavior.

I took a chance with this book since I had never read this author before, but I fell in love with the story, plot, and characters. This is about a perfect place you wish you could work! Full of pranks, funny, loving characters, and the occasional nerve-wracking moments when corporate take-overs are looming.

She also has characters you want to hate, but just can’t as they continue to grow on you as the two main characters find their hate relationships might not be hate after all. Their chemistry was steamy and swoon worthy.

The Takeover is the story of two high school rivals that meet again in adulthood. Only this time, Jae is trying to take over Nami’s beloved tech company. Sparks fly immediately as Nami tries to save the company (and the people) that mean everything to her. But soon, Jae and Nami find themselves connecting in a way they never have before. Can Nami and Jae have a romantic relationship, even as the future of Nami’s company remains unknown?

The Takeover is a delightful romance between two people who have hated each other since high school- or so they thought. This story was so fun! It's the perfect lighthearted romance to break a book slump. Nami and Jae had excellent banter and lots of romantic tension between them. I loved how Nami never gave up on protecting the people at her company. The supporting cast of characters were all funny and caring. In particular, the missing desk chair saga was hilarious! I appreciated how both Jae and Nami had complex relationships with their family. Cara Tanamachi incorporates beautiful descriptions of Chicago. I would recommend The Takeover to readers who love Cathy Yardley, Mazey Eddings, and Jackie Lau.

Thank you to Cara Tanamachi, St. Martin’s Griffin, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For publisher: My review will be posted on Instagram, Goodreads, Amazon, Storygraph, and Barnes & Noble etc

I love a good romance that does not leave me questioning if this could really happen or not! This one is great and not cringey in any way. Look forward to reading more from this author.

What a great story!! The romance felt easy and the dialogue was so witty. Going to be a sure fire hit!!

3.5/5

Overall this book wasn't the worst, there were just a lot of things I didn't love.
The companies in this book were thinly veiled allusions to real-life companies (I don't think it was meant to be subtle, it was just a lot). There was a lot about the companies but I had no idea what the fmc's company did (maybe it was mentioned and I just missed it), THere was a lot of talk about them working... without really saying anything at all.
At first, I liked the banter and chemistry between the mc's but somewhere around the middle it just stopped making sense. Their love/hate dynamic seemed a little forced, and they switch to being in a relationship very abruptly.
Finally, I really hate the "if you loved me you'd break an NDA for me" plotline that happens in a lot of books, including this one. I feel like breaking up with someone because they can't break an NDA is insane.

I still finished this book, but I probably wont ever think about it again. If you're looking for an easy read with lots of references to Amazon, give this one a try

If you, like me, have ever worked at a company where you're all a "family," get snacks and beanbag chairs instead of a reasonable work-life balance, or been on the receiving end of daily motivational/inspirational corporate emails, you will cringe your way through The Takeover. Nami's company, Toggle (an Airbnb stand-in), is about to be bought out by the huge e-commerce company "Rainforest" (guess what company that's meant to be). Nami's high school rival, Jae Lee, is Amazon's Rainforest's VP of acquisitions and comes in to arrange the acquisition.

Once you get past the palpable sexual tension between the both protagonists and capitalism, there is enemies-to-lovers plotting that is well done and solid, believable dialgue that makes for a light and fun read.

The Takeover is an enemies to lovers story of two overachievers with a long history. Nami and Jae have a great dynamic that looks very much like friendship early on in the book. Despite their conflicting business interests, it’s clear they have a lot in common and their chemistry is great. There is also a “subplot” about someone stealing an office chair that I definitely enjoyed. Overall, I recommend! Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-arc.

This was so good. It totally reminded me of a movie that I had seen. I love the whole wish for a such and such on the birthday candle. It was so good!! And Nami and Jae have su h good chemistry on the page!
I just reviewed The Takeover by Cara Tanamachi. #NetGalley
[NetGalley URL]

The quotes at the beginning of each chapter were really unnecessary and didn’t really relate to the chapter at all. The book overall was okay, kind of boring and slow paced but not terrible

Enemies to lovers come off the page in this book. They were adversaries in school and now partners? When working together gets complicated they realize there is more to each other than they thought.

This book was fun. Both the FMC and MMC were likable with bite to them. It was a quick read but I love a workplace romance and this was that.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

<b> Thank you to Cara Tanamachi, St Martin's Press and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. </b>

The tech company Nami co-founded is in dire straights when a corporate overlord swoops in to offer a buy-out. Leading the charge in this takeover is Jae, Nami's high school nemesis - the guy who beat her out for valedictorian by less than a point, who always hung with the cool kids, and whose luck seems to always trump her hard work. Little does she know that Jae is only there because he's looking for someone to challenge him the way Nami did back in high school. As the battle axes are sharpened the resounding sparks might just stoke a different kind of fire. This is a wonderful workplace, enemies-to-lovers, 2nd chance romance that does a great job of balancing humor and heart for a great read.

Things to look forward to:
- Carolina Reapers & hot ramen
- tasteful handling of the intricacies of different Asian-American cultures
- interfering elders

Stars 4/5 Steam 3/5

Posted in Instastories. Will post as a post ~ 2 weeks before pub date. (@bedsport.books).

★ ★ ★ ★ //5

The Takeover
by: Cara Tanamachi

THOUGHTS:

I want to thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for giving me the opportunity to read this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

Do you love a book that is:

-Rivals to Lovers
-Diverse Characters
-Grey MMC

This will be for you and it has even more within!

This is the first time that I have read anything by this author and I loved it. I loved the characters, the storyline/plot and the authors writing. This book had chemistry between the characters that I look for in this time of novel and the characters’ dynamics were great! There was Witt, romance and humor throughout. I loved Jae and Nami throughout the entire book. I thought this book was the perfect little rivals to lovers read that will have you grinning from ear to ear until the very end. Easily a favorite of mine!

It took me a little while to get on board with this one, but in the end, I really enjoyed my reading experience with Cara Tanamachi's The Takeover.

My initial struggle really was rather minor—after Jae Lee texts Nami on her birthday, thereby initiating the "rivals" portion of this rivals-to-lovers rom/com, Nami immediately starts to present-tense refer to him as her nemesis. Um...competing for top honors in high school A DOZEN YEARS AGO but not seeing, speaking, or even connecting on social media at all since then does not adequately set someone up as an out-of-the-blue nemesis. I'm sorry, but I can only suspend my disbelief so far, and this was past that.

However, after that little snag leveled out a bit and the hate-flirting really got rolling, I was fully on board. These two MCs were a delight to read—they challenged each other in believable and satisfying ways, and their banter was on point. I mean, the scene with the Hell Ramen? I sincerely laughed until I cried.

And the running gag about the chair? So fun.

I look forward to reading more by this author, and this title will be near the top of my list of contemporary romance suggestions, especially for my reading pals who enjoy a closed door and a strong female protagonist who grows without compromising her principles.

Cara Tanamachi's debut, THE SECOND YOU WERE SINGLE, was a favourite this year, so I was very excited to receive a review copy of THE TAKEOVER. Tanamachi writes rom-coms that are so beautifully put together - smart, sassy and full of that bang you want in a romance. I loved the concept of a 'hate mate' as opposed to a soul mate, but we all know the saying -'hot hate is twin brother to hot love.'

I loved this book! Nami and Jae were such a sweet couple and I loved the aggressive banter from their past as they went through the takeover. I somewhat recall reading Sora's book but remember it well enough that it added to the Nami's story but was good enough to stand on its own without having read book 1. The pacing and side characters were all perfect and I can't really think of anything to add except that I can't wait for it to come out so everyone can enjoy it too.