Look, I'm not going to pretend this wasn't wildly formulaic, but it was also fun and compulsively readable. More importantly, there were exactly zero characters who set my teeth on edge, which I really needed.

Nami Reid is unironically “World’s Best Boss” of Toggle. Nami and her Girl Boss partner Imani have created a travel app that doesn’t mine it’s users data. They’re a dream to work for. Their employees love them. However with the pandemic travel isn’t as lucrative as it once was.

Imani and Nami have to look at all the options that keep Toggle alive - includes potentially selling.

Enter Jae Lee, Nani’s highscool nemisis and VP of acquisitions for Rainforest (a company that is suspiciously similar to a certain company that delivers boxes). Jae has his eye on Toggle and on Nami.

I loved the enemies to lovers, girl bosses, and found family that The Takeover has.

There's a lot to like in The Takeover - which sort of straddles the line between enemies-to-lovers and second chance romance. The chemistry between Nami and Jae is immediate and explosive - even when they're at each other's throats, it's clear there's something more between the two of them. And I also enjoyed that both Nami and Jae were professionals at their jobs; the typical trope of hot mess FMC was not present here, which was a welcome relief. I enjoy watching two competent adults fall in love.

What I didn't love was the way the third act conflict came up and resolved itself. It felt a little cheap the way everything fell into place, and it also felt like it was a pretty convenient obstacle, all things considered. That said, I liked the first 75% enough to give this a solid 3.5 stars!

This story was an air tight enemies-to-lovers between Nami and Jae hate each other in high school. The story was fun but of course had the usual third act conflict that definitely pulled me out of it. Other than that, I was thoroughly entertained.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Griffin, and NetGalley for providing an eARC for an honest review.

Ugh this book just didn’t work for me. I LOATHE pop culture references in books and unfortunately this had them. The rivalry felt corny and childish.

title: The Takeover

author: Cara Tanamachi

publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

publication date: January 30, 2024

pages: 304

peppers: 2 (on this scale)

warnings: broken bones, evil corporations, veiled references to billionaires

summary: Nami's amazing tech company Toggle is in financial trouble, and her high school nemesis Jae appears as the buying agent for an Amazon.com doppelgänger, Rainforest. While she's trying to avoid the buyout, they're falling in love.

tropes:

enemies to lovers
high school nemesis
loving grandmother
big corporation buying out family-ish business
siblings get married first
demanding parents
what I liked:

lots of great office hijinks
fun hate-flirting
Chicago/Evanston setting (including Evanston Township High School -- Hi, JG, GM, JM!)
what I didn’t like: not much -- a fun read.

overall rating: 5 (of 5 stars)

I love a good enemies-to-lovers story and Nami and Jae fit the hell-flaming noodles - if you read the book, you will know all about the funniest noodle scene to come out of any rom-com. And you'll want a steaming hot bowl of ramen.

Nami and Jae hated each other in high school. Or did they? Maybe she was the one who hated Jae while he secretly pined for her. Years later, Nami owns her own tech company and Jae is out to acquire it.

I think the story weaves a good tale about second chances, giving in to fun, family and friend loyalty.

It was a nice story that could have used a tad bit more conflict once they were "together" before the third act downfall.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an e-copy of THE TAKEOVER to review.

I rate THE TAKEOVER four out of five stars.

Actual Rating: 4.25 out of 5⭐️

The Takeover by Cara Tanamachi is a rivals-to-lovers romantic comedy that I could not put down! The chemistry between Nami and Jae jumped off the pages, and their banter was exceptional. I especially loved the family dynamics, which I found absolutely relatable. This was such a fun read that I would recommend to readers that enjoy rivals/enemies-to-lovers tropes.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for a chance to read and review an advanced copy of this book!

I would really like to like this book. But I found myself irritated and bored and skipping bits before the leads had even met. Nami is fine even if her terror at turning 30 feels kind of dated. But Jae is so awful that even though I knew (and confirmed by reading the end) that he would have a redemption arc, I couldn’t read it. I may just be too old for this style of enemies to lovers, but I can’t imagine rolling up on someone’s life work and being surprised and gleeful as you work to destroy it. Like, this man made me want to commit acts of violence by the second paragraph of his intro.

I’m just too old and life is too short for douchebags slowly learning how to be human beings and being rewarded with a love and sex prize for doing the bare minimum. Did appreciate the diversity.
DNF

Nami started a tech company and now it's under threat. A big company, represented by her old high school crush/nemesis Jae, wants to acquire it, making the partners rich, but a bad deal for the employees. Nami will fight to protect it. Toggle, the company, is her baby. As she fights, she and Jae find themselves drawn together, but he's hiding a big secret that will tear them apart. I really liked Nami and Jae and their families, and I enjoyed the humor and the kindness among the coworkers. A really enjoyable book by a fine writer.

Unputdownable, addictive romance alert! As an avid enthusiast of the enemies-to-lovers trope, this book checked all the boxes and then some, surpassing my expectations by earning a resounding five stars — a rating filled with the essence of hellishly spicy ramen, mischief, immaturity, and yet, a captivatingly competitive sense of humor that kept me thoroughly entertained!

Can you fathom the sensation of approaching your 30th birthday, only to find the company you've painstakingly built with your sweat, blood, and sacrifices slowly slipping from your grasp? Picture celebrating your milestone amidst a gathering of elders, mustering a fake smile to conceal the inner turmoil, all in an effort to shield your mother from disappointment, despite the tears that threaten to breach. Nami, the unfortunate protagonist, finds herself mired in this predicament.

After a mortifying incident involving her ex-fiancé, who cheated on her with a dancer at his bachelor party, an episode that goes viral, Nami channels her energy into her career, an attempt to mend her broken heart. Yet, it appears her precious creation is on the verge of being devoured by corporate sharks, and she's powerless to prevent it. To make matters more intriguing, cryptic messages from an unexpected sender start to arrive — none other than her high school arch-nemesis, Jae, emerges from the shadows, suggesting an impending reunion. This complex turn of events leaves her emotionally entangled, as her cyberstalking escapades reveal a transformation in Jae: from a familiar face into a wealthy, seemingly villainous millionaire with a physique that could grace a sweatsuit catalog.

Focusing on her future and harboring a desire for happiness akin to her sister Sona and her fiancé Jack, Nami fervently wishes for her soulmate to cross her path. Yet, fate throws an unexpected curveball, steering her towards the very person she detests. Jae, who represents Rainforest — a company infamous for its questionable treatment of employees, ruthless company takeovers, and a power-hungry drive that renders it an industry monolith — embodies all she opposes. Her company's potential assimilation into this malevolent entity is unacceptable, and she refuses to let her arch-nemesis claim victory again. Aided by Dell, one of her partners obsessed with his Weiner Swivel Office Chair, Nami sets out to halt the impending takeover. The arrival of Marcellus, a fashion icon entwined with a brilliant mathematical mind, adds a layer of complexity. But as Nami and Jae lock horns, they realize their rivalry sparks an undeniable attraction. The heated challenges they embark upon — from consuming the spiciest ramen to downing the strongest ABV beers, displaying dance prowess, and even tennis matches — serve as a backdrop for the burgeoning chemistry that envelops them. Unbeknownst to Nami, the stakes are elevated: not only could she lose her company, but she might also surrender her heart to the very nemesis she finds herself inexplicably falling for.

This is undeniably a delightful read, brimming with a diverse array of characters, set in a captivating office environment. The narrative even provides a tongue-in-cheek critique of corporate giants like Amazon and the detrimental consequences of unchecked company takeovers. Yet, the pièce de résistance is the sizzling, palpable chemistry shared between Jae and Nami — it stole the spotlight of the book. I wholeheartedly recommend this novel to fellow enthusiasts of the genre and anyone seeking a respite from the harsh realities of life, aiming to infuse a touch of joy into their existence.

A heartfelt thank you extends to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/St. Martin’s Griffin for generously providing me with the opportunity to engage with this captivating book, through a digital review copy, in exchange for my candid insights.

Overall, this was a pretty cute book. I was a bit apprehensive at the beginning, especially with how often the author emphasized the rivalry between Nami and Jae back in high school. They seemed a little too hung up on it for 30 year olds. Aside from that, I thought the plot was pretty unique and flowed well. The romance was pretty well done and there were definitely moments I was rooting for them.

Jae and Nami were high school rivals and he suddenly comes back into her life attempting to buy her company. He works for a not-at-all thinly veiled mega company and she fights the sale trying to keep her company intact.

We've definitely seen this story before. Workplace enemies who have completely competing goals turn lovers but one of them is going to blow it all up. But it was an enjoyable read. I enjoyed Nami and Jae's banter and the side characters, especially their families.

I would have liked a little more creativity with all the companies rather than just renaming them something extremely similar and changing nothing else about them. It just seemed a little lazy.

This romantic-comedy had me smiling at the witty commentary the whole book! A ton of great cultural pieces and pop-culture references. I really loved the character development and wanted to work along side Nami! Such a feel good read😊

The book is truly what it's marketed as (an enemies-to-lovers workplace romance), which, after reading so many "she-misunderstood-he-was-in-love-the-whole-time" books, this achievement earned my instant respect. Even better, the actual enemies-to-lovers (!!) has a sufficient amount of nuance (!!); Nami and Jae hated each other, but more so, they hated the ideal that the other person represented (which made the "to-lovers" bit believable), and they actually had massive amounts of respect for each other (a "you-are-the-only-person-worthy-of-being-my-enemy" type situation, which I found really cute).

I especially enjoyed the casual representation. However, there were some expectations Jae's dad inflicted on Jae that were explained away simply due to Jae's dad's Korean heritage; I would've enjoyed some more background on the reasoning and the history behind those expectations, just so I could understand Jae's complexities a bit more; I think this would also make Jae's 180-degree character improvement much more nuanced and engaging to read about.

I really appreciated the lack of graphic sex and also the fact that it's not a pandemic book (the pandemic's mentioned in the beginning and I got scared).

Small qualms: outfit and appearance descriptions (it's giving Wattpad), I didn't understand many of the pop culture references (this may just be a "me" thing though), what exactly does Rainforest do (??), what exactly does Nami do (??).

Things I found unintentionally funny: <spoiler>one of the ending messages is that crypto > corporate sharks (???), Jae's character revamp is quitting his corporate job and becoming a **freelance consultant** (lmao), there's a character that's Zuckerberg/Bezos/Musk mashup (he owns a social media company and his major life goal is to go to space again #rocketman). </spoiler>

Fun read, but not much more than that. There were some grammatical errors which I hope will be fixed before the publication date.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC. All thoughts were my own.

Love the first book in this series so I am excited to read this second stand-alone. Nami's fiance broke up with her. Her job is about lose funding. She's jealous of her sister's happy love life... She sees her high school nemesis Jae again and the sparks fly...

Love this enemies to lovers story. The banter is great. Love their main characters' chemistry. Fun rom-rom.

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.

I requested this ARC because I love a good enemies-to-lovers worplace romance. This one just did not do it for me.

Let me start with the positives:

The witty, snarky banter between Nami & Jae was top notch. They loved to push each others buttons and did it so well. There were a lot of moments I laughed out loud.

The story was well written. The family ties for both MC was lovely. The story itself was well fleshed out.

As my husband works in the "tech" industry, I also enjoyed the story on that level.

The negatives:

The first 30% of this was so difficult for me to get through as it seemed like the goal was to tick off every DEI box possible. Japanese american FMC, Koren, Filipino & Hawaiin FMC. Gay brother. Nonbinary life partner. and those that appeared to be written as white were toxic, misogynistic, sexist males thats sole purpose was to degrade women. Trust me, the scene with "Deuce" was gross on every level as he blatantly refused to let her speak and tried to lure her in to fulfill his Asian sex fantasy.

At arund 40% these talking points were put on the back burner and the story itself shone through. If it had gone on much longer I likely would have DNFed.

I appreciate these are real world issues and they should not be ignored, downplayed or swept under a rug or dismissed. To me, it was excessive and not needed to tell this story.

It was an fun book with really interesting characters. The premise of the book kept me engaged and the chemistry between the characters was very good. I enjoyed how the relationship progressed throughout the story. All in all it was you do not want to miss this book.

ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

thank you cara tanamachi and st. martin's press for my arc <3

overall, i had fun with this. very good chemistry between the characters. i liked how real both of their families felt. i definitely felt emotions while reading.

i'm going to be kind of negative, but please know that overall, i did enjoy this a lot. i'm only pointing out the things that i personally did not like because they might irritate other people as well. i think with a little reworking, this could've been a 5 star for me.

what i did like - i actually liked all of the scenes of them competing. i usually find these types of scenes annoying. i wouldn't say i LOVED them, but i definitely didn't hate them. i like how they humbled both nami and jae, while also showed how well they work together.

the biggest thing, for me, that kept this from being a 5 star book, is how the takeover was handled. 1. <spoiler>crypto ends up saving the day, so that the employees can create their own company and them out</spoilers>. which i.... hate. do not try to sell me on the idea that <spoiler>crypto is good, actually</spoiler>. and 2. i was hoping that, after an entire book of nami and jae competing and ultimately working well together, that the resolution would be them...... working together....... it's a romcom, it's fine. i don't necessarily have a problem with the guy having a Reveal where he Fixed Everything. but it would've been nice to see.

some smaller things:
- nami calling jae "satan"
- mention of the pandemic (it was only once, but i almost stopped reading because i hate "pandemic books" - it is not a pandemic book)
- nami and imani. i didn't have a problem reading both names back to back, but i can't imagine someone with say, dyslexia, having a good time with that
- way too many pop culture references, they were already outdated and this book comes out in january 2024.

technical -
this sentence is missing a word, i think
"I can’t tell her the truth without violating the NDA, and it’s not Nami would keep the secret."

I definitely enjoyed the vibe of this book. The characters feel very relatable, both in age range and characteristics, including all supporting characters and not just the lead characters. As someone that is the eldest sibling in an Asian-American household, it felt realistic with the character background and development.

The banter was very enjoyable, although maybe a little cringy at times. The build up to the romance was casual and it was great to see the specific "aha" moments of the lead characters' realizations for each other. There was not any descriptive (ahem, sexy) spice, which was fine with me. The alluded implications were still well written out.

I don't know anything about start-up company/culture but it was still easy to follow along and did not make a huge impact for those unfamiliar with it such as myself. I very much enjoyed the pop-culture references sprinkled throughout the book. The story itself had a satisfying ending resolution and I enjoyed reading the epilogue and how it played out.