⭐️⭐️⭐️ - 3 Star
"The Takeover" by Cara presents a unique twist on the soulmate search with Nami and Jae's unexpected reunion. While the storyline is engaging, the plot feels somewhat predictable with the classic rivals-to-lovers trope. The characters are well-developed, and the banter adds humor, but the overall narrative may lack originality. Despite these aspects, the book offers a decent blend of romance and business drama, making it a moderate choice for those seeking a familiar yet enjoyable read.

Thank you @smpromance @recordedbooks @netgalley for a copy of this fun enemies to lovers book. I enjoyed the dual POV and narration and could feel their competitiveness from the story. The spicy ramen scene was my favorite. Nami's company is at a crossroad and it's her high school nemesis, Jae, that can potentially buy her company. I love how Nami looked out for her employees and she learns Jae is not who she thought he was. I liked that we got to see Sora and Jack in this story too.

Sorry, this book was horrible.

A lot of the same things are repeated. Commenting on how “old” she was multiple times in the first chapter. And I really didn’t care that much to know every single details about this stupid company

The Takeover by Cara Tanamachi was a fun enemies-to-lovers romance between Nami and Jae. They were high school rivals who met again when Jae's company, Rainforest, wanted to acquire Nami's tech start-up company. Nami's company is like a second family, and she's determined to revive it without Jae's help. The chemistry between Nami and Jae was fun to read. I enjoyed the audiobook and the narrators.

A lot of the same things are repeated. Commenting on how “old” she was multiple times in the first chapter. And I really didn’t care that much to know every single details about this stupid company

First thing’s first: thank you Netgalley for the ALC of this book!
The Takeover was a cute high school rivals to adult lovers story that follows Nami and Jae. Nami is the hall monitor turned tech company founder and Jae is the cool guy turned company buyer. This book was a fun, quick listen with a good amount of push and pull before the two enemies gave in to being lovers. The characters had good banter and the story didn’t feel rushed or forced. I really enjoyed this one! 3.75⭐️ rounded up to 4⭐️

This is a cute rom-com that doesn’t have a detailed spicy scenes, but is a wonderful light read. After having to face the fact that her business is failing and that she needs to sell in order to keep her employees employed, and to make some of her investor’s’ money back she is confronted by her high school rival, Li, and he has plans to win her over. After hanging out and getting drunk they realize the unresolved rivalry was something more.

🔹enemies to lovers
🔹he falls first

I give this book 3 out of 5 stars. I am huge enemies to lovers book fan. I always love the back and forth between characters in these types of books and this book was no different. The characters had great back and forth, and overall their story was entertaining to read. I do feel in the beginning, the writer spent too long in setting the scene and description of what the company did. Some of those terms and the like went over my head. I wasn't a huge fan on the narrator. It felt like it wasn't read as smoothly as it could have been read with a different narrator, also pictured the voice the male as different to how his character spoke. Overall, I felt it was a fast read and would definitely be interested in reading more by this author.

This wasn't quite for me. The writing was simple and usually I can get past that but I kept wanting more in this one. Multiple things are repeated throughout the novel, to fill space, idk? The plot felt weak and characters don't really seem to have much depth. The "sex" scene was cringy.

Cute simple rom com. Multiple things are repeated throughout the novel, to fill space, idk? The plot just feels weak and characters don't really seem to have much depth. "sex" scene was cringey. I was excited for this one as I was expecting the hating game vibes and it just never quite happened.

#6 of 2024
The Takeover by Cara Tanamachi
Narrated by Donald Chang and Chieko Hidaka

Pub Date: January 30, 2024

Thank you @netgalley , @RBMedia, @SMP, St. Martin's Presss, St. Martin's Griffin and @Cara Tanamachi for granting me access to this ALC and sending me a physical copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Ever stumbled upon those cringe-worthy movies or books you just can't look away from? Well, this one's a prime example. While I had my share of rolling-on-the-floor laughs, there were moments in the audiobook that had me making cringe faces. As I've said before, there's no such thing as a bad book; it just might not be my cup of tea.

Let's dive into Jae and Nami's world. Former teenage enemies, fate reunites them with a clash of views. Nami dislikes Jae's privileged background, and Jae takes issue with her need for control. Tensions rise when Jae's company eyes Nami's successful business, leading to a mix of irritation and undeniable chemistry. The story flows well until a major conflict, but the resolution feels rushed, craving a more gradual ending. Despite this, the book is a fun read, showcasing the author's storytelling skills.

Now, a standout moment: the spicy ramen showdown. Their banter and exchange in that scene are downright hilarious. If you're after a quick rom-com fix following the classic enemies-to-lovers arc, this book delivers. So, for a dose of rom-com goodness, give it a shot.

Cara Tanamachi's "The Takeover" is a fun romance story about two high school rivals unexpectedly falling in love. The main character, Nami, struggles as her engagement falls apart, and her tech company faces some financial issues. But when she wishes for her soulmate at her 30th birthday surprise party, she bumps into Jae Lee, her high school arch-nemesis, who plans to take over her company.
So there's this thing between Nami and Jae Lee; they're always teasing each other and trying to outdo one another. It's pretty fun to watch, especially since they also fall for each other simultaneously. At first, Nami hates that Jae Lee is always doing better than her in school, but as they get to know each other better, she realises there's more to him than just being a smarty-pants. The author does a great job of building their relationship and making you want them to be together.
I really liked how the story showed how we assume things about others without really knowing them. Nami and Jae Lee thought they knew each other from high school but realised they were wrong as they spent more time together. Seeing how they broke down stereotypes and got to know each other better was cool. That made the story more interesting.
When I first listened to the audiobook, I found the narration to be a bit robotic and awkward. But the more I listened, the more I got used to the narrators, Donald Chang and Chieko Hidaka, and their natural, beautiful voices. I love listening to audiobooks, but this narration style was not my favourite. However, it somehow still managed to work.
So, to sum it up, "The Takeover" is a fun, light-hearted, and romantic novel that explores unexpected connections that can arise from old rivalries. The characters are well fleshed out, the dialogue is sharp, and the plot is engaging, making it a feel-good read that'll leave you feeling happy and content.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced audiobook copy.

I’m sad to said I didn’t finish this. I was so annoyed with the characters and the narrators of the audiobook. I tired but just couldn’t push through it.

A tech business world childhood rivals to lovers dual POV that was overall, likable. The MMC was sort of a cringe douchey tech bro in the beginning (see: referring to oneself as a "wolf") and I truly don't know how that was completely absent by the end, chalk it up to that character growth I suppose. I felt there were a few elements that were thrown in and were never expanded on and ultimately did not seem all that pivotal to the plot itself. The story never wholly captured me. There were a few too many stereotypes and cliches that pulled me from totally falling into it. You are rewarded with a few funny scenes and running jokes that kept me entertained and rivals to lovers is easily a favorite trope of mine so that kept me invested.

Both narrators were new to me and I did enjoy their narration and the quality of the audiobook.

Thanks to NetGalley and RB Media for the audiobook copy.

The Takeover:
Imagine a 30 year old man and woman still grumbling about ”competitions” they had in high school.

Center of the storyline? h’s place of work.
What the h actually did there? No idea.

The narrator for Nami sounded like a robot reading from a script and the narrator for Jae did a slightly better job.

Jae:
Greedy. Stuck up. Refers to himself as a wolf, someone who eats the pigs(work reference). Works high up in a company with bad conditions for their workers and he does not care about them, he just wants to earn as much money as possible.

Nami:
A pick me bragging about what a great boss and person she is. Wines about how the H had it easy growing up because he was rich. Yes, we all have different circumstances in life, deal with it. ”I’m better than you because I didn’t grow up with money” attitude. Judgemental. No way could this woman run a company. And nothing she ever said would make me belive otherwise.

Nami & Jae:
Great banter. Started acting like a couple out of nowhere after they slept together once. From 0-100 so abruptly. Some funny moments.

A quick listen. Well paced.

The third act break up was so stupid. Everything about it was ridiculous and annoying. Solution to THE problem was also a let down. The last 15% of the book ruined everything for me.

And the H’s dad was a bitch.

I guess two ugly souls would be soulmates.

2.5 stars

She uses her one and only birthday wish to wish for a soulmate and immediately regrets it! This was a quick and easy romantic read! I love Cara’s books she never disappoints! Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this book in exchange for my honest feedback!

This is a cute feel good romcom that doesn't require much brain power, and I really enjoyed it.

I loved the cultural references and the representation of women in STEM. The MMC/FMC rivalry was fun to watch evolve and the overarching story of the chair cracked me up to the very end. I really enjoyed how the author showed the complexities of familial relationships and parental expectations, it was super relatable and made me feel like I understood the characters better.

I'm very sorry to report that I couldn't get further with this one. I wasn't enjoying the experience in the slightest, so I stopped listening at about 11%.

The story felt awkward and forced, and the main female character didn't grab my attention.

I hate to tear a woman down, but the female narrator was the nail in the coffin for me. Her narration is flat and overact-y? Just bad. The male narrator was perfectly fine.

Maybe if I had been reading this, it would have been a different outcome; but the audiobook was definitely a no-go for me.

I appreciate the opportunity to listen to an advanced audiobook. Thank you.

I did not post about this book on social media because I did not get far enough into to provide a fair review for the public to see.

Overall, a very fun and cute romance. Both characters were mildly insufferable at the start (he was privileged blind about it, she was a sore looser and blamed those around her for shortcomings) but there was some character growth, and they actually work very well as a couple. There was a mildly insta love component, but it was bearable. If you like dual POVs where he falls first and harder with a seasoning of mild generational trauma, I would recommend this book.

The most middle-of-the-road book I've ever read (technically, listened to but that's just semantics). The banter was bad, but the romance was cute. The narrators were eh. I listened to this while walking my dog and the walked seemed more interesting. The text just sounded very robotic. Maybe if I had read it, I would have liked it more.