Not my typical read but I enjoyed it. It was a little goofy with the "highschool history" but I was laughing, rolling my eyes, and enjoying the story.

This one good but I don't think I'll be buying it. It wasn't my favorite but definitely a decent read

There is a cultural element of this one that the author did a great job with. I liked that they knew each other a long time, hate each other, and find a way to love each other. The work piece adds an interesting element and also had a very happy ending though.

🌀Synopsis
Naomi’s life is great, she’s great at everything she does - except love. Her fiancé cancelled their engagement but she threw herself into work. She’s got a tech company where everyone is happy and loves their workplace, and her.
When her sister, Sora, announces her engagement Naomi finds herself, once again, wishing for love. What enters her life is not love. It’s pure hatred. Hatred for Jae. Jae who she’s known and hated forever. He’s still overly cool and charming, too. The reason he comes into her life doesn’t help because their company is going to be bought out. Jae doesn’t hate her though and even though he works for a different company he actually wants to help her. He just has to get her to see that and realize that her hatred is actually love.

I really wanted to love this one. I was in the mood for a rom com, but I just did not connect for with the couple. The most important thing for me in a romance is to root for the HEA and I just did not in this one.

It is a lighthearted rom com with some witty banter. Enemies to lovers as these two former high school rivals figure out they just might be the perfect pair.

A more even pace and a little more action instead of explaining would have made this one a home run for me. But that ramen scene was a home run. I was laughing so hard.

Donald Chang and Chieko Hidaka bring Nami and Jae to life. Their voices fit perfectly with what I envisioned.

The Takeover
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Author: Cara Tanamachi

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley, St. Martins and RB Media and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

Synopsis: On Nami's 30th birthday, she’s reminded at every turn that her life isn’t what she planned. She’s always excelled at everything – until now. Her fiancé blew up their engagement. Her pride and joy, the tech company she helped to found, is about to lose funding. And her sister, Sora, is getting married to the man of her dreams, Jack, and instead of being happy for her, as she knows she ought to be, she’s fighting off jealousy.

Frustrated with her life, she makes a wish on a birthday candle to find her soulmate. Instead, the universe delivers her hate mate, Nami’s old high school nemesis, Jae Lee, the most popular kid from high school, who also narrowly beat her out for valedictorian. More than a decade later, Jae is still as effortlessly cool, charming, and stylish as ever, and, to make matters worse, is planning a hostile take-over of her start-up. sharp elbows and even sharper banter as the two go head-to-head to see who’ll win this time. But when their rivalry ignites a different kind of passion, Nami starts to realize that it's not just her company that's in danger of being taken over, but her heart as well.

My Thoughts: This was a sweet enemies to lovers romcom that was addictive and hard to put down. Nami realizes that on her milestone birthday, at 30, she is not where she planned to be. Her finance left her. The company she created from the ground up is in jeopardy of losing funding and the possibility of being drowned in corporate sharks. She is also jealous of her sister, who is marrying the man of her dreams, Jack, as they are so happy. Her finance cheated on her with a dancer at his bachelor party, which went viral. She then decided to her energy into her career, which is also slipping away from her. She begins to get cryptic messages on her phone, come to find out, they are from her high school arch nemesis, Jae. The complex events has just drained her. Her one birthday wish is that her soulmate will cross her path. Then as fate would have it, Jae impedes into her life like elephants herding. Will her company survive? Will her relationship with Jae crash and burn, with high school fears creeping in? This follows the tropes of enemies to lovers, work rivalry, and child hood relationship. It has references in the tech world and corporate mergers.

This story is a dual narration by both Jae and Nami. The chemistry and banter starts with spicy, like really spicy ramen, then spins with dancing and tennis matches. I loved the diversity of the characters. The story also tackles great social topics, like the effects of company takeovers/mergers to the employees involved. The tension between Nami and Jae is palpable. The characters were developed well with depth, witty banter, chemistry, diversity, and were intriguing. The supporting characters were perfect in this book and really elevated our MCs. The author’s writing style was complex, swoon-perfect, funny, sweet, and heartwarming. My favorite scene was probably the ramen scene, it really set the pace and tone of the story. The author set a very detailed work environment at Toggle and you could really understand Nami’s passion for it.

I had the pleasure of having both the digital and audio versions of the arc. I preferred the audio version. The narrators were Donald Chang and Chieko Hidaka, whom did a wonderful job at pitch and flow. The voice variation was superb with character distinction being spot on. I was able to listen at 2x speed and had no issues keeping up. This was such a lighthearted endearing read that made me smile, laugh, and smile some more throughout the story. I highly recommend picking up this book today at the bookstore, or your library.

Enemies to maybe colleagues to lovers? Yes, please. I enjoyed the Takeover, a Chicago-based corporate takeover novel featuring Nami, a newly 30 year old tech company partner who wishes for her soulmate - and instead Jae, her old HS nemesis, shows back up in her life as the acquisitions person for "Rainforest" and making a bid for her company. I thought this was a cute one and enjoyed the back-and-forth that Nami and Jae seemed to specialize in together. The audiobook was narrated by Donald Chang, Chieko Hidaka & was well-done. It helped my recent flight go by quickly! I received an advanced listening copy, receipt of which did not impact my review.

The Takeover was a fun enemies to lovers story with a literal spicy scene featuring ramen. Both Nami and Jae were determined to best each other in the scene and throughout the book. 
As Nami approaches 30, old high school nemesis Jae appears in her life through a business capacity. Jae's company is looking to acquire Nami's struggling company, but Nami looks for any other possible option. The two spend time together for work and sparks fly. The challenges described by Nami about being a woman in a male dominated industry were believable. The rivals to lovers trope worked because of their deep history and family connections. This is a fun read/listen that flew by.

A lighthearted enemies to lovers romance, Cara Tanamachi's The Takeover is a good choice for when you want a low angst, cute story.

The audio version is performed by Donald Chang and Chieko Hidaka.

"The Takeover" by Cara Tanamachi explores the unexpected turns life can take when seeking a soulmate. Nami's 30th birthday becomes a catalyst for a series of challenges – a broken engagement, impending loss of funding for her tech company, and jealousy over her sister's impending marriage. In a whimsical twist, Nami's wish for a soulmate manifests as her high school nemesis, Jae Lee.

I rated "The Takeover" 2 stars because, while the premise holds promise, the execution falls short. The rivalry between Nami and Jae is rife with banter, but the characters lack depth, making it challenging to invest in their connection. The plot's predictability and reliance on high school stereotypes contribute to a lack of originality.

Despite moments of sharp dialogue, the narrative struggles to strike a balance between romantic tension and character development. The hostile takeover plot feels forced, and the resolution is rushed. "The Takeover" may appeal to those seeking a light and formulaic enemies-to-lovers romance, but for readers craving depth and nuance, the novel may not fully satisfy.

The Takeover is a classic enemy to lovers. Nami finds herself in the predicament of having her beloved tech company taken over by Jae Lee her childhood rival. All through high school they were pitted against each other and now he is taking over her company. The question is their rivalry one born of love or hate? Is Jae Lee trying to show her he cares by saving her company or is he just trying to take her down?

The Takeover was the first time I was introduced to this author and I enjoyed it. It was relatable as a child of immigrant parents and the huge expectation of being successful. I enjoyed this reverse grumpy sunshine romance. The moment where the person you hated in high school is now trying to takeover your company as an adult. It leaves for cute arguments that leads to a beautiful romance. I would definitely recommend this book and would read more by this author.

Thank you Netgalley and RB Media for the audio ARC of this book.

I could not finish this book, the narrator's voice was not for me. She spoke very slow and after an hour I just had to quit.

I am usually not one to DNF books, but unfortunately this audiobook was difficult for me to get through due to the narration style (too slow) and just not clicking with the narrator's intonation and reading style. I attempted to listen at 1.5x speed to see if this helped with the slow reading, but unfortunately I still found it too challenging to get through.

I found some of the writing clumsy and a little cringy, though I would be willing to give it a try in written format to see if I like the storyline any better, as I've enjoyed stories by similar authors, and have seen some good reviews of the physical book on Goodreads.

Overall, the audiobook production didn't come across very well and felt like perhaps production was a little rushed.

This book was Meh for me.

This type of MC is over done and I found myself skimming. A Lot. Honestly if it hadn't been audiobook I probably would have DNF'd.

It was a fine book and some people will probably love it but for me I just couldn't get into it.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to and review.

30 going on 13. Yeah, sadly that is not a typo. These are 30 year olds who were rivals in high school. Apparently the high school antics did not stop at graduation. 

Nami was a childish, people pleaser who was part owner in a tech type company and really just bragged about what a great boss she was. She grew up with nothing special so she judged anyone who had more than her. 

Jae grew up with money and his sole purpose in life was to make as much money as he could. He referred to himself as a wolf in business. He works for an acquisitions company and is brought in to buy Nami's  failing company. His father was a jerk though! 

Some parts were funny, especially a spicy ramen scene,  but overall it felt forced- with tropes, chemistry and even diversity. The first 10% of the book was filled with explaining the different races, ethnicities, cultures and even some disabilities. It felt forced to me. 

THEN BAM- a 3rd act conflict as if it wasn't already conflicting. Two supposedly intelligent people behave like this. ugh. Frustrating from start to finish. 
The narrators definitely did not talk at the same speed either. 

Thank you netgalley for the advanced audio copy. I voluntarily listened to audiobook and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Enemies to lovers, check! So much fun banter with a lot of healing for the main characters! Also a little peak into workplace cultures that everyone wishes they had! Naomi’s passion for her work and team was lovely! Add in Jae and their dynamic made it a really fun listen! Thanks NetGalley for the listen!

The Takeover by Cara Tanamachi was a 3.5 star listen for me. It was well narrated but a little bit slow to get into.

Nami is a part owner in a tech company. She loves what she does but it is not all sunshine and roses. The company is struggling and she is no where near where she thought she would be. Her high school nemesis pops back into her life, first through a text, and then when his company tried to purchase her company. She does not want it to go to them because it in her mind they would break apart everything she has worked for. Their antagonistic behavior morphs into a relationship and eventually her lie falls into place.

Thank you NetGalley for my copy of the audiobook. All opinions are my own. #NetGalley #TheTakeover #CaraTanamachi #RBMedia

I do love a good enemies to lovers romance. This one was very cute! I enjoyed the business aspect of the story along with the added family dynamic complications. This was a quick listen that was a perfect pallet cleanser!

This was was a 2.5 star for me, so for ratings, it's getting a round up to 3. The plot for me was just ok. Two grown adults still talking about their nemesis from high school just didn't do it for me. Nami (the female main character) in particular always felt very whiney. I felt like the romance happened rather abruptly, like they went from hating each other to head over heels in love in a matter of a few minutes. There was some good banter between the main characters, and there were a few funny moments, like the ramen scene. It ended as expected, with a misunderstanding, and then everything quickly tied up into a neat little bow.

The narrator for the female character (Nami) sounded very robotic without much feeling or emotion - It almost felt like she was reading a textbook. The narrator for the male character (Jae) was a bit better, and I enjoyed his voice overall, but I could not STAND when he had to do a voice of a female - it always sounded so whiney.

If you are looking for a quick mindless read, this one isn't the worst choice for sure, but it's not one I would really come back to again either.

Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media who provided this book in exchange for an honest review.

Audio—DNF, Story—⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I wasn’t feeling the narrators on this one—nothing wrong with them it just didn’t feel like I was connecting with the characters and the story was so interesting that I wanted that connection. Because of this I set the audio aside and waited for the PB to release so I could experience the story fully—I am so glad I did.

The banter between Nami and Jae, the very real call outs on business and corporations , the whole Toggle staff including Dell and the Swivel chair just drew me in and kept me reading nearly straight through.

This was my first Cara Tanamachi book and now I’m going back to read her debut and then eagerly await all future releases.