I love Alexis Daria’s writing. She can write sexual tension like no other, and considering this is a dancing romance? Lots. Of. Sexual. Tension!

Gina is a professional dancer on The Dance Off, and she has her eyes on the trophy she’s never won before. When she’s paired with Stone Nielson, a quiet Alaskan guy from a survival reality TV, she quickly understands the producers are setting them up to be this season’s “showmance”.

Even though Gina is completely against the idea, her chemistry with Stone is undeniable, and real feelings start to frighten her. She cannot let this man get in the way of her career. But she also doesn’t seem able to stay away.

As we follow Gina and Stone fall for each other, we also see them progressing on the show. Stone’s arc is amazing! You can clearly see how she goes from the silent guy who’ll only nod and go along with everything his family says, to the guy he becomes at the end. I missed seeing that in Gina. I felt that her arc wasn’t as well developed as his.

Overall, this is such a fun book, but in times I felt like the pace was a bit off. Some parts dragged and some were too quick. But Alexis makes up for it with her excellent spicy scenes! You guys, if you know her from You Had me at Hola, you know what you’re in for!


Thank you, St. Martins Press and NetGalley for this ARC!

I read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I can see there's already over 300 reviews for this book, so I doubt I'll be saying anything new. It was a hot read, full of chemistry and fun, and it really felt like it covered everything that would happen behind the scenes. I liked both characters, but I have to admit that towards the end Gina became a bit grating.
An easy read. I'll always read this author.

Well, Alexis Daria did it again! She instantly became an auto-buy author for me after I read You Had Me at Hola and A lot Like Adios. After finishing those two books, I was keen on reading more of her work, and was ecstatic when I found out that her debut would be republished! I'm so happy that I read this because not only did this story dance its way into my heart, but so did Stone and Gina. Daria has an incredible way of crafting likable characters who have layers to them. Gina is one of my favorite female MCs. She was kind, ambitious, sharp, funny, and just a baddie, period. Lol. But I can understand why some readers won't care for her since she could be very frustrating at times, though I understood exactly where she was coming from and why she got in her head so much. I also enjoyed learning more about Stone and witnessing his remarkable character development throughout the story. It's always heartwarming to read a Romance book and the characters just bring out the best in each other. Stone and Gina made a great dynamic duo (on and off the stage!) and you could feel their chemistry through the pages. Also, I liked the fact that these two were at an impasse that felt realistic and made the stakes feel high since they both had things to lose. I didn't know how their story was going to end since it felt like it could go either way, similar to real life. This is another great skill that Daria has when it comes to her Romances!

I do want to call out that some of the dialogue was a bit repetitive and that the dancing felt info-dumpy at times to me.

Overall, I still really enjoyed this fun, competitive, steamy story and I'm looking forward to reading more by Daria in the future! Thanks so much to St. Martin's Press & NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This was such a fun book to read. As a fan of shows like Dancing With the Stars, I found this very entertaining. It's such an intense process with people being thrown together in a very intimate way for a decent amount of time if they get far in the competition. This book was a fun exploration of one of these relationships. Highly recommend reading it!

Thanks to the publisher & NetGalley for advanced copy in exchange for my honest review

his debut novel did not disappoint! As a dancer from a young age myself, Gina's passion and commitment to her craft especially resonated with me!

thank you to netgalley (@netgalley) and the publisher (@SMPromance) for inviting me to read "Take the Lead" in exchange for an honest review

when i received take the lead, i was excited to read it cause the cover is gorgeous and the description sounded interesting. it also had everything that i enjoy: romance, smut 😏, and forced proximity

unfortunately, i had a hard time trying to connect with the book. i still liked it, just didn't love it 😔

i think the reason why i did not enjoy it as much is because of the romance was slow. slow burn romance is not really my favorite trope

another reason is that i am not that knowledgeable about dancing, so when there were paragraphs describing the dances i did not enjoy it

take the lead is my first book by alexis daris. although, i wanted to like the book, i can tell that alexis is a wonderful writer, and i hope to read more by her in the future!! 🥰

3.5★stars

pub date: february 14, 2023

I wouldn't say I'm a hater by nature, but when something is universally hyped and beloved, I don't really want to like it. It's cliché and is something I'm working on, but it's still a thing I'm dealing with. That being said, this had me giggling and smiling throughout like I was the one who was falling in love! This is so good!! I'm a sucker for total opposites who just can't help themselves from falling for someone they shouldn't, and Daria really knows how to write an incredibly compelling romance.

If you’re a fan of Dancing with the Stars or other reality TV show dance competitions you are definitely going to want to pick up this one!! I loved this book. It is a great contemporary romance book. Looking forward to the next installment.

Are you a reality tv fan? Or better yet, a Dancing with the Stars fan? If so, this book is for you!
.
Take the Lead is a re-published book by Alexis Daria.
.
Stone and Gina are teammates on a popular dancing show for celebrities. This was an opposites/attract romcom with lots of chemistry and spice! 🌶
I loved the “behind the scenes” aspect of the book, it made me feel like was getting all the scoop of a real show. 😆
And the shownance between Gina and Stone…🥵
This is a very fun read!
.
Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book!

This was such a fun read from Alexis Daria based on Dancing With the Stars!

Stone is the rugged wilderness man paired up with Gina, the sexy Puerto Rican dancer on this season of The Dance Off. From their first meeting, the chemistry between these two is off the charts hot. We get to know them over a season of rumbas and jives and a memorable “boylesque” routine all the whole Stone and Gina are exploring their chemistry while realizing their season could end at any point.

I really enjoyed seeing the relationship between Stone and Gina blossom and their chemistry is super steamy. The book had a great balance of scenes focused on their dancing and other situations so it didn’t feel too one dimensional. I wished they would have had a more serious heart to heart about their future sooner - the conflict felt a bit dragged out and repetitive (they frequently used sex to avoid adult conversations but I’m not complaining all that much!). Overall loved this series opener and can’t wait to read the rest of them.

Content warnings: Gina’s parents are divorced and her father is absent; Stone’s family can be manipulative and deceptive; the antics of the show producers at times felt overly manipulative and bordering on voyeuristic.

I voluntarily reviewed a gifted copy. All opinions are my own.

Not sure why it took me so long to read this! It reminds me of Dancing with the stars meets The Simple Wild 😍 it was sometimes a slow build but it was a cute story.

Thanks Netgalley

I was in love with this book! The world, the characters, it was hard to not fall in love. I wanted more.

Exactly perfect formula for a romcom. I think this new cover is eye grabbing and will get lots of new readers. I love all the new books from this author. This one definitely delivered.

Take the Lead is a re-published novel about a fictitious dancing reality TV show inspired by Dancing with the Stars. While I haven't read the original publication to compare it to, I really enjoyed reading this! It was similar, almost too similar, to the author's other novel You Had Me at Hola.

The characters and their journeys were a delight to follow, the atmosphere of The Dance Off was fun, and the chemistry between the characters was fiery.

I wish we had gotten more time with the characters getting to know each other outside of the dance settings though, as that would have deepened their connection even further. The miscommunication trope near the end was also silly, and both characters acted immaturely, which was a bit annoying.

All in all, this was really enjoyable! I can always count on Alexis Daria for some fun and steamy escapism.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is a reality tv romance. Gina is a professional dancer and Stone stars on a reality show with his family in the Alaskan wilderness. The author does a great job going giving the reader an inside look at how the reality dance show is produced. The characters offer fun takes on the plot. As they dance towards the finals Gina and Stone perfect their moves and fall firmly in love.

❄️ There is nothing I would rather do on a snowy day than curl up with a coffee and a good book ❄️

Thank you to @netgalley for this digital ARC of Take the Lead by Alexis Daria!

Daria first stole my heart in You Had Me At Hola. I was so excited when I saw Take the Lead was available on NetGalley!

Here's what I absolutely loved:

👠 The ballroom dancing competition a la Dancing With the Stars was a ton of fun! I did ballroom in highschool and loved being able to picture the dances.
👠 Stone is a stone cold hottie. He's sweet, he's determined, and he treats Gina like a professional.
👠 Gina is a badass through and through. Her absolute dedication to her craft comes through on every page.
👠 I love Gina's best friend and want her to have her own romance novel!
👠 All of the featured dances where the characters were really in the moment, especially with Stone out of his comfort zone were really special.
👠 The steam had me 🥵🥵🥵, Daria never disappoints here
👠I loved the quote surrounding Gina's absentee father: "He doesn't get to be proud of me, you know? He didn't do anything to contribute...So no, he doesn't get to be proud, because he wasn't there for any of it."

Things that weren't my favorite

👠 I wish we got to "see" more of the full dances and less of the rehearsals for a lot of the numbers. Felt like a lot of exciting moments on stage became fade to black or skipped entirely.
👠 Stone and Gina don't really spend any time together off the dance floor. I don't understand where they intellectually fell in love outside of physical chemistry. The only real moment I loved was the salsa club at the very beginning. I wish there were more of those because that one was really well done!
👠 This miscommunication made me want to scream. Stone is an idiot and I think the reason for his choice is moronic.
👠 When the Broadway agent says (after asking if she can sing) "Not that it's a deal breaker if you can't. That can be taught." My note: " Lol. Yep. No prior singing experience needed for Broadway. JFC", 🤦🏻‍♀️ killing this choir director here

This sweet romance is out February 14th this year! Go and get yourself this cute romance on Valentine's Day 💓

I have picked this one up three separate times and still haven't finished. I think it's going to go in the bucket of "not for me".

I was drawn to the premise (I find celebrity romances to be completely irresistible) so it seemed like it was a good fit. I think the writing is just not working for me and I'm feeling really disconnected from the characters. The story is entertaining, but I"m not FEELING anything in the way I would like to. Ultimately, for now, this is a dnf at 25%.

If you love reality TV, cinnamon rolls and competing for your dreams this book is for you. Stars Gina, a professional ballroom dancer and Stone, reality survivalist. In the coming weeks they are challenged with their chemistry as partners, intense dances and a fight between what’s real and what to keep private or share.
#NetGalley

My first Alexis Daria book and it was quite an enjoyable tale. Gina and Stone are one hot couple, and watching their romance grow was fun and angsty, but not too angsty. This is the kind of book you sit down and read when you want fun and heat.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for giving me this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I am such a fan of Alexis Daria and so excited these are being re-published! This book took me back to the days of watching celebrity dance shows and now I am wondering why I ever stopped? It is always so fun to see the costumes and choreography and storytelling through those dances and this book managed to capture the pure joy those shows were.

I was entirely sucked into the competition and how Gina and Stone would do on their dances. TAKE THE LEAD kept me engaged in the romance AND the dancing plot so well that I honestly couldn't decide if I wanted the next chapter to be about the warm fuzzies or a determined rehearsal practice. Not to mention the themes of privacy/publicity and living authentically and the pressures to present yourself a certain way.

Gina and Stone and the romance factor was adorable from the beginning. He's a quiet, big, wilderness man who does not want to be there; she is big, loud, bubbly, city girl from the Bronx who wants him to take this seriously, dammit! This was a total opposites attract forbidden romance and I was hooked every single moment. They had amazing chemistry that only grew.

This one just made me so happy. After a few "just okay" romances this one was the warm fuzzies smile-on-my-face book I've been craving!