⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ -NetGalley ARC Audiobook 🎧

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…and her heart.

This enemies to lovers book is full of witty banter, family drama and workplace humor. The memos about Dells expensive desk chair had me laughing as did the spicy ramen chapter. I thought the story read smoothly and the characters were entertaining. I didn’t like the narrator so my only complaint is I should have read this instead of listening to it.

Thank you to NetGalley, Recorded Books/RB Media for the chance to read this book. All thoughts are my own.

This was a decent romance when it came to plot and characters, but overall I found The Takeover a little underwhelming and forgettable. I will probably read further books by the author though.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC! This was such a cute and lighthearted read! The banter and rivalry between the two leads was so enjoyable! This is a quick read that is sure to keep you smiling! 3.75 stars!|

I could not finish this one. I got 57% of the way through and just couldn’t do it. The main reason was because of the audio. The male wasn’t as bad but the female narrator sounded like she was reading a graduation speech or something. And it was so hard to decipher which character was supposed to be speaking.
All that being said, the story also didn’t draw me in, but there were some parts that kept me listening. I wanted to know what happened, but in the end I just couldn’t keep listening to the narrator. I’d recommend trying the hard copy of the book instead.

thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy. I really enjoyed this and will be getting copies for my shop.

Actual rating 3.25

If you’re looking for a quick fun, light read this is that! Has a touch of enemies to lovers in it. The ramen scene in this book is seriously so good. The banter is so good in this book. I highly recommend!

I’m all about some enemies to lovers. && honestly showing up years later to battle with her because you’re bored… you shoulda known, dude. The chemistry and banter totally worked. Loved the office and coworkers shenanigans.

I don’t think I quite understood why her old friends / classmates were happy to see her sad birthday turn out. Or why they were happy about the viral cheating fiancé video. I understand the scandal and intrigue of it but why happiness? Because she was smart? I didn’t really get the hate.

I LOVED this! The high school nemeses turned work adversaries turned lovers. I enjoyed all the fun ways they tried to one-up each other and the gentle way they realized they were always made for each other. I wish I picked this one up sooner!

- workplace contemporary romance
- rivals to lovers
- romcom
- some light steam 0.5/5 🌶

Juvenile at times for the age range of the main characters. Overall it was cute, though I'd have liked a little less pranking and rivalry and more spice! Spice would've helped deal with the angst and frustrations between the characters.

When am I going to learn my lesson stop picking up workplace rivals-to-lovers romances? Next time I contemplate reading one, I need to remember that they're not for me and I never have fun reading them, partly because authors always seem to fall into the trap of making their protagonists immature and childish (with too many pranks). Sadly, this was no exception.

Nami spent the majority of the book being hung up on things that happened in high school and complaining about her family and lack of friends. Girl, move on. You just turned 30, stop making tests and hall passes your entire personality.

The narrative also felt like it needed a solid edit. There was too much repetition (how much Nami loved her company, how much she hated Jae) and the plot didn't really shine through. I found the whole story frustrating and underwhelming, and the romance just didn't compel me.

Thank you to netgalley and RB Media | Recorded Books for allowing me to read this book. I really enjoyed the characters and their banter.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of “The Takeover” by Cara Tanamachi. All opinions are my own.

I previously read first book in this series so I had to pick up the second. Definitely enjoyed this one a lot more!

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the audio version.
Well were do I start? First off I didn't like the narrator. She sounded like a robot. And it was like she was recording a echoey room.
The main female character was a disgusting person. I could not stand her personality. And the male main character was just as bad. I am not sure if it was just all supposed to come off funny but it fell flat for me.

DNF the audiobook. wished I could've had the epub copy but couldn't find it at the time of the request . Will find the hard copy/epub and pick it up from where I left off if the mood strikes.

I have to say this suprised me in terms of Nami and Jae's relationship and banter. Their conversations were actually cute and natural most of the time. My favourite scene has to be the spicy ramen challenge because I think it really brought out the rom-com vibes of this book. However, I also saw a lot of cringey, millennial things throughout the book which did take me out. I would have to literally pause and reflect on the things that they say. It is advertised as an enemies-to-lovers but it's more one-sided high school rivals. Even though Nami constantly says how much she despises Jae's perfection, she is already attracted to him from the very beginning which didn't sell the enemies-to-lovers trope. Overall, it was a typical cute romance but it didn't really stick out to me.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book- I already rated the story but as far as the audiobooks, the narrators did an excellent job. However, at some points the audiobook sounded as though it was recorded in a bathroom.

I really enjoyed The Takeover. The story line was well written and flowed nicely. The narration was also done very well and helped bring the story to life. I liked Nami and Jae Lee together. This is a well executed high school revivals to lovers.

As Nami’s milestone birthday approaches she finds herself facing how her personal and professional are not where she wants them to be. The ending of her engagement was difficult enough, but the public embarrassment only made it worse. Her company isn’t thriving and now she is facing a buyout by the man who was the bane of her existence when she was a teenager.

Jae is successful, charming, and representing the company that wants to absorb Nami’s company into his fold. He knew that convincing her would be difficult not only because of her resistance to maintain her independence but the past they shared has been more antagonistic than friendly. Let the battle begin!

Both Nami and Jae are determined to pursue their own agendas however they weren’t prepared for their true feelings to emerge as they take us on journey complete with humor, emotions and realizing what truly matters. I did enjoy the performance of the narrators as it allowed you to understand the characters and what they were going through.

Nami's 30th birthday takes an unexpected turn when her tech company faces financial trouble, and her high school rival, Jae, reenters her life offering to buy the company. As their old rivalry reignites, so does a new kind of passion. This rom-com set in the tech world was exactly what I needed. The rivals-to-lovers trope was expertly executed with deep backstory, and experiencing the story from both Nami and Jae's perspectives added depth. Their banter and chemistry were electric, and the supporting characters enriched the narrative. Full of nerdy vibes, this book is a must-read for rom-com fans.

The Takeover by Cara Tanamachi is an engaging audiobook that blends romance, workplace challenges, and technology. Nami, a CEO, faces selling her company to her high-school rival company, leading to unexpected twists.
The dual narration by Jae and Nami, voiced by Donald Chang and Chieko Hidaka, brings the characters to life, adding depth to the story.
The audiobook shines with its humour and tech elements, keeping listeners hooked. The romance between Nami and her rival is a cute and classic enemies-to-lovers.
Overall, the Takeover is a fun listen, appealing to fans of romance (enemies-to-lovers), workplace dramas, and tech enthusiasts. With engaging narration and a charming blend of romance and tech.

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