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Take the Lead

(Dance Off #1)

Alexis Daria (Goodreads Author)

3.88 · Rating details · 988 ratings · 236 reviews

The first book in a sizzling duology about dancers who find love from #OwnVoice's Alexis Daria.

Gina Morales wants to win. It’s her fifth season on The Dance Off, a top-rated network TV celebrity dance competition, and she’s never even made it to the finals. When she meets her latest partner, she sees her chance. He's handsome, rippling with muscles, and he stars on the pop ...more

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Kindle Edition, 321 pages

Published October 3rd 2017 by Swerve

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October 2017 Recommended Romances

129 books — 164 voters

His Perfect Partner by Priscilla Oliveras

Latina/Hispanic Heroines in Romance Novels

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Start your review of Take the Lead (Dance Off, #1)

Sep 26, 2017 Nicola rated it really liked it

In the UK we call it Strictly Come Dancing, across the pond it’s Dancing With the Stars, but whatever name it goes by, if there’s glitter, sequins, fleckerls, foxtrots and fake tan involved I. AM. THERE. So a romance centralising around all this?

description

No stranger to reality TV, gorgeous 6’7 bearded Alaskan wilderness star, Stone Nielson is more at home chopping wood than shimmying his hips. But when he’s partnered with LA based pro dancer, Gina Morales on The Dance Off, it’s not long before she coaxe ...more

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Sep 09, 2017 Mirjana **DTR - Down to Read** rated it really liked it

Shelves: mo-money-mo-problems, 4-star, paparazzi

***4 Stars***

Loved this debut!

Puerto Rican professional dancer + Mountain man reality star + dance competition = One happy reader!! ♥ ♥

"You light me up. You helped me remember who I was before, and see clearly who I am now and who I want to be."

Gina and Stone were fantastic together. Both dealing with unwanted expectations and trying to break free from the molds the public put them in, they find comfort and so much more with each other.

Gina has dreams. She wants to dance, sing, an ...more

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Oct 05, 2017 Maria Rose rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 4-5-stars, fully-reviewed-books, sexy-as-all-get-out, reading-resolution-2017

2018 RITA Award winner for Best First Book!

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 Take the Lead, a lively, energetic and sexy contemporary romance by début author Alexis Daria. And if you’ve never watched one of these competitions before, after reading this story you’ll likely want to add it to your viewing schedule. The plot is fresh and original, giving the reader almost a voyeuristic behind the scenes 2018 RITA Award winner for Best First Book!

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 Take the Lead, a lively, energetic and sexy contemporary romance by début author Alexis Daria. And if you’ve never watched one of these competitions before, after reading this story you’ll likely want to add it to your viewing schedule. The plot is fresh and original, giving the reader almost a voyeuristic behind the scenes look at what makes or breaks the dancers on the stage. Along the way it details the romance between a professional Puerto Rican dancer needing to make the finals or be cut from the show and her partner, an Alaskan lumberjack who’d rather be anywhere than on the stage.

Gina Morales is ready to take her fifth season on Take the Lead by storm and hopes she’ll be paired with someone who will be both capable and popular enough to make it to the finals. Her producer has made it clear that if she doesn’t make the final three, she’ll likely be out of a contract for next year. All signs point to success when her partner turns out to be Stone Nielson, one of the stars of his family’s reality TV show, Living Wild, set in Alaska. Tall, handsome and fit, Stone has the qualities every female dancer on the show wishes for in a partner. With a little luck and a lot of hard work, they could be the couple to beat.

Stone hates Los Angeles. He misses his old life in Juneau where he lived and worked quite happily before being coerced into participating in a show with an adoring audience who don’t realize that much of the circumstances of their day-to-day existence of the contestants are fake. The medical bills from his mother’s hip operation are the only thing that convinced him to join the dance competition. What makes the whole thing bearable is his partner, Gina.

Gina’s producer Donna thinks that Gina and Stone would make the perfect ‘showmance’ for the season, something Gina absolutely opposes. The last thing she needs is get slotted into a stereotypical ‘hot Latino dancer’ role that will make it that much harder for people to take her seriously. She has aspirations of getting into acting when her dancing days are over and an ‘affair’ on a TV show is not going to help her career. But she and Stone do have some serious chemistry, and the more time they spend together, the deeper their connection becomes. As their relationship heats up both on and off the stage, can a happy ending for them on the show mean one in real life too?

What a fun read! The dance show/reality TV element is so well handled that it wouldn’t surprise me to find out the author has been staking out reality dance competitions backstage, because the drama, personal relationships and week by week eliminations had me flipping the pages eagerly to see what would happen. As the author is herself Puerto Rican, she adds an authenticity to Gina’s character that comes across in her mannerisms and expressions (as well as her cooking!). Gina’s enthusiasm for dance is equal to her skill, and she’s able to teach Stone both the physical steps and the emotional expression required to achieve their goal every week of impressing the judges and getting the viewing audience to vote for them. Her skills are not limited to dance though. She choreographs scenes, chooses appropriate costumes, and knows the ‘business’ side of the competition – the need to be ‘on’ for the camera at all times. If this is wearing for her at times, it’s only in the quiet down times off camera with Stone that she is able to let some of that go.

Stone is the strong, silent type. Or at least, that’s his character on his family’s show. He has to remember to hide anything about himself and his family that doesn’t fit with how they are portrayed on TV, especially if cameras are around. Being with Gina is eye-opening for him, not just because he realizes he can dance, but because he’s forgotten what it’s like to have fun, to be in the moment and enjoy life. She brings out the side of his personality that’s been hidden away and he likes this side of himself. In private, they can step outside of their TV personalities and be themselves.

While the attraction between them leads to on-stage chemistry that they can shrug off on camera as being a result of the hours they spend together and their strong friendship, off stage they eventually hit the sheets in some steamy love scenes. Keeping their feelings for each other private becomes increasingly difficult. While Stone would have no problem coming out into the open, Gina believes the resulting publicity would do more harm than good for her in the long run. In the end her decisions will affect them both.

Besides watching Gina and Stone grow closer, it’s equally fun to follow them in the competition. The other couples are well described, and as some of the dancers have been with Gina on the show for a few years, they feature prominently as secondary characters. I’m not going to give away whether or not they make it to the end, but suffice it to say Gina and Stone get more out of the competition than they ever expected. If you are looking for a fun, flirty, exciting romance, you should add this one to your to-read list.

This review also appears at All About Romance: https://allaboutromance.com/book-revi...

A copy of this story was provided by the publisher via NetGalley for review. ...more

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Nov 25, 2017 Nenia ☠️ Khaleesi of Bodice Rippers, Protector of Out of Print Gems, Mother of Smut, and Actual Garbage Can ☠️ Campbell rated it really liked it

Shelves: kissing-books, poc-interracial, netgalley

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This is one of those books that has received a lot of advanced praise - Sarah MacLean called it one of the best romance novels of 2017 - and yet, there's hardly any reviews for it on Goodreads. What the heck, my readers? What the heck?

WHY HAVE NONE OF MY FRIENDS READ THIS YET??

TAKE THE LEAD is a good book for many reasons. It's set on a Dancing with the Stars-type reality TV show. Gina is a Puerto Rican dancer who has dreamed of and ...more

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Jan 08, 2018 Joce (squibblesreads) rated it really liked it

Here's the link to my video review!

A ton of fun but also important and layered. First of all, I used to dance and it was such a huge part of my life and I felt like that was portrayed well. I also am a sucker for dance-based reality TV so this book was basically made for me. I loved how it talked about being a Latina woman in the entertainment industry (Gina is a Puerto Rican woman, as well as Natasha who book #2, Dance with Me, is written about), and how she feels typecast and pigeonholed into ...more

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Aug 23, 2018 Anne Boleyn's Ghost rated it really liked it

Shelves: contemporary, barrel-of-laughs, stars-in-their-eyes

Take the Lead won the RITA award for "Best First Book", and it is easy to see why. It was a wickedly fun and entertaining read.

For the most part, I hate reality TV. I have a lot of reasons why I hate reality TV, but this is a book review and not a rant about reality TV. Considering the subject matter - a romance between Gina, a Puerto Rican dancer on a reality TV dancing competition, and her partner Stone, who stars on an Alaskan wilderness reality TV show - you can imagine my reluctance. But D ...more

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Feb 14, 2018 Rebekah Weatherspoon rated it it was amazing

Shelves: do-me-hero, romance, wocinromance, steamy-sexy-times, big-boy-heroes, fluffy-love, wocinrbc, interracial-romance, sports, do-me-heroine

A wonderful debut. I worked in reality TV for a long time and Daria nailed the ins and outs of working on a show like Dancing With The Stars. Looking forward to the next installment.

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Sep 16, 2017 JenReadsRomance rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites

Listen. Take the Lead by Alexis Daria is perfect. PER.FECT. I loved this book. I want to take this book out behind the high school and make out with it. This book was goddamn good that after I finished reading it, I spent the rest of the day watching Strictly Ballroom, the Step Up movies, and Magic Mike. This book made me want to sign up for dance lessons----and I am a white girl with NO rhythm! I clap on the wrong beat and my husband jokes I need a walking helmet! I’d sooner give up romance and Listen. Take the Lead by Alexis Daria is perfect. PER.FECT. I loved this book. I want to take this book out behind the high school and make out with it. This book was goddamn good that after I finished reading it, I spent the rest of the day watching Strictly Ballroom, the Step Up movies, and Magic Mike. This book made me want to sign up for dance lessons----and I am a white girl with NO rhythm! I clap on the wrong beat and my husband jokes I need a walking helmet! I’d sooner give up romance and only read Jonathan Franzen novels before I’d take dance lessons! I just wrote a paragraph with like 18 exclamation points, and I hate exclamation points! I have been reduced to a quivering pile of happiness at the perfection of this book. I mean, I guess you could stick around for the particulars, but if you haven’t one-clicked yet, I really can’t help you.

The characters in this book are both trapped in a web of their own making, beholden to their lives as reality TV stars. Gina Morales is a professional dancer on a Dancing With the Stars-type show. This season, her partner is Stone Nielson. He and his family are stars of their own reality show about being survivalists in Alaska. He’s farmed out from the family show to the dance show to try and win enough money to pay for his Mother’s medical bills. Gina is determined to win this season, knowing it could catapult her career to the next level.

Gina and Stone have all the chemistry, but their beliefs about who they are and how to be in the world couldn’t be more different. Some of it on the surface: he loves Alaska and she’s a city girl; he’s quiet and taciturn while she’s bright and chatty. On a deeper level, each character is fully developed, with a set of fears and foibles that make them afraid of making a future together.

I loved Gina. She’s strong, hard-working, and knows exactly what she wants. She’s also savvy about the ways in which the whole system is working against her. Early in her career, she had a boyfriend who used her to get ahead and then dumped her. She’s determined not to let anyone else have a chance at ruining her career. When they first meet, Gina is instantaneously wary of Stone, sensing her producer is setting them up for a “showmance.” While other dancers might enjoy being at the center of a showmance, Gina negotiated a contract that expressly outlaws being cast in that light. Even though she can’t resist him and their romance is real, she explains when they need to keep it secret, “Do you have any idea how much my agent fought them on the showmance angle when I was hired? A lot. And because I’m Puerto Rican, I’ve been fighting against the ‘sexy and promiscuous’ Latin stereotype my entire career, something that’s hard enough when you’re a dancer....You don’t get to make this about you.” Gina breaks her own rules when she gets involved with Stone, and she is convinced that if others know about their romance, it will hurt her career. There is no part of her worry that seems contrived or hysterical, by the way. It just feels real. She’s a woman of color, and she knows damn well she can’t make any mistakes. But is Stone a mistake?

What Gina doesn’t realize is that Stone has been lying for his family for years. Their reality TV show is contrived, and his whole life is managed, scripted, and filmed. Stone doesn’t ever have the chance to be himself, because his reality TV contract forbids him from sharing anything that would ruin the illusion of his family’s life in the Alaskan wilderness. Stone loves his family, but he cannot wait for his contract to be over so he can return to a regular life. Stone is impressed that Gina lives by her principles while he is living a lie. This means it is especially painful, hurtful even, to keep his feelings about Gina a secret. He thinks, “Everyone wanted him to be silent--his family about their pasts, and Gina about their relationship. The silent protector, keeping secrets and putting aside his own needs. Well he was sick of being the quiet and reserved one.” Stone’s inner turmoil is just as real and grounded as Gina’s, and neither of them can figure out how to move forward together.

It’s this conflict and character building that makes Take the Lead a 5 star romance for me. I cared for both of them, wanting both of them to get what they need and to end up together. It truly takes compromise and work from both of them to find that HEA. Part of the reason I called this book perfect is Alexis Daria’s flawless portrayal of their emotional and physical intimacy. Every steaming glance builds the heat, ever kiss feels earned, and the sex simultaneously builds intimacy and reveals their vulnerabilities. I desperately wanted them to end up together but had no idea how it would happen.

Finally, I think the best books are always having a larger conversation about society and the world. Yes, this book needs a Spotify playlist and a YouTube channel of dance clips. But it’s also as damning an indictment of reality TV as the scripted Lifetime show Unreal. On Twitter, author Cecelia London recommended another novel that takes on reality TV called The Last One by Alexandra Oliva, saying “She really nails the bullshit involved in the way the media is presented to us, and how it creates doubt in our minds.” Take the Lead is doing something similar, but oh so personal. Gina and Stone are caught in the web of expectations of family and society, but I couldn't read it without wondering about the webs keeping me in place, or the webs I am inadvertently weaving for others.

Cross-posted at The Book Queen's blog: http://www.tbqsbookpalace.com/2017/09...

I got this book from NetGalley. ...more

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Dec 01, 2017 Ⓐlleskelle - teamSøren♗ ⊲I like big b00ks⊳ rated it it was amazing

Shelves: contemp, romance, co-workers

So here's the thing. I don't like Dancing With The Stars.
I really don't care for it. At. All.
And yet I picked this book.
And furthermore... I'M LOVING IT.

I picked it up because that hooker, Geri from Dirty Girl Romance Book Blog was reading book 2 ('Dance With Me' releases December 12th - http://amzn.to/2BGn2nC) and completely sold me on the idea of a romance between DWTS co-stars.

I mean, although not a fan of the show, I always wondered about dancers acting so in tune and showing off scorching c ...more

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Dec 05, 2017 Skye Kilaen rated it really liked it

Shelves: 0-genre-romance, romance-poc-main-char, romance-by-poc-faves

Of all the romance novels I've read, this one best qualifies for the title "beach read," and I don't mean that in a bad way. It's a passionate romance between two contestants on a dance competition reality show. Stone Nielsen is an improbably tall (see note below) star of an Alaskan outdoorsy reality show. Gina Morales a Puerto Rican professional dancer who will be his partner and dance teacher for his guest stint on The Dance Off.

If you're looking for something lightweight and entertaining, thi ...more

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Jan 27, 2018 Lucia rated it liked it

I had mixed feelings about this book.

At the beginning, I kept thinking that I need more than just physical attraction for romance to work for me. I even contemplated DNFing this book.

But later on, story took the right turn and I could do nothing else but sit back and enjoy the sizzling chemistry between main duo. I didn't even mind (that much) occasional clichés and cheesiness that accompanied the story.

Moreover, I found setting very interesting. I am not a fan of real Dance with the Stars sho ...more

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Sep 16, 2017 Xan West rated it it was amazing

Shelves: m-f-rom-by-poc, posted-az-review, romance-with-poc-mc, latinx-author, author-of-color, dance-books

A copy was provided by the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

I loved this! It was completely gripping; I stayed up way too late last night because I could not put it down.

I loved these characters so much, fell hard for them both, and particularly for Gina. I was rooting for them all the way, as a couple, as dance partners. I wanted them to get a happy ending. The obstacles and conflict felt so right, they unfolded in a beautiful way.

The heroine is Puerto Rican, and I A copy was provided by the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

I loved this! It was completely gripping; I stayed up way too late last night because I could not put it down.

I loved these characters so much, fell hard for them both, and particularly for Gina. I was rooting for them all the way, as a couple, as dance partners. I wanted them to get a happy ending. The obstacles and conflict felt so right, they unfolded in a beautiful way.

The heroine is Puerto Rican, and I really appreciated how deeply culturally specific so many aspects of the story were, and really felt for Gina in her fight to push back against sexualized stereotypes of Latinas. The way that was woven into the conflict in the story was brilliant, and had me really invested in her arc.

As a New Yorker, I also really enjoyed how much this book (and Gina) were enamored of NYC, even though so much of it happened in other places. It was lovely to read the NYC set scenes, they were swoony and full of details and just made me really happy. The Central Park scene totally had my heart.

I liked the way the book showed the depth of Stone's discomfort with being sexually objectified and in particular, sexually harassed by one of the other contestants. These things are often excused and made light of when men are being targeted, and I liked that this story didn't do that, that we were shown how very uncomfortable he was with it.

I absolutely adored the dancing in the story. Loved how central it was, how much it was described, it just made me so happy to read that. I got to really sink into the details of the dancing, and the arc of the competition. I also got a kick out of the reality tv aspects of the story, how much it played with the manipulation of reality tv, how that brought them together and how it created obstacles for the romance. So much drama! So much push-pull and forced proximity and intensity and internal and external conflict!

I loved the chemistry between Gina and Stone, it was so hot, and had this lovely thread of tenderness in it too. This translated into the sex scenes, that brought so much heat, and also a lot of heart. Stone was a wonderful match for her; I really got why she fell for him. And I loved how much he adores her and admires her and gets invested in her success.

The resolution of one of the central romantic conflicts caught me a bit by surprise, but after I sat with it for a minute, really worked for me. The other resolutions of the major arcs were extremely satisfying, and one of them around Gina's career, really got me in the feels. This felt like such an intricately woven story, and I loved the way it wrapped up.

A masterful job of pacing and characterization, this romance was a joy to read, and is an incredible debut. I can't wait to read book 2!

Trigger Warnings: (view spoiler) ...more

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Jan 08, 2019 Sam (AMNReader) added it

Shelves: read-in-2019, 3s-are-the-weirdest-rating, i-will-forget-your-names-by-morning, strong-silent, sometimes-i-am-an-outlier, romance, this-took-too-many-trees

There were so many hopeful glimmers in this book, to the point where I thought I'd be reading a little gem-sneaky diversity with a Brooklyn dancer who is Puerto Rican trying to dodge stereotypes and a reality tv star (formerly engineer) who lives with his family remotely in Alaska.

And, I'm going to be honest up front. The strong silent act on the part of the hero troubled me to the point where I didn't really understand their connection in a meaningful way. I also kept thinking of that family on ...more

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Oct 07, 2017 Olivia (Stories For Coffee) rated it really liked it

Shelves: review-requested, i-love-love

I really enjoyed reading this novel because I love dance competitions, so this book really won me over. I also enjoyed the Puerto Rican culture that’s woven into the story since Gina is a Puerto Rican main character whose ethnicity and culture is very important to her. Her drive to break stereotypes placed on Latinas was like a breath of fresh air to me because I related so hard to her character and everything she stood for which was hard work, perseverance, and dedication.

Stone was also an ado ...more

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Jun 09, 2019 TheEuphoricZat rated it really liked it

Just think of a splash between Dancing with the Stars and Jungle Jim.
It's Gina's fifth season on the Dance Off and she has never won once but for this season she is determined to win.
She is then paired with a reality TV star of the popular TV show, Living Wild. From there first meeting Gina and Stone would identify the sizzling attraction between them.
Soon the secrets they are both keeping threatens to tear them apart.
I really loved this book and I would definitely recommend it.

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Jul 01, 2019 Mari rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2019, diverse-recs, romance

I'm not a huge fan of dance-based (or any) reality TV, but I really enjoyed this. It felt like a story within a story because it had the show and behind the scenes. I loved both the main characters and how this effortlessly wove in aspects of latinx culture, what it mean for Gina to be a latinx woman in the industry, romance and fun. I also really liked Stone. He's a soft boy mountain man, idk what else you could ask for.

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Dec 06, 2017 Miki ✖siempre romances✖ rated it really liked it

Shelves: opposites-attract, favoritos, beta-hero-new-masculinity

2018 re read.

I love Gina and Stone. I love that she's LATINA, that she cares so much for her career. She's a career woman. And Stone is the perfect beta hero, he's a big and muscular man but he's so gentle and kind and so sweet. I loved him.

I also learned a lot about dancing. I love reading books about dancers.

The only bad thing was a big misunderstanding at the end and Stone made a mistake and I was like NO!! why did you do that, you silly man!

Overall, it's an amazing book and also there's FEMA ...more

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Sep 30, 2017 Coral rated it it was amazing

Mind-blowing, heart-wrenching, tear-jerker.
Okay, I exaggerate.
We're talking about a book on reality TV. Actually, its 2 reality TV shows. Where things are exaggerated, faked, blown totally out of proportion for the sake of ratings.

Gina, a born dancer waiting for her big break is in danger of losing her current shot to fame by not pandering to what the tv exec wanted by playing up the stereotypes. She especially do not need an attraction to someone who is going to be a partner whom the producer ...more

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Feb 06, 2018 Chachic rated it it was ok

Originally posted as a bookstagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/Be3KS4_Fld_/

Take the Lead by Alexis Daria is a contemporary romance that has gotten a lot of buzz on romance Twitter. I jumped at the chance to read it when the title went on sale for 1.99usd. Partially set in Alaska, New York and California, this is a romance between a professional dancer and a celebrity on a survival TV show, as they're paired together on a dance competition. The heroine has to teach the hero to dance as they comp ...more

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Oct 01, 2017 Jess rated it it was amazing

Shelves: all-about-them-ladies, by-a-woman, interracial, poc, own, series, chick-lit, galley, favorites, contemporary

I'm crying. Why am I crying?

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Feb 07, 2018 Laura C. rated it did not like it

I am all about the guilty pleasure of a good romance-- or even a badly written romance that makes you care about the characters-- but this was just bad. So repetitive, so much time spent in the characters' very boring, one-dimensional heads. When your English teacher said show it, don't tell it, there was a reason. Even the sex was bad. As demonstrated by this classic line, ".... and his cock still cried out for her."

Lol! That and the dancing butterflies.

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Nov 06, 2017 Kate rated it it was ok

This was a cheese fest. The characters were bland and the romance between them was not believable at all. I skimmed the last 20% just to finish.

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Sep 28, 2017 Lisa rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2017-read, ch-of-colour, author-of-colour, ch-fav-heroines, ch-great, trope-workplace-romance, type-galleys, gr-romance-contemporary, ch-fav-heroes, em-gimme-smut

Also on Romances Ever After.

Take the Lead follows Gina and Stone, two reality TV stars, as they compete with the other contenders in The Dance Off, a network-TV dance competition. Both have different reasons of joining; Gina is in it to finally win it, since it’s already her fifth season, and Stone sees the prize money as a chance to alleviate his family’s financial troubles. However, Gina realizes immediately after meeting Stone that they’re being set up for the show’s romance bait, something s ...more

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Oct 10, 2017 Anna Banana rated it really liked it

Shelves: poc-heroines

4.5 stars

I've never watched Dancing with the Stars but after reading this book I have real admiration for the dancers on that show!

This book was so much fun! It's fun, fresh, and very steamy I couldn't stop reading from the moment I started to read. Add in the Latinx rep and I was sold on this from the get-go.

I loved Gina and Stone and I thought they had some really great chemistry. Stone is honestly so perfect I loved how much he cared for Gina and how he broke down her walls. I relate to Gina ...more

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Oct 03, 2017 Saly rated it really liked it

Recommended to Saly by: Coral

Shelves: rom-contemporary, single-titles, read-in-2017

Thank you so much Coral for reviewing this book, if it wasn't for you I would not have read this. First of all a brilliant premise, a dance reality TV show. Second I loved the heroine, she was ambitious and passionate about dancing and didn't want to take shortcuts or do something that would compromise her image in front of her family even if it would ease her way. I liked that about her, even if I felt she was worrying way too much about it later.

I loved the hero too, he was a saint to give up ...more

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Jan 24, 2018 Reyes rated it liked it

Shelves: 3stars, na, 2018

A NA with old-ish characters and story development, an actual plot and hot scenes that do not make you cringe?? Maybe this book feels better than it actually is after the horror that was 2017 NA-speaking, but I enjoyed this a lot! It still was a bit cheesy towards the end and had many of the things I've come to exasperatedly enjoy in a NA (too big, never been in love before, blah blah) but all in all it is very recommendable, and I've already added book 2 to my wishlist :)
Maybe I should start wa ...more

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Nov 19, 2017 Mandy rated it really liked it

I tend to stay away from reality tv in general and the same for reading and sub-genres in CR. The only reality TV I watch is Dancing With the Stars, so when I read the concept of this duology, I was hooked.

I'm happy to say that Take the Lead was quite an enjoyable read. Daria did a great job of building a relationship and great chemistry between Gina and the DELICIOUS Stone. I loved the behind the scenes details of training each week for the show, the creation of choreography and the politics o ...more

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May 11, 2018 K. rated it really liked it

Shelves: contemporary, diverse-author, poc-narrator, romance, setting-usa, 2018, audience-adult, own-it-kindle, own-voices

Trigger warnings: lying, manipulation, gunfire. I think that's it??

3.5 stars.

For the most part, I really enjoyed this story. I mean...it's essentially a Dancing with the Stars romance. So, uh, yes please. There's plenty of fun dance stuff. There's plenty of chemistry between the two leads. There's plenty of depth to their characters and their individual stories. So for the most part? It was a lot of fun.

However. There were occasional moments in the sex scenes where I was like "..............pl ...more

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Nov 21, 2017 Jess rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2017-new, own-ebook, 2017-all, romance-contemporary, romance

Despite eye rolling a little bit through the conflict near the end of the book, this was a really good debut novel. I also have questions about the hero turning into a male model, but I can't really rule anything out these days. This was fun. I'm going to read book two.

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Mar 27, 2018 Ashley rated it liked it

Shelves: romantical, unfinished-series, naughty-bits, shop-on-your-own-shelves-2018, musical

I wanted to like this so much more than I actually did. Like, trade secret here, even though I do not enjoy most reality TV, I realllllly enjoy reading about characters in books or stories (and fanfic, let's be honest) being on reality TV competitions. (This is similar to me not really liking sports, but loving stories about people who play sports. Why? Shrug.)

Take the Lead is Alexis Daria's first novel, and I think you can tell. It was very uneven for me. One minute I'd be super into it, the ne I wanted to like this so much more than I actually did. Like, trade secret here, even though I do not enjoy most reality TV, I realllllly enjoy reading about characters in books or stories (and fanfic, let's be honest) being on reality TV competitions. (This is similar to me not really liking sports, but loving stories about people who play sports. Why? Shrug.)

Take the Lead is Alexis Daria's first novel, and I think you can tell. It was very uneven for me. One minute I'd be super into it, the next I'd be pulled completely out of the story and thinking to myself, well, I wouldn't have done it like that. Which is kind of a dick thing to think but still, if it had been completely solid I wouldn't have been thinking it.

Stone (yes that is his real name) and Gina are partners on a Dancing with the Stars analogue called Dance Off. Gina is a dancing pro who is determined to win this season (her job is on the line) and Stone (yes that is his real name) is a member of a large survivalist family famous for living off the grid in Alaska. He is a 6'7", long-haired, bearded hunk of a man. The only reason he's doing the show is to earn money for his mother's medical bills. He doesn't anticipate lasting long. But the producers set up the single Gina for a showmance with Stone (yes that is still his real name), which she is completely resistant to. She has spent her whole career resisting the sexy Latina stereotype, and wants any success she has to based off her skills and her own hard work, not her sexuality. It's not in either of their best interests to fall in love with the other.

So like I said, parts of this I was super into. I loved all the reality TV stuff, particularly Stone's character arc and his (view spoiler). It was fascinating to see the behind the scenes work going into a show like this. Daria did a great job the whole way through on using this setting to her advantage in their pairing.

For me, the problems came at the important moments. Their first sex scene felt off to me. I still haven't pinpointed it, but it felt out of character and a little forced. Their actual emotional relationship didn't get much build-up until about halfway through. Up until then it was just a lust connection, which stopped being interesting after a while. Earlier emotional development for them would have helped a lot, I think. And I also think that she goofed on two other important moments in their relationship: their reunion, and the epilogue, which was cheesy as hell and completely implausible ((view spoiler)). I just didn't feel those moments, and those are the key moments! The sex scene, the final getting together scene, and the HEA. And none of them really worked for me, even as all the stuff surrounding them really did. (In contrast, Daria absolutely nailed the complex emotional scene near the end between Gina and her mom and sister, so I know she's got skills.)

I will read book two and give her another shot, but it very well may be that Daria won't be an author I regularly read going forward. ...more

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About Alexis Daria

Alexis Daria

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Alexis Daria is a native New Yorker and award-winning author writing stories about successful Latinx characters and their (occasionally messy) familias. Her debut TAKE THE LEAD won the 2018 RITA® Award for “Best First Book” and was one of the “Best Romance Novels of 2017” in The Washington Post and Entertainment Weekly. Her super powers include spotting celebrities in NYC, winning Broadway ticket ...more