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dearhaleynicole's review
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
"The Takeover" was a fast-paced, enemies-to-lovers romance that once I got into it and got to experience the tension between our main characters, Nami & Jae, I really ended up enjoying reading!
Overall, this was a quick, cute read. Though maybe a little predictable at times, I was really sold on Nami & Jae's enemies-turned-lovers story. It can be hard to bridge the gap of two characters not having seen each other in over ten years, but I thought Cara did a great job with setting up both characters and their motivations well. And making it feel like, for us as readers, that not a day had went by since they last spoke. Though in reality, so much has went on in their lives over the years that has shaped them into different people than they were in high school. All that, while still keeping what made them "spark" back then, "spark" again now.
Unfortunately, I did feel like it took me till about 20% of the way through listening to get into it (I should mention I listened to the audiobook). Though, I liked Nami's character for a lot of reasons (none short of her being a little nerdy and a former computer programer turned owner of a tech startup), it was a little hard to get through some of her initial POV chapters due to her slightly cringy inner monologue. The written phrasing at times just came off a little dry to me (i.e. "She put the boss in girl boss"), which took me out of the story a few times more than I'd have liked. However, once Jae entered the chat though with his POV and it wasn't just Nami, I did start to appreciate their dynamic and the banter Cara wrote between them. Their energy felt fresh and fun to read the remainder of the book and I ended up really liking them as a couple.
I would highly recommend this book to fans of enemies-to-lovers and workplace romance books like "The Hating Game" by Sally Thorne or "The Enemy" by Sarah Adams.
Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media for graciously sending me the audiobook to review in exchange for an honest review!
Overall, this was a quick, cute read. Though maybe a little predictable at times, I was really sold on Nami & Jae's enemies-turned-lovers story. It can be hard to bridge the gap of two characters not having seen each other in over ten years, but I thought Cara did a great job with setting up both characters and their motivations well. And making it feel like, for us as readers, that not a day had went by since they last spoke. Though in reality, so much has went on in their lives over the years that has shaped them into different people than they were in high school. All that, while still keeping what made them "spark" back then, "spark" again now.
Unfortunately, I did feel like it took me till about 20% of the way through listening to get into it (I should mention I listened to the audiobook). Though, I liked Nami's character for a lot of reasons (none short of her being a little nerdy and a former computer programer turned owner of a tech startup), it was a little hard to get through some of her initial POV chapters due to her slightly cringy inner monologue. The written phrasing at times just came off a little dry to me (i.e. "She put the boss in girl boss"), which took me out of the story a few times more than I'd have liked. However, once Jae entered the chat though with his POV and it wasn't just Nami, I did start to appreciate their dynamic and the banter Cara wrote between them. Their energy felt fresh and fun to read the remainder of the book and I ended up really liking them as a couple.
I would highly recommend this book to fans of enemies-to-lovers and workplace romance books like "The Hating Game" by Sally Thorne or "The Enemy" by Sarah Adams.
Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media for graciously sending me the audiobook to review in exchange for an honest review!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief, Death of parent, and Bullying
befthhh's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
*I received an eARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
High school rivals to lovers is one of my all time favorite tropes, and this certainly didn’t disappoint! Nami and Jae haven’t seen each other in 10 years but their chemistry is still aflame. I loved the dual perspectives, showing us that Jae has always found Nami attractive and intriguing, whereas Nami has to work through her “hatred” of Jae in order to see how well suited they are.
I thought the conflict was very believable, both between the main characters and with their families. I liked getting to know their coworkers, friends, and families. There’s is really nothing about this book I didn’t enjoy!
High school rivals to lovers is one of my all time favorite tropes, and this certainly didn’t disappoint! Nami and Jae haven’t seen each other in 10 years but their chemistry is still aflame. I loved the dual perspectives, showing us that Jae has always found Nami attractive and intriguing, whereas Nami has to work through her “hatred” of Jae in order to see how well suited they are.
I thought the conflict was very believable, both between the main characters and with their families. I liked getting to know their coworkers, friends, and families. There’s is really nothing about this book I didn’t enjoy!
Content Warnings
Minor: Death of parent and Grief
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