A review by styleandsavings
The Takedown by Lily Chu

hopeful lighthearted medium-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

5.0

 Thank you partner, Colored Pages Book Tours and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the gifted copy of The Takedown by Lily Chu.

Dee works as a diversity consultant and lives in her cozy childhood home left by her parents who have retired outside the city. Things change when Dee’s grandma needs extra care and Dee’s parents and grandma all move back into the home with her. For fun, Dee loves to play Questie, a scavenger hunt game, and is usually at the top of the leaderboard except when her rival takes the number one spot. One day while searching for clues, Dee sees her rival in person! Teddy is strikingly handsome and there’s definitely a spark between them. What Dee doesn’t realize is that he will soon be part of her work life when Dee is assigned to Celeste, a fashion label where Teddy is next in line to be CEO after his father. Improving the corporate culture at Celeste will involve taking down the old guard. Will Teddy and Dee be able to be romantically involved and do what’s best for Celeste? 

I really liked that Dee has a corporate career, is close with her family, and unexpectedly finds a romantic relationship. I also appreciated that there were several diverse main characters. The character development was well done. Dee and her family members learned and grew during the story especially in regards to processing emotions and re-thinking old prejudices. Dee and Teddy’s relationship was sweet and I liked how they bonded over trivia.

One part that bothered me was Dee’s possessiveness of the house. She came off as entitled and didn't seem to grasp how privileged she was to have her parents give her a house.

Overall I loved this book and will read more stories by Lily Chu. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys rom-coms that are more sweet than spicy and have diverse main characters.