would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book

when the first you hear that your job and the company you work for is going bankrupt panic sets in and looking for a new job becomes top priority for regina

adding to that fact that the new job you get after a worrying week is being managed by your ex should send warning flags but regina has other worries on her mind and being the professional that she is she carries on

but its not long before margot starts making life difficult and one being her jealousy over one of the models that she feels is paying to much attention to regina

can regina cope with all the added pressure from margot and maybe the attraction she feels towards grace the model only time will tell

Regina Avery has the worst ex-girlfriend on the planet. When Regina's marketing company goes bankrupt, she is desperate for a job and takes one at a well-known fashion brand. What she doesn't know is that the ex she dumped a few months prior is the one behind the job and has plans to use it to make Regina miserable, And Regina can't leave the job because not only does she need the money, but leaving will make her look bad for future jobs. Aside from working for her controlling and vindictive ex, Regina has issues with nudity and bare skin - like a physical phobia that not only embarrasses her, but makes her unable to function. So of course the ex puts her in charge of a marketing campaign for an underwear line, complete with photo shoots and scantily clad models. Worst ex ever.

Fortunately for Regina, she meets Grace, one of the models and they hit it off. While Grace helps her with her phobia so she can do her job, Regina helps Grace learn about marketing so she will have some career options once her modeling career is over. The two start to fall for each other despite Regina's shyness and Grace's fear of rejection making them both a little dense to that fact. Between that and the crappy ex throwing more roadblocks there way, it takes them some time to find each other. But once they do, they are both able to find the happiness they deserve.

I loved both Regina and Grace. A little like Regina, I get very embarrassed at seeing semi-naked people, so I could completely relate, and Grace was just very sweet. Once they cleared their hurdles it was a super sweet and positive romance and the supporting characters, especially Regina's Aunt Bess who was a hoot. Definitly recommend you give this a read!

I received an ARC and am leaving an honest review.

Maddie Barrow has lived in the small community all her life and most of the time she loved it but as far as dating goes the ladies interested in being with her are not there. Working with her family is another thing she wanted to do, in fact loved it. When her best friend, Clover hires a new employee for her ‘Grumpy Old Goat’ cheese business, someone who she hopes knows her stuff but finding a place for the new hire to live was a whole other matter. Luckly there is an old house but it needs a lot of work. Luckly for her, Maddie, just happened to be a contractor.
Sy Travino trained as a chef and has worked everywhere but after coming home her main interest was in cheese, making it her new dream. Raised by her single mother she grew up knowing she had a great mom. Father’s whereabouts are unknown. Now she’s come to work with Clover and meets Maddie who has agreed to help make her new home livable.
Ms Rey does a wonderful job bringing these two women, along with a believable plot to make this a lovely romance with lots of laughter along the way. Truly a wonderful romance.
ARC via NetGalley/ Bold Stroke Books.

Thankyou Net galley for the early copy of this book.

I loved the intense slow burn in this book but part of me wished that Regina and Graces relationship had been fleshed out a little after that it felt really rushed after that point. I also wish Regina’s phobia had been explained a little more in the second half of the book, but other than those two points the rest of this book was a really interesting concept, the controlling ex, the loss of her job. It was also a harsh but interesting look into the modelling world which I hadn’t come across in a book before.

4.5 rounding up to 5

<i>Taking the Plunge</i> requires no plunge and no huge investment of emotion or time, as it happens. And I mean that most kindly, Amanda Radley has conjured a sweet, low-angst romance set it in the world of fashion and marketing. Older uptight vs. younger carefree. Being the age that MC Regina is myself, I kind of like reading age-gap (here about 12 years only, 44 vs. 32) romances where the younger MC hasn’t yet been battened into routine and commitment by “life.” Grace has a lot to teach Regina about remembering to live. A message I always enjoy :).

Meanwhile Regina is neatly trapped by her vindictive ex, now her boss, in a job where she has to face her phobias. I never heard of (and will never understand!) a phobia of naked bodies—well, not women’s, of course—but Regina has that, which is original. That leads me to one of my two criticisms of the story. First, this is fade to black. Not my preference. Which is fine for those that prefer fade to black in favor of more story. I know several friends in my network who say they tend to skim thru or skip physical scenes. And, I understand fade to black is Ms. Radley’s norm, and so it’s not fair to spoil a rating simply due to my own preference.

But I do feel that Ms. Radley misses a trick here. Since Regina has a phobia of naked bodies, I would like to have seen how she overcomes that in the developing physical relationship with Grace. Since we never get beyond some gentle liplock, we’re asked to accept that it—that she—is suddenly fine. The subplot was a device to bring the girls together, and it was neatly done, but that device could have been played out for a an added layer of interest and complexity, I feel. Or perhaps not… since Ms. Radley chooses to keep the appeal of <i>Taking the Plunge</i> light and fun. Who Am I to argue with a Lambda winner, I know. But that’s why I shave of a half-star.

In any case, that added layer isn’t in the story, and so we’re left with what Ms. Radley does give us. Which is sweet, fun, good chemistry between the leads in an interesting environment.

And undemanding simpler read is sometimes <i>exactly<i> what I like to pick from the menu, and so I’ll be back for more Amanda Radley soon, having already picked up another by her.

Thank you to the author, Bold Stokes Books, and NetGalley for the ARC they kindly supplied me.

"Taking the Plunge" by Amanda Radley is a cute slow-burn romance between Regina Avery and Grace Holland. Regina's encounters with her evil ex, Margot, keep things interesting. The connection between Regina and Grace feels genuine and sweet, even the secondary characters were very interesting. Wish there was more to the story, since I feel that it was too short.

Overall, it's a feel-good, age-gap romance set in the world of modeling and marketing. Very enjoyable, I recommend it if you're looking for this type of story.

This is one of those stories that once finished leaves you with the feeling that if it had been a short novel it would have been enough. The argument is very simple. A woman in her forties, Regina, who suddenly loses her job, having her aunt in a nursing home for which she needs to have a significant income.

Almost immediately she finds a job, seemingly ideal, but with a small drawback: her ex Margot is going to be her boss. And Margot's intentions are soon revealed, since she wants Regina to return to her even though her relationship was nothing special and did not end well as we would say. But the reconquest of Regina is not intended to be done in a friendly manner, but rather by coercing and forcing her in a rather bad way.

In this new job Regina will have the somewhat unexpected help of Grace, a model who has an instant attraction towards Regina. She will first help diagnose Regina's phobia of images or situations involving naked bodies and then she will try to help her overcome it. And during the "treatment", Margot will not be very pleased to see how Regina moves on from her and approaches Grace.

Perhaps the feeling that it is a simple and artificially elongated story is because it does not have much action regarding the romance between Grace and Regina. It could also have been due to Regina's complex personality, who is reflective and excessively doubtful and fearful. It hasn't been one of my favorites from the author, she definitely has better ones

Marketing manager Regina Avery goes into work one day to find herself out of a job when the company she worked for goes bankrupt. Out of desperation, she accepts a temporary position for a fashion brand. Only after she shows up for her first day, she realizes that her narcissistic ex, Margot, is her direct boss. Worse yet, Margot has deliberately set Regina up in a position she is bound to fail in. Regina has a horrible aversion to seeing bare skin (she's been like that forever), and she is now in charge of a women's lingerie line.

Lucky for Regina, one of the models, Grace Holland, befriends her and helps her get through the first few days, the two women trading expertise (Grace's with the lingerie photos, and Regina with marketing). When Margot realizes that Regina and Grace are becoming friendly, Margot goes berserk.

Content warning - this book has a LOT of toxic workplace environment issues. Readers sensitive to that might want to skip this one. The toxic work environment was horrifying, but the need to take care of her family and to have a steady job makes Regina's actions (or lack of) understandable.

I really enjoyed the dynamics between Grace and Regina, Regina's cluelessness, and the slow burn between them. I loved both these main leading ladies. Also, Bess and Leonard were so freaking cute! ❤️

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced digital reader's copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review!

3.5 stars - cute romance, great chemistry, lacks spice

Regina, a risk-averse marketing director, unexpectedly loses her job. Desperate to find a new one quickly, she lives paycheck to paycheck to pay for her aunt’s care home. What seems like a lifeline job offer turns into a nightmare when she realizes she has been set up to work for her controlling narcissistic ex in an industry that triggers her anxiety.

Grace, a model working for the same company as Regina, meets her during a lingerie fashion shoot. They hit it off immediately, and Grace shows compassion for Regina’s fear of nudity. She helps her review the shoot photos and provides distractions when it becomes too overwhelming.

I enjoyed their chemistry and how their friendship grows into a romantic interest. However, I was not a fan of the Margo storyline. She came across as unhinged, and it didn’t sit right with me that she gets to be extremely unprofessional, controlling, and terrible and suffers zero consequences for her actions.

Regina and Grace have great chemistry, but we only get to see a few kisses. Everything else fades to black, which I am not a fan of at all. I believe there was an opportunity for some powerful intimate scenes, especially considering Regina’s phobia. It feels like a missed opportunity.

Overall, I enjoyed the story and would recommend it to those who prefer low angst between the main couple, likable characters, and a happily ever after ending.

3.5 ⭐️ Rounded up for me. I received an ARC copy of this from NetGalley and these are my honest opinions.

- FF
- Age Gap
- Extra Slow Burn
- Evil Queen
- Spice (0/5 🌶️)

Regina is a 44 year old marketing Director that likes to stick to the same path in life. Her world is ant turned upside down when she walks in to work morning to find her "stable" company has gone bankrupt and she no longer has a job. This puts ver very off kilter because she has taken on the responsibility of financially taking care of her only family left, her loving aunt. Navigating this path gets even more complicated when her spiteful ex catches wind she is unemployed and puts a plan in action to get Regina back under her thumb.

Grace is a 33 year old model trying to figure out what to do next since she knows she will be aging out of modeling soon. She takes a liking to the new marketing director on set and notices she's struggling. They make a deal, Grace helps Regina work through her phobia and Regina, helps Grace learn marketing so she has a fall back career.

In a series of twists and turns, some miscommunications there just maybe a happy ending after all 😉

I have enjoyed other books by Amanda Radley and this title was no different. Taking the plunge is a quick and fun read. I had never heard of gymnophobia and ended up looking more into it based on the mention in this book. Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read this title early.

It could be such a sweet workplace romance if it weren't for the villain.
Just like a Disney movie ;)
Regina is very professional at her job, but if the company you work for suddenly goes bankrupt and you're a complete creature of habit, it's a disaster.
For Regina, a lot more depends on her having a job with a good salary. She doesn't just have to look after herself.
However, this brings her to the gates of hell where Margot is already waiting for her, who plans to make Regina's life extra difficult.
The reasons for this lie in the shared past... I don't want to say anything more.
However, Regina is much more complex and struggles with a personal problem that I have never read about in a book. Really interesting! Regina meets Grace at Amandine, the new company she is working for.
The very beautiful, sweet and nice Grace who, as a model, meets Regina mainly half-naked and takes her breath away.
Things get really interesting from there…

I had really mixed feelings at times.
Grace and Regina are sweet, lovable and a bit slow. It takes both of them a while to finally find each other, but that wasn't my problem.
My problem was Margot.
I hate reading books where a “bad” or mean character has so much leeway and power for a long time in the story.
I'm having a hard time imagining it, but maybe that's just me.
I really like Amanda Radley books because there is always a character with a personal struggle that makes them so interesting.
Taking the Plunge is a great Amanda Radley love story!
Thanks to the Author and Bold Strokes Books for the ARC!

Regina agreed to work with her ex after the agency she was employed at filed bankruptcy. At her new job, she meet Grace, a model. The characters and plot were well developed. I enjoyed this was a sweet, slow burn, workplace romance.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for the ARC!

Regina has just been made unexpectedly redundant. As she's looking for new work she gets a great offer and takes it. Unfortunately, she finds that it's to market an underwear fashion line, and she has a bit of a phobia when it comes to seeing suggestive skin in public. Oh, and, the job, masterminded by her ex who seems like a pure psycho. But, as she toughs it out, she meets Grace, one of the models. They start helping each other, and, slowly get closer, although there was some hard core misunderstandings going on. But, can they survive these misunderstandings as well as toxic Margot?

There was so much gaslighting in this book. And, I thought that the author wrote it perfectly. All the characters were great. And the story kept me interested too (I was definitely rooting for the main couple, which these days doesn't always happen. Oh, and Aunt Bess, I definitely need a whole book about Aunt Bess, she was amazing.

A lovely slow burn, age gap romance that takes you into the world of modeling and marketing.

I received an advance review copy for free from Netgalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Regina walks into work one day and finding out the company she has worked at for years filed for bankruptcy. As she pays for her only family member, aunt Bess’s, very expensive care home, it is absolutely necessary that she finds a new, well paying job asap. Her conniving ex Margot offers her a job she can’t refuse, even though it means being back under her power. What Regina didn’t know is that the new company is a fashion brand and she’ll be responsible for launching the new lingerie line. Margot is one problem, but her stifling fear of nudity is a whole other ballgame. Add to that the gorgeous model Grace that she can’t seem to keep her eyes off and Regina is in way over her head.

We get to see a little from Grace’s point of view and the fact that she is so into Regina but thinks she’s getting nowhere is adorable. The relationship they build in the meantime is sweet and loving. And when they finally do understand they share the same feelings, things happen fast. For me it didn’t go to fast though, it was more like a sighed ‘finally’.

Radley does a great job of creating the villain of the story with Margot. Her every action contributes to the intense dislike you as a reader develop for her. The way Regina rebuffs her in many different ways makes you want to put on a cheerleaders’ costume and scream and yell from the sidelines for her to succeed.

For me there was something major missing in this story. It revolves about Regina’s fear about nudity because it was a major red thread throughout the story. But when it came to Regina and Grace being intimate the story went on a fade-out. It would have been a tremendous asset to the story to see how Regina would have handled herself when it came to the intimacy with her partner. Somehow in the glimpses you do get it seems that she got over her fear in an instant when in bed with Grace, to me that would be unlikely giving the buildup of the story.

That being said, if you like a good slow burn with relatable characters and an evil queen, this is a good story to dive into.

Soooo good!

Regina is made redundant and the only job that is available happens to be a temporary one where her new manager just happens to be ex-girlfriend Margot. Meeting model, Grace, on her first day who notices quickly Regina is awkward around her but they just keep seeming to run into one another, and Regina is missing all the flirting cues from Grace.

As usual, Amanda has delivered another sweet romance with a touch of humour that is unique to her style. I loved how Regina had found herself, like many of us, taking a job that was out of her comfort zone and struggling. But I was glad Grace turned out to be so kind and supportive, helping her to succeed, especially when they could share distaste in Margot’s behaviour towards them both. Grace was bright and smart, had good ideas and until Regina embraced them as part of discussions, was used to Margot dismissing them. Loved how their teamwork meant two people who were being treated terribly both now and in the past, had the upper hand and could deliver just a little karma.

Regina was so cute in her awkwardness around Grace. It did wonder at times how she could be so clueless, but then again, it’s very easy to misread signals and situations so I got her uncertainty and hesitancy. Grace was very patient and understanding and you could tell she was a little frustrated by Regina’s behaviour but I am glad she gave her a chance to explain, and in the end they found a way to succeed with their relationship and careers on their own terms.

Another great story from Amanda Radley that I just love.

When her agency folds, shy Regina reluctantly takes a fashion job alongside her manipulative ex. Assigned to market a lingerie line featuring model Grace, modest Regina feels uncomfortable seeing so much skin. Though Grace seems interested, their workplace relationship gets in the way. Can Regina overcome her self-doubt and a spiteful ex to take a chance on love?

Grace and Regina are adorable together. They have a smart, mature relationship, but Regina's toxic ex does everything she can to keep them apart. Grace's support helps Regina grow so she can confront her fears.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Taking the Plunge is a sweet, slow-burning romance with plenty of heart and a depth. I appreciated getting to know Grace and Regina through the course of their romance.

I’ll start this by saying I absolutely adore Amanda Radley’s writing so when I received this ARC I was ecstatic! Needless to say, the book did not disappoint. I love how connected she makes you feel with characters. I found myself frustrated with Regina at points because she refused to stand up for herself but I loved how could see her confidence growing as the story progressed. Grace was also a nice surprise. A model with a psych degree that’s also interested in marketing? Overall, I felt the book was well written, though I would’ve liked to see more of the relationship dynamic between Grace and Regina. Also, I felt the conflict of Grace getting fired because of Regina/Margot was never completely dissected.

I received an ARC of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

Take the Plunge by Amanda Radley is a sweet story.

Regina is a marketing executive who loses her job. Her ex Margot manages to use the situation against Regina. It's a bit outlandish, but in some ways it could happen in today's digital world.

At her new job Regina meets a model named Grace. The two develop a friendship and bond over each other's weakness, Grace being trapped as a model with no other career options, and Regina with her fear of nudity.
Regina's aunt is the key to a lot of the reasons Regina stays at her current job with her ex Margot.

I enjoyed the story, but I wish there had been a little more romance. It's a great read!