The premise of this book was really promising, however I didn't clicked with the characters at all. The story fell very flat for me. Nothing I will remember that I read.

Such a fun read! Highly recommend.

Many thanks to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

Overall, I liked this book! I enjoyed the overall premise and the back stories for each of the main characters. Emerald was a refreshing FMC, one who is competent and vulnerable at the right times. Marco was a great MMC as well, one who is strong but willing to grow.

Having said that, I also felt that the resolution of the story was a little stale. It seemed to drag on for long than needed, and the time frame in the book was too long. They went months without seeing each other and just jumped right back in? It just felt a little disjointed from the rest of the story. Overall, I would recommend this book though!

DNFed at about 20%.

Romance novels written in the third person really seem to work for me, and I very much enjoyed that about The Takeover. It also started off very bingeable and the writing was extremely funny. However, as the narrative started to progress a little, the humor became a little too over-the-top for me. (The book started to lose me when a drunk Emerald shakes her boobs at Marco.) I think this wasn't the romcom for me, but I do completely see the potential in it being the right fit for other readers! I would definitely read more of Jackie Ladbury's work.

Thank you NetGalley for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

This one of those books that I enjoyed as it was a light read and had some good funny parts. Even though I did enjoy it I felt like if I haven’t wrote my rating for this I would probably all forget about this one and possibly pick it up day thinking it sounds good only to realize I read and forgot all about. I guess and easy way of explaining myself is that it was kinda forgettable even though I had enjoyed it!

I wish the writing was more thought out and build up for the characters was needing. It felt like they just cared for each other without really showing how they got there. One minute their enemies and next in love.

Overall I would try another book from this author but hope in the future you can see the tense between the characters and root for them.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review

The Takeover follows innocent air hostess Emerald Montrose who has a VERY bad, out of character day in front of a handsome stranger - only to find the next week that he has taken over the airline she works for. The plot revolves around the classic enemies to lovers trope. There were lots of things I enjoyed about The Takeover, the settings, especially on the Isle of Scilly and in Scotland and the main male protagonist and the descriptions of the work banter.
I found that I didn't have very much patience for the main character as I felt like she was too indecisive and although I could see the journey she was going on, it wasn't right until the end that she started to assert herself a little bit more. I thought that her art was such a key part of her that she should probably have let it come out sooner. Overall I thought it was a good beach read but perhaps not one I'd rush back to.

3 stars from me.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced release copy in exchange for an honest review.

loved this romance and interesting that she meet him at the hotel . She ends up working with him with the airline. she is fighting her feelings for him. He is trying to not become attached to her too. They are slowly having a good working relationship and figuring out themselves and their heat.

In this steamy modern romance, flight attendant Emerald Montrose’s life seems to fall apart after a disastrous trip to Florence reveals that he has been cheating on her. Trying to drown her sorrows in a hotel bar, Emerald then embarasses herself in front of the hotel’s owner, the handsome Marco Cavarelli. Thinking that what happens in Florence stays in Florence, Emerald is all too horrified to discover that Marco Cavarelli recently bought the airline she works for and is now her boss. Their mutual dislike of each other is unfortunate because their new work relationship and Marco’s plans for the airline continues to force them into close proximity and tropey situations. The tension and drama in the novel is palpable, and Ladbury has done a fantastic job bringing these emotions and sexual tension to the forefront of the novel. Emerald and Marco are complicated, difficult, and dynamic characters whose interactions together are particularly well-developed and fascinating. As for the other characters and the setting, they compliment Emerald and Marco brilliantly, adding to the conflict and the backdrop of the story. With so many clever characters, tropes, tension, and drama, this romance novel has it all, and readers are sure to enjoy the wild ride that is Emerald and Marco’s relationship.

Fun, funny and easy to read.
Really enjoyed the characters in this book and getting to know them. The flirty banter was 10/10.

Cute romance, definitely a unique storyline and definitely enjoyable. The idea is really great, its giving enemies to lovers, billionaire italian man (very aggravating), backstory, cute bits, spicy bits, friendships, etc. Unfortunately i felt it was lacking in the writing. I mostly noticed how all the drama was centered around 1 week of romance, and then months and months afterwards where both parties make it seem like it was years of romance. I dont know if i explained it well, but in a sense i felt the romance moved too fast? However, it was still totally enjoyable and a nice read for my holiday.

Thank you to netgalley and the author for sending me the book in exchange for an honest

I’m really sorry to say but I had to DNF this book. Something in the writing and the characters’ behavior just irked me and I couldn’t get past it. I did not feel curious about the story and I did not want to pick up the book, and if I did I would struggle to read just one or two chapters which is completely unlike me (I can read a full book in one evening) and I just couldn’t force myself to do it.

I absolutely loved this book! The story is perfect for summer time on a vacation. The main couple were so entertaining!

"The Takeover" by Jackie Ladbury is a gripping and fast-paced novel that blends elements of suspense and romance. The story centers around a high-stakes corporate takeover and the personal and professional conflicts that arise from it. Ladbury’s writing is sharp and engaging, with well-drawn characters and a plot that keeps readers on the edge of their seats. The novel deftly balances intrigue with romance, making it a compelling read for fans of thrilling, character-driven narratives.

This is a laugh out loud, sweet romance and very enjoyable read. Sapphire Montrose travels to Florence to surprise her boyfriend and gets an unexpected surprise herself when she interrupts his liaison with another woman there. Heartbroken, she finds another hotel to stay overnight in and, uncharacteristically, hits the bar. Unused to alcohol, she ends up propositioning the handsome hotel owner, Marco Caverelli!! More surprises are en route as that man turns out to be her new boss . . .

This is a story where fate certainly seems to have plans for Sapphire and Marco but these plans are fraught with misunderstandings, dead end routes, u-turns and a very turbulent flight! Their attraction is mutual, the atmosphere sizzling but both are stubborn, feisty and reticent about expressing their thoughts and fears. The story is well paced, with plenty of angst and set backs as well as secrets and misunderstandings to impede their journey to a mutual HEA. The secondary characters - especially those who work at the airline - are brilliantly portrayed. This is a delightful read, a lovely heartwarming story to escape into.

Didn't realize this was part of series until partway through it BUT it worked perfectly fine.

This follows Marco and Emerald. It all starts with Emerald flying to surprise her boyfriend but it turns into a living nightmare when she catches him with another woman. While drowning her sorrows in the hotel bar she embarrasses herself in front of the gorgeous, but grumpy hotel owner....Marco. She is determined to put that night behind her but low and behold her airline has a new owner and she has a new boss...and his name is Marco. They hate each other but are forced to spend time together.

Gotta love a good enemies to lovers trope especially when there isn't a bad history that makes it seem impossible to overcome. There is just an embarrassing night and some misunderstandings. And two stubborn people who simply won't chillax for a minute and talk.

Now, I will say Marco and Emerald annoyed me SOOOOO much. Marco was too grumpy and stuck up his business romp......Emerald was so very childish. Again....if they took TWO minutes to be nice and relax everything could've been solved or at least some things could've been untangled. However, I did enjoy watching them finally fall in love even though they needed a kick in the romp.

There is some humor sprinkled around which helped ease the tense scenes with these two knuckle-heads. I'm certainly glad there was some humor to help.

Oooo! I loved that we got to fly to all these different locations. Adorable. :D

The ending was very sweet, but it took SO, SO, SOOOO long to get there.

All-in-all, I did enjoy this but the characters drove me insane. Hahaha. The ending was sweet but these stubborn mules made things so hard and complicated. I'll give this 3 stars. I am curious about the other books in the series.

ONE WORD SUMMARY: Pleasant

Emerald is a flight attendant working for a small airline. Inexperienced in love, she foolishly trusts someone and finds them with someone else, sending her into an uncharacteristic drunken evening where she meets Marco, a hotel owner who she makes a less-than-favorable impression upon. Fast forward to meeting her new boss, a man who buys the small airline where she works, and Marco walks in. These two have to get past first impressions to work together and then fall for each other.

I think the premise is a promising one, but I found myself a bit bored with this novel. The characters are not exactly fleshed out, especially the MMC Marco and Emerald isn’t really the most likable person in the world. I thought that his outright Alpha Male-ness was appropriate for the genre, but he wasn’t appealing in other ways. I felt like the whole thing needed more detail - it seemed a bit two-dimensional overall. The bones are good - which is why I’m giving it 3 stars, but it needs seasoning to be charming.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and Joffe Books for providing this book, with my honest review below.

The Takeover had a cute premise and a strong opening but there were two things that kept this from making it a top romance for me.

The first is relatively simple and may be more subjective - Marco. Our hunky Italian main lead went from feeling like a more lighthearted grump in the first part of the book to dreamy overly romance novel male in the second part. Suddenly his smoldering glares were less about his grumpiness and more about heightened encounters where he’s sitting in a chair in a darkened room watching the female main character unbeknownst to her. It felt a bit like whip lash (and creepy and out of character). I could get behind our hero from the first part but the guy he changed into was not my cup of tea.

The second is that Emerald, our female main character who started out a little awkward but a strong lady I could get behind quickly turned into an insecure and whiny one. She would bring up the strong moments from her flawed childhood that belied some sort of backbone and strength having been built up but then have reactions that seemed melodramatic and overly emotional in the context in which her character had otherwise been shaped and defined. Truth be told by the end I was not a fan of hers and actually understood where some guys call women crazy (which I’m not okay with, but if I was in a relationship with Emerald I assure you I’d be telling my best girlfriends she was crazy, and I think they’d wholeheartedly agree).

Again a very cute premise but one that didn’t hold up in the face of characters who seemed to embody different ideas versus a mapped out personality the reader could get to know. Maybe you’ll like the idea of following a story with ever changing main characters, but I was let down to have stuck it through without anything to explain why they were the way they were (or what they ended up becoming in Marco’s case).

It was a weird story I had to dnf at 25% the story felt really dragging she gets cheated on there is so much Italian and random words she talks to this guy Marcus who’s just rude using her trying to have sex with her and then just being mean. The plot was slow a little bit boring.

I liked this one initially and thought the premise was interesting but I struggled to finish it. It felt terribly dragged out and the time periods in between events bothered me. Emerald, for all her independence and tenacity, was being a bit pig headed while Marco was being exceptionally daft. At one point he explains something and says that’s all he has to say even though he left out THE detail. I did want to know what happened in the end though. 3 stars because I finished it and was drawn back enough to want an outcome.

DNF @ 20%

One reason I was unable to continue reading this book is the major plot point that happens in the opening 3 chapters that the rest of the book is seemingly built upon. The FMC gets belligerently drunk (to the point where she cannot stand) and is throwing herself at the MMC when he so clearly doesn't want her advances (literally SA) and then the author further cheapens the moment by making the MMC sexually intrigued by the FMC in her completely drunken state. The whole scene in reference was just a HUGEEEEEE ick and reeked of questionable consent issues. This is not something I want to read in a light fluffy romance novel.

Additionally, the writing and British humor did not resonate with me and I really found it strange how the other managed to both oversexualize the FMC and then make her a slave to purity culture by having her raised by nuns. The book didn't get any better as I read on and I really didn't like the continual referencing that the MMC to her being a prostitute. The book felt icky and really didn't leave me with the warm fuzzies I look for in romance novels.