Take the Leap

by Andrea Nourse

For Sadie Barnes, fear is second nature. Elevators, snakes, parking garages, airplanes, dating, and crowds with more than three people are just a few of the things she avoids at all costs. But when the marketing agency she started with her best friend is on the line, Sadie is willing to do anything to keep their business alive. Even if it means being contractually obligated to do a tandem skydive with Tripp James.

Tripp is the CEO of Take the Leap, a company specializing in booking extreme adventures. He’s everything Sadie isn’t—brave, adventurous, and gorgeous—and he might be their agency's saving grace. Sadie agrees to be the face of their marketing campaign and go with Tripp on their most popular adventures, proving they have an activity for everyone…even someone as fearful as Sadie.

But things get complicated when the campaign gets off to a rocky start, and Sadie starts to develop feelings for Tripp. Can she conquer her fears, or will she continue to hide in her safe bubble? No amount of therapy could prepare her for discovering something more terrifying than falling from a great height—falling in love.

Genres: Romance

274 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 6, 2025

About the author

Andrea is the author of women’s fiction novels, including Happily Ever Never and After Everything.

Andrea currently lives outside Nashville with her husband, their two children, and their puppy, Cosmic Brownie. She has a BS in Mass Communication from MTSU and an MBA from the University of Memphis.

When she’s not reading, writing, or Bookstagramming, she enjoys pretending to know how to bake, memorizing and dissecting Taylor Swift lyrics, starting (but rarely finishing) crochet projects, and scrolling Netflix without ever finding something to watch.

Reviews

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
I never heard of this book or author before, so getting the arc I was a little bit nervous, but these characters was fleshed out and the plot was different to other books I've read before and it was good writing.

It follows Sadie (fmc) who has valid fears and anxiety, with Tripp (mmc) who is an adrenaline, thrill seeker. He owns this adventure program that needs Sadie to be the face of a new campaign to promote their business/ app and reach out to a wider range of customers/ people. While they're being filmed, they're getting closer and falling for eachother over time.

For me I just didn't connect to the fmc on a personal level, only because I'm not scared or have fears of many things, but the character growth was really good considering it's under 300 pages. The mmc was sweet, patience and what the other one needed.

[⋆˚ Pamela ♓︎˚⋆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to win this book in a giveaway, special thanks to Storygraph and Andrea Nourse!

3.25 ⭐ - Take The Leap follows the highly anxious Sadie, she has the opportunity to work together with Tripp, he owns an adventure program where Sadie needs to be the new face of the brand. Thrillseaker Tripp couldn't be anymore different from Sadie, but then again - opposites attract, right?

This story was so cute, I loved following the story of Tripp and Sadie, as a highly anxious person myself - Sadie was easy to relate to. I will definitely check out more books of Andrea Nourse.

[Renee Carpenter · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a solid 3.5 stars.

Take the Leap is about Sadie, a highly anxious person, and her company teaming up with Tripp, the CEO of Take the Leap, to build/ boost each other's company. Therefore, Sadie has to do highly adventurous tasks to market Take the Leap. All the while finding herself and maybe a cute CEO.

I like how this book was a quick read. The writing is good, the plot flowed seamlessly. This is a great book option for a pallet cleanser. I would recommend this book and I'm glad I got to read it.

I did receive an arc for this book and my opinions are my own.

[Catherine Poe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Andrea Nourse has created a character similar to herself in Take the Leap. She has poured her heart and soul into this romantic comedy which will pull at your heartstrings and you might even shed a few tears as you watch Sadie conquer her fears. Sadie and her best friend Ava have a marketing agency and Sadie agrees to be the new face of a campaign. That means going on extreme adventures with Tripp. Brave , adventurous, gorgeous Tripp. What’s worse than falling in her new adventures? Falling in love🩷

[Harper Bennett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
This was my first book by Andrea, and where have I been, so happy with this read. I saw so much of myself in Sadie—her fears, her anxieties—I kept thinking, “Same, girl. Same.” Take the Leap took me on an emotional rollercoaster in the best way possible. I was laughing out loud one minute and tearing up the next. And Sadie’s character growth? So well done. I loved watching her face all her fears and anxieties. This book genuinely made me want to be more adventurous. Highly recommend!

[Bee Monson · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you want a book that will tug on all your heartstrings, this is the book for you. I have been waiting four years for the return of Andrea Nourse and she doesn’t disappoint. The FMC is relatable and so strong. The MMC is the man you should set your standards on. I appreciated the rawness and realness of the whole book. Would recommend any of Andreas books, truly.

I received an ARC of this book and my opinions are entirely my own. I really loved this book.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this! Sadie and Tripp's relationship was my favorite!! and now I think I want to go skydiving!?

[Aly · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ✨️

First, it took me a while to get hooked on the story. But as the story went by, it made me feel like love is something worth taking risk for.

It followed a story of a girl who has a lot of fears and has a broken relationship with her dad. But since they are in the marketing agency business, they pitched their idea with the company who has launched an app that offers booking extreme adventures. But the app is for someone like the FMC, in order to conquer their fears and learn to overcome them.

While the adventures were ongoing, Sadie, the FMC, developed some feelings for Tripp, the MMC, to the point that she thinks it's a bad idea because they are working together and Tripp is her client. But little did she know, Tripp was also having feelings for her. But Sadie was too afraid to have something with Tripp because she is afraid that she might lose Tripp because Sadie can't overcome her fears and overthinking. But Tripp was not having it and told Sadie to trust him, as he always tell Sadie to trust him during the adventures/activities.

Sadie is like some of us, having boundaries and walls that are hard to break, trust that are hard to earn, and fears which we don't know if we can or would overcome. But sometimes, having someone, that would trust us and would always have our backs and believe in us would be enough to hold on to and learn how to come out of our shell and take risks.

To all having doubts, fears and walls/barriers, you don't have to rush taking them down. Conquer them when you feel like you can and when the right person/s come along to help you conquer them.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to @andreanourse for providing me an advanced copy of Take the Leap in exchange for my honest review.

Andrea Nourse consistently delivers delightful reads, and Take the Leap is no exception. This gem of a romantic comedy is clearly a labor of love, expertly crafted to tug at your heartstrings and perhaps even elicit a few tears as you witness Sadie's courageous journey in overcoming her anxieties.

Take the Leap centers on Sadie, a relatable character navigating the complexities of anxiety. Her marketing agency teams up with Tripp, CEO of Take the Leap, in a strategic partnership designed to elevate both their companies. This collaboration thrusts Sadie into a world of extreme adventures with Tripp—brave, adventurous, gorgeous Tripp—all while she unexpectedly begins to discover herself and maybe, just maybe, fall for the charming CEO.

I found this book to be wonderfully quick and engaging. The writing is polished, and the plot unfolds effortlessly. I deeply connected with Sadie, recognizing my own fears and anxieties in her struggles, and found myself wholeheartedly cheering her on. The emotional journey was captivating; I experienced genuine laughter one moment and heartfelt tears the next as Sadie confronted her deepest fears. I wholeheartedly recommend this book and am so glad I had the opportunity to read it.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Andrea Nourse for an e-ARC of Take the Leap! I couldn’t put this book down.

Highly recommend this book! I’ve never identified more with a character than I did Sadie. The portrayal of anxiety and catastrophizing was so relatable. I loved watching Sadie’s growth throughout the book and it served as an important reminder that it’s good to get outside of your comfort zone.

I enjoyed the interactions between Tripp and Sadie and the patience he had for her. This is a closed door (or tent) romance and isn’t spicy. Really enjoyed that there wasn’t a third act breakup.

The book did a great job of emphasizing all kinds of relationships, whether it be friendships, family, or romantic. Glad Liam redeemed himself as the book went on. Some people may find the mentions of cancer, death of a sibling, death of a parent, and childhood trauma to be triggering. Ava was a supportive friend and did a great job of knowing what support Sadie needed. Also, totally hope there’s a Ava/Seth book in the works because they seemed to have some chemistry.

Loved that Tripp named his cats after Taylor Swift and Law and Order characters! He’s a big softie who also happens to enjoy skydiving and extreme adventures.

[Kerry | KerryGetsLiterary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've had the pleasure of reading Andrea's work since 2018, & this is now my new favorite book of hers. I had the honor of beta reading back in November 2024, & I'm SO excited that Take the Leap is now out in the world so you can read it too!

I understood Sadie on a deep level. Having recovered from panic disorder & agoraphobia, I can tell you that a life full of fear & anxiety isn't easy. Overthinking, overanalyzing, catastrophic thoughts, panic attacks, are all very real & relatable. When all she wanted to do was go back home & read after she peopled too much, I knew she was my girl. And her character arc is awesome. She grows so much & learns how brave she actually is. Anyone who thinks the Sadies of the world are too much can go find less.

Sadie & Tripp have the slowest of slow burn romances. Their connection is built up over the course of the book, & is sweet & emotional. Their chemistry will have you grinning & giggling & kicking your feet.

I loved the plot. It's a unique story that I haven't seen in other romances & I absolutely adored that. It's refreshing and original, and I loved that two women were running the business that Tripp hires. The pacing is perfect and I was hooked the entire time.

[OnlyBooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

I reallyyyy wanted to love this one. Sadie (the FMC) is a total scaredy-cat, and Tripp (the MMC) is a daredevil CEO—which should’ve made for a fun opposites-attract romance, right? But instead, the “romance” felt super slow and almost nonexistent until like 80% of the way through the book.

There were so many pages dedicated to Sadie’s personal challenges and fears that the romance honestly felt like an afterthought. I didn’t feel much chemistry between her and Tripp, which made it hard to connect or root for them.

I will say Sadie’s character development was strong—by the end, she’s definitely not the same scared girl we met at the beginning. But it took me a whole week to finish this (and it’s only 274 pages!), which says a lot because I usually breeze through 400-page books in two days.

If you like character-driven stories with personal growth and very minimal romance, this might be for you. But if you’re looking for chemistry, banter, and swoony moments… this might not hit the mark.

I wanna say thank you to NetGalley for this book!!

follow my tiktok @bookishbananza

[Mills · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐1/2

This was a short, cute read. I enjoyed the pacing of the book and really liked Tripp, he was sweet and perfect for Sadie.

I dropped half a star because of Seth. I couldn’t stand how he kept pushing Brett on Sadie. She was well within her rights to keep her distance and old enough that her limits should have been respected. I also struggled to fully connect with the level of Sadie's fears. While it allowed for good character development, I personally found it hard to see past the trampolines, probably makes me a Liam...

Overall, I thought this was a solid palette cleanser with some deeper moments woven between heartwarming scenes.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

[Jenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute, quick, lighthearted romance. Take the Leap is the story of an anxious girl forced out of her comfort zone and slowly finding out she’s actually enjoying herself and she finds love along the way. The writing and plot was good and I looked forward to each of Sadie’s next adventure challenges. I enjoyed the character development, from watching Sadie conquer her fears to Tripp realizing that he’s not totally fearless when he opens his heart.

I won this ebook from a Goodreads giveaway.

[Sherry Cariss · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got the chance to read this book through NetGalley and am so glad I had that opportunity because I really enjoyed it. Take the Leap was a cute read. I enjoyed watching Sadie evolve while she faces each challenge thrown her way—both emotional and physical. She faces a variety of challenges while also dealing with extreme anxiety and some challenging family drama.

[Rachel Kennedy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun read, an opposites attract romance. Sadie is scared of everything and Tripp is a dare devil. To win the work with her company she agrees she will try some of the scary things she never thought possible. A great read.

[Dana · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars - I liked the plot but I didn't feel super connected to the characters; but can confirm that Sadie is a badass

[Cait (Luckycharmedlovesbooks) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sadie Barnes lives her life with what some would say is an unhealthy dose of fear. Tripp lives his life with what some would say is an unhealthy dose of adrenaline rushes. When paired together for a work initiative that Sadie needs to save her business, Tripp works to help Sadie overcome her fears, and they find love along the way.
This book was such a great read. I’ve loved other books by Andrea Nourse but this one takes the cake as far as my favorite by her. I really enjoyed all of the build up between Sadie and Tripp, as well as the side characters that pop in and out of the story.
Thank you to Andrea Nourse, Victory Editing and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest opinion.