Frankly, this book was just not for me. I read about a quarter of it before growing very disinterested; I originally picked it up because the heroine codes, and that's fairly rare to see in literature. While I did like the premise, it was irritating to read a narrative where the main character hates all men but, for whatever reason, has an exception. In her eyes, her love interest can do no wrong, and almost for no apparent reason. You can see how reading something like "All men are disgusting, except Alex because he agrees that this other guy is disgusting." The bar is on the ground.

Maybe this all changes later, but it was so irritating to read for a decent portion of the book.

Read this in one sitting after a slow start. At first I thought phew I'm never going to be able to fully engage with Mel and her friends but all of the characters grew on me quickly. Would love to read more books by this author about the other folks in this story. Let's get a book just for Mel's amazing roommate! Not to mention Dani and the rest of the characters.

This isn't really rom-com, more just comedic fiction with a bit of relationship matter thrown in, and that works out just fine. I can just see the subway video going viral in real life ugh. Maybe some things here just hit a bit too close to home heh.

If you are looking for a good quick read this is a great choice.

Nice to have a lead character that stands up for herself and doesn't let everyone walk all over her. Sure the outcome here was a bit predictable but the author offers up quite a few surprises that work out well.

How to Hack a Heartbreak by Kristin Rockaway has easily taken a spot in my favorite books of 2019!

This was the first time I've ever read any of Rockaway's work and I can say with all certainty...I'm obsessed.
This book was everything and everyone needs to add it to their TBRs, like now!

Once I started How to Hack a Heartbreak, I couldn't put it down. I was automatically drawn into Melanie's world and finished the book in one sitting. I haven't felt this empowered from reading a story in a really long time. HTHAHB is jam packed with badass females, doing badass things and some straight up amazing girl power. I'm pretty sure I went through every emotion humanly possible while reading. I was happy, I was sad, I was angry and I might've even yelled a few curse words while reading because those "tech-bros" were infuriating and if you're a woman who works in a male-dominated environment then you can relate!

Rockaway described the troubles of online dating so perfectly she literally had me suffering from real-life flashbacks, rolling my eyes and yelling "SAME!" because hello, I'm a women in my 20s and online dating is a real struggle. Rockaway captured the essence of what it means to be a woman in the 21st century when it comes to love, friendships, work and just life in general. This novel had its romantic aspects but it was much more than that, it was about a woman who works and lives in a mans world and who has to fight harder than them to have a piece of the success pie and as the reader you get to go along for the ups, the downs, her successes and her failures.

How to Hack a Heartbreak is definitely this years summer must read!

Publication Date: 7/30/19
Published to Goodreads: 3/27/19

{Thank you to NetGalley and HARLEQUIN/Graydon House Books for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review!}

2.5 stars.

This book is not a romance. There is a romance, but it is in no way the focus of this book. Mel is the focus of this book. Which isn't a problem, it's just not what I was expecting. I loved the setting of this book and the feminist tract Mel is running on, but it all felt a little one note. Every man was bad, no man could be trusted, and we women have to spread the word! JerkAlert is a cool idea, but in no way should it be only men. Women can be jerks too and it completely ignores any other sexuality or gender fluidity. Bad move, Mel.

I wanted to love this book. I liked it ok and read it in a day, so that counts for something. But it's gonna be a left swipe for me for now. Let's hope we get more books about women in tech because that aspect was lovely.

Mel works at a staff help desk repairing the mistakes of supposed up and coming tech developers. After one to many bad dates thanks to Fluttr, she whips up an an app - Jerkalert to warn other women. A smart witty rom com.

I did not finish this book. After about 7 chapters I realized that it was just not for me. There was nothing wrong with the book I just did not connect with it in any way. I am from a pre-dating app era and I think that was the problem.

Such an interesting concept. I must say I haven’t seen many books about women working in tech, on the coding side.
The good:
The female friendships were awesome. They are there for one another and so supportive.
Looking at a woman in a male dominated environment is relatable.
Pointing out the over use of “I’m sorry” (I do it too).

The not so good:
The friends not telling their suspicions about the married douche. You gotta have the tough conversations too.
The men. Even the good ones are one dimensional. There was no depth. I was told they were nice but I didn’t see it.

It was an okay story. It could have been spectacular but the characters just didn’t jump off the page. It wasn’t terrible but it’s not one I’ll remember.

This was cute, funny, and a rom-com. I liked it but felt that the man-bashing went a bit far.

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

This book was an enjoyable cute rom-com, but it went a little heavy handed with the All Men Are Jerks. No Really, Every Single One of Them narrative. After a while it got to be a bit much and it felt a bit like I was watching Horrible Bosses. For me, that snatched a bit of the credulity away from the story which took away from my enjoyment. After she was fired, the rest of the story became something I just read to get to the end and it rounded out as a 3.5 star read because of it.

This was a nice read. The author illustrates the truths of the online dating landscape, as well as women working in tech. However, as others have pointed out, I struggled with Mel’s tendency to jump to conclusions about Alex. Overall, I’d recommend this book to fans of contemporary romance.

Thanks to the publisher for the advanced reader’s copy in exchange for my review.

I loved this book! It really resonated with me being a woman ion my 20's trying to navigate the dating world. I laughed so many times throughout this book, and I fell in love with Mel. Mel works at the help desk for a tech start up company that feels more like a frat house. She gets fed up with dating on Fluttr and creates Jerk Alert, more as a joke for her friends. Next thing she knows, Jerk Alert is the hottest trend on social media. Now Mel has to figure out what she wants to do with her love life and her new creation. It is the perfect chick lit book, and I highly recommend you check it out.

I had a bit of a rocky start with this book. I put it down twice because I couldn't get into it. Finally I decided to power through. I'm so glad I have this another chance and didn't Chuck it into the DNF pile. I ended up loving it once I got further in. I look forward to more from this author.

Did you like Startup: A Novel? Do you also like a little romance? Yes and yes? Read this.
I absolutely loved this book, though it's about characters a lot younger than me. The main character is Mel, who works the help desk at a tech incubator full of the worst tech bros and terrible, disingenuous bosses. The setting is NYC, but I'd argue the setting is online dating apps in general, and Fluttr (fake Tinder) specifically. Mel and her group of friends are burned out on terrible men (amen), specifically the ones they meet online. Except for Dani, who dates women and seems to meet fewer jerks. Mel gets so fed up in fact, that she creates a website called JerkAlert, where women can out terrible behavior of men they meet online (misogyny, unsolicited dick picks, racism, etc). Mel also meets a guy she likes, but isn't sure she can trust he's not a jerk himself. So, basically, the bulk of the story is Mel figuring out what's up with Alex and dealing with the popularity of her site and the shittiness of her job, all with help from her friends. The dynamic between Mel and her friends and her roommate Vanessa is realistic and positive, and I appreciate that. The book is a quick read, really engrossing, and I highly recommend it.

I love the premise of this story that is based in today’s world of digital media and dating apps. I didn’t like the heroines character as I thought she was too much of a shrew and kept jumping to the wrong conclusions rather than get clarity by communicating. The hero is a sweetheart but I almost thought him as a secondary character. There wasn’t much focus on his own character development. I would have really liked to know more about his history and opinions. The part about the book that I thoroughly enjoyed were the awesome relationships amongst all the women. They were beautifully portrayed and made me miss my own girlfriends. It feels more like a fiction read rather than a romance novel so if you are ok with that, it is a good book.

* I received this ARC and from NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review*

This was an absolutely delightful read. From the all-too-relatable toxic tech-bros, to the nightmare of dating in the technology age, to the amazing female friendships, I loved it all. I loved that the love story was at the heart of the narrative, but the characters each had their own lives outside of each other. This will absolutely make my list of books to read this summer.

I really wanted to love this book more than I did! As someone whose always had a passion for the STEM field, I was looking forward to a romance book that involved coding! I mean we don’t see too many romance books involving scientists or engineers, so I couldn’t wait to devour this book. I was annoyed with how the book stereotyped men in the coding world. I’ve taken various science courses where I’m in labs, and most of the students are men, and for the most part, no one really thinks you’re dumb just because you’re female. I just felt like the book didn’t paint a realistic picture.

My main issue with the book was the writing style. From the very first chapter, I could tell that the writing style was going to put me off. I’m not a fan of books where the authors tell me what happens rather than show me. How am I supposed to get attached to characters when the author tells me “they lived happily ever after,” but gives me no details??? Come on, I wanted to FEEL something when I was reading!

I love the idea behind this book. The execution had its flaws, but overall it was a good read. Some aspects of this book were stronger than others. I really enjoyed the supportive relationships that Melanie had with her friends, especially her friend in PR, Whitney, who encouraged her to create her app and used her connections to promote it. The group of girlfriends was fun to read throughout. It was the romance that fell short for me. We didn't get enough of Alex, and Melanie turned into a paranoid and annoying stalker girlfriend before their relationship even really took off. Despite Alex's attempts to show Melanie how interested he was in her, it was clear she never fully trusted him from the beginning. It's a short cute novel that can be read in one sitting, but it's not one I would reach for to read a second time.

This book!!!! I absolutely adored this book. I read it in like two sittings, which says a lot for me these days! Mel is a girl who works in the tech world, and it is definitely “the boys club” at her company. I mean…how many of us have been there??? I don’t think I have ever worked somewhere that it wasn’t “boys club.” And she is also fed up with her co-workers and the online dating world, so she develops an app to expose the gross pervs and cheaters that are flooding the swipe right world. Her co-workers have no clue how talented she is, because she is stuck at the help desk. I loved Mel’s character and the whole story line. I definitely laughed several times throughout this book, and found the characters totally relateable.

Bottom Line: Totally cute romcom with a bad-ass female lead, read it!

** I received a copy of How to Hack a Heartbreak from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.**

Well this was downright delightful. I really got a kick out of Rockway's book and the characters she introduced in this one. Besides the main character of Mel, she has some really awesome best friends (Whitney, Lia, and Dani) and a great roommate (Vanessa). I loved the book taking a look at women who are very good at coding (like Mel) and how hard it was to break into the tech world due to the douchebros that seem to inhabit it. The writing was very crisp and the flow was great. I loved the romance and the ending!

"How to Hack a Heartbreak" has 20 something year old Mel ready to hang up dating. She has used all of the dating apps, and the latest craze, Fluttr, is still not providing her with a guy that actually wants to date her. After being stood up and receiving one more "[redacted] pic" she has enough. After being egged on by her friends, she sets up a site called JerkAlert which women can anonymously post to about guys they have met or messaged on Fluttr. After JerkAlert goes viral, Mel also finds herself trying to start a relationship with her coworker Alex and wonders if she can trust him, or is he a jerk in sheep's clothing.

God, I felt Mel. I still am on some dating apps, but don't even check in anymore. Once you have someone send you a picture of them in full black leather (with a mask on) with a message asking can they call you a slave, I pretty much decided that books and my cat were sufficient. I regret nothing.

Mel keeps getting her hopes up, but she either meets guys that are just looking for a one night stand, ghosted her after a while, and or she gets the before mentioned "[redacted] pics." She wishes she was more like her friend Whitney who is not looking for anything serious and relishes her one night stands. But after her friend Lia has seemingly met the one on Fluttr, Mel is wondering as all women do, what's wrong with her. Mel is also a pretty great coder. She is stuck working at the help desk at a company called Hatch and sits around and watches a lot of men trying to get their start-ups off the ground. She's verbally abused and if she tries to stand up for herself, her jerk of a boss acts like she's being a bit too "female".

Besides Mel, I loved her friends. Whitney was fearless and also scared me a bit. She's protective of her friends and tells it like she sees it. Lia is a romantic at heart and no spoilers, but I was shrieking while reading about her and Mr. Right. Dani was good, but we really don't get in depth with her that much in this book. Not a criticism, but definitely she didn't feel as present in the book as Whitney and Lia did. I will also say that the girls remind me of my friends and I at that age. Getting together at night, wondering why all the guys we went out with were such a PITA and holding out hope for a nice guy.

The other characters we get, Vanessa (Mel's roommate) and Alex (her love interest) were written very well too. I get why Mel was apprehensive about Alex.

The writing was very good. I loved Mel's voice throughout. When her site goes viral you get her emotions about it (yeah she's great at coding and yikes what if someone finds out) and her realizing that parts of JerkAlert aren't that great. The flow was really good from beginning to end. I honestly couldn't put this book down once I started.

The setting of New York was pretty great. I loved how realistic it felt with Mel being stuck at her job at the help desk and she had to room with someone to afford to live in New York. I am always baffled at the romance reads I get into when some 20 year old is living in some sun lit two bedroom apartment somewhere. And there's no mention of the tininess of their apartment, commuting on the subway, and the insane rent.

Really loved the ending and the message it was pushing!

Cute read. Loved the concept of the whole story. Mel was annoying at times, think she could have stood up for herself more but it’s hard not to root for her. The story was interesting and the characters were so lovable. Definitely recommended for a light hearted romance.