(3.5 stars, rounded up to 4)

"Make Up, Break Up" by Lily Menon is a delightful romantic comedy that offers a charming exploration of love and entrepreneurship. The characters in the novel are engaging and relatable, with their own quirks and vulnerabilities that add depth to the story. Set in the competitive world of Silicon Valley startups, Menon captures the atmosphere and setting with authenticity, immersing readers in the fast-paced world of tech innovation and office politics.

Menon's writing style is witty and engaging, with sparkling dialogue and clever banter that keeps the plot moving at a brisk pace. The plot of "Make Up, Break Up" unfolds with a perfect blend of humor and heart, as the protagonists, Annika and Hudson, navigate the ups and downs of their professional and personal lives. While the logic behind some of the characters' decisions may feel a bit contrived at times, the overall intrigue and romance of the novel make for an enjoyable read. The relationships between the characters are well-developed and believable, adding emotional depth and resonance to the narrative.

Overall, "Make Up, Break Up" is a fun and entertaining romp that is sure to leave readers smiling. Menon's skillful storytelling, endearing characters, and satisfying romance make for a thoroughly enjoyable reading experience. Whether you're a fan of romantic comedies or simply looking for a lighthearted escape, "Make Up, Break Up" is the perfect pick-me-up that is sure to brighten your day.

This was a very cute rom-com type romance that was quick and easy to read. This title is probably not for those looking for a lot of substance or character development, but the plot was fun and I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Unfortunately this writing style just wasn’t for me which ultimately led to a lower rating. I’ll be sticking to her YA titles and could possibly give her a try again in the future!

"Make Up Break Up" by Lily Menon is a contemporary romance novel that blends humor, entrepreneurship, and matters of the heart seamlessly. The story follows the lives of Annika and Hudson, two entrepreneurs with competing businesses, and their journey from rivalry to romance. Menon's writing is witty and engaging, and her characters are well-developed and relatable. The book explores the complexities of modern dating, work-life balance, and the power of forgiveness and second chances. With its charming and lively narrative, "Make Up Break Up" is a delightful read for anyone looking for a fun and heartwarming romance novel that also touches on important themes of personal growth and resilience.

I found myself more interested in trying figure to out what exactly their job responsibilities were and how this company was making any sort of money to pay them than the actual relationship that was supposed to be developing. Not a good sign for a romance novel and probably a DNF for anyone without a vested interest in the tech industry.

Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for my review.

A fun and entertaining adult romance debut from Lily/Sandhya Menon! It's a good mix of enemies-to-lovers and second chance romance. While I prefer her young adult books, I'm excited to see what she releases next. The writing was great and the plot was enjoyable but I'm hoping her next release is a bit stronger in terms of the plot and the romance.

This was a hard review for me to write that I’m not entirely sure I want to share it. Even though the cover is terrible (why they couldn’t do a better job is beyond me), I knew that I wanted to support Lily Menon no matter what. The premise of Make Up Break Up sounded promising, and I was hopeful for the romance, but every aspect of this book fell flat for me.

I am such a character driven reader that I’ve willingly overlooked issues in plot, pacing, and other aspects in a book. But lord did I not like any of the characters in Make Up Break Up. Annika Dev was immature and frustrating and mean for absolutely no reason whatsoever. There were so many moments when I wondered how old she was. While it’s understandable for people to have strong emotions, I don’t think it’s ever okay to treat others horribly because of it. I didn’t understand why she acted the way she did in most situations, and I especially didn’t understand her hostility towards Hudson Craft, her love interest.

It felt to me that she hated him on the basis of just hating him. Lily Mennon, in my opinion, tried to create a hate-to-love romance but didn’t really plan any of it out. In order for hate-to-love to work, we need to be able to see the characters acknowledge their mistakes and work to make up for them, and put in the work. None of that happened in this book. Or it didn’t happen in a way that was obvious to me.

What’s worse is that I don’t know who Hudson is at all. As much as I understand the need for the tech world to be explained for people—like me—who don’t understand it, there was too much of that in this book. We spent more time seeing how tech works than seeing Hudson and Annika interact. I couldn’t tell you one thing about Hudson that’s not related to work because we got so little of his character development.

In the end, Make Up Break Up was not for me. I was so hopeful for this book to be good, but it was not meant to be. I felt no connection to the main character and I definitely didn’t feel a connection to the love story.

I really wanted to like this book. It sounded so cute and fun. I love a good rom com, but this one didn't excite me or have me care about the characters.

*Thank you @stmartinspress for the copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Review not posted to Amazon/Goodreads because less than 4 stars or DNF.*

Hello

Apologies for the late notice, but I have decided not to review this title. While I am certain it's obvious by now, I wanted to also clear this off NetGalley, so it's not showing as open for either of us.

Thanks,
Laura

Make Up Break Up by Lily Menon is a delightful contemporary romance that explores the world of tech start-ups and love. The story revolves around Annika Dev and Hudson Craft, two app developers with vastly different philosophies on love and relationships.

Annika believes in true love and happy endings and has developed an app called Make Up, which helps people save their relationships. Hudson, on the other hand, is all about fast-paced hookups and casual relationships, and his app Break Up is designed to help people end their relationships quickly and easily.

Their paths cross again when Hudson moves into the office next to Annika's, and they both find themselves competing in a prestigious investment pitch contest. The more they work together, the more they realize that they might have more in common than they initially thought.

The author does an excellent job of developing both characters and their complex relationship. Annika is a relatable protagonist who struggles to balance her belief in love with the realities of running a business. Hudson is initially portrayed as a typical playboy but soon reveals a more vulnerable side that makes him a more sympathetic character.

Overall, Make Up Break Up is a fun, engaging romance novel that will leave readers rooting for Annika and Hudson's happily ever after. The story is well-written, the pacing is excellent, and the characters are likable and relatable. I would highly recommend this book to fans of contemporary romance novels.

Enemies to lovers still isn't my favorite trope but I would read Lily's grocery list. I adore the close dad + daughter relationship and female friendships in this, and of course the dedication. Swoon Squad for life!!

And all the YAAAAAY for badass WOC in the STE(A)M field!!

Content warning: racism, sexism, hospitalization of a loved one, cancer, death of a parent (off page)

3.75 ⭐️

This book was just okay. It won’t be memorable, but it has some unique aspects. Girl bosses in the tech world. Enemies to lovers. Overall it was a quick romance read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced digital copy of this book!

A very cute romance book!

If you read and enjoyed The Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren you will LOVE this book. I loved how different the main characters were but then how great their romance was!!!!

The writing was great and quick, and I always felt with the characters. I read this book so fast because the plot was so quick and addicting.

Definitely recommend it for the summer!

Annika Dev is the creator of the relationship app, Make Up. While Make Up is failing, their competitor app Break Up moves into the office space next door. The two app creators are forced to run into each other on a regular basis.

This was a cute love story, but a little cheesy and predictable.

I'm usually a sucker for an enemies to lovers romance but this one missed the mark for me. The concept of this book was amazing but I couldn't get into the characters and it felt too fake to me.

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This book is well written and the characters are described well. I enjoyed this second chance romance. I absolutely adored Annika's character. This was a enjoyable read. I absolutely adored this second chance romance book. This book is in stores for $16.99 (USD).

I really liked the premise of this book, but I felt that my mind wandered too much while reading this one. It was okay, but the romance was lacking and I didn't feel that the characters were very well developed.

This book became an exercise in frustration for me. I set it aside so many times that by the time I talked myself into picking it back up, I'd forget what it was about. To put it bluntly, when I wasn't bored, I was irritated. Hudson gets very little development while the focus is almost completely on Annika. Well, mostly on Annika's app. Seriously, I know more about the development of that app than I do about Hudson, and I wasn't particularly crazy about Annika either. I did finally finish, but only out of sheer determination, but it's not an exercise I'd like to repeat.

Annika is the owner of Make Up, a company designed to give people another chance at love. Hudson is the owner of Break Up, a service people can use to break up their relationship. Annika and Hudson have a past relationship and are now considered rivals. They are both competing for the same investor’s money. Will they ever repair their relationship or will they continue to be enemies?

I really enjoyed the plot of this book! I thought it was charming. It reminded me of You’ve Got Mail with steam. I found the characters to be delightful, especially Annika and Hudson. They had so much depth to them. The writing was beautiful and very descriptive when it came to the characters' thoughts and feelings. I did have a hard time with the reality of the businesses, especially what Annika was trying to do with OLLI and why she needed the expense of an office when it was just her and June and they were still perfecting the technology? They easily could have worked from home until they had sufficient revenue. It also went into girl power in the business world. With that being said, I would recommend this book to readers that enjoy a good romance!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

DNF - Did not finish. I did not connect with the writing style or plot and will not be finishing this title. Thank you, NetGalley and Publisher for the early copy!