Lily (Sandhya) Menon’s first foray into adult romance has the same heart and laughter as her YA rom-coms. Annika and Hudson were fun and easy to root for.

Another chick lit story for those seeking an escape from the world... Entertaining, yet predictable and no surprises which I suppose some people can take comfort in  during the current political and health crisis.

I really enjoyed all the characters in this book, the powerful message about women in tech, and the family dynamic between Annika and her father. I did find that the romance was lacking. Hudson and Annika did not interact often enough in positive ways that made Annika’s changing feelings seem believable. I found that her change of heart made no sense qnd that a lot of the relationship seemed to hinge on physical attraction. I sorely missed the emotional bond that romance leads require for them to feel like soulmates. Nonetheless I really liked the book and read it at top speed.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing me this eARC in exchange for an honest review. Make Up Break Up was a really fun (and diverse!) romance that was hate to love and an office (sort of) romance. 
We follow Annika as she’s trying to get her app, Make Up, off the ground. Her concept is to create an app using an AI that will learn the people using the app to help them resolve relationship problems. It seemed to me almost like a therapist in your phone specifically for couples. I thought this was such a cool concept and I was so sad for Annika and all of the struggles she and June were facing while trying to get this project going. I loved that this was a story about a woman owned and run company. But I also loved how Annkia’s backstory was a part of her motivation. Her parents love story is what inspired her idea and I thought it was beautiful. 
Then there’s Hudson, a man that Annika had a short fling with, but also what she sees as her biggest rival. I knew right away that this was going to be a case of miscommunication from Hudson’s behavior. He was clearly interested in her right from when we first met him. I also liked him despite the company he owned. Break Up is an app that people use to break up with others. The person wanting to break up sends someone via the app to break up with their significant other. I thought, like Annika, there was some real potential for this app to be used callously, but I thought there was also potential for this to be used thoughtfully. It was clear that Hudson didn’t really believe in his project anymore, just the success it was having. I liked that Hudson just seemed like a good dude (example: Annika was drunk and tried to kiss him and he declined because he didn’t want her to regret it later. Because he wanted her to want him when she was sober.) 
Overall, this was a fun romance. There was drama and lots of tension. There was strong female women and really nice family aspects too. I liked that Annika’s dad was included and the development of their relationship gave me the feels. I definitely think a lot of people will like this. There weren’t super descriptive sex scenes that I enjoy, but there was still great romance and chemistry between the characters.

I'm giving this a 3.5 because I can't give it a full 4.

The plot and overarching storyline of this story was great - the CEOs of two rival apps (one that deals with fixing a relationship and one that deals with ending it) are competing for a grant while working closely together. The whole element of lovers to enemies to lovers was done really well and I also loved the supporting characters of June and Ziggy.

That being said... I would've rather read a book about June and Ziggy. While Hudson was a good enough character, the story was a single POV and it was Annika's, who I did not really like. She was driven, independent, and smart - yes - but she was also unrealistic, stuck in a fairytale land, and unable to change her perspective. I found her downright rude at points, and her mindset didn't change over the course of the book. Yes, she fell in love, but to me, it was very clear that if Hudson hadn't changed his view/path in life, she couldn't have been with him (and if it was meant to show that she'd evolved, that didn't come across strong enough).

I obviously enjoyed the happy ever after at the end, but the way it was written felt a bit rushed.

I super wanted to love this because of the awesome premise, but the writing style is just not clicking. Wouldn't be fair to the book if I finished and rated it lowly. DNF.

This book came out strong. The premise of the story and initial half of the book held so much promise and entertainment. I really loved the story of two competing app designers with opposite goals dualing to win. Annika was headstrong and determined. She wanted to succeed and her app to flourish on her own terms and refused to settle for less.

There were moments watching Hudson and Annika build a friendship from their animosity. I felt butterflies and was excited to see where this story would lead. The writing was vivid and imaginative and the characters had a relatability that made them really likable. There were times when I would be reading this book and felt how amazing the story was, then there were times the story and characters fell flat out of nowhere. I enjoyed the witty banter and fun repertoire between Annika and Hudson, but then some of their actions seem really out of place for each character or the scene.

There’s a fine line between love and hate romances, but I feel like the actions of the characters shouldn’t be vengeful or hurtful. I felt that for every step forward towards an understanding, something would happen that would send them three steps back. I didn’t enjoy how Annika always thought of Hudson and Break Up and one entity which she let one define the other. Her stubbornness and repetitive dislike for Break Up got tiring and I didn’t like how she let preconceived notions shadow her thoughts. 

There were parts of this story I really enjoyed, but then I would enter parts that fell flat. I wanted a little more of the Magic’s I felt in the beginning to be carried out through the whole book. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin Press for this ARC in exchange for a review.

Though the characters had good chemistry and it made for a decent read, I didn't like the Heroine. She seemed selfish and had unrealistic expectations for the hero. It made it a frustrating story that I did not enjoy. I kept thinking she would develop into a more understanding character but instead the hero was shown to have had 'character development' that suited what she wanted rather than what was best for him. 
It was frustrating to read after a good start with an interesting premise and good chemistry.

This book is genuinely enjoyable. The characters are complex and interesting and deeply flawed and that's how I like my main characters. The setting and stakes of the main characters interactions was fun and funny, but I really hated seeing Annika down sell herself so much she doesn't think Hudson would want her. Overall, that plot doesn't feel out of place here and it reminded me of The Right Swipe series which I thoroughly liked. 

The one part of this book I really couldn't accept were the apps. Both Make Up and Break Up seemed kinda ridiculous and all I saw were the lawsuits those apps would cause. Annika's worldview was pretty naive when it came to relationships and the features of her app seemed insane. Break Up sounds even worse as if we needed something like 'Uber for breakups'. 

Overall, Annika's one track mind didn't dimish her character but she tied her value so closely to her job that it made her seem one dimensional a lot of the book. She talks about yoga a lot but we only see her do it once. 90% of the book takes place in their office which was entertaining but people are more than their jobs and this story really leaned into that narrative. Hudson was just as bad if not worse. Partly because his reasons weren't as honorable and partly cause he was baing a pain just because he could. Really these two characters are perfect for each other. this is Menon's first adult novel and I enjoyed it as much if not a little bit less than her YA romances.

**Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Griffin, and Lily Menon. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own.***

Enemies-to-lovers is one of my favourite tropes, so I wanted to love this book. I wish I had. Truthfully this is a lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers story. Annika and Hudson met in Vegas and had a week long tryst. They’re both app developers and met at a conference. Months later, Hudson’s app is all anyone’s talking about and Annika doesn’t even have her app released. Her business is floundering. She needs cashflow to stay afloat and the upcoming tech conference is her last chance to get it. Too bad Hudson’s company is competing too.

I wanted more depth from this book and the characters. I didn’t even like Hudson and Annika in their enemies phase. They were jerks to one another. It was clear they had sexual chemistry, but I didn’t love the way it was used. I found the way Hudson got in her space kind of pushy. I also didn’t love the way Annika couldn’t seem to resist him when everything in her was telling her to stay away from him. If she weren’t intelligent and driven, it might have worked better. If she didn’t have so much to lose by getting distracted, or if he was, in any way, kind to her instead of pushing her buttons and sabotaging her at every turn. Once they moved into the lovers phase, they were nicer, but that was pretty far into the book. Even then, the characters—Annika, especially—spent way too much time in their heads. Their actions were more predictable than I’d like them to be. Also, the ending was the disappointing. I didn’t like the way the competition ended or the couple’s hokey reunion. Early on, Annika said she didn’t think their personalities and morals fit together. Menon never convinced me of the opposite.

I wanted Hudson's character to have more depth as he felt mostly one-dimensional. More June in the story would have been nice too, as she added some interest and quirkiness. Annika often came off as self-absorbed, selfish, and sometimes even childish. I also DID NOT like how the competition ended.

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The writing style of this book did not work for me -- it seemed too obvious and cliched to be enjoyable . I did not finish it.

I thought that this was a fun book. As a first generation South Asian, it was great to read a rom-com about a protagonist I could relate with. I love how her heritage was one aspect of her but that wasn’t the main focus of the book or what defined her per se.. I thought the way her father’s expectation of her “trying to be doctor” was a stereotype that many people in that community can identify with.  Given all the attention to social media and dating apps,, it was comical to have the story line focus on two dating apps that were the complete opposite and you poignant to know that it somewhat came about through their brief courtship.. While it was slightly predictable, it was a different spin given the dating app/tech aspect and the different backgrounds of the main characters.

One of my favorite passages in the book however was the story about Ani’s parents and if her dad ever regretted anything. The description he described about enjoying the moment and taking it as it is, comparing it to a meteor shower, was absolutely beautiful.

Overall, it was a great book and would recommend it!

This is a very engaging will-they-won't-they novel (but, of course, we all have an idea on whether or not they will). It's fast-paced, with smart characters, though I would have loved for some of the supporting people to be more developed. I'm excited to see what the author does next.

I devoured this book and loved every single page. It’s the type of makes that makes me remember why I love this genre.

I could totally relate to Annika’s struggles as a business owner, and the feeling of having people you care about question if you should just be doing something else instead. Ugh, it sucks. It was great to see her come into her own and claim her desires.

I will say that I didn’t find Annika’s growth in the book nearly as significant as everyone else’s. It would have been great to see her evolve a bit more, but it is also interesting to read about a character who is so principled.

And Hudson! Oh, Hudson. I totally fell for him. His willingness to open his heart despite everything (while still being cautious) really endeared me to him.

I’m still recovering from that tub scene. OOH BOY! That was good.

All the side characters here were charming and lovable. But also, I have to admit, my absolute favorite character? ZeeZee. What’s not to love?! And where the hell do I get one?!

This book was a great quick story that I read in less than two days! I always enjoy an enemies to lovers story. With that said this one was a little frustrating because the "enemies" part was pretty rough in some parts. The main characters did some things that weren't just cute missteps but a few were *pretty* brutal that I didn't like as much. Additionally, some of the writing was much more tell than show. I did really like the friendship between the two main female characters and seeing two women working in tech, but it meant we didn't see much of the relationship between the love interest grow as naturally since he had less "page time".

A cute enemies to lovers story abider 2 app developers who come up with a similar app.. But before that all happened, they happen to have a one night fling together at a conference. Now, fats forward, they are both in different paces. 
Annika  wants her Make Up app to take her to places where she has dreamed of being. Financially  stable' and proving to her father she can be something besides following in his footstep and becoming a doctor. 

Hudson is already an established million who has come up with the Break Up app. The app helps people break up with tor's for them. 

Both a smart and headstrong, which makes their relationship a rollercoaster. At times I foundS Annika to be annoying. She is a little too much. But, she softens up over the course of the book. Especially when it comes to her dad.

This was a really good start to Lily(Sandhya) Menon's debut to adult romance. It has a enemies to lovers trope that almost everyone loves, awesome friends, and of course a HEA. I did feel that the miscommunication trope was kinda slow and I also wanted more romance but overall a good romance book.

This was a quick read that I found entertaining, but not particularly memorable.  The storyline reminded me somewhat of the Hating Game with all the office pranks, but I found the characters in this story to be much less developed. Annika was unlikable and I found myself being annoyed by her immaturity for much of the book.  Overall the book was entertaining and had some touching moments, but it definitely wasn't my favorite.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review

When Annika starts her app, Make Up, to help bring people back together, she butts heads with CEO of Break Up, an app to break people apart.

This was a cute rom com. I enjoy the enemies to friends trope, similar to the Hating Game. This book was a bit more mature than some rom coms I’ve read in the past. The main character, Annika, is very motivated and driven to start her app. We get into the difficulties of a being a woman of color entrepreneur in a male dominated tech field. The idea of the make up (and break up) software is really cool and loved hearing about it. This was a bit like the romance of the Hating Game and You’ve Got Mail, and the career aspirations of the Boyfriend Project, but with its own unique story and plot.

“It was one of life’s secret truths that almost all evil could be blamed on Vegas, margaritas, and gorgeous men”.

Make Up Break Up comes out 2/2/2021.