katiemack's review
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I've liked Menon's YA novels (especially When Dimple Met Rishi), so I was excited to see that she had written an adult romance. It was refreshing to read about Annika's experiences as a woman (and a woman of color) in the tech field--I found myself wanting to learn more about how her app, Make Up, worked; that part was fascinating. I also loved her relationship with her dad, and the chemistry between her and Hudson is done well.
Unfortunately, the plot didn't really feel believable to me. Annika's insistence that Hudson stole her business idea and her ignorance of the evidence around her made her feel unnecessarily stubborn and unlikeable. Aside from one childish attempt to sabotage Annika (as she presents to students, so less!), Menon writes Hudson as a pretty positive character; I would have liked to get a dual POV with him. Finally, the ending and resolution to Annika and Hudson's conflict and Annika's financial woes--which I won't get into here--felt incredibly unrealistic.
It's a fun read, and I finished it pretty quickly, but there are quite a few points that didn't resonate with me.
I've liked Menon's YA novels (especially When Dimple Met Rishi), so I was excited to see that she had written an adult romance. It was refreshing to read about Annika's experiences as a woman (and a woman of color) in the tech field--I found myself wanting to learn more about how her app, Make Up, worked; that part was fascinating. I also loved her relationship with her dad, and the chemistry between her and Hudson is done well.
Unfortunately, the plot didn't really feel believable to me. Annika's insistence that Hudson stole her business idea and her ignorance of the evidence around her made her feel unnecessarily stubborn and unlikeable. Aside from one childish attempt to sabotage Annika (as she presents to students, so less!), Menon writes Hudson as a pretty positive character; I would have liked to get a dual POV with him. Finally, the ending and resolution to Annika and Hudson's conflict and Annika's financial woes--which I won't get into here--felt incredibly unrealistic.
It's a fun read, and I finished it pretty quickly, but there are quite a few points that didn't resonate with me.
Content Warnings
Minor: Death and Cancer
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