harmony822's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Really needed an epilogue
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Alcohol, Car accident, and Medical content
Minor: Cancer and Racism
plumpaperbacks's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
For the most part, this was a good romance. I really liked the protagonist Annika and her best friend June and, despite a few hiccups in their relationship, Annika’s father. I enjoyed seeing her passion for Make Up—which is a really cool idea for an app, by the way—and the progress she and June made working on it. I appreciated that so much of the book actually featured them working on the app and brainstorming ideas and planning for the pitch conference, as opposed to those things being sidelined in favor of the romance.
Speaking of the romance, one of my biggest issues was with the love interest, Hudson. I didn’t like his attitude when he was introduced; it took nearly half of the book for him to start growing on me. Then he ruined the progress he’d made when he sabotaged Annika in two different ways that I think seriously crossed the line.
Things started to improve, and even though I saw none of the things in Hudson that Annika did, I liked the direction the story took. I saw most of it coming, but that didn’t bother me. The final chapters of this book were unexpectedly emotional in more ways than one, and I liked that as well. Annika and Hudson’s make-up scene (see what I did there?) did endear him to me a little bit, and I think, with the story ending how it did, he has potential to be better.
What disappointed me the most was how abrupt the ending was. The aforementioned make-up scene was literally on the last page of the book, so we get absolutely nothing else. I would’ve loved to see Annika and Hudson as an actual couple, what happened with Make Up, if June and her love interest stayed together… so much could’ve been done in an additional couple of chapters. I feel like Menon ending the book where and how she did was a missed opportunity.
Despite those issues, I did enjoy most of this story, and I think Menon has potential as a romance writer. I might read more from her in the future.
Representation
Speaking of the romance, one of my biggest issues was with the love interest, Hudson. I didn’t like his attitude when he was introduced; it took nearly half of the book for him to start growing on me. Then he ruined the progress he’d made when he sabotaged Annika in two different ways that I think seriously crossed the line.
Spoiler
Unplugging her laptop right before a presentation so he could charge his phone, which was barely under 90%? Inviting himself to the table where she and another guy where on a date, just because he was already at the same restaurant for another reason, and ruining said date? She salvaged the presentation, but her date left because he thought that there was something between Annika and Hudson. How obnoxious can he be??? Very, apparently, and I was not a fan.Things started to improve, and even though I saw none of the things in Hudson that Annika did, I liked the direction the story took. I saw most of it coming, but that didn’t bother me. The final chapters of this book were unexpectedly emotional in more ways than one, and I liked that as well. Annika and Hudson’s make-up scene (see what I did there?) did endear him to me a little bit, and I think, with the story ending how it did, he has potential to be better.
What disappointed me the most was how abrupt the ending was. The aforementioned make-up scene was literally on the last page of the book, so we get absolutely nothing else. I would’ve loved to see Annika and Hudson as an actual couple, what happened with Make Up, if June and her love interest stayed together… so much could’ve been done in an additional couple of chapters. I feel like Menon ending the book where and how she did was a missed opportunity.
Despite those issues, I did enjoy most of this story, and I think Menon has potential as a romance writer. I might read more from her in the future.
Representation
- Indian-American protagonist
- Indian side characters
- Asian side character (nationality not specified, as far as I’m aware)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Car accident and Medical content
Minor: Death of parent, Drug use, and Cancer
Annika’s mom died of cancer prior to the story, when Annika was very young. She mentions in passing that she turned to drug use and rebellion as a teen as a coping mechanism for not having a mother. In the final chapters of the book, her dad gets in a car accident off-page and is seriously injured and hospitalized. She spends some time in the hospital at his bedside.jadeisabelle's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I received an early e-arc of Make Up Break Up by Lily Menon from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I was interested in reading Make Up Break Up as Lily Menon is the pen name of the author who wrote the When Dimple Met Rishi companion series and this is her first adult romance book. I am new to adult romance myself, and I think that if you're also a beginner adult romance reader, this could be a good starting point.
Make Up Break Up follows Annika Dev, an app developer who is the CEO of an app called Make Up which is basically a 'Google Translate' for couples, I thought that this app concept was really cool and the AI technology that the app uses would be interesting to see in an actual app.
Annika hooks up with Hudson Craft at a conference in Vegas sometime before the start of the book, and Hudson ends up being a rival app developer with his app Break Up. Hudson's app seems so similar to Make Up, which leads Annika to think he stole her idea.
So this was a slowish burn romance, and I think it had the issue of telling versus showing, there were a lot of scenes where I felt there could be more detail but weren't explored further. Annika was also repeating herself A LOT about Make Up and how she felt about Hudson.
I really liked the scene at the yoga studio, I thought it was really funny and there was just enough tension between the characters.
Also maybe this is just my pet peeve in romance but the characters never talked about contraception and I think it's kinda important before you have sex. Like number one is consent and number two is contraception, this book had the consent though.
Overall, I think Make Up Break Up was a good debut romance, and I understand it's really hard to break into writing a different genre and age group so I would give this book a 3 out of 5 stars.
I was interested in reading Make Up Break Up as Lily Menon is the pen name of the author who wrote the When Dimple Met Rishi companion series and this is her first adult romance book. I am new to adult romance myself, and I think that if you're also a beginner adult romance reader, this could be a good starting point.
Make Up Break Up follows Annika Dev, an app developer who is the CEO of an app called Make Up which is basically a 'Google Translate' for couples, I thought that this app concept was really cool and the AI technology that the app uses would be interesting to see in an actual app.
Annika hooks up with Hudson Craft at a conference in Vegas sometime before the start of the book, and Hudson ends up being a rival app developer with his app Break Up. Hudson's app seems so similar to Make Up, which leads Annika to think he stole her idea.
So this was a slowish burn romance, and I think it had the issue of telling versus showing, there were a lot of scenes where I felt there could be more detail but weren't explored further. Annika was also repeating herself A LOT about Make Up and how she felt about Hudson.
I really liked the scene at the yoga studio, I thought it was really funny and there was just enough tension between the characters.
Also maybe this is just my pet peeve in romance but the characters never talked about contraception and I think it's kinda important before you have sex. Like number one is consent and number two is contraception, this book had the consent though.
Overall, I think Make Up Break Up was a good debut romance, and I understand it's really hard to break into writing a different genre and age group so I would give this book a 3 out of 5 stars.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing
Moderate: Racism and Sexual content
Minor: Grief and Medical content
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