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
jennicareads's review against another edition
emotional
funny
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I enjoyed getting a glimpse into the tech start-up world. I loved Annika and June and Hudson. Unfortunately, I found myself a bit bored and ready for the story to be over. This is a good book, just not great.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Car accident
Minor: Cancer and Death of parent
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.aqtbenz's review
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Cancer
spearly's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
"Detest" was a strong word. So were "abhor" and "despise" and "loathe". Annika, being a pacifist, preferred a different term - something her yoga teacher had said that struck a much more civil cord.
"I am elementally unaligned with you, Hudson Craft,"
Make Up Break Up Follows Annika Dev, a young female app developer as she competes with her arch enemy, Hudson Craft, at a pitch competition for a massive investment. The catch? Hudson Craft and his business, Break Up, have moved into the office next to hers. Oh, and they also had sex last summer at a conference. And... he may have stolen her app idea.
As a romance, this was a fairly straightforward book. Very predictable. Nothing butterfly-inducing (for me), which is one of my main criteria when rating a romance, especially the god-tier trope of enemies-to-lovers. Hudson was at least a little cheeky and we saw a bit of his many sides, but Annika felt verrryyy flat. This is clearly a new adult book but if it weren't for the swearing and the sex, I would think Annika was 16. She was petty, stubborn, and most of the time, immature. I didn't really understand her motivations for messing with Hudson, particularly after it's made clear that he
Spoiler
didn't steal her app ideaWe LOVE to see women thriving in tech... but Make Up Break Up falls a bit short of any truly meaningful commentary on the barriers women face in the tech world. We get a snippet of it when Annika and Hudson go talk about their businesses at a school, but even then, we only get one line saying ~You can do it! Don't let anyone tell you you can't!~. It didn't go into any detail about the casual sexism women in tech face - especially a character like Annika, being a woman of colour. There is a much deeper story that could have been told here - Annika, a young Indian American woman struggling to find investors for her revolutionary dating app, while her white, male counterpart coasts in on an idea she thinks he stole, gets all the funding he needs, millions of downloads and users and dollars. It was really a missed opportunity.
Still, a quick read that had some cute chapters. Didn't end the way I thought it would -
Spoiler
Of course the romance did, but I though Annika and Hudson would join their apps together. Think of it: Make Up helps couples communicate, see a future together through innovative tech, and when all those options run out, there's an amicable break-up tool. Hudson deciding to shut down his app didn't feel like the most satisfying option - I would have liked to see how their very different approaches could have worked together instead to make something neither of them could have made on their own.3 stars. It's was okay, not the best book I've ever written, but not so unenjoyable that it warrants a 2 star.
(though that cover needs a revamp, bad. This came out in Feb 2021 and it looks like a teen book circa 2014).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Medical trauma, and Sexual content
Moderate: Car accident, Grief, and Racism
Minor: Cancer and Death of parent
arireadsitall's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
I loved the fact that this celebrated ladies in stem!! I loved that there was dating app drama. I loved the enemies to lovers! But I wished for more tension and chemistry between Hudson and Annika. The steam felt like an after thought but the actual scene was a+!! I loved annikas relationship with her father and the inspiration behind her app. I thought she was the strong inspirational character we could use more of. But what I didn’t like was the Hudson closed down his app for her. I wish they could have found a way to coexist in the dating app world.
Content Warnings
Minor: Cancer
katiemack's review against another edition
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
More...