Annika and Hudson are CEO's of opposing app's (one to get people together, the other to assist with breakups). When they find they have chemistry together, their work situation gets in the way of the two pursuing a relationship. Can they find a way to make things work?⁣
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Right, well this was an interesting concept! I didn't like the purpose of either of the apps to be honest. I enjoyed the romance side however I do think the book could have been better with multiple POV's. I would have loved to know what Hudson was thinking every so often. ⁣

Let me just start off by saying I read this in a single sitting, completely unable to put it down. That should really tell you all you need to know!
I absolutely adore Menon’s writing, and Make Up, Break Up has everything that I love from her YA books. She has a very fresh and fun way of writing, that makes you just smile as you can’t stop turning the next page. Of course her first adult Romance is no exception!
Make Up, Break Up is everything I love about a classic Enemies to Lovers, and so much more! The stakes are consistently high, the banter is hilarious, and the tension between Annika and Hudson is on fire.
Like her YA, Make Up, Break Up is such a feminist anthem. Menon seems to love her techy, smart, fantastic heroines and I am so here for it! But even beyond that, Annika felt so real. Her fears, her goals, her highs and lows. It was entirely genuine, and it all comes from Menon’s very honest writing.
I for one can’t wait to see what Menon comes up with next, and I will most certainly put her next romance high up on my TBR list!

A fan of her Young Adult writing, I was convinced I was going to love this book entirely. It starts off with strong introductions to characters and an introduction to what the events are going to look like. Two apps, two rivals, my love for technology being fed by this book from the very opening. Unfortunately some of the choices made, character decisions, and moments in plots took this from a 4 star to a 3 star, a still good rating however!

I gave this book 3.5/5 Stars.

To start off, the protagonist Annika was was quite obnoxious. She always believed she was right and refused to see what was right in front of her. When we first started the book it did seem like she was going to be a "Not Like Other Girls" character but thankfully, that was not the case.

Despite her being obnoxious most of the time, I wouldn't say she was an unlikeable character. She was ambitious and did her very best to achieve her goals. She had a good friendship going with her best friend June and she was very passionate about what she believed in.

The fact that the third act break up happened in the next chapter after Annika and Hudson got together just proved how unnecessary it was.

The writing style was easily accessible, the descriptions were well-placed and easy to visualise and the characters were fleshed out and unique in their own way.

2.5 stars

Make Up, Break Up, menon’s debut adult novel, is a story about two competitors who can’t help but fall in love for each other. as Annika thrives to have her dream come true, how much can she sacrifice for Hudson, the man she can’t control her feelings for?

i don’t actually know where to place myself concerning this book... one thing is for sure: though it is completely forgettable this story was a lot of fun. i must admit i went into the book with no expectation at all, after seeing many reviewers be completely disappointed by it. but having devoured it in two sittings, it was fun! fun! fun!

with that being said, i don’t think i would’ve been able to finish it without the help of the audiobook. in fact, the main character was way too stubborn for my liking, even though at one point in the book, she had no reason to hate the love interest anymore. speaking of the love interest, Hudson was dull and two-dimensional, i wish we had gotten his point of view too, because his character was definitely something to develop. needless to say, he was not my favorite. and finally, the last conflict between Annika and Hudson was handled waaaay too quickly; i was not a fan.

if you wish to pick up something distracting and fun, this book is definitely the one for you. though i find it very flawed, it is still not one i would not recommend.

I really loved Annika. It was so encouraging to read about a female professional who was struggling and faced obstacles in her career. We often meet female protagonists who are girl bosses and huge success stories, but this character was a breath of fresh air. However, the story was rather drawn out for me. I found myself losing interest halfway through and felt like some parts of the story just weren’t necessary and dragged out. I loved her friendship with June and would’ve loved to see more of that rather than her relationship with Hudson. I do feel like the ending was too cliche, but an easy enough read.


2.5 stars.

I don’t know.... I just wasn’t feeling this book I think?! I wasn’t that invested into the story and didn’t even really ship the main characters 🙈 I also wasn’t a fan of some of the things that happened toward the end and the ending itself was also quite abrupt. So yeah, this wasn’t for me unfortunately.

This was a fun, lighthearted read with amazing chemistry between Hudson and Annika. The business setting made it stand out from other books similar, and it would be a perfect read for someone looking for something to read on holiday.

Make Up Break Up (MUBU) is a romcom by the author of When Dimple Met Rishi (WDMR), and it's Lily Menon's first adult novel. It follows Annika, CEO of Make Up, an app developed to help people improve their relationships by finding a kinder way to talk to each other, and Hudson, CEO of Break Up, an app which does the exact opposite, helping people break up with each other with minimum to no emotional effort.

This is a romcom for fans of enemies-to-lovers, second chance and the very specific "love interest has a profession that goes against the main character's moral code" trope. I am not a big fan of any of these, so maybe that made me enjoy this book less than I would have otherwise, but I was quite let down by this book. From the beginning I got the feeling that this would be a rather generic romance, with the usual Girl-Power-energy main character and the "sexy, rich bad boy who actually is really soft" and the two of them were just... meh. I did not feel the chemistry and frankly I was more curious about how the apps worked & how sustainable their businesses were (which we did not get as much as I wanted) than I was about any of them, or their relationship. This is similar to how I felt about WDMR, where I wanted so much more from the tech part of the book, but in WDMR at least there was so much fluff, summer-y vibes and the love interest was so adorable I could not help but grin all the time and cheer for them, overlooking any of my complaints. This was just not true for MUBU, where we got Dimple-but-adult and some bland white bad boy.

I detest when characters communicate like they're five years old. Annika spends a good chunk of the book furious at Hudson for copying her idea and then bastardizing and acting quite jealous of his success, which made it hard for me to really want them to be together. And Hudson himself was such an annoying character. I was annoyed together with Annika and honestly have no idea how she had any sort of feelings for him. I would have detested somebody like that, history between us or no.

I also had an issue with the ending (see paragraph below, marked SPOILER). All in all, this was cute, somewhat steamy but rather too generic and lacking any real tension both in the plot and between the characters for me to really like it. I was speed-reading by the end of the book and it made me wish I had DNF-ed it.

SPOILER

...

Okay so the ending includes Annika's dad getting into a terrible accident and her not being able to perform at EPIC the way she wanted to, but then Hudson "does the right thing" and decides not to pitch his company so as not to get the prize. I found this ending not only emotionally manipulative - when books have this kind of Very Dramatic Coming From Nowhere plot twists, it makes me wonder if it's simply the case that the plot did not contain enough tension and substance to hold the story without some super dramatic twist - but also really disappointing. I wanted to see Break Up vs Make Up and a discussion about how Make Up was about helping people achieve emotional maturity and Break Up was really a bro app, but that was not discussed as deeply as I hoped for. It was simply established that Break Up was clearly Evil App and Make Up the Righteous App. I guess I hoped for more nuance, I wanted to see Hudson (and his team,) really defend his app and present maybe make the reader think maybe, just maybe, the app is not all evil and in fact makes people's lives better somehow.

Also, we never really get any closure about whether the Make Up app really solves the financial issues - it would have been amazing to have a scene where the bank guy is flabbergasted about them winning EPIC, after he bullied Annika and June throughout the whole book.

This was what I would deem as an average romance contemporary read. Pretty fitting and classic with many modern romance novels which are pretty popular and 'on trend' at the moment. While absolutely nothing wrong with it in that sense, it just felt average to me and nothing special. There wasn't really a hook as it was just a consistently nice easy read. You kind of know what will happen in the end and high chance of how it will happen as well, you're just reading it all pan out essentially.

This satisfied every craving I had for a romantic (slightly steamy) and all round fuzzy read. I admit, I read the first couple of chapters and wasn’t sure I was going to be able to get right into it. I didn’t feel invested yet, but now having read the whole thing, I think that was because I didn’t know Hudson Craft well enough yet. Do men like this exist in real life?! Make Up Break Up makes me really hope that they do.

I hope there is a June and Ziggy book on the horizon!!!

Annika Dev is an ambitious young entrepreneur whose brainchild Make Up is an app dedicated to giving separated lovers a second chance. Hudson Craft is the wealthy founder of the wildly successful Break Up, a brutal dumping app. So it’s safe to say that their philosophies on love don’t quite match up. But when the Break Up team move into the office next door to Make Up, Annika finds that she can’t stop thinking about her nemesis… Employing the irresistible enemies to lovers trope, this warm-hearted romance is sizzling with chemistry that will leave you screaming at them to just get it together!

First of all, thank you for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.
If I was really specific this would be a 3.5 star rating and here is my honest review.

I really enjoyed the concept of both the apps and actually envisioned a different ending (where they teamed up and used the Make Up app to fix break ups from the Break Up app). June & Ziggy were great side characters throughout this too. I also really enjoyed Annika's relationship with her father and how that developed throughout the story.

In all honesty I found Annika a little irritating and preachy, considering she was a very intelligent business owner. I felt for Hudson throughout their interactions and felt as though he was almost manipulated into giving up what he had. My heart broke for him when she dropped his sculpture.

Overall I did really enjoy this read but Annika wasn't my favourite.

Make Up Break Up by Lily Menon
Annika and Hudson go head to head when they each create apps that have become a bog competition to each other and also have feelings for each other. Hudson's app is to reduce efforts of break up between couples and Annika's creating an app to reunite couples. The problem is Annika is not as successful as Hudson.
The book is enemies to friends trope, Has a beautiful father - daughter relationship and has a woman creating her own business to stand on her own in the world.
The problem was that Annika is supposed to be trying hard to set up her business but she keeps blaming everyone. In many places, it's like Hudson doesn't understand what's going on. There are great amazing secondary characters that i loved but were not in the book much! The relationship is very unhealthy, she couldn't talk it out or take him as he is, even when he explains the circumstances. The happily ever after is after he surrenders despite everything. I believe even if the person is wrong in our viewpoint, we cannot bully them for the conclusion rather understand the circumstances and give it time!
Thank you Netgalley for my copy

3.5 Love to Hate You Stars!

"Do I unsettle you, Ms. Dev?"

A while back, I saw this book pop up on a list for Romance reads not to miss in 2021. So when I saw it on NetGalley, I had to request it.

I thoroughly enjoyed the majority of this book. Working in the corporate world myself, I loved reading about a business savvy heroine who pulls no punches when it comes to achieving her goals. This book manages to pull off both an enemies-to-lovers trope as well as second chance love.

Annika and Hudson met at a tech conference that took place about a year before the book begins. They had one hot week together that we get bit and pieces of throughout the book. But they also shared an intense connection... However, a year later and they both head up opposing tech firms. Annika is convinced that Hudson stole her business idea and is none too thrilled when he pops up as her new office tenant next door. She runs an app that brings couples together; he runs an app that facilitates break ups.

I have to say, my favorite part of this book was Hudson. Right from the get go, it was obvious that he wasn't as cold and unfeeling as Annika wanted to think. We could tell there was A LOT he wasn't saying. This kept me turning the pages because I just had to know what the heck really went down between these two the summer before and why it crashed and burned.

"You were the best and worst thing about that summer."


I thought the plot was well thought out and very original. I enjoyed the author's writing style. I was a bit worried about the steamy times because I'd read that this was the author's Adult Romance debut, having been a YA author up until now. But, HAVE NO FEAR... the steam DELIVERED!! Very spicy and sensual. My pervy self approves!

"Do you know how long I've wanted to do this? Do you know how crazy you've been driving me, pushing me away and drawing me close? He ran a hand through her hair, pulling her head back with just the right amount of force so he could nip at her throat."


I did struggle with how ruthlessly hard Annika was on Hudson. And there was really a lack of an arc in her character's growth and transition when it came to him. Her thoughts never progressed about him, who he was, and her feelings for him until literally the last scene of the book (despite some major sacrifices and acts of love on his part).

Additionally, once again, another book with a super abrupt and stunted ending combined with the lack of epilogue, knocked this one down to 3.5 stars for me. I still really enjoyed it overall, but the missed opportunities were frustrating. There was a lot "left on the table" and so much potential that, had it been cashed in, would've EASILY taken this book to 5 stars.

Would definitely check this author out again. Fingers crossed that she reads some of the constructive criticism provided in these reviews or has some different beta readers next time, because really, with a few tweaks, she could easily hit a home run.

"I fell for you then and I fell for you now and I'm still falling."

I was provided with an advanced copy of this book by NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton in exchange for an honest review.

Our two main characters have both developed apps that are made to help people either make up and respectively break up.

Annika is passionate about her app that is designed to help customers communicate, something she is terrible at herself, as a way of saving a relationship.

Hudson, the CEO of Break Up, has delevolped an app that allows people to go online and I assume pay for someone to go and break up with the person they are dating because apparently its better then being ghosted. Although ghosting is free. Not the point.

Anyway, we find out early on that they have met before he moves his company into the office next to hers... What happened between them and did it have any influence on the apps they both deleloped?

It is an interesting setting for a rom com with two people locked in a rivalry over what they believe people need help with in relationships. But never did they reflect that back on themselves, which there was great opportunity to do in this story. If you are looking for an easy love story then try this one out! I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it either. It entertained me for an afternoon which is what I want from these types of books!

his was disappointing given how much I love Lily Menon's YA books. It lacked the depth that I enjoy with my romance novels, focussing more on the main characters pettiness especially in the first half of the book. I really lacked the emotional connection until the final third and by then the book had already lost me.

The story focusses on Annika, who is launching her app about second chances, Make Up, with her best friend June. Hudson is her rival, the creator of another dating app, this time called Break Up, which lets couples terminate a relationship through the app so they don't have to do the dumping in person. Annika is a very driven character with plenty of ambition, but the book rarely gives her more depth than that - we only get the surface of her character. Hudson was also pretty bland, and his app is horrible even though he hoped it wouldn't end up being used by awful men - I mean how oblivious can you get?

The characters do have chemistry but I feel like the book didn't take time to develop it. I was also disappointed by the ending because it made the plot kind of pointless to me.

The one thing I really did like was Annika's connection to her Dad, who is her only living parent. He wants her to be a Doctor but she's determined to be her own boss at Make Up. It's not really a unique storyline but it was the only bit of the book that made me feel.

Overall, I'll still read future adult romances by Lily, but her YA definitely has more depth.

Wonderfully romantic and indulgent. Beautifully written and such an enjoyable read. I thoroughly enjoyed this one.

I really enjoyed this story. It was warm & fuzzy, easy to read, admittedly a bit predictable in places but thay didn't put me off. Would definitely recommend.

I confess to having slightly mixed feelings about this book. I liked the concept - an enemies to lovers/second chance romance featuring two rival app developers, and it was good to see a young female protagonist striving to succeed and develop her business in the fiercely competitive world of tech. It was an easy read and I read it quite happily, but ultimately it fell a little flat for me.

Annika at times seemed very immature and it was at times hard to feel sympathetic as she made a number of questionable decisions. As the book was entirely from her point of view, Hudson's character felt very underdeveloped and rather one dimensional - dual points of view might have helped to bring him to life and bring out the supposed chemistry between the two. Their relationship seemed rather unbalanced - it revolved around miscommunication but the hate seemed to be coming almost entirely from Annika. The miscommunication did seem to drag on until it all wrapped up a little too quickly at the end with a resolution that didn't seem entirely believable..

Overall a fun read but one that perhaps didn't entirely live up to its initial promise. Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.