So I am going to start with the two things that I liked in this book. Hudson Craft, the male counterpart, and the love scene were enjoyable.

Unfortunately, I found the rest of the book, annoying and predictable. Here's what needed to change for the book to be enjoyable (and thus contains spoilers):

1. The main character negatively misinterprets a lot of things. For someone who is trying to create an app that helps people interpret their love interest, this is unrealistic (I didn't understand why she was so bad at interpreting her father and Hudson's comments.)

2. A majority of this book is predictable; actually I predicted a better ending to the book. There is no reason that the two CEOs and companies didn't decide to combine and work together.

3. I liked the love story between the supporting characters, but there wasn't even a conclusion to it. Why did Ziggy ask June out to dinner at the end? Was that supposed to be left vague?

I really loved this one. Perfect hate to love, which I'm a sucker for. I didn't care for some of the side characters but that's just me.

I was so excited when I got to know that Sandhya Menon was diving into the world of Adult Romance. Make Up break Up started out strong. The leads, Hudson and Annika, had the chemistry and I was eager to see how it would flourish and the relationship that would build. I loved how competitive they were when it came to their business and want to succeed.
However, while it did start out strong, the momentum didn't remain steady or went up.


First off, I love all levels of enemies-to-lovers but my favourite is when the hate is so palpable and the characters would rather kill themselves before they could even think about falling in love with the other, but the pull is strong they have no choice but to give in.

Annika and Hudson were a notch or two below this hate scale but I loved that aspect but while Ms Menon had the enemies part down, the lovers' end of this trope didn't live up to the mark. I wanted much more of Annika and Hudson than we got. I just didn't get to swoon over them as a couple.


Second, taking from the first point, there is way way too much Annika and June, her best friend when it should have been Annika and Hudson. Due to this, I didn't get to see a lot of development of them as individual characters and as a couple. They didn't get the time to grow or understand each other when that was what I hoping for.


Annika repeatedly going back three steps for every progress she made, while in the beginning I understood and sympathized, but later on, I just couldn't. She was so stuck in her way of thinking she refused to believe and understand Hudson.

I get not being able to separate Hudson and Break Up because that man built this company with a certain mindset and if I'm being honest, he wasn't really helping his cause, but what I don't get is Annika's inability to give Hudson the benefit of the doubt. It was so frustrating to see her go through that same process again and again but not make any change or progress.


Overall, Make Up Break Up has some parts that I enjoyed and some points that just didn't work for me. Unfortunately, the parts that didn't work for me were a lot more than the parts that I actually did enjoy.


2.5 - 3 Stars!

Thank you for an arc in exchange for an honest review!

I thought the idea of this book is super cute! Annika Dev is a romantic and CEO of her new app Make Up. Hudson is the CEO and creator of his app called break up which basically the opposite of what Annika wants to accomplish. The two go head to head in a war of apps. If you like some sexual tension and chemistry this book is for you!

Wow I have been loving all of the rom-coms this year. This book definitely delivered. I ate up this hate to love relationship between these two professionals. I loved the strong female character and her STEM background. I will definitely be reading more books by this author. I plan on buying this book for my book club when it gets released. It is the perfect rom com! I give this book five out of five stars. Thank you Net galley and publisher for this advanced copy.

*I received an e-arc from Netgalley, the author and publisher in exchange for an honest review*

Sandhya Menon is now writing adult romance under Lily Menon. Her debut adult contemporary romance was so hard to put down, and I just wanted to keep on reading. Can we say hot, but I’m not talking about the weather?! There’s such a romantic spark between the two main characters, there’s witty banter, and there’s overall fun! Just like all of Menon’s books, I got that warm, fuzzy feeling I needed.

Annika Dev is a hopeless romantic and the CEO of her own app, Make Up, that she hopes will help people to find their happily ever after. She started the company with her best friend, June. Hudson Craft, has an app called Break Up, and it’s known as the “Uber for breakups” and is the exact opposite of what Annika is trying to achieve with her app. Hudson just so happens to move into the office next door to Annika’s. What also complicates things is that they have a past history, as Annika and Hudson had a summer fling in Vegas. The two begin to prank each other and bring on the competition. Things really heat up as they compete for the EPIC investment pitch contest, which Annika is desperate to win as her business is having some financial difficulties. Despite the two clashing constantly, Annika finds herself drawn to Hudson. As she gets to spend time with him, she finds that there may be more to him than his shallow public personality. She begins to wonder if she could have been completely wrong about him.

If you enjoy a good contemporary romance, then this book will be right up your alley. Lily Menon really knows how to write chemistry, and some of the scenes were absolutely smoking! This book is releasing in February, right before Valentine’s Day, so add it to your TBR now.

I've been loving the rom-com books lately, so this this one is right up my alley.
You have your haters to lovers relationships. You throw in enemies since they have conflicting apps they are working on. I loved that they had a history so it wasn't just inst-love. PLUS it also had female empowerment, being good at STEM, and moving on from grief. I need to read more of her.

Lily Menon’s ‘Make Up Break Up’ is a lighthearted enemies-to-lovers story with both humor and heart.

Annika Dev believes in happily-ever-afters. A romantic at heart, she throws all her energy into developing her app, Make Up, which aims to helps couples communicate and stay together. Hudson Craft believes in the power of the bottom line, and the efficiency of technology to help couples do the exact opposite... to separate. His app, Break Up, may be the more successful of the two, but Annika is determined to have her app succeed. Ironically, their attraction to each other is as strong as their rivalry, and as they both compete for the same funding, they’ll find out that sometimes there’s more to life than winning.

I thought that this story was fun and flirty, and I could totally picture it being made into a movie. The banter and rivalry between Annika and Hudson is entertaining, and they have chemistry in spades. And I loved having a more diverse cast of characters that brought their unique experiences to the fore.

The story is told in first person from Annika’s perspective, and I personally think that it would have been stronger if the story would have been dual perspective. I would have loved to have some more insights into Hudson’s mindset, and I think it would have helped to better flesh him out as a character. That being said, the overarching story is still satisfying to read.

If you’re looking for a novel that is low stakes, entertaining, and even a little (comfortingly so) predictable, ‘Make Up Break Up’ is a great bet.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Annika Dev is the proud founder and CEO of Make Up, an app with the motto of "Happily Ever After, Redux". The goal is simple: help couples communicate and save their relationships. Her mortal enemy? Founder and CEO of Break Up, the self-proclaimed "Uber for breakups", and plagiarizer of ideas. AKA Hudson Craft. So who, of course, moves into the same office building as Make Up and celebrates milestones with gongs, throws lavish parties, and basically serves as a slap in the face that Make Up is still struggling to get off the ground? That's right. Hudson Freaking Craft and Break Up...

Sparks once flew between Annika and Hudson, but now all that flies between them are insults, pranks, and bitterness. And with the opportunity of a lifetime just weeks away, an opportunity both desperately want, who will come out still standing with their prides, dignity, and hearts intact?

A brilliant debut into the world of adult romance from Lily Menon (AKA the fantabulous Sandhya Menon of the YA Dimple-verse fame), "Make Up Break Up" is a enemies-to-lovers romance you don't want to miss! Brilliantly funny, side characters to root for, an amazing father-daughter relationship, high stakes, and--of course--a fantastically written will-they-or-won't-they? relationship between Annika and Hudson. Can they both get a happily ever after? What does a happily ever after mean for each of them? All of that, blended with questions about living a happy, meaningful life and examining the measure of success.

Overall, five brilliant shining stars on top of five delicious cupcakes for the first of (hopefully!) many of Lily Menon's rom-coms!

This is such a sweet romance between two rivals CEOs with serious chemistry. Annika is the founder of Make Up, an app that she believes can save floundering relationships, but everywhere she turns she is confronted with her rival and one time hookup, Hudson the founder of Break Up, Make Up's antithesis. I loved how the relationship built over time and how both characters were able to stay true to themselves.

I really loved how the technology in the book was described. Even if it isn't real, or even particularly realistic, all the characters talk about the technology in a very realistic way which helps draw me into the story.

I received a copy of this ARC from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Annika has developed an app called, "Make Up" which has been deemed the “Google Translate for failing relationships.” She believes in love, romance, second chances, and fairy-tale endings. High efficiency break-ups, flashy start-ups, penthouses, fast cars…these are the things Hudson Craft believes in. His app, Break Up, is known as the “Uber for break-ups.” The two apps have the opposite goals in mind and it drives Annika crazy!
The two hooked up at a tech convention and Annika never looked back...until Hudson moves into the office next door.

I absolutely loved this book! I'm a sucker for a second-chance romance and this one was perfection. I loved all the characters and the story line. I wish there was more book to read because I did not want it to end. It's also the perfect summer beach read - I devoured it in a day!

Make Up Break Up is a cute enemy to lover story about the owners of two competing app companies. There were certain things that I loved about the story, Annika and her father’s relationship, had me gushing and I need to start the Pluto tradition with my kids. I also loved June and Ziggy’s relationship ( maybe have their own story hint hint). What kind of irked me was Annika herself, I get that she’s a strong willed woman and that is absolutely fantastic, but I found myself siding more with Hudson than I did with Annika. I feel like most of the conflict would have solved In Annika took some deep breathes and actually had a an adult conversation with Hudson without blowing up. I get why she couldn’t but at the same time I wanted to shake some sense into her. Also the ending seemed a little rushed and left me wanting to know more. I would have loved an epilogue. All in all though I though it was a good story and easy to read.

I really wanted to like this book, it had an interesting beginning, but it just felt too similar to other romcom books that I've read and also ones that were currently on my to be read shelf. I normally really like the enemies to lovers trope but this book couldn't pull it off for me.

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.