This book gave us the realities of online dating and how it can be such a struggle to find your perfect match.

Mel is working at an app startup company as technical support. She is often overlooked and going through the motions. She rarely stands up for herself, but she knows she isn’t being treated fairly at her job.

Her friends all have their own dating stories...the good, the bad, and the ugly. The online dating world is what gives her the idea to create Jerk Alert.

I did enjoy reading this book. It was well written and I loved the idea of the app. So why 3 stars? I just didn’t feel a connection between Mel and the hero Alex. I felt like he was more of a secondary character instead of a main one. Even when he was in scenes, he didn’t have an overwhelming presence. I don’t know if it was his character in general or since the book was written solely from Mel’s POV.

Overall, it was a fun read and I can’t wait to see what else Kristen writes in the future.

-A copy of this book was generously provided in exchange for an honest review.-

Earnest but unexciting and perhaps a bit self-righteous

I would like to thank Kristin Rockaway, Harlequin/Graydon House, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Spoilers

Okay, so I am not the ideal reader for this kind of story. Subject matter-wise, I mean; genre-wise—women’s fiction/romance—it’s right up my alley, but I don’t give a rat’s about dating apps, social media, or the corporate world. My advice for Melanie would have been simple: Don’t want dick pics? Don’t use dating apps. In fact, get off your effing phone and interact with the people around you. Which, to my satisfaction, is the conclusion she eventually came to.

But not giving a rat’s about dating apps, social media, or the corporate world didn’t keep me from recognizing a charming, earnest story about a woman who wanted to make the world better in some small way. Who wanted to help people. This was a good read, even if it wasn’t particularly compelling. As I was reading, I got the sense that Rockaway (awesome name, by the way) was checking off points on her outline, literally or metaphorically. Introduce the character, then the conflict, now introduce the other characters, heighten the tension, set up more conflict—etc, etc. All the building blocks were there and neatly stacked, but they were taupe. I.e., while solid, the story just wasn’t particularly exciting or engaging.

Mel was an okay MC. I sympathized with her and didn’t dislike her, though I’m not sure I liked her much, either. She was a bit too woe-is-me, a bit too passive-aggressive. She complained about a lot of things, and though she made some minor efforts to improve circumstances, she never really took a stand, never firmly said no. She tried to protest, but when she was told to sit down and shut up, she did so. I kept waiting for her to quit Hatch, but she never did. Sure, she planned to, but her plan was to get rich on JerkAlert, then quit. Not a stable prospect, pretty much a dream, and she knew it but somehow convinced herself it was viable. It undermined her intelligence and her self-respect. I was also disappointed when she decided to sell her data to Fluttr, despite how wrong it felt. Money is a powerful motivator, and a realistic one, I admit, but I wanted her to have more integrity than that. In the end, though, she started being proactive and ambitious, and she had an honest face-to-face conversation with Alex; I had more respect for her then. Except when she thought hosting her first mixer on the forbidden roof was okay. I can’t imagine how that was at all professional, much less advisable.

Also, her arc was mostly complete, but not entirely. Her father’s infidelity was the root of her bitterness and distrust in men, but we never met him, never saw her talk to him—or her mother, for that matter. As far as I know, they’re alive, so she could have. Her parents' broken marriage was the foundation for the character’s motivation, but it wasn’t dealt with. The story and Mel’s arc would have been more complete if she’d confronted him. What she would have said to him, I don’t know, but it was a big hole in the development.

The supporting characters were a mixed bag. Whit was kind of terrifying and too convenient for the plot, Dani was meh whatevs, and Lia was an idiot. I had similar feelings about Alex as I did for Mel—sympathetic but too passive. He was kind and endearing, but just kind of let things happen to him and didn’t fight back. Especially Greg. I couldn’t believe Alex never stood up to that lazy shite-for-brains creep. Josh can burn in Hades alongside Bob and Vijay. Whom I couldn’t stop calling Va-jay-jay in my head. I mean, seriously. I kept waiting for someone to riff on it, but it never happened.

There were a couple continuity errors I noticed but that were likely fixed in the final copy. Otherwise, I think that’s everything. As I said above, the writing was fine, just lacked energy. Rockaway might consider giving her characters more self-respect in future, especially if they’re self-righteous and cause-minded and she’s trying to send a message to readers. Overall, it’s a solid and very relevant story, but it’s doesn’t evoke much emotion.

noapologybookreviews.com

I was excited to read How to Hack a Heartbreak. I love the cover, I have been reading a lot of rom-coms lately, and I thought the blurb sounded very promising. And although I did enjoy some parts of the book, I felt underwhelmed after finishing it.

The things I liked:
1. I liked the premise of the book. Our main heroine, Mel, is trying to succeed in a male-dominated industry, while juggling modern (internet) dating.
2. I liked Mel. She is smart and knows her away around computer coding and technology.
3. Positive female friendships. All of Mel's girlfriends were very supportive and loving.

Things I didn't like:
1. Mel experienced so much harassment from men at work, online, even on public transport, and most of the men she interacted with were absolutely horrible. There were almost no good male characters in the book (except Ray)
2. Her love interest, Alex, was an OK character, but he was one-dimensional and kind of boring.
3. There was hardly any humor in the book. All the bad interactions Mel had with men, none of it was conveyed in a humorous way, so it was actually depressing to read. I read rom-coms to escape reality, but with How to Hack a Heartbreak, it was like reading an actual account of a woman experiencing constant harassment and misogyny, without any comic-relief. Some parts of the book actually made me angry and distressed. I did not laugh even once while reading it.

How to Hack a Heartbreak was definitely not the light-hearted read I expected it to be. I think it should be marketed as realistic contemporary fiction instead of rom-com.

🏙 Melanie has a bone to pick and the skills to send her gripe viral!💻

👍👍What a refreshingly original plot, an endearing heroine and a super story of women winning the fight against a male-dominated industry and men behaving badly on the app dating scene. Although I felt heroine Melanie's frustration and disgust at the tech broworld that could not accept her capability because of her gender, that connection with her is what made this a fantastic read! She's a great character, with some hang-ups about men like her father who let her down, but her foibles and insecurities made her so real and appealing.😊

Rockaway's tale celebrates friendships as well as romance, though Melanie's road to romance is a rocky one. I never felt that the conclusion was a done deal; in fact, the author includes plenty of twists for both the love and work sides of the plot. It totally kept me glued to the story and I was sad to reach the last page😟!

I read a complimentary advance copy of the book provided through NetGalley; this is my voluntary and honest review.

How to Hack a Heartbreak was a fun and interesting take on the online dating scene in NYC. Mel is smart, fun, and witty, and stuck in a dead end job where she gets no respect. After one too many douchebags on Fluttr, she created JerkAlert - a website for fellow daters to identify the creepers in the online dating community. What is a meant as a joke to be shared amongst her friends, JerkAlert soon goes viral.

I enjoyed not only reading about the online dating scene in NYC because us single gals can relate, but I also loved the sisterhood not just between Mel and her crew, but amongst the women in the dating community who have each other's backs.

This was my first book by Kristin Rockaway, but it definitely won't be my last.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of "How to Hack a Heartbreak" by Kristin Rockaway in exchange for an honest review.

"How to Hack a Heartbreak" by Kristin Rockaway is a cute, quick read. It's refreshing to see a female computer science/coder as the main character. Mel works as a tech support person at a high tech company that provides opportunities to start up ventures. She is predominately surrounded by men, many of whom are rude, sexist, and dismissive of "girls" in the industry. Mel and her friends feel like a small tribe of "girl power" supporting, encouraging, and empowering each other.

First off, I’ll admit that part of my rating is that I went into this expecting a romance. While there is a romantic relationship with an HEA, this is more women’s fiction. It’s the perfect sort of light beach read, though, if you’re looking for a book about how taking charge of her online dating life led to one woman reinventing her entire life.

“Sometimes I thought it’d be nice to be the person with the vision, as opposed to the person who fixed the broken laptops of the visionaries.”


Four years out of college, Mel works at Hatch, a startup incubator, as the frontline helpdesk support for the app developers. Mel can code, too, but is stuck removing viruses from the start-up hopefuls’ laptops and fixing printer jams. After yet another bad date, she impulsively comes up with JerkAlert, a website to record the bad deeds of all the men on the dating app of the moment, Fluttr. But is it a reprieve from endless dick pics or just another unintended source of negativity? While JerkAlert’s taking off, Mel also struggles with a new relationship with a coworker. Can she trust that he’s the person he seems to be, or is he just better at hiding his jerkiness?

My main issue with the book was that everything was painted with a broad brush, from the dudebros at Hatch to the bad dating experiences to the message. If they were mean or dismissive of Mel, they were obviously a bad guy, while everyone who was nice to her was obviously a good guy – there was very little room for anyone other than Mel to have complicated feelings. For instance, all of the men at Mel’s workplace were misogynistic, crass and verbally abusive, except for Mel’s love interest, Alex. He’s sweet, thoughtful, and handy in the kitchen – basically Prince Charming, minus a few minor imperfections that Mel, stewing in her own mess of insecurities, latched on to. He was just as much a caricature of “the perfect man” as Mel’s coworkers were caricatures of the opposite, and he honestly seemed too good to be true. Mel spent a good portion of the book waiting for the other shoe to drop, and I did as well, so I never really felt invested in their relationship. He did have his issues – he’s a workaholic (again, startup life) and he’s completely clueless about women’s struggles in tech. For instance, when his cofounder makes sexist remarks about Mel, he kept quiet, and it’s only after Mel takes him to task for it that he admits that he should’ve said something. Honestly, the only reason Mel seemed to like about him was that he wasn’t awful and he’s cute, which OK, I get it, but that wasn’t quite enough for a relationship for me. Alex himself had no character arc – I mean, I think he resolved to say sorry less? – he’s just a tool to show Mel’s growth.

And oh boy, does Mel need to do a lot of growing. Look, I’ve worked in tech, I know how it is, but staying in the same deadend job getting verbally harassed every day with no relief? Especially when she can code well enough to come up with a usable app in an evening? I couldn’t understand why she simply didn’t find something else. It’s no surprise that, surrounded by work negativity and dating negativity, she struck back in the only way possible by creating JerkAlert. Because, at the heart of it, Mel’s smart and hardworking but passive and seemingly unable to advocate for herself. As the book went on, Mel toned the negativity down and started taking control of her life, and that was the part I really enjoyed. Yes, she made some mistakes once she actually started, you know, making choices, but at least she was participating in her own life, and she owned up to her mistakes by the end fo the book.

“The problem was, I’d encountered so many terrible men, suffered through so much disappointment and humiliation, that I’d stopped looking forward to dating. It had become a chore, a burdensome task I had to check off my to-do list: Don’t wanna die alone? Better go have a drink with this random guy from the internet!”


I haven’t dated in a very, very long time, but Mel’s experiences with online dating – and the fear of missing out on “the one” if she didn’t keep swiping – were entertaining and had the right mix of hilarious and depressing. It felt like “real” NYC – complete with the small apartment, commuting delays, and diverse group of friends. I especially loved all the women in Mel’s life, from her close crew of friends to her Pinterest-obsessed roommate. I also loved all the little tidbits of the women’s strengths, and how the plot deftly knotted them all together in the end. It made a nice contract to JerkAlert – rather than finding her success by sharing the lows, she does it by utilizing her friends’ strengths. I also liked the message, even if, again, it felt heavy-handed. I thought the writing style was good, and the pacing moved along well, especially once JerkAlert started taking off.

Overall, I did like it, even if it wasn’t quite what I was expecting. It’s a quick read, so I think it’d be perfect as a beach read for someone looking for something light, enjoyable and funny. If you’re looking for an actual romance about online dating, I’d recommend Stefanie London’s Bad Bachelor series, which also involves a website for rating online dates, or Alisha Rai’s forthcoming The Right Swipe, which stars the CEO of a women-centric dating app.

I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

3.5/5 stars

It was a fun rom-com story. It was the first book that I have read from this author. This story was not only about romantic relationships but dynamics of her female friendships. If you have ever dated using an app, then you will know where the characters are coming from. Would I read it again, probably not but I will check out more from the author.

This was a feel-good rom-com, and I love reading this genre when I want to get away from my daily life. There's nothing like a nice fantasy get-away to make me forget about my problems. I really enjoyed this book!

Online dating is a nightmare and Melanie Strickland has suffered enough. She writes an app called "Jerkalert" so she and women like her can post about their bad dates online and warn other women about them.
Unfortunately, it has some unexpected results for Melanie.

Thanks to HARLEQUIN - Graydon House Books and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this. It was quick and fun, a book you could read in one sitting. This wasn't really as romantic as I thought it would be, and instead focused on Mel and her struggles in a male-dominated industry. I appreciated the tone of this book as wanting to focus on in-person human connections and step away from the internet when it comes to love. What bothered me a little was the "man-hating" vibe this book gave off. It just seemed almost too cynical for my liking. Despite that, I think it accurately showed the sexism many professional women face in tech sector jobs.

Love the cover + the title. Worked perfectly!

Melanie worked at a company that provided workspace and technology support to entrepreneurs looking for funding. Most of the men were rude and offensive and the workplace was demeaning. Melanie seemed stuck in a rut after college but not making any move to use her coding skills and move into a better position.

Online dating apps have been in use for many years and I tried one a few times. I didn’t have quite the experiences that Melanie had but it’s so easy to make decisions based on looks or a few details vs spending more time in person. After several initial meetings with men and overwhelmingly bad experiences, Melanie came up with the idea of an app she called JerkAlert. Woman could make comments on the app about their experiences and provide warnings to others. She has dreams of the JerkAlert app being her ticket out and that others will realize that women can be good at coding too. Things don’t go as expected but she does start dating Alex, one of the coders at her company.

I didn’t really feel the connection between Melanie and Alex but she has really good female friends who came through for her many times.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and author for allowing me the opportunity to read this story.

Mel is stuck at a dead-end job working the help desk of a start-up full of brogrammers who all believe they’re God’s gift to the tech industry, yet can’t understand that disabling ad blockers in order to browse for porn just might result in a wave of viruses. Multiple times.

After the hottest dating app, Fluttr, leaves her ghosted, Mel decides to take matters into her own hands. JerkAlert was only meant to be a fun way for Mel and her friends to blow off steam – their way of getting the word out about the sexist, misogynistic, married men on Fluttr – but it took off and soon hundreds of women are leaving warnings about the seemingly nice guys on the app.

Had this just been a story about JerkAlert, I think I would have enjoyed the book far more. Instead, there’s an office romance between Mel and one of the techies hoping to make it big with a fantasy football app. I had hoped to get more out of this one than I did, but at least it was a fast, one-sitting read.

"Never trust anything you read on the internet. And never trust the internet with your heart. If you’re looking for love, stop swiping. Instead, look up. Look around. The love of your life could be working in your office, or sitting next to you in a bar, or standing right beside you on a crowded city street. Get off the internet for a little while. Otherwise, you might let the one getaway."

I chose this book because it was the July 2019 LibraryReads selection, and I  have tried online dating and wanted to see how the author used it as a rom-com. It didn't disappoint.

The story is a  laugh out loud trip into the world of a woman working in a testosterone-filled IT business in New York where men harass her and don't take her seriously. And if that isn't enough, her dating life is the same.

After being ghosted on a date and receiving another dick pic from the online dating site Fluttr she exacts revenge by creating an app of her own called JerkAlert. It's a big hit, but not for her love life when the man she's dating shows up on the app.

I love the dynamics between Mel and her friends (think Sex and the City) with their different personalities and outlooks on love and careers. However, I believe Alex's character needed more depth. I would have liked to have heard his perspective as Mel's boyfriend.  He seemed sweet but misunderstood.

If you have ever tried online dating and want to hear the goods from a woman's perspective, give this one a try. 

Thank you to Ms. Rockaway, Harlequin, Graydon House Books, and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to review this book without expectation of a positive review.

In the predominantly male environment, a girl needs to discover her strength and fight for her potential.

Melanie preferred the peace of mind of a well-paid job rather than taking a risk in the world of software creation, but in annoying herself with so many frustrated and uncompromising dates with ends in disaster for both her and her friends, she decided to create a way to warn other women about men.


She suffers from both the guys at work and on dates that ends up having serious trust issues and when the cute Alex approaches her, she really doesn't know if she can trust him or not.

I really liked the way the writer deals with the theme of sexism in the workplace especially in the subject area of the book. Computing. The resolution of the conflict point was also quite creative and exciting.


I loved the cover and the choice of title.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this novel! Although I usually find chick-lit predictable (not a bad thing), this novel kept me guessing in the best way. Mel was a relateable character- not always common in chick lit- and you could understand her motivation. She wasn't always likeable, but none of us are!

I thought that Rockaway did a fantastic job of handing the topic of women working in tech. It seriously addressed it without feeling like an after-school special. It is particularly grating to read, but it's so much worse in reality- it is fantastic she worked through it rather than taking the easy route and ignoring it.

I received a copy of this story from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 Stars

This was such a satisfying read. It struck ALL the right chords for me:
- strong female lead? Check.
- diverse cast? Check.
- drew me in and refused to let go? Check.
- realistic plot? Hyper-check!

Seriously, I found this to be incredibly realistic. It may help that I live in NYC as well, but Kristin Rockaway captured the atmosphere and culture of living here beautifully. I knew the places Mel and her friends were hanging out. I've been stuck on an A train before (many times, honestly). I know how hellish it can be to be single and dating in this city. If I put the tech/start-up aspect aside, this could've been a story any number of my friends told me over drinks.

I loved that Melanie wasn't perfect. Her growth throughout the book was lovely to watch but it was made better because she was supported by her community of friends. I wanted to be friends with all of them. And the diversity was done in such an organic, authentic way that it was a real treat to read.

I hate that these kinds of stories resonate so well nowadays. To be honest, it makes me sad. But if this book taught me anything it's that you don't have to accept it. You can build a community of people around you who are kind, like-minded, and supportive. You can stand up for yourself. You can try to solve the problem, even in some small way. It left me feeling hopeful. And that's an amazing feeling. So thank you, Kristin, for your beautiful work of art.

"Sometimes, you just have to cross your fingers and hope everything works out."

This book is fine. It was what I needed it to be.

I was teetering precariously on the edge of a reading slump, unable to get into a book and stay interested. I tried three. It was dangerous times, trying to avoid this slump. So I scrolled through all the titles I’ve been so lucky to get access to through on NetGalley in search of something that looked fun, cute, and quick.

Kristin Rockaway’s How to Hack a Heartbreak ticked all of those books.


Was it a little predictable, a smidge formulaic, and a bit too heavy on the Happily Ever After? Sure. But that’s irrelevant.

Life can be such a rollercoaster that sometimes you need a bit of predictability, formula, and hope of a Happily Ever After. So thanks to Kristin Rockaway for that!

This is a very modern story, with main character Melanie working a crappy job as tech support for a bunch of “bros” trying to get money to fund their startups and apps. Melanie is also just a bit addicted to online dating. All the swiping is how she and her friends search for love in New York City. There are copious amounts of text dedicated to complaints about unsolicited dick pics (as there should be), good attention paid to ghosting, and just enough due given to the possibility of real love being out there somewhere.

But…

That last one is not so easy to come by and Melanie quickly puts her skills in coding and computer tech to use, creating an app where women can share their experiences (the bad ones, anyway) with guys they matched with on Fluttr (the most popular dating app). Reading the book gives the impression that what Melanie does is meant to empowering and feminist, and it is. To a degree, because it’s not always in a good way. It’s good that women can band together to protect each other from harassment and danger but, as Melanie soon finds out, even women can unfairly target men and lie about them, just as much as men can.

Melanie is a lot of things in this book – a relatable single girl looking for love, a go-getter in the man’s world of tech, a woman willing to help other women, a sassy and brave character who doesn’t take crap from anyone. But she’s also, at times, a bit of a stalker and a bit immature.

But, I suppose, aren’t we all sometimes?

Melanie gets her happily ever after and that’s fine. I knew she would. All the tropes of mixed signals, wrongly interpreted signs, and slightly superficial obstacles were there, telling me she’d get it.

It’s cute, it’s quick, and it’s fun.

I received an early copy of How to Hack a Heartbreak from NetGalley and Harlequin – Graydon House Books in exchange for an honest and original review.

DNF @ 20%

While I enjoy the concept of this novel, it just didn't capture my attention. The main character is quite whiny, and I would have preferred to read about a woman with more of a kick-ass attitude. I am sure that this will be enjoyable for others. Not my cup of tea, unfortunately.

What a delight of a book! Light and a lot of fun to read! I read this over a weekend and it truly was the perfect read! I think the book itself has a great message too about the internet and meeting people on there.
Mel was such a fun and relatable character, I adored her! She is the kind of MC that you just root for from the very beginning!


This book was cute and fun and I adored it so much! The perfect summer read for those looking for something light to read in a day, I seriously could not put it down! It was so funny as well and so relatable!

If you’ve ever done any online dating (or know someone who has), you know the struggle is real. Basing a match on a photo and brief bio opens the door to unwanted pictures of body parts and who knows what kind of personality, morals or psyche. But good news, girls. Melanie Strickland has your back and has created JerkAlert, the site where you can share your bad matches and list their offenses so other gals don’t fall prey. Whether he's a liar, cheater, ghoster or married, you can learn from another girl's experience before you swipe right.

Melanie is a the IT help desk technician in a misogynistic office of techie start-up wannabes. After one too many bad internet dates, she codes JerkAlert. Just when it looks like Melanie's app will be her big chance to make her own way, things spiral out of control, threatening her fledgling relationship with one of the few good guys, Alex Hernandez. Melanie's life doesn't just fall apart, but crashes and burns in the most spectacular way. Her only saving grace is her three besties and her roommate.

If the premise makes this book sound hilarious, light hearted and fun, it definitely is. But it’s much more than that. It celebrates strong female bonds and their unconditional love and support. It highlights the indomitable human spirit, rising from the ashes and turning tragedy into triumph. And it’s a poignant reminder to #GetOffTheInternet and connect with people on a human level. To remember that eye contact, body language and facial expressions can’t adequately be digitally transmitted.

This book is a breath of fresh air in traditional publishing, and I’m so glad I took a chance on this author. Rockaway's voice is fun and laid back while being strong and purposeful. Her carefully crafted and economic words make the story lively while pacing it perfectly so the reader hangs on every word. The characters are original, authentic and endearing, making the reader feel like she's made new friends for life. It’s witty and hilarious, insightful and poignant, and touching and heartfelt, making it a terrific choice for readers of any romance genre. Don’t miss this humorous, inspiring, phenomenal read!

*I read an early edition of this book freely and voluntarily, having made no commitment to provide feedback and receiving no compensation of any kind from any source.