"Make Up Break Up" by Lily Menon was a cute rom com with a lot of potential. I wanted there to be more back and forth about how sometimes couples need to break up and move on and sometimes they need help to understand each other and stay together and then have there be something of a meeting in the middle between the two sides. But, maybe I should have had less expectations because the ending was a lot simpler and more black and white than that. I also thought Annika and Hudson had a lot of great tension at first in their competitiveness, but it all kind of just died part way through. The ending had a lot of soap opera drama to it and some wrap-ups of issues that were a little too easy. In the end, I just didn't find it very satisfying overall. It started out stronger than it ended, so I wound up a little disappointed. I have liked other books by this author, so maybe she'll come into her own in this new category given time. I'm definitely up for giving her another chance.

I really wanted to fall in love with this book. I love Sandhya Menon’s books and was eager to dive into her adult world (under a brand new name).

This story follows Annika and Hudson, two app developers who after a week of romance, went their separate ways. But when Hudson’s app is too similar to Annika’s, she resents him, and is determined to bring him down.

I know this is Menon’s first move into adult territory, and even though Annika was an adult, she still acted very childish at times. Her reasoning for disliking Hudson could have been solved by a simple conversation, you know, acting like an adult.

So I’m not a huge enemies to lovers fan, and I tried to put that aside while reading this but the relationship with these two was difficult. It was lovers, to one sided enemies, to frenemies, to lovers. It was a weird relationship loop and didn’t quite make sense.

Now on to the story, and the apps. First of all, I hate both of these app ideas. I know its not really relevant, but a) if someone broke up with me via a video app I would be PISSED. That idea is disgusting and a terrible terrible way to end a relationship. b) Annika’s app was just as bad. I have zero desire to have an app on my phone listen to my most private conversations and ANALYZE THEM. I don’t really care if it would be “helping” its still creepy as shit.

Whew, got that off my chest. Now then, as they both try and make their respective apps a hit, Annika and Hudson bump heads a few times. Annika wants to win EPIC so she can finally have the money to finish her app, and Hudson wants to win…for fun? I don’t really understand Hudson’s desire to win EPIC. His app is already insanely popular, he has enough money to buy a giant million dollar penthouse, why does he need an investment? EPIC seems like it’s a pitch contest to get smaller apps up and running, not for hugely successful ones to get even more money. I get that the two needed a reason to be pitied against each other, but it just didn’t make tons of sense to me. Hudson would have been fine without the contest, meanwhile Annika needed it.

HOWEVER, despite my misgivings, I was rooting hard for these two. I loved Menon’s dive into steamier scenes than her YA works, and absolutely could not put the book down while things were getting hot n’ heavy. While Annika’s day to day activities screamed adolescent, her sex life (and thoughts) screamed adult content. I desperately wanted everything to work out for these two just so that I could read more of their private interactions.

And even though it was extremely childish and not a healthy way of communicating as an adult, I kind of lived for the pettiness. I know I said I didn’t like how Annika acted more like a YA character, but I live for pettiness okay? And anytime Annika did something extremely juvenile and petty, I did a little gleeful dance. Her rooftop pettiness (even though it backfired) was on point and I desire to be like her one day.

Overall, I didn’t agree with a lot of points in this book. It still felt young to me, Annika’s behavior throughout the book and her motivations were difficult to grasp, and Hudson’s actions at the end of the book made ABSOLUTELY ZERO SENSE. (Seriously, this book would have gotten one more star if Hudson’s stupid logic at the end didn’t happen.)

But I did enjoy reading this, it had its high points, and for her first adult novel I think Menon did a pretty good job. I’m excited for what she writes next.

Ever since Make Up, Break Up was announced, I had been super excited for it, since I love a good romance novel and I was excited to see Lily Menon's (aka Sandhya Menon's) take on it. Once I saw the cover and found out that it was rivals to lovers I knew I had to read it, and I'm so glad I had the chance to get an e-arc from NetGalley.

Make Up, Break Up follows Annika, the CEO of an up and coming app called Make Up, that she's designing to help couples reconnect and communicate better. She and her best friend, June, have been working on it for months, when Annika's arch enemy, Hudson moves into the office next door. After a week-long fling between the two of them, he stole her app idea and made it into something terrible: a way to dump people completely impersonally by having someone else do it for them. With her business on the line, Annika has to go head to head with Hudson repeatedly as they work towards the same grant, words and sparks flying between them.

I'm going to be honest, it took awhile for me to like both Annika and Hudson to really root for them, but in a way, I feel like that was the point of the story. Annika is quick to judge and self righteous, and Hudson is cocky and uncaring, but their journey together slowly makes each of them a better person. The other relationships in the books were well done though, I loved June and Ziggy, as well as Annika's tumultuous relationship with her dad.

I think my main issue with not clicking with Annika and Hudson was that I had been expecting more of a direct reason for the characters to hate one another, instead of Annika's half hearted claim that he had stolen her idea, and Hudson just not really having one other than retaliation for what she started turning into workplace sabotage. All of my favorite hate to love/rivals to lovers at least usually have an idea of why they're doing things whether it's because of a (reasonable) misunderstanding, past actions or just denial. It wasn't awful or anything, it just wasn't believable enough for me and made the first half a bit rockier than I'd have preferred since there was a decent amount of hate thirsting and I couldn't see an appeal in either character.

While I wasn't quite as charmed by Lily Menon's adult debut as I was with her YA novels, Make Up, Break up was a fun way to kill my time, and felt like a pretty fast read (which is always a good thing in my mind). If you're a fan of rivals to lovers, ladies in STEM or love a romance with a side of family, definitely give this a try!

I enjoyed this author's YA books so I have been looking forward to reading something more adult from her. Unfortunately I wasn't crazy about this book. It took a long time for me to get into the story or connect with the characters and by the time I did, I just didn't really care anymore.

The ultimate frenemy take in a tech-sphere world.... that's what author Lily Menon accomplishes. Picture this: you meet someone at a convention who has the same interests as you. Great, right? But then, flash forward sixish months and this "someone" has the same but OPPOSITE tech idea as you. Annika and Hunter are at odds with one another. They are both fighting for a pitch at the EPIC contest coming up, both needing the money for their companies. Will their connection with one another step in? Who will win the pitch? Did Hunter take Annika's idea? These questions and more are answered with reading, which I highly suggest you do.

Lily Menon writes all characters realistically and I was able to picture myself living in the tech world of Los Angeles, driving along with Annika. This Indian author tackled father daughter relationships, worry in the workplace and angst to a fine degree. Readers, I am hoping for a sequel. I'd LOVE to know what those main characters are up to now!

I recommend this novel to anyone wanting to read a romantic comedy by a diverse author; This book hit all my checkmarks and more. I look forward to reading more of Lily Menon's adult fiction books!

I really wanted to love this book as enemies to lovers is one of my favorite tropes. I also was excited to see a female entrepreneur in the tech space. However, I struggled to get sucked into this story and rarely found myself wanting to go back to reading, which is unusual for me. There are some highlights in the book, for sure, but I think the pacing was off for me and there was something missing in the voice maybe.

The ARC of this novel was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

MAKE UP BREAK UP is Lily Menon’s adult romance debut, set for publication on February 2 by St. Martin’s Griffin. For fans of Menon’s Young Adult novels, this book will be a somewhat predictable but certainly pleasurable--and much steamier--enemies-to-lovers romance.

The book centers around Annika Dev, founder and CEO of an app called Make Up, and her once lover-turned-enemy Hudson Craft, CEO of Break Up. Annika has big dreams of helping couples get a second chance at love, but with her company in dire financial straits, she must win a startup funding contest called EPIC. Hudson’s app, on the other hand, has been downloaded over a million times and is turning into a rapid success, but to continue that success he must also win the EPIC funding. What follows is a steamy romance that develops between two intelligent, driven, and passionate people.

Let me start by saying that I have read and loved many of Menon’s YA books, and so I came in expecting much of what I got: a fluffy romance with an HEA guaranteed. In many ways, you really can’t go wrong with this kind of book.

I really enjoyed the banter between Annika and Hudson. Menon did a great job writing their chemistry and making it palpable from the page. The dialogue was smart and pithy, and I laughed out loud plenty of times! I also genuinely enjoyed the secondary characters. I appreciated the strong friendship between Annika and June, and I found Annika’s relationship with her dad quite touching.

There were a few minor things that I wish had gone differently in the book. The narration was entirely from Annika’s perspective, and I would have liked to hear from Hudson! It was hard to tell what he was thinking, and that did make it hard to connect with him to an extent. I also wish that the novel hadn’t taken on the moral premise that its always a bad thing for couples to break up, because I just don’t think that’s the case. It would have made the conflict between Hudson and Annika more interesting if both opinions—breaking up is bad, sometimes breaking up is good—had been considered equally valid.

One last thing is that I wish there had been more of a resolution, which was really only the last chapter. This is a common problem that I have with romance and contemporary novels, which is that the denouement typically feels too abrupt. I would have liked an epilogue to see how Annika and Hudson are doing in the future (in my head, they’re living in a certain house and are founders of two ridiculously successful apps)!

Overall, if you’re like me and have been using fluffy romance novels to escape the harsh realities of our pandemic ridden world, and you just want reliable enemies-to-lovers with a guaranteed HEA, then go ahead and pick up Menon’s steamy, debut adult romance!

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for the opportunity to review this ARC!

Such a fun book with a strong kick ass female lead. It was cute and funny and I loved every minute. Annika really inspired me as a woman leading her own business and standing up for what she believes in.

As a member of the Swoon Squad on Lily's Facebook, the anticipation for this debut romance novel has been crackling. I was initially declined an ARC--which naturally only made me want it more--but I'm thrilled to announce that I did obtain an early copy and that I enjoyed much more than any of Sandhya (Lily is a pen name) Menon's YA novels!

My biggest critiques with her YA titles were that they read too young, had lackluster chemistry with the love interests, weren't impressive on the prose front, and usually didn't include enough about the main hobby (tech and film being two examples). MAKE UP BREAK UP pretty much smashed all those critiques and delivered something satisfying on all fronts.

The romance was incredibly written. Sexual tension off the charts, rivals-to-lovers (with all the sabotages one could ask for) deeply rooted in personal history, slinky writing, and a heavy emphasis on the tech-y side of the apps for which the rivalship is formed. It wasn't overbearing and felt well-researched. The stakes were aptly raised, and I'm relieved the conflict in the story wasn't between June and Annika's business partnership; we get enough of that in media already.

I can't list this as a new favorite due to the weird bathtub erotic scene (?) that felt very different tonally and the pacing never seemed to agree. Pacing is really hard to master, but is also vital for a romance novel. The slow-burn of the romance was excellent, but the pacing of the tech start-up and the lead-up to EPIC was choppy and, at times, a tad boring. Despite a few flaws, this is a well-written debut novel, and I can't wait to read more of Lily Menon's works in the future.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley and the publisher for the early copy. All opinions are my own.

Make Up Break Up by Lily Menon functions like an enemies to lovers romance, but because Annika and Hudson met and hooked up a year before the story begins, it also functions as a second chance romance.

I enjoyed the sass, friendships, banter, and shenanigans. Showcasing a women-owned and successful business is really empowering, as is having diverse characters.

I think miscommunication as a sub-trope really bothers me, when there are SO many opportunities to clarify hurts and confusion. Based on those instances of miscommunication, Annika's perception is so fatalistic about how dire her future relationship is. It was just a little cringy in that respect. I also wish there had been another chapter at the end to sink into the good things that were on the horizon. It felt like it ended too abrubtly. Especially after being so morose for so long, it would have been nice to get a chapter of happily ever after.

There were many things that I really enjoyed about this book, but overall it didn't wow me. I'd give it almost a 3.5.

Thank you to St. Martin's Griffin for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was a second chance love story. Annika and Hudson are both app developers trying to launch their companies. They met in Vegas last summer and after a steamy week together separated. Hudson's company went on to become successful, while Annika is struggling to stay afloat.
I honestly didn't love or hate this book, it just was ok. While the characters banter had humor, it also seemed so forced and disjointed at times. The beginning of the story was a bit choppy and didn't really flow well. I wish Annika and Hudson would have come together sooner.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The first time I started this book, I sat it down and didn't pick it back up for over a week. That didn't speak well for it. Then when I picked it up again, I read it all in one day. So maybe it just took me a while to get in to the story. I loved the characters even though they frustrated me by not just talking to each other. But then they did and everything was good. I'm excited to see where Lily Menon goes with her next story - maybe June and Ziggy (cause June definitely feels like a kindred spirit).

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own!

Rating - 3.25-3.5/5

Make Up, Break Up is Sandhya Menon’s first venture into adult romance, and she’s publishing under the moniker Lily Menon in this genre! I’m not familiar with Menon’s work in Young Adult contemporary fiction, personally, but I have heard a lot of praise for all that she’s done, so I was really excited when this title was announced! Lately, I’ve been feeling like I’m growing more comfortable with reading adult romance than YA romance, and so this felt like the perfect place for me to start exploring Menon’s work! However, I was slightly...well, I don’t want to say disappointed, but underwhelmed with what I found here.

This novel follows our main character Annika Dev who is this really ambitious, independent Indian woman who wants to make a name for herself in the tech world with this groundbreaking app which basically helps people overcome the miscommunications that might occur in relationships. She calls this app Make Up, and she’s super passionate about it, and she’s got this whole AI that her friend June codes for her and all that! But the main problem is that it’s taking too long for them to finish the prototype and launch the app, and oop, here is financial trouble that’s putting her business at an immediate risk!

On the other side of this story we have Hudson Craft, a super successful millionaire, who got into the tech world out of nowhere and took it by storm! How, you ask? Well, he’s got an app himself which he calls “Break Up”, and it employs a philosophy that’s diametrically opposite to Annika’s. It’s an app that can be used to break your relationship off with people without the hassle of having to actually communicate with them (this is so fucked up btw lmao), and naturally, all the douche-nuggets in the world download this app and boom! Hudson is rich!

Understandably, Annika hates his guts. And not just because his app is evil, but also because she truly believes he just stole her idea and flipped it! An idea she confided in him when they...well, you know, *met* (wink wink) at some tech conference like a year prior. Anyway, things start taking off when Break Up ends up moving into the same building as Make Up, and Annika is forced to confront all her feelings towards Hudson - the sexy ones and the demonic ones! - and VIOLA! Here we have it! The perfect set-up for an enemies-to-lovers romance! Oh, btw, there’s also a competition, and they’re both competing for that sweet investment cash, and Make Up needs it to stay afloat so MORE STAKES!!

Now, okay. This is definitely not a bad premise at all, but there were a lot of holes in the plot. And typically, I’m not someone who is bothered by something like that in a rom-com, but this rom-com had more focus on the plot than on the rom or the com, so it bothered me. Only a little bit, but it totally bothered me. But before I get a little rant-y, let’s talk good things!

I loved the relationship Annika had with her dad and with her friend June! It was just so wholesome and made my heart all mushy and happy! Her dad, especially!!! OHMYGOD, he was such a cute desi uncle, I wanted to meet him so I could give him a big hug and then tell him not to eat that samosa because “CHOLESTEROL, UNCLE!” And I also loved how healthy and lovely June’s relationship with Annika was!! Especially when June starts dating one of Hudson’s employees, I loved how Annika is just supportive and happy!! Like, in a lot of rom-coms a situation like this is used to cause tension between women but that didn’t happen here and it made me so damn happy!!!!

I also liked Annika and Hudson as a couple. I didn’t overly love them or anything, but they were good together. He said all the cute, sappy shit and she reacted to him really well, and their regular, non-fighty dynamic just worked! So that was nice! And..oh, the silly rivalry they had was kinda fun, too! It did feel tonally weird because the stakes are so uneven for the two of them and it’s kind of hard to see how *both* of them were able to take some of the bigger sabotages light-heartedly, but if you kinda forgot about that, it was kinda fun!

And this brings me to the parts I didn’t like as much! Like I said, there are a lot of plot holes in this novel, if you start thinking about it a little. The motivations behind Hudson doing whatever he does are all messy. Like, super messy!! He doesn’t need to do a lot of the stupid shit he does that drives conflict in the story, but he does it anyway, and that kind of felt like his actions were just a means to force conflict instead of natural conflict arising between the two characters.

And the resolution to this conflict also came really, really quickly. There just wasn’t enough time to stew in the emotions a bit and get a little worked up over things. It was just “oh they fought and oh they’re fine now” and that just didn’t give me as much enjoyment!

And, okay, I am NOT one to usually be bothered about this kind of thing, but by the time Annika and Hudson got together and had sex on paper, the story was already at the 80% mark. This book is not so long, it was like the third chapter before the end! There literally was no time for the third act conflict. It all got shoved into one chapter in the end and that’s just so boring, imo. I think I’d have liked it if they’d gotten sloppy earlier, and then they could fight over something around the 70-75% mark, and then the resolution would be satisfying! Instead it just felt so rushed and I really didn’t enjoy it as much as I would have liked to. Make me suffer, Ms. Menon!! All this easy conflict ain’t doing it for me!!

Tying into this whole thing, Annika and Hudson also had very...young voices, in my opinion. They were full adults, but they acted very immature and they did read like they could be 18-21 instead of the 24/25 that they actually were. I mean, it sorta worked in this specific book, but I definitely think this is an aspect of Menon’s writing that needs to get better if she plans on publishing more in the genre!

Also the sex scene(yes, only one(1)) (;-;)(what have I become, honestly, wanting more than one sex scene in a book lmao) was, like, pretty okay. Like it wasn’t mind-blowing or anything. Also, there was this weird focus on Hudson shampooing Annika’s hair and I do not mean to kinkshame here but I do have two thoughts - 1)Annika’s literal immediate reaction to his shampooing skills was “My hairdresser could never”, and I swear to GOD, I have never laughed so hard over something so stupid lmoaooo and 2) As an Indian woman with thick hair, I need you to understand that washing it is traumatic experience, because the hairfall is real and it is scary. So that’s another thing that made me laugh, like, I cannot imagine it’s fun when y’all trying to get sexy and he starts shampooing your hair and just, like, a whole snake length of it comes away in his hands LOL! Jokes aside, it wasn’t all bad, and Charles Boyle apparently had a point because it seemed to be working for Annika there xD.

Shampooing aside, the other stuff was kinda generic. It was fun trying to figure out the mechanics of motion - it always is, trust me. Makes reading sex scenes so funny and also so much more fun! - and all that, but it wasn’t too captivating is what I’m trying to say.

All in all, this was definitely a solid debut, but there’s a lot of room improvement! I enjoyed it for what it was, but I also thought it could be better! If you already love Menon’s books, and don’t have vastly different expectations for an adult romance from her, I’m sure you’ll like this more! But for me, it was just a very average read! It was fun, and it was a really quick read, but it just didn’t move me too much or do a lot for me in terms of emotional angst/yearning/heart palpitating moments etc! But, yes, do definitely check it out if you want to!

I was really excited about this book because I’ve loved Menon’s YA novels and I love adult romance and rivals to lovers!

Usually when I read adult romance, I don’t really mind if it’s solely focused on romance without plot. This book definitely juggled both a plot and romance, but the plot just felt a little forced to me. Everything happened specifically for the end game, but it was blatantly obvious and didn’t feel as natural as I wanted it to be. Things that could have been solved easily in a realistic setting felt drawn out and kind of just forced into the story to make t

I had a few problems with the way to plot progressed, but what I enjoyed about the book was the banter and the scenes where the “hate” and tension between the characters was palpable. I can pinpoint the two best chapters (10 and 11) that really made the book enjoyable to me because of the way the two leads interacted.

I think Annika was a very flawed, stubborn sort of character and she really had to go and call me out like that by acting so rashly, huh? I wanted to dislike her but at the same time I knew exactly why she was acting the way she did because honestly, I’d probably act that way too.

Hudson, however, lacked the development I wanted to see. He didn’t get as much “screen” time and I really wanted to see his character get more fleshed out.

It was definitely fun to see Annika and Hudson in the forced proximity scenarios. Those were what made the book really enjoyable and made me rate the book higher than a 3! I was here for that tension and THAT was definitely delivered in fun ways!

Maybe it’s just the way the miscommunication trope happened? I guess I just wasn’t a fan of that? While I think the characters had chemistry and worked well together, there was just something missing that I usually see in romances that I enjoy.

For a debut adult romance, this was fun. It leaned more towards “new” adult so the characters did feel a little more relatable in that sense. There were just certain plot holes and things that made the book more of an average read for me. what made up for the things I didn’t like about the plot were the fun character interactions and embarrassment and rivalry. I had a lot of fun reading those scenes for sure.

Overall, I would recommend it if you’re looking for just a light read with less steamy scenes and more banter and fun. If you enjoy lovers to rivals to lovers trope, forced proximity, pranks turned to sabotage, mild second hand embarrassment, and hot yoga this is for you! If you want to feel personally attacked by desi parent’s expectations, hate to relate to stubborn sort of infuriating female leads, can’t help but fall in love with the guy you really don’t want to like and overall, just love some good tension, this would definitely be up your alley!

Quick read that was a fun and enjoyable romance. Highly entertaining with great characters and writing.

There are two app developers, one who created Make Up and one on the opposite spectrum who developed Break Up. Annika created to bring to bring people together, Hudson created his app to give couples a clean break from each other. Two different visions, two different ways of helping people in their relationship. Both are competing for business investing into their companies. How in the world can they end up together?

If you like that sappy romance, this is it. Even though it some ways with them sabotaging each other but at the same time have the hots for each other doesn't make sense. Also the ending, well, it was okay. Kinda have a Hallmark feel to it that you want to binge on in secret.

Overall, it is cute, heart touching and a quick and easy read.

I wasn't sure what to think of this book or author going in. About 10% of the way through, I had 3 predictions. Two of them turned out to be correct, so my first thought was that this story was very predictable. The third prediction was off the mark, but when I came to the ending of the book and saw the route the author took, I wished my prediction had been correct. I feel the way the author ended this story was unbelievable and done that way just to have a happily ever after. 3 stars.

Annika and Hudson are rival app developers with some messy past and opposite ideologies for their apps. After a gap, they come face to face with each other with their offices ending up in the same building. Then it turns to enemies-to-lovers trope with this strong and independent heroine. Annika believes in helping people with their relationships and Hudson’s app is for helping people in avoiding messy breakups in a ruthless way.

I absolutely loved it and enjoyed it. It was sweet and had enough steam as well. I was happy to see IT technology aspects mentioned - “adding to repo”- kind of jargon and was so excited as it is very relatable for coders/developers. Not sure how well the apps will work though in real life, but you never know!

There is crackling chemistry between Annika and Hudson and it will keep the readers engaged all the way. My one concern is that with such a major buildup, the ending came out of nowhere and could have been even better with a more satisfying ending. I loved Annika’s sassy characterization, her interesting dynamic with her father, amazing bonding with her friend/coworker June and especially the way she deals with her professional life with her start-up. The banter between Annika and Hudson was highly entertaining.

Thank you St Martins Romance and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I still can't believe it is authors’ debut adult romance novel! It was such a delight to read it!

This was an amazingly steamy and sweet story. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is because the whole idea of the apps felt a little bit unbelievable and took me out of the story, making me wonder if that would be even possible or make sense in real world. Also Annika spend waaay to much time complaining about Huston in the first half of the book, like ok I get it his and a*hole and you hate him but still kinda have to hots for him. I highly recommend this one for any romance enthusiasts

Anything Sandhya Menon (Lily) does is amazing. I love the hate to love troupe and this pulls it off perfectly. I highly recommend this adult romance!