TESSA TALKS BOOKS

Make Up Break Up, the sparkling and heartfelt romantic comedy debut from Lily Menon

Love, romance, second chances, fairy-tale endings…these are the things Annika Dev believes in. Her app, Make Up, has been called the “Google Translate for failing relationships.” 

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.” It’s wildly successful—and anathema to Annika’s life philosophy.

Which wouldn’t be a problem if they’d gone their separate ways after that summer fling in Las Vegas, never to see each other again. Unfortunately for Annika, Hudson’s moving not just into her office building, but into the office right next to hers. And he’ll be competing at the prestigious EPIC investment pitch contest: A contest Annika needs to win if she wants to keep Make Up afloat. As if it’s not bad enough seeing his irritatingly perfect face on magazine covers when her own business is failing. As if knowing he stole her idea and twisted it into something vile—and monumentally more successful—didn’t already make her stomach churn.

As the two rival app developers clash again and again—and again—Annika finds herself drawn into Hudson Craft’s fast-paced, high velocity, utterly shallow world. Only, from up close, he doesn’t seem all that shallow. Could it be that everything she thought about Hudson is completely wrong? Could the creator of Break Up teach her what true love’s really about?

Publication Day is February 2, 2021

Goodreads’ Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Make Up Break Up is a different kind of look at the tech industry and love in a tech-driven world today.

At first, Annika’s reactions to Hudson (the two main characters) and his business grew quickly annoying. I know you’re thinking Enemies to Lover trope, but it looked more like it would be Lovers to Enemies to Lovers, which I found curious. There didn’t seem to be any reason, other than a weak belief that one stole the other’s idea, for having gone from lovers to enemies. They both thought of the time they spent together in Vegas as idyllic, which I found even more perplexing. But, the picture is made much clearer by the end, and I could have smacked myself in the head for not seeing it. I was so busy expecting the story to follow a genre formula that I missed out on many clues and a-ha moments explaining how things got to where they are once the novel begins. Then, it all made sense. I still felt like Annika’s reactions were over the top and increasingly annoying, but there is a reason for it – no matter how misguided and ironic.

The story carries in it profound messages about relationships and what makes them last. Communication and commitment to a relationship’s potential are two of the most referred to, as well as the importance of break-ups needing to be difficult and handled face-to-face. If it’s too easy to leave a relationship without talking things out, you might miss out on something that would have changed your life forever. Never lose sight of the fairy tale because, in this crazy world where so much goes wrong, you need the fairy tale to make it all worth it.

My favorite character is June. She is Annika’s best friend, supportive to a fault, and the most intriguing computer geek you will ever meet. She is a beautiful fashionista and Hollywood socialite at home at a social event as she is at a comic-con-like event dressed as Princess Leia. She debunks the stereotype of the quintessential basement dweller. I loved that about her!

If you are a romantic soul who believes in fairy tale endings, you are going to love this tech-inspired version for the 21st century.