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The Denton Sisters #1
The Love Startup
Love is a bug in the system.
I'm Maddie Denton—girl boss coder, full-time trash-talker, and proud member of the "No Thanks, I'II Die Alone" club. Society says because I have a hoo-ha, I should want a man more than building my dream company. I say: eat my Wi-Fi.
My sisters think I'm stuck in arrested development, but my best friend and co-founder Zack likes me as the foul-mouthed, hoodie-wearing chaos goblin that I am. We're this close to securing that sweet investor cash for LoveScore: our startup, our baby, our shot at hitting the big time. All we have to do is add "intimate physical data" to the app... in six weeks.
Our solution? Gather that spicy data ourselves by fake-dating, proving that geeks never grow up, we just fake it better than everyone else.
I'm Zack, and today I learned I'm both desperate and stupid. I've agreed to fake-date Maddie—my business partner and the girl I've never stopped wanting. Which means… Role-playing. Fake kissing. Cosplaying with her as my fantasy girlfriend. Pretending my longtime secret crush is finally mine? Easiest acting job of my life. But every fake touch, every "just for research” act of desire, short-circuits my common sense and fries whatever's left of my self-control.
If I slip up, I don't just lose the company. I lose her.
The Love Startup is a filthy, dirty-minded, laugh-out-loud friends-to-lovers workplace romcom about two geeks fake-dating their way into real love—and real trouble. Perfect for fans of high-spice Meghan Quinn mayhem, steamy role-play, he-falls-first pining, and ambitious heroines who have zero chill.
Standalone HEA. Open door. No grown-ups allowed.
I'm Maddie Denton—girl boss coder, full-time trash-talker, and proud member of the "No Thanks, I'II Die Alone" club. Society says because I have a hoo-ha, I should want a man more than building my dream company. I say: eat my Wi-Fi.
My sisters think I'm stuck in arrested development, but my best friend and co-founder Zack likes me as the foul-mouthed, hoodie-wearing chaos goblin that I am. We're this close to securing that sweet investor cash for LoveScore: our startup, our baby, our shot at hitting the big time. All we have to do is add "intimate physical data" to the app... in six weeks.
Our solution? Gather that spicy data ourselves by fake-dating, proving that geeks never grow up, we just fake it better than everyone else.
I'm Zack, and today I learned I'm both desperate and stupid. I've agreed to fake-date Maddie—my business partner and the girl I've never stopped wanting. Which means… Role-playing. Fake kissing. Cosplaying with her as my fantasy girlfriend. Pretending my longtime secret crush is finally mine? Easiest acting job of my life. But every fake touch, every "just for research” act of desire, short-circuits my common sense and fries whatever's left of my self-control.
If I slip up, I don't just lose the company. I lose her.
The Love Startup is a filthy, dirty-minded, laugh-out-loud friends-to-lovers workplace romcom about two geeks fake-dating their way into real love—and real trouble. Perfect for fans of high-spice Meghan Quinn mayhem, steamy role-play, he-falls-first pining, and ambitious heroines who have zero chill.
Standalone HEA. Open door. No grown-ups allowed.
Audiobook
About the author
MéLisa Ryun
8 books143 followersMéLisa Ryun is our pen name, and we're a husband-wife duo who've been finishing each other's sentences (and steamy scenes) for nearly 30 years. We left the glitz of Hollywood for the glitter of Vegas. Despite calling Sin City home, we say what happens in Vegas should definitely not stay in Vegas-not when it comes to our scorching hot romcoms.We spend our days in a death match of yoga and joke-writing. It's like we're competing in a bizarre reality show where the winner gets to avoid stepping outside into Satan's armpit. We used to write for Hollywood and YouTube. Now we write books and social media posts. It's basically the same thing, except now our audience can read ¿ Maybe we'll trauma dump about our life in LA in a book someday. Or maybe we'll just keep writing about fictional people with better lives than ours.We write steamy open-door romcoms that'll make your grandma blush and your girlfriends wink knowingly. Our characters? So real you'll swear they've been eavesdropping on your life, with banter as finely honed as a cover model's abs and sparks that'll melt your e-reader. Our mission? To write sizzling chemistry, door-kicking-open steam, and enough beloved tropes to complete a Pinterest board. And the best part? Guaranteed satisfying happily ever after, every time.. Snark. Swoon. Spice!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 99 reviews
September 30, 2024
Maddie is a singly-focused coder who's set on aspirations of being a badass CEO and entrepreneur of the coding and app world. She's crass, stubborn, and Zack's dream girl.
Together with their team of coding bros, they try to take the app world by storm, under impossible demands, and an incredibly short timeline. They end up lacking a ton of data and decide to take matters into their own hands by fake dating as different people every night. The only problem is, when intimacy strikes, will feelings get involved?
********
This was a rough read. I powered through because I was convinced the concept had great potential, but it didn't even get remotely interesting until the 60% mark. From there, it stagnated until the big conflict and resolutions scenes, then went straight into the epilogue. Those who can't make it through the book to the epilogue will just see this as another justification why feminists are unhinged, which I'm sure is the opposite of the coauthors intent. Yet I was wholly annoyed the majority of the book, thinking the authors were dense about feminism.
As someone who is a stubborn feminist, who's worked in the corporate world and dealt with a ton of sexism and misogyny, and who also has a crude sense of humour, I was really hoping to relate to this book. Instead, I was horrified by the massive pick-me energy of the FMC and her total lack of understanding of what feminism means. Sure, they wrap it up in a neat little bow in the epilogue, but suffering through a whole entire book of a woman actively disparaging women for choosing what they want in life was painful.
Firstly, the dialogue right out of the gates was awful, and this carried on throughout the novel. It's surreal to the point of being eye rolling and comes off as pointlessly misogynistic for the sake of entertainment. Then we carry into learning more about Maddie herself, and she's a wreck.
Her inner dialogue is narcissistic and selfish. The way she talks is unendingly cringy and to desperate levels to try to be a "bro." It's like the authors decided that a hot feminist coder with big tits meant they had to be revolting and crass for balance. She's around 30? And randomly saying "cum nuggets" to herself when she drops a razor. She openly refers to her own breasts as "cannonballs", and uses "vajayjay" in conversation commonly throughout the book. The amount of talk about her boner/dick, her massive breasts, anuses/farts/anal glands, dildos and penises, etc. Was just over the top. In the first 20% all we hear, aside from childish dialogue, is about how she's slovenly, undisciplined, has disgusting eating habits (but don't worry, the MMC loves her talking with food falling out of her mouth, and slurping her drinks loudly), and lives in filth. But guys it's okay, because she's hot, and really smart, oh and she cleans up great for dates so it's all good.
We get that behaviour, juxtaposed with her very staunch thoughts on staying single forever, because obviously you can't have a career and a relationship. Followed by her obnoxious critiques of her sisters for not being "feminist enough" in her eyes. She also ridicules her mom, even though she's a well respected Feminist Studies Professor with a loving husband and 4 daughters she adores.
The entirety of the book until the conclusion scene and epilogue, the FMC has no idea that feminism is about the ability to make choices, and instead sees any woman not grinding herself to the stone to best men, as a waste. Again she should be around 30. Yet she has a warped idea that relationships are the enemy, marriage and babies is a failure, and she has to mask her femininity to be an equal. Except for of course when she's dressing up or going on fake dates.
Then we have Zack. The dude who thinks he's in love with her after one date/not date, then harbours that for a decade. If anything, his dialogue is equally as childish and cringe, but his internal monologue is just trash, and piggish. He talks about her breasts so much it's eye rolling. Every one of his thoughts is about her, and how perfect she (and her tits) are. He praises how she has "no filter" yet it constantly screws their business over. He highlights her as the best of the best "pick me" girls" and how quirky and "not like the other girls" she is and it'll be in reference to like, her wearing Llama pyjama bottoms. He also touts the "I love strong and intelligent women" line throughout the book, yet he's always focused on her body, with her brains thrown in as an afterthought. He tries to say he's against sexist treatment as well, yet refers to her sisters as a "hurricane of hormones and hair products", and talks about giving "the most alpha handshake" to men on the golf course. Then there's a random scene where in detail he tells her sisters how much he loves her "badonkadonk". He literally uses that word, and I cringed into eternity.
I kept picturing both Maddie and Zack and teenagers or college students due to how they spoke and their actions. The dialogue and flirting on their fake dates was awful. The authors idea of flirting in general is weird and aggressive. Men being openly misogynistic. Women throwing themselves at them and groping their abs. It's all just massively overt and corny. No banter and wit anywhere, which means it wasnt fun or interesting. It was Maddie acting like variations of a pinup doll who's desperate to hook up every time, with overtly sexual flirting, constant lines, and rubbing all over herself and Zack. Then we get the MMC's inner monologue just being his dick twitching or having a raging erection the entire time. He even thinks the phrase "her yummy cunt" while in the midst of railing her and I swear I almost tossed my phone at the wall in horror. If he'd have said them out loud I'd have DNF'd the book on pure cringe. Due to them being so childish and unlike actual human beings, I had zero emotional investment with the characters the entire way through.
Also the weird sex doll? That Wes openly uses, leaves in common areas, and talks to and cuddles like she's real. The fact that that carries through the whole book was just gross. I know it was meant to be a point of humour, but him enabling others to be exposed to his kinks without their consent was revolting.
In general, the entire book being Maddie emotionally constipated and a constant victim was exhausting and a setback to feminism. It made me hope Zack got over her and found someone else, to the point the repair scene was a disappointment, which clearly isn't what you want from a romcom. I didn't enjoy seeing her use him as an emotional punching bag over and over again, nor did I like seeing him set himself on fire to keep her happy. It just made for selfish and self-centered characters, who I wasn't interested in seeing win.
All in all, I wouldn't recommend the book. It was unrealistic and frustrating, and I fought to finish it.
********
Thank you NetGalley, and Create Mode Media - for the digital ARC copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Together with their team of coding bros, they try to take the app world by storm, under impossible demands, and an incredibly short timeline. They end up lacking a ton of data and decide to take matters into their own hands by fake dating as different people every night. The only problem is, when intimacy strikes, will feelings get involved?
********
This was a rough read. I powered through because I was convinced the concept had great potential, but it didn't even get remotely interesting until the 60% mark. From there, it stagnated until the big conflict and resolutions scenes, then went straight into the epilogue. Those who can't make it through the book to the epilogue will just see this as another justification why feminists are unhinged, which I'm sure is the opposite of the coauthors intent. Yet I was wholly annoyed the majority of the book, thinking the authors were dense about feminism.
As someone who is a stubborn feminist, who's worked in the corporate world and dealt with a ton of sexism and misogyny, and who also has a crude sense of humour, I was really hoping to relate to this book. Instead, I was horrified by the massive pick-me energy of the FMC and her total lack of understanding of what feminism means. Sure, they wrap it up in a neat little bow in the epilogue, but suffering through a whole entire book of a woman actively disparaging women for choosing what they want in life was painful.
Firstly, the dialogue right out of the gates was awful, and this carried on throughout the novel. It's surreal to the point of being eye rolling and comes off as pointlessly misogynistic for the sake of entertainment. Then we carry into learning more about Maddie herself, and she's a wreck.
Her inner dialogue is narcissistic and selfish. The way she talks is unendingly cringy and to desperate levels to try to be a "bro." It's like the authors decided that a hot feminist coder with big tits meant they had to be revolting and crass for balance. She's around 30? And randomly saying "cum nuggets" to herself when she drops a razor. She openly refers to her own breasts as "cannonballs", and uses "vajayjay" in conversation commonly throughout the book. The amount of talk about her boner/dick, her massive breasts, anuses/farts/anal glands, dildos and penises, etc. Was just over the top. In the first 20% all we hear, aside from childish dialogue, is about how she's slovenly, undisciplined, has disgusting eating habits (but don't worry, the MMC loves her talking with food falling out of her mouth, and slurping her drinks loudly), and lives in filth. But guys it's okay, because she's hot, and really smart, oh and she cleans up great for dates so it's all good.
We get that behaviour, juxtaposed with her very staunch thoughts on staying single forever, because obviously you can't have a career and a relationship. Followed by her obnoxious critiques of her sisters for not being "feminist enough" in her eyes. She also ridicules her mom, even though she's a well respected Feminist Studies Professor with a loving husband and 4 daughters she adores.
The entirety of the book until the conclusion scene and epilogue, the FMC has no idea that feminism is about the ability to make choices, and instead sees any woman not grinding herself to the stone to best men, as a waste. Again she should be around 30. Yet she has a warped idea that relationships are the enemy, marriage and babies is a failure, and she has to mask her femininity to be an equal. Except for of course when she's dressing up or going on fake dates.
Then we have Zack. The dude who thinks he's in love with her after one date/not date, then harbours that for a decade. If anything, his dialogue is equally as childish and cringe, but his internal monologue is just trash, and piggish. He talks about her breasts so much it's eye rolling. Every one of his thoughts is about her, and how perfect she (and her tits) are. He praises how she has "no filter" yet it constantly screws their business over. He highlights her as the best of the best "pick me" girls" and how quirky and "not like the other girls" she is and it'll be in reference to like, her wearing Llama pyjama bottoms. He also touts the "I love strong and intelligent women" line throughout the book, yet he's always focused on her body, with her brains thrown in as an afterthought. He tries to say he's against sexist treatment as well, yet refers to her sisters as a "hurricane of hormones and hair products", and talks about giving "the most alpha handshake" to men on the golf course. Then there's a random scene where in detail he tells her sisters how much he loves her "badonkadonk". He literally uses that word, and I cringed into eternity.
I kept picturing both Maddie and Zack and teenagers or college students due to how they spoke and their actions. The dialogue and flirting on their fake dates was awful. The authors idea of flirting in general is weird and aggressive. Men being openly misogynistic. Women throwing themselves at them and groping their abs. It's all just massively overt and corny. No banter and wit anywhere, which means it wasnt fun or interesting. It was Maddie acting like variations of a pinup doll who's desperate to hook up every time, with overtly sexual flirting, constant lines, and rubbing all over herself and Zack. Then we get the MMC's inner monologue just being his dick twitching or having a raging erection the entire time. He even thinks the phrase "her yummy cunt" while in the midst of railing her and I swear I almost tossed my phone at the wall in horror. If he'd have said them out loud I'd have DNF'd the book on pure cringe. Due to them being so childish and unlike actual human beings, I had zero emotional investment with the characters the entire way through.
Also the weird sex doll? That Wes openly uses, leaves in common areas, and talks to and cuddles like she's real. The fact that that carries through the whole book was just gross. I know it was meant to be a point of humour, but him enabling others to be exposed to his kinks without their consent was revolting.
In general, the entire book being Maddie emotionally constipated and a constant victim was exhausting and a setback to feminism. It made me hope Zack got over her and found someone else, to the point the repair scene was a disappointment, which clearly isn't what you want from a romcom. I didn't enjoy seeing her use him as an emotional punching bag over and over again, nor did I like seeing him set himself on fire to keep her happy. It just made for selfish and self-centered characters, who I wasn't interested in seeing win.
All in all, I wouldn't recommend the book. It was unrealistic and frustrating, and I fought to finish it.
********
Thank you NetGalley, and Create Mode Media - for the digital ARC copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 5, 2026
As always, we get a spicy comedy from this amazing "couple" of writers. They really know how to get us spiced up while laughing at the one lines and hilarious banter. Best friends to lovers is always a great trope! I enjoyed listening to this.
March 17, 2026
Thank you for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook ARC
Wow. I love an audiobook and this really makes the book come alive. Loved the narrators with how they was with their characters.
Not my typical read in regards to romance but was a lovely change and loved the banter that the book gave
3.75 *
Wow. I love an audiobook and this really makes the book come alive. Loved the narrators with how they was with their characters.
Not my typical read in regards to romance but was a lovely change and loved the banter that the book gave
3.75 *
October 7, 2024
The concept is wonderful, the outcome was terrible.
The writing style is choppy, full of dialogue and honesty juvenile. The pacing was fast paced but the story only got good by 80%.
The characters are unlovable and not believable. The trying to be feminist was a fail and very pick me. I don't think the FMC understood feminism it's not about not shaving it's about CHOICE. Being a feminist you'd think she would have female friends and want to uplift other women but it was not the case. Living with men who have a sex doll and constantly being quite macho male is not great. I didn't feel like I could believe the MMC loved the FMC because I couldn't even feel compassion towards her.
The last chapters were okay. She become bearable but again you can't just turn your emotions on just like that. I honestly was not routing for these two.
I don't recommend.
[ARC Netgally - 10 Oct 2024 - Create Mode Media]
The writing style is choppy, full of dialogue and honesty juvenile. The pacing was fast paced but the story only got good by 80%.
The characters are unlovable and not believable. The trying to be feminist was a fail and very pick me. I don't think the FMC understood feminism it's not about not shaving it's about CHOICE. Being a feminist you'd think she would have female friends and want to uplift other women but it was not the case. Living with men who have a sex doll and constantly being quite macho male is not great. I didn't feel like I could believe the MMC loved the FMC because I couldn't even feel compassion towards her.
The last chapters were okay. She become bearable but again you can't just turn your emotions on just like that. I honestly was not routing for these two.
I don't recommend.
[ARC Netgally - 10 Oct 2024 - Create Mode Media]
December 27, 2024
4.5⭐|3🌶|11%🌶 frequency
This book is hilarious 🤣
If you know nerds, you know they never grew up. They stay mentally in their teen years 🤣 and yes, that's what we get here 😎 Maddie is the coder in this book, and that's really rare. REALLY RARE! I love that. And yes, she gets the full package of "women aren't able to know tech" from her boss and customers.
Maddie is a strong and independent woman. She is a real feminist. Sometimes maybe a bit too much 🙈 She doesn't believe in love. I don't get why. She has her parents who are so extremely in love with each other. One of her three sisters is also happily married. But still, she thinks she would have to decide between love and her job and that's a no-go for her.
And Zack? Oh, poor Zack 😞 I can't say how sorry I felt for him during the whole book. Being in love with someone for 10 years, but being friend-zoned. That's really hard. Especially if you work and LIVE with this person. He sees Maddie 24/7.
The idea to start fake dating. OMG. I don't know if I wanted to laugh (again because if I didn't feel sorry for Zack, I was laughing 🤣), or if I wanted to scream "How fûck!ng crazy are you??? Do you really want to ☠️ yourself?". And don't let me start with the next step. No no no no 🙈🤣
I'm not sure what side character I loved the most. There are the three co-workers Cosmo, Reid, and Wes with his "girlfriend" Linda 🤣
And there are Maddie's three sisters, Sissy, Nora, and Abby. All three are so completely different from Maddie.
I'm definitely looking forward to reading more about the sisters 🤩
Follow me on IG for more
https://www.instagram.com/minnie.love...
This book is hilarious 🤣
If you know nerds, you know they never grew up. They stay mentally in their teen years 🤣 and yes, that's what we get here 😎 Maddie is the coder in this book, and that's really rare. REALLY RARE! I love that. And yes, she gets the full package of "women aren't able to know tech" from her boss and customers.
Maddie is a strong and independent woman. She is a real feminist. Sometimes maybe a bit too much 🙈 She doesn't believe in love. I don't get why. She has her parents who are so extremely in love with each other. One of her three sisters is also happily married. But still, she thinks she would have to decide between love and her job and that's a no-go for her.
And Zack? Oh, poor Zack 😞 I can't say how sorry I felt for him during the whole book. Being in love with someone for 10 years, but being friend-zoned. That's really hard. Especially if you work and LIVE with this person. He sees Maddie 24/7.
The idea to start fake dating. OMG. I don't know if I wanted to laugh (again because if I didn't feel sorry for Zack, I was laughing 🤣), or if I wanted to scream "How fûck!ng crazy are you??? Do you really want to ☠️ yourself?". And don't let me start with the next step. No no no no 🙈🤣
I'm not sure what side character I loved the most. There are the three co-workers Cosmo, Reid, and Wes with his "girlfriend" Linda 🤣
And there are Maddie's three sisters, Sissy, Nora, and Abby. All three are so completely different from Maddie.
I'm definitely looking forward to reading more about the sisters 🤩
Follow me on IG for more
https://www.instagram.com/minnie.love...
April 4, 2026
It started rough, then had me for a minute and I was sure I would rate it up to 4 stars, but the third act totally lost me again 😔
Let me start with how OBSESSED I am with the hotmess summer series, and I liked the Christmas one a lot too!
This debut though… it was difficult to power through. There are some good parts but the whole startup thing and how they proceed with it was rather unrealistic. The hacking thing was what tipped my rating back to 3.
There were some really good bits but the cringe of the other parts and couple things that bugged me in the plot made me go with lower rating.
Maddie being so opposed to relationships in general was not really well justified. I keep asking myself what their “breakup” was even about. It made zero sense on her part.
Them fake dating in order to create fake data for their algorithm was already so flimsy but the whole hacker situation, oh and the whole funding bit as well, while we’re at it, was so extremely lacking any logical sense.
I know now everything has to be realistic in romcoms but this was TOO unrealistic.
I’m glad I powered through this audiobook cause the audio performance was good and I was planning to read it someday (now I’m up to date with MeLisa Ryun books!) but their next books are def way better.
Let me start with how OBSESSED I am with the hotmess summer series, and I liked the Christmas one a lot too!
This debut though… it was difficult to power through. There are some good parts but the whole startup thing and how they proceed with it was rather unrealistic. The hacking thing was what tipped my rating back to 3.
There were some really good bits but the cringe of the other parts and couple things that bugged me in the plot made me go with lower rating.
Maddie being so opposed to relationships in general was not really well justified. I keep asking myself what their “breakup” was even about. It made zero sense on her part.
Them fake dating in order to create fake data for their algorithm was already so flimsy but the whole hacker situation, oh and the whole funding bit as well, while we’re at it, was so extremely lacking any logical sense.
I know now everything has to be realistic in romcoms but this was TOO unrealistic.
I’m glad I powered through this audiobook cause the audio performance was good and I was planning to read it someday (now I’m up to date with MeLisa Ryun books!) but their next books are def way better.
March 16, 2026
MeLisa Ryun always makes me laugh. They have the best way of comparing things, the most ridiculous comparisons that make me laugh.
Maddie is a tech genius who has great career aspirations and knows love will get in her way, and she's not willing to compromise her goals.
Zach has been in love with her from first sight. But would rather be her friend than not with her at all. So he keeps his feelings secret throughout their friendship.
But when their start up app gets the possibility of funding, with a six week turn around, they decide to fake the data by going on fake dates as fake people. And maybe Maddie starts to see there can be both work and love.
The audio of this was so good. Savannah Thomas and Luke Persiani were the perfect voices to bring these characters to life. They made me feel what the characters were feeling, and had me smiling and laughing with them too.
I definitely recommend this audio!
Maddie is a tech genius who has great career aspirations and knows love will get in her way, and she's not willing to compromise her goals.
Zach has been in love with her from first sight. But would rather be her friend than not with her at all. So he keeps his feelings secret throughout their friendship.
But when their start up app gets the possibility of funding, with a six week turn around, they decide to fake the data by going on fake dates as fake people. And maybe Maddie starts to see there can be both work and love.
The audio of this was so good. Savannah Thomas and Luke Persiani were the perfect voices to bring these characters to life. They made me feel what the characters were feeling, and had me smiling and laughing with them too.
I definitely recommend this audio!
September 28, 2024
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Yikes. Love me a STEM romance with a strong FMC but this... was not it (imo).
Positives:
- It's a published book which takes lots of guts and skills, something I could never do so that's admirable for this writing duo
- Fast paced so the story was quick; I read it all in about 3-4 hours
- I guess I had fun discovering my tolerance for unbearably cringey and one dimensional stories
Negatives:
- Writing and dialogue: there was no distinct POV since both main leads think and talk the same (as well as the side characters)
- The lingo used is so very much outdated, juvenile and cringe to read (they're supposed to be over 30???) some notable examples: "moolah" "cheese farts" "vag magnet" "duderinos" "crap sandwich" "reekalicious" (?!?!?) "caboose" "gotta get my vibe on" "hot ziggity" <--- and they weren't even using these terms in an ironic or sarcastic way <3
- The MMC literally describes the FMC's scent as lavender and cheese??????????
- The MMC apparently has a decade old crush on the FMC but openly lusts after another woman for a little while, and in front of the FMC too
- The FMC is just unlikable; claims to be a feminist but is just a pick me 'one of the boys' constantly shit talking literally every other female in the book
Would not read again.
Overall rating: 1/5
Yikes. Love me a STEM romance with a strong FMC but this... was not it (imo).
Positives:
- It's a published book which takes lots of guts and skills, something I could never do so that's admirable for this writing duo
- Fast paced so the story was quick; I read it all in about 3-4 hours
- I guess I had fun discovering my tolerance for unbearably cringey and one dimensional stories
Negatives:
- Writing and dialogue: there was no distinct POV since both main leads think and talk the same (as well as the side characters)
- The lingo used is so very much outdated, juvenile and cringe to read (they're supposed to be over 30???) some notable examples: "moolah" "cheese farts" "vag magnet" "duderinos" "crap sandwich" "reekalicious" (?!?!?) "caboose" "gotta get my vibe on" "hot ziggity" <--- and they weren't even using these terms in an ironic or sarcastic way <3
- The MMC literally describes the FMC's scent as lavender and cheese??????????
- The MMC apparently has a decade old crush on the FMC but openly lusts after another woman for a little while, and in front of the FMC too
- The FMC is just unlikable; claims to be a feminist but is just a pick me 'one of the boys' constantly shit talking literally every other female in the book
Would not read again.
Overall rating: 1/5
March 19, 2026
Thank you so much to the authors and Happily Booked PR for an advance listening copy of this book!
I absolutely adored this book so much. I am a sucker for a good friends to lovers romance and this one was *chef’s kiss*.
Maddie and Zack just had so much chemistry right off the bat when they first met that it was inevitable for them to become more. While I loved the romance part of their relationship, I loved the friendship even more. It was truly a beautiful relationship.
The narrators of this audiobook did such an amazing job! They really brought this story and the characters to life and I will be checking out more of their work.
I absolutely adored this book so much. I am a sucker for a good friends to lovers romance and this one was *chef’s kiss*.
Maddie and Zack just had so much chemistry right off the bat when they first met that it was inevitable for them to become more. While I loved the romance part of their relationship, I loved the friendship even more. It was truly a beautiful relationship.
The narrators of this audiobook did such an amazing job! They really brought this story and the characters to life and I will be checking out more of their work.
September 23, 2024
This book would appeal to girls who say things like, “Most girls want guys to get them flowers, but I’M not high maintenance like that.” If that’s you, this book is for you, and also, I think you should go to therapy.
We begin with Maddie, the most “pick me” of pick mes. Maddie has sworn off dating to focus on her career, because of course she has, and spends all of her time coding, bombing investor meetings because she’s “just quirky like that,” and being generally vulgar, constantly saying things like, “Holy shitnuggets,” and, “Oh hell no, pecker jockey! Keep your meat hooks away from my tits!”
Her business partner and best friend of ten years, Zach, is hopelessly in love with her, because of course he is, and he spends all of his time having wet dreams about her, thinking about her “cannonball tits”, and then saying, “But it’s really her brain I love! I swear!” The general plot is something-something-fake-dating for the app they’ve developed together. Because of course it is.
The girl only eats junk food, never works out, and has done nothing but sit and code for 10+ years, yet we’re supposed to believe that she has “curves that flare out perfectly” and a “slayin’ body.” The “feminism” went around so far that it was full-blown misogyny. The humor was crude, with numerous references to poop, farts, c*m, a$$, and boobs, while the dialogue reads like the “Señorita Awesome” scene from Scream Queens. She also slapped and hit and kicked the male lead in the balls for… not kissing her? When they were fake dating? Which, beyond being physically abusive, is… well, physically abusive. No beyond needed.
Overall, this book was about a woman who was obsessed with how men viewed her and a man who only viewed her as an object, all the while touting, “Feminism!!! F*** yeah!!!” This book was not for me.
We begin with Maddie, the most “pick me” of pick mes. Maddie has sworn off dating to focus on her career, because of course she has, and spends all of her time coding, bombing investor meetings because she’s “just quirky like that,” and being generally vulgar, constantly saying things like, “Holy shitnuggets,” and, “Oh hell no, pecker jockey! Keep your meat hooks away from my tits!”
Her business partner and best friend of ten years, Zach, is hopelessly in love with her, because of course he is, and he spends all of his time having wet dreams about her, thinking about her “cannonball tits”, and then saying, “But it’s really her brain I love! I swear!” The general plot is something-something-fake-dating for the app they’ve developed together. Because of course it is.
The girl only eats junk food, never works out, and has done nothing but sit and code for 10+ years, yet we’re supposed to believe that she has “curves that flare out perfectly” and a “slayin’ body.” The “feminism” went around so far that it was full-blown misogyny. The humor was crude, with numerous references to poop, farts, c*m, a$$, and boobs, while the dialogue reads like the “Señorita Awesome” scene from Scream Queens. She also slapped and hit and kicked the male lead in the balls for… not kissing her? When they were fake dating? Which, beyond being physically abusive, is… well, physically abusive. No beyond needed.
Overall, this book was about a woman who was obsessed with how men viewed her and a man who only viewed her as an object, all the while touting, “Feminism!!! F*** yeah!!!” This book was not for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 4, 2026
This audiobook is narrated by the very talented voice actors Savannah Thomas and Luke Persiani . This is Zach and Maddie’s story. I enjoyed this spicy romcom. Zach and Maddie are both tech nerds who are starting up their own business. In order to have all the data, they need to fake date. Except Zach has had a crush on her forever. This romcom is so spicy, and entertaining. I absolutely loved how well the narrators brought this to life for me.
April 3, 2026
"Love is just a bug in the system… or is it?"
🎧 The Love Startup — Me’Lisa Ryun
🌟 4 laugh-out-loud stars
💙 Available now on KU
My 💭
💻 You can always count on this author duo to deliver a fun, quirky, laugh-out-loud Rom-Com and this one absolutely delivers.
Zack and Maddie have been best friends since college and decide to go into business together creating a dating app. Zack? A hopeless romantic (and total simp for Maddie 😏). Maddie? A firm non-believer in love and happy endings. Cue the tension.
When they decide to “test” the app themselves… things get messy, hilarious, and just a little chaotic...in the best way. This was a rollercoaster of laughs, secondhand cringe (the good kind), and moments that had me yelling at them like, PLEASE just admit it already!!
Watching their dynamic shift both professionally and personally was so much fun, and I was fully invested in where they’d land.
I already can’t wait for the next Denton sisters story 👏.....we need to know!!!
🎧 The Love Startup — Me’Lisa Ryun
🌟 4 laugh-out-loud stars
💙 Available now on KU
My 💭
💻 You can always count on this author duo to deliver a fun, quirky, laugh-out-loud Rom-Com and this one absolutely delivers.
Zack and Maddie have been best friends since college and decide to go into business together creating a dating app. Zack? A hopeless romantic (and total simp for Maddie 😏). Maddie? A firm non-believer in love and happy endings. Cue the tension.
When they decide to “test” the app themselves… things get messy, hilarious, and just a little chaotic...in the best way. This was a rollercoaster of laughs, secondhand cringe (the good kind), and moments that had me yelling at them like, PLEASE just admit it already!!
Watching their dynamic shift both professionally and personally was so much fun, and I was fully invested in where they’d land.
I already can’t wait for the next Denton sisters story 👏.....we need to know!!!
April 4, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️
I was fortunate enough to be able to listen to this story and it was so well done! The audiobook narrators did a good job at portraying the emotions of the characters and making them come to life. I loved the dual narration to portray the MMC and FMC POVs. The story itself was so fun and I always love a friends to lover trope! Both characters were likeable to be rooting for. Maddie was a little bit annoying at times and I wish she would have dug herself out of the hole she had created instead of Zack coming to her but it wasn’t enough not to enjoy everything else. Overall I loved it and Melisa Ryan is definitely becoming one of my favorites! Can’t wait to read more of their stories.
🌶️🌶️🌶️
I was fortunate enough to be able to listen to this story and it was so well done! The audiobook narrators did a good job at portraying the emotions of the characters and making them come to life. I loved the dual narration to portray the MMC and FMC POVs. The story itself was so fun and I always love a friends to lover trope! Both characters were likeable to be rooting for. Maddie was a little bit annoying at times and I wish she would have dug herself out of the hole she had created instead of Zack coming to her but it wasn’t enough not to enjoy everything else. Overall I loved it and Melisa Ryan is definitely becoming one of my favorites! Can’t wait to read more of their stories.
March 25, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️️⭐️/ ️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Any story that challenges the status quo and breaks barriers is my kind of book. MéLisa Ryun brings you this and so much more in their latest release of The Love Startup. Taking readers into the lives of an FMC who doesn’t care what others think, stays true to herself, and knows she doesn’t need a man to complete her made this an easy story to get lost in and want to listen to non-stop. I will say this book has a different energy than their previous stories, which is totally ok, as authors evolve and grow. I still think their talents shine through and make this book amazing.
Luke Persiani and Savannah Thomas did a wonderful job in narrating this book and bringing our MCs, Zach and Maddie, to life. As someone who is newer to audio books (only been listening for a year or so) I love hearing characters be made real and hearing them very similarly to how they would sound in my head. Voice acting takes talent as so much has to be conveyed by pitch, tone, and breath. You can’t see their face so you have to hear their emotions. Both of our voice actors were outstanding.
Maddie and Zach have been long time friends and now are business partners. Maddie is definitely a strong and determined FMC, but at times her stance on what women should want and not want came across as judgemental. Just because you don’t want a man in your life, doesn’t mean those who do are wrong. She does get wiser as the book goes on, thankfully. She was still a joy to read about and watch her mindset change.
Zach is beyond patient and supportive to his best friend and business partner. Having loved Maddie for 10 years, he sees her all the time, which doesn’t give him any real way to get over her. There were times I wanted to hug him, slap him, and push him out the door to find true happiness. However, I have to say, his loyalty to Maddie and helping her build her dream is impressive. I was so happy when their situation caused Maddie to finally open her eyes.
I do recommend reading this book and others by this husband/wife author duo. They bring humor and romance to every book and they do it well.
As always, review any author notes before reading.
What to Expect:
💻Friends to Lovers
💖Fake Dating
💻He Falls First
💖Secret Crush
💻Love vs Career
💖Workplace Romance
💻Geek Banter
Any story that challenges the status quo and breaks barriers is my kind of book. MéLisa Ryun brings you this and so much more in their latest release of The Love Startup. Taking readers into the lives of an FMC who doesn’t care what others think, stays true to herself, and knows she doesn’t need a man to complete her made this an easy story to get lost in and want to listen to non-stop. I will say this book has a different energy than their previous stories, which is totally ok, as authors evolve and grow. I still think their talents shine through and make this book amazing.
Luke Persiani and Savannah Thomas did a wonderful job in narrating this book and bringing our MCs, Zach and Maddie, to life. As someone who is newer to audio books (only been listening for a year or so) I love hearing characters be made real and hearing them very similarly to how they would sound in my head. Voice acting takes talent as so much has to be conveyed by pitch, tone, and breath. You can’t see their face so you have to hear their emotions. Both of our voice actors were outstanding.
Maddie and Zach have been long time friends and now are business partners. Maddie is definitely a strong and determined FMC, but at times her stance on what women should want and not want came across as judgemental. Just because you don’t want a man in your life, doesn’t mean those who do are wrong. She does get wiser as the book goes on, thankfully. She was still a joy to read about and watch her mindset change.
Zach is beyond patient and supportive to his best friend and business partner. Having loved Maddie for 10 years, he sees her all the time, which doesn’t give him any real way to get over her. There were times I wanted to hug him, slap him, and push him out the door to find true happiness. However, I have to say, his loyalty to Maddie and helping her build her dream is impressive. I was so happy when their situation caused Maddie to finally open her eyes.
I do recommend reading this book and others by this husband/wife author duo. They bring humor and romance to every book and they do it well.
As always, review any author notes before reading.
What to Expect:
💻Friends to Lovers
💖Fake Dating
💻He Falls First
💖Secret Crush
💻Love vs Career
💖Workplace Romance
💻Geek Banter
March 28, 2026
I love the way Melisa Ryun creates her stories and especially the dialogue and banter between characters. It is sometimes swoony, sometimes cringy, with a ton of quirky and laugh out loud thrown in. I am able to be absorbed by the story. I can feel embarrassment, the longing, the second-guessing, the love, the questioning, and so much more. Everything is so real and believable. This particular story follows Maddie and Zack. He has been in love with her since college, really knowing the real her. She, however, has put him, and all other men, into the friend-zone because she thinks being in love means giving up her career and her dreams. (This part never made sense to me because her mom is super independent and her parents are in deep and abiding love). She is a genius-level tech nerd, and he is the face behind a start-up for a dating app. The sister’s relationship between Maddie and her sisters is funny and so realistic. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series since it is about her and her sisters. The others in the company are also like the nerds we all know and love who simply never grow up. Yes, I do find that kind of humor funny. Yes, it is juvenile, but you will laugh out loud! You can feel the heartache from Zack because he is with Maddie every day all day, including living in an apartment with the other coders from the company together, and all he can think about is her because he has been in love with her for over a decade. In order to get data for their app, they decide to fake date/role play which has been a game of theirs forever. The situations and conversations were hysterical. Things go bad, almost crash and burn bad. But then things are forgiven, rather too quickly in my opinion, and the ending is a happy one. I really enjoyed listening to this story. The narrators (Savannah Thomas and Luke Persiani) were hilarious and felt like they were actually living these scenes rather than simply reading a script out loud. I enjoy Melisa Ryun’s books and will absolutely read more.
March 20, 2026
If Mélisa Ryun write it, I know a book is going to hit but I didn't know what to expect as The Love Startup was their debut, but it absolutely slayed! It made my millennial heart so happy and had me laughing over and over again. This book is perfect for you if you are a fan of late 90s/early 2000s romcoms and raunchy humor.
I love a best friends to lovers, especially when he falls first! Zack has been in love with Maddie since college and is hoping she will eventually see him the way he sees her, however, Zack knows Maddie puts her career as a coder for their love app above all else. A strong woman in STEM who is independent AF with a mouth for days is my dream FMC. I loved Maddie and her take no sh*t attitude so much. The banter and tension between these two besties delivered in the best way, and then the authors mixed in fake dates so the besties could gather data for their app...the hijinks and spice that ensued were creative and amazing.
This book was everything I wanted and needed in a romcom. It made me miss the millennial romcoms so hard and delivered in a nostalgic, yet original way. This book is laugh out loud hilarious and perfectly mixed in characters who have depth, and side characters that I need to know more about! These two learned about life and themselves and chose growth. Another fabulous read from this author duo that has me absolutely begging for more of the Denton sisters ASAP!
This book is available on KU and now on audio, and I HIGHLY recommend the audio. Savannah Thomas and Luke Persiani absolutely killed it. These two nailed both characters so well and played off of each other perfectly. This was the most fun I've had with an audiobook in awhile and definitely one I'll listen to again!
⭐⭐⭐⭐💫
🌶️🌶️🌶️
ⓉⓇⓄⓅⒺⓈ:
💻Friends to Lovers
💞Fake Dating
💻He Falls First
💞Secret Longtime Crush
💻Roleplay
💞Found Family
💻R-Rated Workplace Romcom
💞Unhinged Geek Banter
💻Anti-Heroine Dirty-Mouthed FMC
💞Love Vs Career
Thank you to @happilybookedpr and to the authors for a copy of this ALC in exchange for my honest review.
I love a best friends to lovers, especially when he falls first! Zack has been in love with Maddie since college and is hoping she will eventually see him the way he sees her, however, Zack knows Maddie puts her career as a coder for their love app above all else. A strong woman in STEM who is independent AF with a mouth for days is my dream FMC. I loved Maddie and her take no sh*t attitude so much. The banter and tension between these two besties delivered in the best way, and then the authors mixed in fake dates so the besties could gather data for their app...the hijinks and spice that ensued were creative and amazing.
This book was everything I wanted and needed in a romcom. It made me miss the millennial romcoms so hard and delivered in a nostalgic, yet original way. This book is laugh out loud hilarious and perfectly mixed in characters who have depth, and side characters that I need to know more about! These two learned about life and themselves and chose growth. Another fabulous read from this author duo that has me absolutely begging for more of the Denton sisters ASAP!
This book is available on KU and now on audio, and I HIGHLY recommend the audio. Savannah Thomas and Luke Persiani absolutely killed it. These two nailed both characters so well and played off of each other perfectly. This was the most fun I've had with an audiobook in awhile and definitely one I'll listen to again!
⭐⭐⭐⭐💫
🌶️🌶️🌶️
ⓉⓇⓄⓅⒺⓈ:
💻Friends to Lovers
💞Fake Dating
💻He Falls First
💞Secret Longtime Crush
💻Roleplay
💞Found Family
💻R-Rated Workplace Romcom
💞Unhinged Geek Banter
💻Anti-Heroine Dirty-Mouthed FMC
💞Love Vs Career
Thank you to @happilybookedpr and to the authors for a copy of this ALC in exchange for my honest review.
April 8, 2026
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 💫
🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️
“The Love Startup” audiobook by Melisa Ryun was an absolute addicting audiobook from the first sentence to the last. This audiobook had me hooked with its hilarious, chaotic energy, but it is the friends-to-lovers tension that really made it unforgettable.
Maddie is such a standout heroine she’s brilliant, unapologetically bold, and completely herself. Her voice feels so real, and Savannah Thomas brings that sharp humor and vulnerability to life perfectly she gives everything I want in a STEM femme. Luke Persani as Zack was just as captivating, capturing that quiet longing and devotion that makes the “he falls first” trope hit so hard. We all love a man who is obsessed with us in a green flag way. The dual narration added so much depth, especially as their fake dating starts to blur into something very real.
The story balances hilarious tinkle your pants moments with genuine emotional stakes. The dating app startup setting adds a fresh, modern twist, and the chemistry between Maddie and Zack is undeniable, full of witty banter, tension, and heart. You can feel every moment of hesitation, every spark, and every risk they take not just with their company, but with each other.
It is fun, messy, romantic, and just the right amount of steamy without losing the emotional core. If you love workplace romcoms, fake dating, and pining that actually hurts in the best way, this one delivers. I already wish I could listen to it again for the first time. Melisa is one of my favorite authors and I have read every book of hers this one will def do it for you if you love a workplace friends to lovers!
Thank you so much Melisa and Ryun for the ALC via Happily booked PR! This Audio blew my mind away with laughter yall never cease to amaze me! All thoughts and opinons are my own.
🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️
“The Love Startup” audiobook by Melisa Ryun was an absolute addicting audiobook from the first sentence to the last. This audiobook had me hooked with its hilarious, chaotic energy, but it is the friends-to-lovers tension that really made it unforgettable.
Maddie is such a standout heroine she’s brilliant, unapologetically bold, and completely herself. Her voice feels so real, and Savannah Thomas brings that sharp humor and vulnerability to life perfectly she gives everything I want in a STEM femme. Luke Persani as Zack was just as captivating, capturing that quiet longing and devotion that makes the “he falls first” trope hit so hard. We all love a man who is obsessed with us in a green flag way. The dual narration added so much depth, especially as their fake dating starts to blur into something very real.
The story balances hilarious tinkle your pants moments with genuine emotional stakes. The dating app startup setting adds a fresh, modern twist, and the chemistry between Maddie and Zack is undeniable, full of witty banter, tension, and heart. You can feel every moment of hesitation, every spark, and every risk they take not just with their company, but with each other.
It is fun, messy, romantic, and just the right amount of steamy without losing the emotional core. If you love workplace romcoms, fake dating, and pining that actually hurts in the best way, this one delivers. I already wish I could listen to it again for the first time. Melisa is one of my favorite authors and I have read every book of hers this one will def do it for you if you love a workplace friends to lovers!
Thank you so much Melisa and Ryun for the ALC via Happily booked PR! This Audio blew my mind away with laughter yall never cease to amaze me! All thoughts and opinons are my own.
October 7, 2024
The concept here was really fun to read. Told from a dual POV of Maddie and Zack. Best friends that start their own dating app struggling to gain investors. When they finally catch a bite, it comes with a contingency of launching within 6 weeks. 6 weeks is not enough time to gather all the data they need from beta testers so Maddie and Zack dive into roleplay fake dating to add in the missing data. I liked this plot concept because it gives you the different role-play character profiles before detailing each date. Zack has always been in love with Maddie but Maddie refuses to be distracted while she puts her career first. So 10 years post friendzoning, Zack is still in love with her and with all this fake dating for their app has Maddie starting to catch feelings of her own.
Despite how fun this read was, I feel like the dialog was better suited for college/early twenties characters rather than the thirty something they’re supposed to be. I enjoyed the banter, but I definitely felt like they read much younger. The roommates who also happen to be a part of their coding team were quirky, funny and added personality to some of the slower moments. I also think the spicy portion of this kind of jumps in quick towards the middle and then it just kept coming and coming (pun intended), it would have been nice if it had been broke up a little through the dates instead of all at once. Lastly, while I appreciate reading a fmc that wants to see women thrive in the workforce, she came off a little selfish in her thought processes, when I felt like Zack did a really good job of supporting her. Overall, I had fun reading this. It definitely gave off romance/comedy and id love to see this as a movie.
Despite how fun this read was, I feel like the dialog was better suited for college/early twenties characters rather than the thirty something they’re supposed to be. I enjoyed the banter, but I definitely felt like they read much younger. The roommates who also happen to be a part of their coding team were quirky, funny and added personality to some of the slower moments. I also think the spicy portion of this kind of jumps in quick towards the middle and then it just kept coming and coming (pun intended), it would have been nice if it had been broke up a little through the dates instead of all at once. Lastly, while I appreciate reading a fmc that wants to see women thrive in the workforce, she came off a little selfish in her thought processes, when I felt like Zack did a really good job of supporting her. Overall, I had fun reading this. It definitely gave off romance/comedy and id love to see this as a movie.
March 12, 2026
I got the ALC version and the male narrators take on a female voice just had me cringing.
I really wanted to like this book. The premise, a STEM romance with a strong female lead wanting to make her mark in a male overrun market, had a lot of potential. But the execution, for me, fell short.
Unfortunately, there was a miss between her dream of more woman in tech/coding, yet surrounding herself with all men, sacrificing her love life for career and and the fake dating roleplay which had me cringing and almost dnfing the book. The conflict and resolution happened quickly and the book moved straight into the epilogue, making the ending feel rushed.
The two main characters don't seem to mature past their initial meeting, ten years previously. I kept forgetting they were in their 30s. Her home/office life was beyond chaotic and I won't even mention Linda. Chapter 1 was supposed to be a funny intro and it was just crude.
Maddie says she is a feminist, her understanding of feminism often comes across as dismissive toward other women’s choices, especially when she criticizes her sisters and mother for more traditional lifestyles. Rather than feeling empowering, her perspective frequently feels judgmental and narrow.
The male lead, Zack, is also difficult to connect with. Although the story insists he admires Maddie’s intelligence and strength, most of his thoughts focused on her massive boobs. I don't know how Maddie was able to stand.
And you know your limits, so read the author's content warnings. I received a copy of this book from HappilyHookedPR, and this is my honest review.
I really wanted to like this book. The premise, a STEM romance with a strong female lead wanting to make her mark in a male overrun market, had a lot of potential. But the execution, for me, fell short.
Unfortunately, there was a miss between her dream of more woman in tech/coding, yet surrounding herself with all men, sacrificing her love life for career and and the fake dating roleplay which had me cringing and almost dnfing the book. The conflict and resolution happened quickly and the book moved straight into the epilogue, making the ending feel rushed.
The two main characters don't seem to mature past their initial meeting, ten years previously. I kept forgetting they were in their 30s. Her home/office life was beyond chaotic and I won't even mention Linda. Chapter 1 was supposed to be a funny intro and it was just crude.
Maddie says she is a feminist, her understanding of feminism often comes across as dismissive toward other women’s choices, especially when she criticizes her sisters and mother for more traditional lifestyles. Rather than feeling empowering, her perspective frequently feels judgmental and narrow.
The male lead, Zack, is also difficult to connect with. Although the story insists he admires Maddie’s intelligence and strength, most of his thoughts focused on her massive boobs. I don't know how Maddie was able to stand.
And you know your limits, so read the author's content warnings. I received a copy of this book from HappilyHookedPR, and this is my honest review.
October 8, 2024
There was a lot of stuff I loved here. The characters were spot-on- I loved strong, intelligent Madie and her sisters- I can’t wait to see what’s in store for the other Denton sisters! I loved how supportive Zack was, and the way he tried to keep things in the friendzone that Madie wanted. Even when I wanted to shake them both, I loved them. I also loved that we gave Wes someone other than Linda ( the amount of scenes with a blow-up doll was odd; but kudos for being able to give a sex toy a bit of personality).
The story had a good flow to it, and while some of it read far more immature than I thought characters in their twenties and thirties should have been, there was actual growth and development. The roleplay game that Zack and Madie played was adorable, and I actually loved that they tried to use that to create data for the app. Was it the best book ever? Nah, but it was hilarious, sexy, and just out right fun. For me this is a three star book.
⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3 out of 5.
There is a lot of sexual content here- both inuendo and actual sex scenes, and they get fairly spicy ( I would say a four on the spice scale). Other than some language I would say that’s it as far as adult content goes. It is definitely made with adults in mind, but some of the language and scenarios would make it appeal to a New Adult crowd as well.
I was lucky enough to recieve an eARC of this book from Netgalley and Create Mode Media in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and have not been swayed by this. My thanks!
The story had a good flow to it, and while some of it read far more immature than I thought characters in their twenties and thirties should have been, there was actual growth and development. The roleplay game that Zack and Madie played was adorable, and I actually loved that they tried to use that to create data for the app. Was it the best book ever? Nah, but it was hilarious, sexy, and just out right fun. For me this is a three star book.
⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3 out of 5.
There is a lot of sexual content here- both inuendo and actual sex scenes, and they get fairly spicy ( I would say a four on the spice scale). Other than some language I would say that’s it as far as adult content goes. It is definitely made with adults in mind, but some of the language and scenarios would make it appeal to a New Adult crowd as well.
I was lucky enough to recieve an eARC of this book from Netgalley and Create Mode Media in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and have not been swayed by this. My thanks!
April 4, 2026
4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
3/5 🌶️🌶️🌶️
5/5 🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧
What to Expect:
💙Friends to Lovers
🩷He Falls First
💙Unhinged Geek Banter
🩷R-Rated Workplace RomCom
💙Anti-Heroine Dirty-Mouthed FMC
🩷Love vs. Career
💙Fake Dating
🩷Secret Longtime Crush
I seriously had so much fun with this one!!! Melisa Ryun ALWAYS deliver a good time!!! The Love Startup follows Maddie, a brilliant but uber-blunt coder determined to launch her dating app, LoveScore, in a male-dominated tech world, but when an investor demands “intimate data” to make it work, she and her “bestie” Zack come up with a chaotic plan to “fake date” each other for “research.” What starts as a ridiculous scheme quickly turns into a messy mix of banter, awkward situations, and completely undeniable chemistry… tack on ALL the buried feelings and this is the perfect little disaster. As Maddie struggles to balance her career ambitions with the possibility of love, Zack is quietly hoping she’ll finally see what’s been in front of her all along. This one definitely delivers with all the hilarious moments, and ALL the spicy tension… giving us a good ole Spicy RomCom we all love to read.
Savannah Thomas and Luke Persiani did suchhhh a good job bringing Maddie and Zack to life in the audiobook. They brought every dramatization, reaction, and ALL the feelings to play… kept me in an absolutely chokehold while listening.
A HUGE thank you to Melisa Ryun and Happily Booked PR for sending this one over. I had such a good time with it, and Ill ALWAYS run to sign up for ANYTHING Melisa Ryun puts out!!!
3/5 🌶️🌶️🌶️
5/5 🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧
What to Expect:
💙Friends to Lovers
🩷He Falls First
💙Unhinged Geek Banter
🩷R-Rated Workplace RomCom
💙Anti-Heroine Dirty-Mouthed FMC
🩷Love vs. Career
💙Fake Dating
🩷Secret Longtime Crush
I seriously had so much fun with this one!!! Melisa Ryun ALWAYS deliver a good time!!! The Love Startup follows Maddie, a brilliant but uber-blunt coder determined to launch her dating app, LoveScore, in a male-dominated tech world, but when an investor demands “intimate data” to make it work, she and her “bestie” Zack come up with a chaotic plan to “fake date” each other for “research.” What starts as a ridiculous scheme quickly turns into a messy mix of banter, awkward situations, and completely undeniable chemistry… tack on ALL the buried feelings and this is the perfect little disaster. As Maddie struggles to balance her career ambitions with the possibility of love, Zack is quietly hoping she’ll finally see what’s been in front of her all along. This one definitely delivers with all the hilarious moments, and ALL the spicy tension… giving us a good ole Spicy RomCom we all love to read.
Savannah Thomas and Luke Persiani did suchhhh a good job bringing Maddie and Zack to life in the audiobook. They brought every dramatization, reaction, and ALL the feelings to play… kept me in an absolutely chokehold while listening.
A HUGE thank you to Melisa Ryun and Happily Booked PR for sending this one over. I had such a good time with it, and Ill ALWAYS run to sign up for ANYTHING Melisa Ryun puts out!!!
November 9, 2024
This book is a friends to lovers fake dating experience. Maddie, the coder, is trying to make it in a male dominated world and has chosen to forego love to make her dreams happen. Zack has been secretly in love with Maddie for a decade but has accepted the friend zone he's been placed in. Maddie and Zack have an app that they're creating called LoveScore. In order to get the data they need for the app to go live early and get investments they have to fake date and become different characters to add that data to the algorithm. Lines get blurred and so do feelings.
This book was entertaining for the most part. But the writing was so cringe to me. I tried to look past it to get to the plot and if I focused on that it wasn't too bad.
Maddie annoyed me so much. She literally created a mess of her own design. She wanted it her way all the time while stringing her best friend along and playing with his emotions. She deliberately played denial and knocked down her family for giving up the feminist fight in her chapters. She was hard working, I'll give her that.
Zack was a bit better. He tried to help Maddie so much. They're childish antics to get the other jealous though felt ill fitting in the story.
I did enjoy the side characters though. The code bros and the sisters. I feel like they helped make the book entertaining. Even with their cringy language.
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!
This book was entertaining for the most part. But the writing was so cringe to me. I tried to look past it to get to the plot and if I focused on that it wasn't too bad.
Maddie annoyed me so much. She literally created a mess of her own design. She wanted it her way all the time while stringing her best friend along and playing with his emotions. She deliberately played denial and knocked down her family for giving up the feminist fight in her chapters. She was hard working, I'll give her that.
Zack was a bit better. He tried to help Maddie so much. They're childish antics to get the other jealous though felt ill fitting in the story.
I did enjoy the side characters though. The code bros and the sisters. I feel like they helped make the book entertaining. Even with their cringy language.
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!
March 14, 2026
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐩 was the debut novel by Mélisa Ryun, featuring a super spicy friends to lovers, workplace romcom for Maddie and Zack. They’ve been best friends since college while secretly harboring feelings for each other, but Maddie is a career-focused techie, supposed feminist, determined to avoid relationships, and Zack is willing to sacrifice his own happiness to support her dreams and maintain the friendship. So here they are trying to get a dating app off the ground and recruit investors with a group of misfit geeks drenched in over-the-top raunchy humor. I tried to connect to these characters, but Maddie was just flat-out unlikeable and rude most of the time, and the constant emotional immaturity was a bit much after a while. The premise for the fake dating and role playing scenes had great potential, but it just didn’t fully materialize for me. The female narrator on the audio did a great job with the material. The male narrator was good on the male parts, but when he would attempt to act out a female voice, especially during a role play scene, it was sometimes almost painful to listen to. I hate to leave a review like this, because I’ve read other books by this author duo that I loved that had plenty of comedy, spice, and fantastic characters, but this one just missed the mark for me.
I received an ALC for free, and am leaving this review voluntarily.
⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶🌶🌶
🎙️🎙️🎙️
I received an ALC for free, and am leaving this review voluntarily.
⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶🌶🌶
🎙️🎙️🎙️
March 21, 2026
🚀✨ Fake dating? Forced proximity? A man who’s been down bad since college? Oh, MéLisa Ryun, you’ve done it again.
I devoured the ALC of The Love Startup and let me tell you — this one is filthy, funny, and full of feelings. Maddie = tech genius, career-first queen. Zach = her best mate who’s been quietly in love with her for YEARS (honestly, the patience of a saint). The moment she swears off relationships? Brutal. The fact he sticks around anyway? I’m unwell.
Fast forward to fake dating for funding (because of course 😏) and suddenly it’s all longing looks, “just for show” touches, and absolutely zero emotional stability on my part.
🎧 Narration by Savannah Thomas & Luke Persiani? Top tier. The chemistry? Chef’s kiss. The banter? Elite. Between Maddie’s sisters, the chaotic house-share lads, and the wildcard that is Linda… it’s giving utter carnage in the best way.
MéLisa Ryun is officially an auto-read for me — give me the sisters’ stories immediately, I beg.
If you love:
💻 Best friends to lovers
🔥 Open-door spice (and then some)
🎭 Fake dating chaos
🇬🇧 Proper witty banter
…this one’s got your name all over it. I received an ALC of this book from Happily Booked PR and MéLisa Ryun in exchange for an honest opinion.
I devoured the ALC of The Love Startup and let me tell you — this one is filthy, funny, and full of feelings. Maddie = tech genius, career-first queen. Zach = her best mate who’s been quietly in love with her for YEARS (honestly, the patience of a saint). The moment she swears off relationships? Brutal. The fact he sticks around anyway? I’m unwell.
Fast forward to fake dating for funding (because of course 😏) and suddenly it’s all longing looks, “just for show” touches, and absolutely zero emotional stability on my part.
🎧 Narration by Savannah Thomas & Luke Persiani? Top tier. The chemistry? Chef’s kiss. The banter? Elite. Between Maddie’s sisters, the chaotic house-share lads, and the wildcard that is Linda… it’s giving utter carnage in the best way.
MéLisa Ryun is officially an auto-read for me — give me the sisters’ stories immediately, I beg.
If you love:
💻 Best friends to lovers
🔥 Open-door spice (and then some)
🎭 Fake dating chaos
🇬🇧 Proper witty banter
…this one’s got your name all over it. I received an ALC of this book from Happily Booked PR and MéLisa Ryun in exchange for an honest opinion.
March 31, 2026
This was such a fun story! It had the hilarious sense of humor I’ve come to know and love from this author duo, and I found myself smiling and laughing through so many of the scenes.
I will always love a “man falls first” trope, and wow did Zack fall early and fast. The catch? He had to hide those feelings for years. Watching him pine while trying to keep things professional was equal parts adorable and painful.
When Zack and Maddie need real dating data for their app, they decide to start going on fake dates… and the chaos that follows is so good. The dates were hilarious, awkward in the best way, and the sexual tension between them really started to spark the more time they spent together.
I also loved Maddie’s character arc. Seeing her slowly let her walls down and realize that she can have it all — both love and the career she’s worked so hard for — was really satisfying.
The narrators were funny and did a great job bringing their individual characters to life.
Overall, this was a charming, funny friends-to-lovers romance with great banter, fake dating shenanigans, and a hero who has been down bad for years 💕
Thank you so much Melisa Ryun and Happily Booked PR for the ALC!
I will always love a “man falls first” trope, and wow did Zack fall early and fast. The catch? He had to hide those feelings for years. Watching him pine while trying to keep things professional was equal parts adorable and painful.
When Zack and Maddie need real dating data for their app, they decide to start going on fake dates… and the chaos that follows is so good. The dates were hilarious, awkward in the best way, and the sexual tension between them really started to spark the more time they spent together.
I also loved Maddie’s character arc. Seeing her slowly let her walls down and realize that she can have it all — both love and the career she’s worked so hard for — was really satisfying.
The narrators were funny and did a great job bringing their individual characters to life.
Overall, this was a charming, funny friends-to-lovers romance with great banter, fake dating shenanigans, and a hero who has been down bad for years 💕
Thank you so much Melisa Ryun and Happily Booked PR for the ALC!
September 29, 2024
This book is not a friends to lovers. This is a friends to hook-up to almost enemies to lovers.
Madie is described as a “coding boss, feminist powerhouse, and destroyer of fragile male egos.” But she is very broken and stubborn. Zack is her best friend / business partner that has been pining over her for 10 years.
This book tries to be funny, and sometimes it is but mostly cringy.
It’s a little to stereotypical for my taste, as a woman in STEM myself I think that sometimes it was a title overboard.
Has a lot of description of the app that they are building and focus a lot on that and not on the evolution of the relationship, and with a lot of the side characters. For the app they start to go on “fake dates” as different personalities, it is entertaining but stereotypical and they don’t connect like that, it doesn’t show growth of the characters and their relationship.
There is a lot of miss communication. And for all the non-stereotypical that the FMC was trying to be portrayed as in the end she becomes very objectified and throwing the feminism out of the window.
It has a lot of spicy scenes.
I’ve read this book through NetGalley
Madie is described as a “coding boss, feminist powerhouse, and destroyer of fragile male egos.” But she is very broken and stubborn. Zack is her best friend / business partner that has been pining over her for 10 years.
This book tries to be funny, and sometimes it is but mostly cringy.
It’s a little to stereotypical for my taste, as a woman in STEM myself I think that sometimes it was a title overboard.
Has a lot of description of the app that they are building and focus a lot on that and not on the evolution of the relationship, and with a lot of the side characters. For the app they start to go on “fake dates” as different personalities, it is entertaining but stereotypical and they don’t connect like that, it doesn’t show growth of the characters and their relationship.
There is a lot of miss communication. And for all the non-stereotypical that the FMC was trying to be portrayed as in the end she becomes very objectified and throwing the feminism out of the window.
It has a lot of spicy scenes.
I’ve read this book through NetGalley
March 29, 2026
Quote I enjoyed:
“Love is, it’s a risk, a leap into the obis. It’s like giving someone the password to your heart and then praying they don’t plant a virus and mess everything up. It’s a never ending marathon of compromise and selflessness and its not for the faint of heart. But when you find your person the one who makes you want to strap in and jump head first, it’s worth every gut wrenching twist and turn.”
Faking date and friends to more…some of my favorite tropes. This was a different twist on the fake dating trope, where Maddie and Zack took on different characters/personas. Honestly, some of the personas were just so funny and out there. I loved Maddie and Zack’s friendship and how it grew over the years. Maddie’s connection to her family and sisters is top notch. The ribbing between Maddie, Zack and their friends, the other coders was hilarious. Overall, I enjoyed it, just sometimes I felt like there were more fake character personas than Maddie and Zack.
Listened to on audio.
Narrated by Savannah Thomas and Luke Persiani. I did enjoy the audio, they really brought out the characters.
“Love is, it’s a risk, a leap into the obis. It’s like giving someone the password to your heart and then praying they don’t plant a virus and mess everything up. It’s a never ending marathon of compromise and selflessness and its not for the faint of heart. But when you find your person the one who makes you want to strap in and jump head first, it’s worth every gut wrenching twist and turn.”
Faking date and friends to more…some of my favorite tropes. This was a different twist on the fake dating trope, where Maddie and Zack took on different characters/personas. Honestly, some of the personas were just so funny and out there. I loved Maddie and Zack’s friendship and how it grew over the years. Maddie’s connection to her family and sisters is top notch. The ribbing between Maddie, Zack and their friends, the other coders was hilarious. Overall, I enjoyed it, just sometimes I felt like there were more fake character personas than Maddie and Zack.
Listened to on audio.
Narrated by Savannah Thomas and Luke Persiani. I did enjoy the audio, they really brought out the characters.
October 1, 2024
🌟Thank you to NetGalley and Melisa Ryun for the E-Arc. Here is my honest rating/review🌟
I just want to start this off by saying I'm so sorry that my review is not a positive one. I hate not enjoying a book, and Im sure that there will be many people who enjoy it, but unfortunately, it just wasn't for me.
I was so excited about this book when I read the description, but unfortunately, I ended up DNF’ing it at 15%
I tried really hard to stick it out. I really did because I loved the concept of what the plot was supposed to be, but I just couldn't get past the dialogue. It was not something I was comfortable reading to me it gave second-hand embarrassment and a cringy feel. Usually, I don't have a problem with crudeness vulgarity in books, but the way it was done came off as very immature, and I'm sorry but gross. The MMC was extremely misogynistic, and the FMC, who claimed to be a feminist came off as the exact opposite to me, and she was slightly obnoxious and very rude, so I had to call it quits.
October 7, 2024
The Love Startup centers around Maddie, a driven coder determined to launch her dating app, LoveScore. When an investor demands an impossible upgrade to the app’s algorithm, Maddie and her co-founder Zack find themselves in a fake dating situation to gather data. As they role-play intimate scenarios, their fake relationship blurs the lines between business and genuine feelings.
The story is fast-paced and easy to get through, making it a quick read. However, the characters sometimes feel immature, especially given their professional roles, and their dialogue can come off as a bit unrealistic. While there are some funny moments and witty banter, the immaturity makes it harder to connect with the characters.
The overall concept of the book is intriguing, and there are a few well-written quotes, but the execution falls short in places. Maddie, in particular, comes across as unlikeable at times, which makes it harder to fully enjoy the romance.
I gave it 3 stars because it takes guts to write a book and publish it besides everything else quoted above.
The story is fast-paced and easy to get through, making it a quick read. However, the characters sometimes feel immature, especially given their professional roles, and their dialogue can come off as a bit unrealistic. While there are some funny moments and witty banter, the immaturity makes it harder to connect with the characters.
The overall concept of the book is intriguing, and there are a few well-written quotes, but the execution falls short in places. Maddie, in particular, comes across as unlikeable at times, which makes it harder to fully enjoy the romance.
I gave it 3 stars because it takes guts to write a book and publish it besides everything else quoted above.
March 10, 2026
✨️ARC REVIEW✨️
Thank you to Happily Booked PR and Melisa Ryun for this ARC opportunity! 🫶🏻
I was so excited to get my ears on another audiobook by Melisa Ryun. I can always count on them for some truly unhinged, laugh-out-loud chaos, and this one definitely had those moments.🤭
Not going to lie there were a few parts that made me cringe a little… but that might just mean I’m not quite nerdy enough to fully appreciate everything 😅. Even so, the banter between the group had me laughing out loud more than once and gave me some proper belly laughs.🤪
I really did enjoy the overall story though. Watching how everything unfolded from where it all started to where it ended up was both fun and really sweet. The different personas they used on their dates were hilarious to listen to, especially hearing them fully act it out. What started as something totally fake on the surface slowly turned into something genuinely real underneath, and I loved that journey. 🥰
Other than the cute friends to lovers blooming moment between Maddie and Zack, I loved the dynamic between Maddie and her sisters and it makes me really excited to get more of this series in the future!🙌🏻
Thank you to Happily Booked PR and Melisa Ryun for this ARC opportunity! 🫶🏻
I was so excited to get my ears on another audiobook by Melisa Ryun. I can always count on them for some truly unhinged, laugh-out-loud chaos, and this one definitely had those moments.🤭
Not going to lie there were a few parts that made me cringe a little… but that might just mean I’m not quite nerdy enough to fully appreciate everything 😅. Even so, the banter between the group had me laughing out loud more than once and gave me some proper belly laughs.🤪
I really did enjoy the overall story though. Watching how everything unfolded from where it all started to where it ended up was both fun and really sweet. The different personas they used on their dates were hilarious to listen to, especially hearing them fully act it out. What started as something totally fake on the surface slowly turned into something genuinely real underneath, and I loved that journey. 🥰
Other than the cute friends to lovers blooming moment between Maddie and Zack, I loved the dynamic between Maddie and her sisters and it makes me really excited to get more of this series in the future!🙌🏻
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