I've enjoyed books by Emma Lord before, so I expected to also like this one. However, it missed the mark for me. It was just kind of boring and didn't keep my interest--I just didn't care if June and Levi ended up together. This doesn't mean I won't check out other books by Emma--I will! This one just didn't do it for me.

Unfortunately, this one didn’t work for me — I really wanted to love it, but I found it hard to connect with the voice and characters. The setup had promise, but the pacing and tone just didn’t pull me in the way I’d hoped. I ended up putting it down about a third of the way through. That said, I know Emma Lord has a strong following, and I imagine longtime fans will still find joy here — I just may not have been the right reader at the right time... Will likely circle back to this book if I'm in a reading slump or bored and want to try again.

The Break-Up Pact by Emma Lord made me laugh, swoon, and tear up all within a single weekend. June and Levi—childhood best friends turned internet-famous break-up survivors—fake-date to boost her tea shop and make their exes jealous. What follows is witty banter, genuine slow-burn, and emotional growth that feels so real .

I adored June’s blend of humor and heart, and Levi? Total grumpy-dialogue hero with layers. The fake-dating trope is sprinkled with meta charm and social media chaos, making it feel fresh and modern . A few moments dragged, but the chemistry and emotional payoff won me over.

If you want a sweet, smart rom‑com about second chances, friendship, and finding love where you least expect it, The Break‑Up Pact is a delight.

Super cute, feel good romance read! The build up with the romance between two long time friends is very well written. Thoroughly enjoyed this book.

I have really enjoyed Emma Lord’s books, but this one just did not hit for me. It felt forced and somehow rushed and slow at the same time.

This was my first Emma Lord and it did not do it for me. I mostly found it frustrating and disappointing. The chemistry was just not there and the miscommunication was frustrating. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for this ARC!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✰ (3.5 stars)
The Break-Up Pact was a fun, lighthearted read that hit a lot of the classic rom-com beats I love. Emma Lord’s signature humor and charm were definitely there, making it an easy, breezy page-turner perfect for when you want something sweet and entertaining. 💔➡️❤️

The story has plenty of witty banter and quirky moments that kept me smiling, and the characters were relatable and endearing. However, some parts felt a bit predictable and the pacing dragged here and there, which kept me from fully falling in love with it.

Overall, it’s a solid read if you want a cute romance that doesn’t demand too much emotional investment but still delivers on the fun and feels.

Thanks to @netgalley for the ARC!

I received a complimentary digital advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Reading this book made me so happy. I loved Levi and June, and all of their friends and family. The Break-Up Pact is a story about family, friends who become closer than family, and having the courage for new adventures and beginnings. There was a character that I did not like, but I do not think readers are supposed to like him at all. The interactions with him sort of dragged for me.

An outlandish situation, with a friends to lovers and fake dating trope and set in a beachtown. This was my first adult romance of Emma Lord's, but as a fan of her previous YA romance novels, the transition was solid.
Lord packs a lot into this one: relationship trauma, grief of a sister and friend, and an unstable career, on top of dealing with the pressures of this digital age. While it took me a while to get my bearings on the past relationships of the two main characters, their dynamic set up a plot that was imbued with a childlike essence you can only get when rekindling an old friendship.
For those who are worried, the grief is not too heavily focused on. Yes, there are moments discussing it and the main character is struggling to move forward without her sister, but it does not bring the story down. As more of a backdrop to the characters, the story focuses on June trying to keep her tea shop alive and rekindling a friendship with her childhood best friend Levi--and also opening the door to unresolved crushes from the past. It's a self rediscovery story for both our main characters, and while they have some similarities their lives are in quite different spots. But Lord balances the difficulties of adulthood with summer beachside vibes, activities, and all the adventures that arise when fake dating in the limelight.
This was a sweet little romance, tame on the spice with one open door scene, but a good amount of tension. Definitely a smooth transition for her YA readers moving into adult.

This was cute enough. It's a romance so there's not anything groundbreaking here, but I believe I've only read YA romances by Emma Lord so this was a nice change up. The characters were likable enough and there weren't any huge miscommunications that throw off the track of the book in the 9th inning which I appreciated. It's easily readable and held my attention. Truthfully, I don't think I'll remember much about it in a few days which is why I'm going with 3 stars, but it's good for a one time read.

Overall I would rate this a 3.5 out of 5 which is still really good! I really enjoyed it. But since I can't do half stars on almost any site, 99% of the time I will round up to the next star because being an author isn't easy!


When I read the blurb on the NetGalley website, I was already INVESTED. June and Levi's dynamic was so comfortably and yet heartachingly familiar that I couldn't put it down. I also love that it tackled one of the aspects of grief that I find that doesn't often get covered in books, and that was the aftermath of the initial event, after the shock and rug-pulling has occurred and you're left to continue to go about your life and your routines as if nothing ever happened, but there's this person-shaped hole in your life now. Learning to live and work with that grief was something I really loved about this story.

Also? Also???? You can't tell me soulmates don't exist when June and Levi are right there. Whether that's platonic soulmates or romantic ones, they're RIGHT THERE.


P.S.- more sweater vests please. We need more sweater vests.

Unfortunately this book could not capture my attention and I couldn't get psst 15-20%. I will pick it back up at a later date and try again! I will not be posting any negative reviews and appreciate the ARC - thank you!!

Rating: 1.5 ⭐️
Spice: 1.0 🌶️
Tags: second chance romance; fake dating; romance; rom-com

Let me start off by saying that I had such high hopes for this book. I was beyond ecstatic when I received the notification that I received an arc for this book, but unfortunately that excitement soon turned to dread. Did I just say arc? Yes I did. That's just how long I have been trying to get through this book. I DNF'ed it twice, and finally forced myself to read it all the way through the third time. The pacing was all over the place, and ultimately I felt this book just kept dragging on. Just when I thought the book could be coming to a dénouement, something else would happen 🙄.
This book follows the FMC, June, and the MMC, Levi, as they form a "break-up pact". Both having recently underwent a huge public break up, they decide to form the pact as a way to get what they want - June, enough money to sustain her tea shop and Levi, to make his ex jealous.
Apart from my personal lack of interest, I found this book to be a relatively easy read. Unfortunately, I was not able to resonate with the characters, which is one of the factors in my rating of a book. I found myself rolling my eyes numerous times during the book, especially when it came to June's ex. Like excuse me ma'am, WHY are you so obsessed with your ex, who clearly did not care about your feelings!? And don't get me started on the scones. I don't understand how she doesn't gorge herself out on them. Can the author please introduce her to a vegetable!?
While I personally did not enjoy this book, I think it could attract the right audience. There were aspects to the story that I did enjoy, and overall it is not that I hate the book, I just felt it was too long, overwritten, and could not hold my attention. I believe I would have enjoyed it much more if the book would have been shorter and more concise with the storyline. However, if you are looking for a summer read that is easy to pick up and put down, this could be a good addition to your rotation.

The premise for this fake-dating rom com intrigued me but ultimately fell a little flat (plus I really hate the miscommunication trope, although this was less miscommunication and more just awful communication?). I’m also very confused about the sister’s motivations and didn’t like how it felt like her sister had died solely as a plot device to further the miscommunication subplot? The chemistry was also meh to be honest. 2.5 stars, rounded up to 3. Ultimately a forgettable read, though I’d try another by this author.

Pub Date: 8/13/24
Review Published: 5/19/25
eARC provided at no cost by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Emma Lord book are fun and always have a great story so I was excited to read her latest work. Fake dating and friends to lovers are both such fun tropes. Unfortunately this book left me disappointed due to slow pace and not feeling the chemistry between the two main characters.

Like everything else I’ve ever read from Emma Lord, I loved this so much.

Thank you to the publisher for my ARCs of this book; all opinions are my own.

The Break-Up Pact follows two individuals who were best friends in high school, moved apart, moved on, but then both suffered very public breakups that led them back together. Meet: The Break-Up Pact.

I loved this second chance romance coupled with the fake dating that led them back together. June and Levi were so fun and so real, Emma really outdid herself with this one.

This is Emma Lord's first foray into contemporary romance (adult) and she killed it! This story was so much more than a romance. She dealt with grief, complex familial and friend relationships and the world of online news/TikTok. It was a miscommunication (done in a not-annoying way), slow burn, second chance romance - which I'm learning is a trope I really enjoy and I loved the setting Tea Tide, June's little scone and tea shop by the ocean. This book made me cry and feel all the feelings. LOVED it!

DNF REVIEW • My track record with Emma Lord books has been a little hit-or-miss, but I was thrilled when it was announced that she was coming out with an adult novel. I have mostly outgrown the young adult contemporary genre, which is the reason I’d skipped Lord’s last few releases. Unfortunately, this one was a miss for me, too. And I’m so sad to say it! I love the fake dating trope but don’t typically enjoy second-chance romances, and I really struggled with the fact this one was based on a miscommunication that leads to 10 years of not speaking to one another. Additionally, the fact that they were fake dating with the goal of making his ex-girlfriend jealous was just a frustrating situation all around. The characters are adults but in many ways felt like teenagers to be based on their behavior, and it was difficult to get invested in them because of it. When I realized I was not rooting for the couple to get together, I decided to call it quits on the book.

Sadly, this was a DNF. I got maybe 15% into it before I gave up. I love Emma Lord, but I could not get invested in these characters.

I loved the characters in The Break-Up Pact - both the main characters and the side ones. I also loved the setting of a shop right on the boardwalk. The crazy scone flavors throughout the story were delightful too. While, the cover of this book screams beach read, there were some heavier themes of grief and loss. Even though I’m not a fan of the miscommunication trope, I did enjoy this book overall.