I’m a sucker for a fake dating trope! The plot moved a bit slowly for my liking but there were plot points that I didn’t see coming which I appreciated.

This book wasn't for me. I just couldn't get into it; it felt more like a task than a pleasurable read. It had its cute, romcom charm, with decent writing, but somehow, it wasn't enough. There were a few reasons behind that.

First of all, let's introduce you to the plot. June and Levi, distant for a decade, fake a relationship after their viral break-ups. With the internet convinced, they dive into some fake dates to save June's tea shop and teach Levi's ex a lesson.

Yes, teach Levi's ex a lesson. My first issue with this book was definitely Levi and his somewhat obsessive attitude towards his ex, who cheated on him. He felt a sense of responsibility for it, saying things like:

Thanks NetGalley for this arc!

This was a decent enough read. I found myself interested at first, but then skimming through most of it because it just seemed repetitive in that the characters were in the same back-and-forth limbo for the majority of the book. Levi's character never quite fit with me because I just kept waiting for him to...take some accountability, make some hard decisions and stop waffling while on the flip side, I did feel like June was doing what she had to do to survive, to get through. It just didn't seem like there was much growth there, not to mention a lot of depth to either character.

My favorite character had to be Sana who seemed like such a strong, independent, powerful go-getter and I'd honestly read a part 2 that specifically focused on her.

It took me a little bit to get into this book but once I got past the beginning I enjoyed it. I like the friends to lovers aspect of the story. The whole does he feel the same way situation was fun to read.

I wanted to like this book but it fell flat for me. I am a seasonal reader so I may have liked it more if I read it during the summer. I think it's the perfect beach read.

Thank you netgalley for this ARC.

This book would make an amazing movie. The basic gist is 2 old best friends get dumped in a horrible manner. They then plot their comeback by pretending to date each other to get back their significant others. Little do they know there are still feelings from their past that they must work through.

I loved this book. The characters were lovable and funny.

I adore Emma Lord and grabbed this up without reading the blurb, so it was a pleasant surprise that this was adult! The voice felt a little young for their ages, but I rolled with it.

The Break-Up Pact gives us a second chance romance with teenage best friends Levi & June, who share grief over the loss of her sister/his friend. They're navigating the aftermath of that and dealing with virally public breakups, when spotted together and launched into a fake dating plan to help with June's struggling shop and Levi's ex situation.

As always, Lord provides an emotionally rich story, unique baked goods, and swoon worthy moments.

3.25 out of 5. It was a little too predictable and perfect. Sweet and easy to read, but it lacked in either substance or inventiveness to be rated a bit higher. Very Hallmark Movie like (which for me its a good thing) I think the level of turmoil at the beginning was a bit much like rally all of this happened in the same week. But suspending my disbelief which I was happy to do for the great opportunity of good romance, it all just kind of flowed too smoothly afterwards. I was loving the story and yet also wanted it to end. This in between state means its in between in my ranking and appreciation. I did appreciate the character development June goes through and how the both help each other figure out their next steps and how to go forward after heartache, that might have been my favorite part.

okay i got about halfway through this book and decided to dnf it. there is nothing inherently wrong with this book, i just simply don't care AT ALL about june or levi. this book started and just threw you into the story of these main characters with ZERO exposition. how am i supposed to enjoy and connect with a second chance romance if you give me nothing. i have been a little distracted too while reading this book so that definitely didn't help with my confusion at the beginning of the story but it was too much for me and i am just not gonna read any further because i don't have to. hopefully june and levi have a good life and hopefully june realizes what the fuck she wants to do instated of trying to be her dead sister and run her business, oh and hopefully levi publishes that fantasy book or whatever the hell he was doing...

writing this review made me realize i apparently disliked the first 52% more than i thought i did...

The Break-Up Pact by Emma Lord was adorable! This was a fun, quick, enjoyable book. I loved the second chance romance type of aspect in this rom-com. The story is fast paced, has some heart and depth. I would recommend this as the most perfect beach read!

Friends to lovers, fake dating,cute,&easy read.
A good read overall, was just missing some spice for me.

👉🏼 I’m always here for a feel good romance.

•very slow burn•

I genuinely enjoyed this book so much. I will be honest, I love a good romance but typically find them fairly predictable with less depth to the characters. While I had a good inclination of where this book was headed from the start the character/plot development was such a pleasant surprise! I truly enjoyed these characters, flaws and all, and found myself so invested in their stories. I was so lucky to get this book through NetGalley and am already looking forward to reading more from this author!

This novel was an absolute delight! I thought Emma Lord did a fantastic job making the characters lovable and dynamic. The break up pact was not only a love story, but also held space for friendships and grief in a beautiful way. This book felt like a perfect beach read. I would definitely recommend this book!

Emma Lord always knows how to swoon-worthy characters that make you feel good. This heartfelt second chance romance is perfect for readers dreaming of an early summer.

June is a woman in her twenties from a small, beachside town where she has taken over her sister’s struggling tea shop/bakery after her sudden passing. She has been dubbed “the crying girl” after being blind sided and duped by her ex on a reality show. Coincidentally at the same time, her childhood friend and crush Levi was also publicly cheated on by his fiancée with a movie star. This leads Levi to coming back home and running into June. After cute pictures of their reunion surface on social media and being dubbed “revenge exes” they decide it would be mutually beneficial to fake date. June needs money and traffic to her shop, while Levi wants to win his ex back.

We get to follow June and Levi through their fake dating journey as they go on dates and support each others endeavors. The author touches on the grief each character feels towards June’s sister passing through both June and Levi, as Levi was her sisters best friend. As time progresses, old feelings start to resurface and they have to decide how to move forward but things are never as easy as they seem.

This book just made me smile. It was so light, cute and I didn’t want to put it down. 🥹 The way the author writes makes you feel like you’re in the story. It is so easy to imagine the places and people that she describes. Not to mention the scream poetry bit was absolutely hilarious. I will definitely be reading more from this author.

Tropes:
↠ Fake dating
↠ Childhood friends to lovers
↠ Second chance romance

I <i>really</i> wanted to like this, but it fell flat for me. It follows former best friends June and Levi as they reconnect after years apart, and the shared history took over the book. While there's certainly a lot of action happening in the present, it keeps getting bogged down by June's explanations of how she used to feel about Levi and if she can allow herself to feel that way again, which is frankly quite boring. The book starts with the assumption that <spoiler>these two are already perfect for each other</spoiler>, and I don't buy it! There's no time to allow the relationship or the characters to truly develop in a meaningful way. The most fully realized character in the book was June's sister, and she's not even present for the story.

This would work for someone who doesn't mind second chance romance (though I think that's a stretch because they have a limited history in high school), or someone who is more willing to sink into the world of the book without necessarily looking for a strong romance payoff.

Thank you to the publisher for the review copy!

This book made me laugh, snort and cry all in the same sitting. I loved the overall themes of waiting someone to be happy unconditionally, not living in the past, and getting what you WANT and deserve.

If i could “fix” anything in this book, it would only be to make it a duel POV. Like seriously Levi, i need you to explain yourself and your relationship with Kelly.

Tropes covered:
- Second Chance
- Childhood besties
- Fake dating


Thank you NetGalley & St. Martin's Press for this advance E-copy <3

I really liked the idea behind this book, it seemed to have it all, fake dating, friends to lovers, childhood crushes, but I wished there was more depth to the Main characters’ interactions. Overall I thought it was cute fun book.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for a review.

This book is practically a resident of trope jail. The main characters' interpersonal conflicts mostly stem from a decade-long miscommunication, and they barely scratch the surface of addressing them. Instead, they dance around their feelings and dodge direct conversations while constantly lamenting their undeniable attraction and deep connection. As a love story between June and Levi, I’m just not buying it.

HOWEVER,

The subplot focusing on June's journey through grief over losing Annie and grappling with her guilt for not being there to support their shared dream is incredibly moving. Witnessing June's evolution as she learns to accept loss and rebuild her life without her sister is truly inspiring. I found her journey of accepting support from her community and family, while letting go of her self-imposed burden of doing it alone, incredibly powerful. The book's true strength lies in its portrayal of familial and sisterly love.

This book follows June and Levi. They were friends in highschool and now, a couple years later they reunite after their public break-ups hit the internet. When a photograph makes the internet think they are a couple, they engage in a pact to fake date. But during that journey they end up falling in love again.

Something I want to address before this review begins is that, in my opinion Levi and June jumped into the fake dating way too quickly. It took barely no convincing, he was just like “let’s do it”. Also I don’t like the reason they started fake dating in the first place (especially on Levi’s part)

Onto the review

Something that was really getting on my nerves was the miscommunication. For example, Levi and June were friends in high school and then they drifted apart right so we’re all wondering why didn’t they talk for that long and when it was revealed turns out it was just miscommunication 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️ That really annoys me.

Levi and June were really back and forth, it was quite annoying.

Characters
June : she was getting on my nerves a little but I could relate to her sometimes.

Levi : In all honestly, I really disliked him in the beginning because he kept defending and excusing the fact that his ex cheated on him? That is not okay. But he grew on me, he’s definitely the more mature one in the relationship.

I really enjoyed the side characters like Sana and Dylan.

Thank you to netgalley and st martins press for providing me with an arc of this book in exchange of an honest review.