got an arc from netgalley!!!

the writing was a little slow in the beginning but got more captivating later on. it was definitely a roller coaster of emotions but the chemistry between the two was def there 😻😻. overall it was thoroughly entertaining and an easy read. i gave it a three out of five bc of the slow beginning but pretty good!!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and Emma Lord for the ARC of The Break-Up Pact!

I REALLY wanted to enjoy this book, the fake dating trope is one of my absolute favorites. I do love a quick short read but this one felt like it could've been 200 pages longer to thoroughly resolve and explain everything.

The summary says they both broke up with their exes but the FMC (June) is going viral for crying after being dumped (by her ex griffin) because she had to move home and take care of her sisters tea shop because her sister DIED and so she wasn't being "adventurous" enough for griffin (they dated for 10 years, never said I love you) and the MMC (Levi) is actually still together and fully intends to stay with his ex (Kelly) after she's done continuously cheating on him with a GQ model movie star guy after it going viral and then blaming himself.... but then he sleeps with the FMC after claiming to be in love with her since childhood (they are childhood besties who haven't spoken more than a handful of times in 10 years after all) and still isn't sure he wants to break it off with his gf so he goes back to NYC to "take care of things" and goes back to living with his ex gf where he then promptly tells said ex gf about the fake dating pact and then the FMC's ex is aware because the MMC's ex told him about the dating pact and the FMC gets humiliated AGAIN on television and she just.....goes home and forgives Levi......ok?

Sana was the saving grace of this book. I need a friend to show up at 8am with pizza and beer when I'm sad.

I needed June to get mad. I needed her to get ACTUAL revenge. Levi sucks and June deserved so much better.

There's something about a childhood best friends to lovers that makes me so giddy I want to kick my feet and squeal.

I think this is the perfect cute, low-stakes, summer beach read. Also, June and Levi are amazing MC names, so bonus points just for that.

The Break Up Pact is a cute, second chance at love story, however, I feel that this book fell short in many ways. The storyline unfolds in an unnecessarily drawn out manner, resulting in a boring plot with an anticlimactic ending. I think that if you’re drawing out a storyline, make the ending worthwhile.

The misunderstanding trope that echoes is more of a middle school romcom rather than a story about mature adults. Which made it difficult to connect to the characters & to truly immerse myself in the story.

Emma Lord is a new author to me, but definitely one I will add to my comfort reads. The Break-Up Pact may not be revolutionary in its cliches of friends to enemies to lovers format, but there is something to be said about a well written romantic comedy. From the back blurb, I knew that June and Levi were going to be a cute pair that weren't quite done with each other yet despite their separation over the years. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words but when it becomes fodder for the masses that word count definitely rises; hence, the two decide to "pretend," but neither is ready for the catch-feelings.
As I have stated, it is one giant cliche after another in this cutesy rom com. But cliches are a thing for a reason and I love me a good romantic comedy trope. While I wasn't expecting much, this story still gave me laugh-aloud moments and warm tingles from the communication between June and Levi. Due to this easy-to-read gem, I have decided to add Lord to my feel good reads. Perfect book to read by the poolside or at the beach. I'd say a solid 3.5 stars.
** I received this ARC from NetGalley for an unbiased review.**

ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨 » ★★★★★

I loved this book for all of the genuine banter, close friendships, heartache, karma for scummy exes, brilliantly themed scores, and all the perfect romantic drama that it is!

There’s a typical rom-com banter and then there’s June and Levi. Their connection was so genuine, I felt like I was in the same room and could feel their deep love for one another.

My heart ached every time June’s sister/Levi’s best friend is talked about, but it was a perfect touch to their story.

This was the second book by Emma Lord that I've read and sadly, this one was not a favorite.
I was looking forward to reading this one, as the first book of hers that I read was entertaining and well written. However, this one was lacking something. Parts felt very repetitive, but then at the same time the story felt rushed. The characters weren't bad, I liked Levi for the most part and even some side characters, but June annoyed me a little. I had a hard time connecting with her and I think that was another reason I wasn't feeling the story.
The writing itself was ok, I never felt lost and I like Emma's style, she has a descriptive way of writing that I appreciate because I feel like I can visualize the scenes clearly. It was just this particular storyline that fell flat for me. I lost interest quickly and almost DNF'd the book, but wanted to give it a fair shot and as mentioned, I like Emma's descriptive style of writing and I did enjoy the occasional banter between the characters. Overall I wouldn't say this was a bad read, it was cute and the characters got the HEA you'd expect from a quick romance read. I just wish there was a little more, maybe less discussing the past and more focus on building the reconnection that was happening between Levi and June.

I want to start by saying I really enjoyed Emma Lord’s YA novel, Tweet Cute. It was adorable. I also enjoyed her new adult book, Begin Again (just not as much as Tweet Cute). Her adult book, The Break-up Pact, was not a win for me.

First, here’s what I liked. The setting was great. Who doesn’t enjoy a good tea shop on a beach? The sub genre - friends to lovers - was one of my favourites in romance. The side characters were delightful.

Here’s what I didn’t like….the main characters June and Levi. To be fair, I liked Levi way more than June, but that may be because we only read the story from June’s perspective. I’ll try to avoid spoilers as I share some of my issues with these characters.

Here’s what I’d say to them if they were real people.
1. They cheated on you and humiliated you! You don’t have vows or children that encourage you to try to make things work, so get them out of your lives and don’t let them try to weasel back.
2. On that same note, if you’re willing to show grace or give second chances to someone who betrays you in one of the most crushing ways, then you darn well will do the same for someone who truly loves you.
3. Quit being so self absorbed.
4. You are surrounded by people who love you. Stop blocking them from your life and let them in. Be a true friend/lover/sibling.
5. Stop complaining about your troubles if you’re not going to try and do something about them.
6. When someone gives you much needed advice on how to succeed in your job, listen to what they’re saying and give their suggestions a try if the ideas are worthwhile.
7. Stop using your dead sister/friend as your excuse. Take ownership of your life and your decisions.

Another thing that bothered me about this story is that one of the main characters didn’t show potential growth or have their eureka moment until the story was almost done. Because the awareness didn’t slowly evolve throughout the story, it was hard to believe that any real change was made.

Although I didn’t enjoy this book, I know many others who will.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I just reviewed The Break-Up Pact by Emma Lord. #NetGalley

Incredibly poetic. Told from June's point of view and through the lens of her renewed relationship with Levi, this novel embraces the slow tides of dealing with a past that shapes her future with all the joy, grief, and self-reflection that happens along the way. While I would recommend this book to others, the pacing was far too slow for me to become truly engrossed in the book the way I prefer. Despite this, it was clearly well written and I believe most who pick it up will enjoy it.

Any book by Emma Lord is always going to be a hit in my opinion. She never fails to write a sweet romance, and The Break-Up Pact is no different.

When they were younger, June and Levi were inseparable, but after an awkward confrontation as teens, they haven’t been the same. Not enemies, or strangers, but more so acquaintances, with a cursory “Happy Birthday” or brief check in. However, after both June and Levi are publicly, humiliatingly, dumped they reconnect. While nothing happens, a photo is shared online, and the two decide to take advantage of all the attention they’re receiving; June could use the business at her failing business, and Levi is hoping to make his ex-girlfriend jealous so she’ll want him again. Instead, old feelings resurface, and things don’t feel so fake anymore.

A cute romance, with a spicy scene in the middle, that will give you happy endings for all plus a craving for a scone.

The Break Up Pact
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was so cute, such a feel good read. When June and Levi become the Revenge Exes, it is apparent of their natural pull to one another, except them!! Each glance and interaction was so obvious I just want to shake and scream at them to get together already. Their races, cake tasting, DJ hunting, and the ORANGE SLICE. It’s a slow burn for sure.

Now, it starts off SLOW. I was a bit frustrated with June not confronting Levi head on and just hopping into this fake dating scheme while she’s rightfully angry with him, wasn’t a good way to start their friendship again. And the whole Kelly situation was ugh. In the beginning, it seemed like Levi wanted to have all the cake and eat it too, but towards the end I became more empathetic about how difficult change was for him, as he’s done everything according to this 10 year plan.

Overall, a lovely read and I really enjoyed the take on their relationship, as it reflects a real adult relationship with realistic communication and to the uncertainty of moving forward with a partner. SHE is the story, he wrote about the people she loves for her 😭

June and her childhood best friend embark on a fake dating adventure in order to minimize their embarrassment after both of them became memes. The premise was very interesting and explored how social media is changing our behaviors. However, I found most of the plot very ridiculous (a restaurant is too busy so the landlord is upset?!)I. found June's character resistant to growth, which made it challenging to connect with her. June also was not fully honest with Levi and her friends, which frustrated me. Levi was very ambivalent about most things.
I enjoyed the friendship between Sarna and June! Sarna was my favorite aspect of the book.
Overall, I could not connect with the main characters and it felt like a chore to finish the book. June and Levi kept making the same mistakes over and over and their motivation was not fully explained.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the chance to read an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Any book by Emma Lord is always going to be a hit in my opinion. She never fails to write a sweet romance, and The Break-Up Pact is no different.

When they were younger, June and Levi were inseparable, but after an awkward confrontation as teens, they haven’t been the same. Not enemies, or strangers, but more so acquaintances, with a cursory “Happy Birthday” or brief check in. However, after both June and Levi are publicly, humiliatingly, dumped they reconnect. While nothing happens, a photo is shared online, and the two decide to take advantage of all the attention they’re receiving; June could use the business at her failing business, and Levi is hoping to make his ex-girlfriend jealous so she’ll want him again. Instead, old feelings resurface, and things don’t feel so fake anymore.

A cute romance, with a spicy scene in the middle, that will give you happy endings for all plus a craving for a scone.

The Break-Up Pact by Emma Lord: 3 stars


I’ve loved all of Emma Lord’s YA books that I’ve read, so I was very excited for an adult fiction novel. And while I enjoyed it, I think they should’ve trimmed quite a bit of length from this novel. It felt like it dragged several times throughout and went into too much detail. With that being said, I still enjoyed the story and will still continue to read anything Emma Lord writes.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the digital ARC.

Emma Lord is the queen of cozy romance YA stories and this just proves it! This story was so sweet and funny! The FMC ran an ocean front tea/scone shop and I wish I could try one of those scones in real life, they sounded delicious!

The romance between the two main characters was such a sweet second-chance story and I was just rooting for them from the beginning.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for my digital ARC!

First off, thank you Emma Lord and St. Martin’s Griffin for the opportunity for the eARC. The cutesy cover sucked me in and I’m glad it did. This was a cute story about a tea shop owner and a writer working through past feelings and current break ups. The main male, Levi, occasionally bothered me with his indecision BUT I still liked the story enough to keep reading. If I could change one thing, it had a few slow moments that could have been cut out. Overall, if you’re looking for a romance with a HEA, give this one a chance.

Thanks to Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press for the advance copy of The Break-up Pact by Emma Lord.

The Break-up Pact is a second chance, fake dating romance between childhood friends who have a falling out in early adulthood.. The story takes place in a small town where June and Levi meet again after both are thrown into internet fame when their respective exes break-up with them in very public ways. This is a slow burn romance that builds immense tension between the protagonist June and Levi.

In addition to the romance, this story has themes of grief and self-discovery.

This is a great read for those who enjoyed In Five Years by Rebecca Serle.

As a second chance romance and fake dating romance trope fan obviously i had to read it as soon as i saw it! And i am glad that i did. I really enjoyed this book. I loved the characters and their romance!! But did i wish that we got more romance? More indepth? Definitely yes. However, still i had a great time reading this book!

Emma Lord is a new author to me and her latest book “The Break Up Pact” ticked all of my boxes for the perfect romance. Second chance romance? Check. Fake dating? Check. Delicious food? Check. Excellent start.

I enjoyed the protagonist, June, although I found her character somewhat inconsistent. I definitely rooted for her, although I also found myself wishing she would just lose it, yell, scream, have a little breakdown. Maybe I am more wired for drama, but she seemed to take everything on the chin, and I found her calm approach to conflict somewhat disconcerting.

I also enjoyed Levi, however, I felt that I never really got to know him as well as I would’ve liked. We never got deep into his goals or feelings about his future. Hearing about his writing, his process, his stumbling blocks, was lovely, but made me yearn for more detail. He never felt quite real to me.

I did love the way June and Levi treated each other throughout the book. Despite their tumultuous history, their interactions remained calm, respectful, and for the most part drama free. When they were hot, they were hot. They seemed to truly like each other before admitting to loving each other, which seemed like a recipe for long term success.

The beginning of the book was a little slow for me but the tension in the middle of the book ratchets up nicely. The resolutions to the conflicts are believable, although again I felt somewhat quiet considering how momentous they were. Nevertheless, “The Break Up Pact” was a solid three star read for me.

Thanks to Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

‘The Break-Up Pact’ by Emma Lord is a super quick and fun book, perfect for a pick-up while lazing on the beach in the summer. I rated the book 3 out of 5 stars.

The book follows June and Levi who were childhood best friends but slowly drifted apart when they grew older and their reconnection and love story through grief. The friends-to-lovers trope is one of my favorites of all-time and this one did not disappoint.

June and Levi’s love was sweet and heartwarming. Levi knew June like the back of his hand and June was so patient with him. The writing in this book was great and allowed for the deep trust and love the had for each through the years to be conveyed convincingly to the me as the reader. The highlight of this book was easily the healthy communication between the two which made me like them that much more.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this e-ARC.