Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC. Below are my honest thoughts on this book.

The Break Up Pact tells the story of June and Levi, friends in high school, whose respective breakups were both plastered all over social media (for different reasons). When a photograph makes the internet think they’re a couple they decide to play that up for mutual benefit. This brings back the feelings that Levi and June had for each other when they were teenagers, and their relationship develops from there.

Friends to lovers is always such a feel good trope for me. It feels cozy, and add that this story is set in a beach town, just adds to my cozy vibes.

Unfortunately I had difficulty connecting with June, which always makes it difficulty for me to get into a book. From the beginning of the book June just got on my nerves. I found her to be very judgy… not my cup of tea.

Slow burns? Also not my cup of tea.

While I didn’t love this book, the writing was still enjoyable, and I loved the cozy vibes. This experience with this book would not stop me from reading something by this author in the future.

Such a wonderful, delightful read!!

1st person, single POV. Friends to strangers to friends to lovers. Fake dating. Revenge plot line. Previous crushes/pining on both sides. Slow burn. Swoony MMC. Competent FMC. Open door. MMC is a writer. NOT second chance because they were never together to begin with.

I’ve read two Emma Lord YA novels previously and I didn’t love her writing style. It was very dense and heavy, with emphasis on Contemporary instead of Romance. It was like if Women’s Fiction was a thing in YA, it had that style of writing. And I didn’t love it in YA.

But then it worked so so well for this one. Heavy with exposition, but I'd still stay it's very firmly Romance.

I requested it to see if I’d like her better as an Adult writer and oh my god guys I do.

This was a book I could tell within two chapters I was going to just love. I wanted to draw out my reading and linger in the story with the characters but at the same time devour the story. It just beautiful writing, a beautiful story, and beautifully realistic characters.

Levi was so refreshing as an MMC because he was a little on the shy and reserved side, and I guess I just don’t read a lot of those. He felt more realistic than fictitious. And I love a realistic pining MMC.

June is competent though struggling with moving on in her grief. Her sister’s death isn’t super recent, but the cafe she runs was her sister’s baby, basically, and a lot of her character development comes from reconciling moving on with the past.

Technically there is not a third act break up as the couple doesn’t break up. FMC needs a little space and time, and MMC is more than willing to wait around for her. The time and space doesn’t take long—she just has to reconcile her anger at the past and her tea shop issues, and she does very quickly.

My only complaint is, just once in a fake dating for revenge story, can we NOT tell the exes?! Can the couple just get their HEA and the exes are just bitter in their corner? Especially because this one really blew up.

I’m actually really shocked by the low reviews on GR, and I can’t help but think that’s because of so many YA readers, because that’s where Lord got her start, picking this one up. You should absolutely ignore them and pick it up yourself. A captivating and engaging read that you'll want to linger in.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Quote to get you intrigued: The loose strand falls out from behind my ear again. This time Levi is the one who reaches out, the tips of his fingers skimming my forehead, grazing my ear as he tucks the strand back. “You know you’ve always got me, right?” he says. “I know things weren’t great between us, and I’ll regret that forever. But if you ever need me. No matter what. You’ve always got me.”

Triggers: death of sister prior to story but heavily mentioned

3.5 stars I previously DNF'd this book but since then I went back and finished it. Ultimately it was an okay read, Where the book fell flat for me was the way the main characters June and Levi handled their relationship, Levi especially. I just wasn't a big fan of both of them which made it harder to connect with the romance aspect. It was also incredibly messy at some points. It did however have a very cheesy hallmark charm to it.


Thank you to Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

I'm starting to realize I don't love the romance stories revolved around a plot that something goes "viral". Maybe its something about the word TikTok being in a book that doesn't do it for me. I couldn't connect with the characters but I did love the best friend Sana, I'd read her story.

I must start by saying this book had a good story and gave me a few laughs.
This is a cute story about fake dating between old friends who became strained and got in contact again after a few years.
It was okay overall but it took me a while to sort everything out. The story had so much going on between breakups, wedding planning, family death, managing a business, etc that it got me a little lost in the beginning! But still this was a quick read.
Thank you NetGalley and St.Martin’s press for providing me this ARC in exchange for my honest review

I really enjoyed the premise of this novel and everything that it represented, as well as the fact one of my favorite authors was diving into the adult novel world, so I was overjoyed to get the opportunity to read an advance copy. And this is definitely an open door adult novel.

It follows June and Levi as they enter into a fake dating/ second chance romance with a little bit of baking and best man/maid of honor shenanigans thrown in. This is a great beach read, with lots of fun elements that I thoroughly enjoyed

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.