After two very public and viral break ups Levi and June, two ex-best friends, decide to fake date to ease their humiliation and not come off as total losers. This is a coming of age, second chance romance served up to us in a fake dating present. If you have read any of my reviews you know that fake dating/marriage of convenience is my absolute favorite trope. Fake dating and second chance love. And this is a wonderful, witty addition to both those genres.

Levi a writer who has been working on his grand opus manuscript but things are not going very well there. June is a struggling owner of a tea shop - read scone shop- but things are not going ell there either. When their famous partners break up with them Levi comes back home from NY to write and he an June decide to fake date for a while. But they’ve got a history and things heat up very fast. Levi is a wonderful intense character who is honestly grappling with all the changes in his life. At least he’s trying to be honest with June while figuring out what is true about his life and his relationship with her. June is also struggling, she thinks she is struggling with her tea shop but that’s also a cover for, well, for becoming her own self. Shades of coming of age trope. It lacks, thankfully, that ‘miscommunication’ tack as they honestly communicate with each other. taken by so many miscommunication tacks taken by

There’s a small sexy, not graphic, bit for those to whom it matters. There were times when it was a slow read but it was so sweet and the characters so real and lovable that I’d give this a solid 4.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

That was the first Emma Lord book I read, and it didn't click for me.
I couldn't vibe with the characters or buy into their romance. The male lead got cheated on by his gf, but he still wanted to get back with her, saying he "understands why she did it". I mean... what? And he even ghosted the female lead one day to meet up with his ex.
Yeah, nop. This book was a big no for me.

This ranks about the same as Emma’s other books. I think her writing translates well from YA to adult fiction. Childhood best friends to lovers is a favorite of mine which made for an easy read.

There were a few things that I found myself having a hard time suspending my disbelief for though. One, I think it was hard to believe that either of these situations would ever go viral so the reasoning for the fake dating felt pretty far fetched. I also think the character growth at the end felt kind of rushed. Both Levi and June seemed to pick up the pieces of their lives and magically fix everything within a few weeks.

Overall a decent finish-in-a-weekend read.

While this book had some very cute moments, it was a little hard to get through. The beginning was VERY repetitive and overall it was one of those books that could have been MUCH shorter. There were alot of far fetched moments that I believe could have been made more believable. The book didn’t really pick up for me until about halfway through. The spicy scene is really one of the main reasons it’s getting three stars and not any less. The ending felt rushed, yet it was still satisfyingly sweet. You may like this book more than me, but it just wasn’t a favorite.

This book was an enjoyable read. I kept cheering for the characters to work out. It was a roller coaster of emotions throughout the book, but I enjoyed the read. Perfect beach read for summer!

Two of my favorite romance tropes are friends to lovers and fake dating- so I was so excited to receive this ARC that wrapped both of those tropes into one really enjoyable read!

I laughed, I cried and I couldn’t help but to dream of tasting all the flavors of the scones from Tea Tide.

Even though it may be hard to believe that two people who have been lifelong friends could both go viral for their breakups and then fall in love, it didn’t feel that way while reading. All the obstacles of navigating love in the real world were there, and I appreciated that it wasn’t so far fetched. I think that really helped me connect to the characters and the story.

This was my first Emma Lord book, but it definitely won’t be my last.

In the midst of navigating her late sister Annie's Tea Tide store after a messy break-up, June grapples with the challenges of finding her way as the shop struggles. Enter Levi, her high school crush, returning to the neighborhood right next to Tea Tide. As their unexpected moment in the headlines unfolds, they craftily scheme to leverage their newfound fame for personal gain.

This tale beautifully explores the journey of self-discovery and the importance of genuine connections. It highlights the significance of finding one's path and embracing both personal growth and meaningful relationships. Only through this process can true happiness be achieved.

Emma Lord's "The Break-Up Pact" is a heartwarming and seamlessly written story, earning a well-deserved 5/5 stars. I'll undoubtedly continue to eagerly pick up any book she pens.

First, thank you for the opportunity to read this book in advance and a space to provide feedback!

"The Break-Up Pact" was a quick and easy-to-read. If you're looking for a light read or vacation read, this book may before you. There was a few laugh-out-loud scenes that made me glad I was able to push through the slow first chapter. Perhaps it was a lack of a personal connection to the main characters or having read too many books with similar tropes, but it was just ok,

Overall, the book was cute and I'm sure many will love it. I'm hoping after taking a little break from reading stories with similar tropes, I'll be able to come back to this book and enjoy it more.

The Break-Up Pact by Emma Lord

Emma Lord did not disappoint with the story of June and Levi. These loveable characters shared light hearted humour, complimented each other well and demonstrated great communication in their relationship. I loved the fun loving, cute dynamic between them and could not put this one down. While the story line is predictable, it delivers such an adorable love story and I am all for it.

💕 Friends to lovers
💕 Soulmates
💕 Small town romance
💕 Fake dating
💕 Second chances

4.5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

*ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a super cute book about love, loss, friendship and viral reality tv moments. I really enjoyed the beach and tea shop setting and the friendship/unrequited love theme.

Always love seeing how characters take the same life event to change their life. How some people use it as motivation and others use it as the reason they are stuck. This book shows how one things can effect people differently but ultimately how people can grow together.

“The Break Up Pact” is a cute story that checks off all the boxes when it comes to a typical second chance romance book. I thought both main characters had chemistry on the page, and while the story itself is a bit far fetched (aren’t they always in these kinds of books though), I think the tie in to their history makes it a bit more believable. The banter back and forth is a bit cheesy but in the cutest way (sorry I may use that word again a few times, but it’s really the word I kept thinking of as I read this book). I liked the fact that the conflict wasn’t as dramatic, roll your eyes at the drama fight as some books have and a little more natural in terms of the breaking apart and coming together that made the characters a bit more human. I also really identified with their shared loss and how that plays a roll in their relationship.

I did not love how each ex was handled. Levi’s past relationship is left a bit too open for my liking, and I think that created a bit of confusion for me as a reader—does he want to get back together with his ex or be with June? It also drags on a bit too long and has a rather unfulfilling conclusion. Meanwhile, it would almost be better to leave Griffin out of the whole book than include their interactions. Also have to say that while I knew this book would go hard into social media, I felt like those pieces were overly shallow and silly.

However, at the end of the day, this story was still super cute. I became invested in the story quickly and kept reading late into the night because I wanted to see how these two found their way to each other. If you aren’t a fan of cheesy second chance romances, this book is definitely not for you. Lucky for me, it’s a secret pleasure of mine and “The Break Up Pact” did not disappoint!

**Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I appreciate the opportunity!**

Levi and June’s story was the perfect slow burn romance. The book was hard to put down. Best friends find their way back to each other. I loved how June had to find herself and what she wanted before she could fully give herself to Levi. I would love to know what is going through Levi’s head especially when still messaging his ex. Can’t wait to buy the hard copy.

Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for an ARC of The Break-up Pact. When childhood friends June and Liam are both publicly broken-up with they devise a plan to fake date. June will save her struggling tea shop and Levi will get his ex to realize she made a mistake. But as time passes fake dating is proving to be harder than they expected.

This was such a sweet friends-to-lovers, second chance romance. Levi and June’s love feels real and there’s definitely chemistry. If you were a fan of Happy Place, I definitely recommend checking this one out.

Unfortunately, this didn't really work for me. I'm still giving it 3 stars because I should have known that some of the things featured here (sort-of second chance and the going viral plot) probably wouldn't work for me. But I also felt like we didn't get to see why the characters have the emotional connection that they do—I overall couldn't feel their chemistry or why they moved from friends to more. It felt like their connection relied on growing up together and their shared grief, and I didn't really feel that they had more reasons to like each other. However, I think there is some good emotional depth here and I did like the overall treatment of grief and Emma Lord's prose!

I mostly enjoyed this new novel by @dilemmalord. However, I would like everyone to know that this is NOT a YA book. Emma normally writes those but this one is definitely a genre change with a very open-door romance scene.

I felt like the first half of the book was very slow. The action started ramping up and it was a quick second half.

I’ve apparently been reading a LOT of *second chance* romances and TBH, I’m here for it. I love love ♥️

This newest novel is set to release on August 13, 2024. It’s literally like a year away. But if you love Emma Lord, you’ll enjoy this one! Thanks to @netgalley @dilemmalord and @stmartinspress for the advanced copy!

Two best friends who haven't seen each other in years, pretend to date after breaking up with their significant other. sweet story.

Thank you for this ARC! This was cute a little cheesy had some emotional parts that had me sad but overall a pretty cute fluffy romance.

Unfortunately I DNF’d this book. I just couldn’t connect to it and found it boring. I typically have a 50 page rule. If I am not riveted 50 pages in then I move on. I just struggled to get through this one.

Cute, quick read! I enjoyed the characters in this - and although sometimes the plot was unrealistic [Levi and June planning her brothers wedding, a tea shop on a boardwalk, etc] I thought it was well written and enjoyed it. Going to read her other books now!