This is going to be the beach read of the summer!

Yes, it's a romance novel, but it also goes so much deeper than that. It's a story of grief and healing, the complexities of friendship, and the ramifications of dating under the volatile microscope of modern day social media.

In Benson Beach, June is fresh off a very public breakup with ex Griffin, struggling to keep her late sister Annie’s local tea shop in business. Cue entry of childhood best friend/former crush/now estranged acquaintance Levi- a writer turned finance guy in an unfortunate turn of circumstance. It’s clear that June, her brother Dylan, Annie, and Levi have an extensive and complicated history, but it’s a history we have to work for as we tear through the story at a pace that’s just speedy enough to make us keep wanting to read one more chapter.

The writing is full of vivid imagery that not only helps us understand the characters emotions but completely exposes them. It oscillates between funny, dramatic, and heartbreaking in perfect harmony. It's captivating and heartwarming. While the resolutions may have been predictable, this story is more about the journey to the destination.

4 Stars: Thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend!
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was so excited to read Emma Lord's new book. I was not disappointed, The Break Up Pact was such a fun, great read! What a fun premise with likable characters that you root for. They were both relatable and I was invested in learning more about them. Levi and June had such great chemistry. Thank you for the chance to read this early, I will reading again when this book comes out later this year!

thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

this book comes after june and levi, best friends growing up until they weren’t, both face public and humiliating breakups. they reconnect at their hometown and, to get back at their exes, make a fake dating pact.

i honestly enjoyed this a lot more than i thought i was going to despite the lower review! i’ve been not really in my romance era, so i was worried going into this that i wouldn’t like it. but i really enjoyed the main characters a lot. i found both of them extremely relatable and the whole viral breakup plot honestly entertaining. the book itself was a very easy beach read style and i finished it really quickly.

my struggles were that the timeline seemed rushed and im not the biggest fan of a miscommunication trope — any book with that i genuinely don’t gravitate towards. as a reader, i just get mad at the characters when the solution could’ve been worked out years ago, like why can’t yall just talk to each other?? its hard to sit by seeing that lolol.

The Break-Up Pact is a childhood friends to strangers to fake dating story. It follows June and Levi who reconnect and fake date to gather attention after their significant others break up with them.

I usually am all for the unrealistic stories, but this one was a little too unrealistic for me. Levi’s girlfriend was a real estate agent who left him for a movie star. It didn’t really make sense to me why the internet would care about a random real estate agents ex. Maybe if she was the movie star? Junes story did make a little more sense, with her being publicly humiliated online and going viral.

Overall, I thought the story was cute but it was missing that strong chemistry that draws you in. There were only a few moments where I thought “oh that was cute” but mostly it seemed like the characters would say one thing but do something completely different that was counterintuitive to what they said. They really didn’t have that chemistry or heat that would make a reader root for them. I also felt at times the way they talked about June’s sister that she was not nice to them? The scenes went back and forth between her sister being stubborn and always getting her way, and then talking about her in reverence. It got a little confusing.

Overall is was a cute read just maybe not what I was expecting.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the ARC of this book!

Personally I’m not a huge fan of the “fake relationship” trope in romance but I figured I’d still read with an open mind. My main issue wound up not being with the trope but with the lack of development on the sisters death in terms of how it impacted character motivation throughout the book. Unfortunately it felt very surface level where it could have brought some deeper themes behind the romance.

Overall, the characters were likable and it was an easy read, I just needed to see a little bit more depth in the two main characters to give it a higher rating. I love romance when it gives a unique twist to the characters, but they felt very much in line with typical archetypes.

3/5 for feeling too much like other books in the genre.

The Break-Up Pact by Emma Lord gets a solid 4 out of 5 stars from me. Maybe even a 4.5. The year is young, I have little to compare it to!

I did tear through this, it was enjoyable and easy to get lost in which I always love in a book. I enjoyed all the tropes, fake dating and friends to lovers, some forced proximity in there, it’s got the good stuff!

The characters were solid. I like seeing relatable people who are a little more broken than they realize coming to terms with their own growth. As much as I love a villain story I also just really like to read about people who feel like me. June and Levi had that going on.

As for our side characters Sana, June’s best friend is snarky and lively. I like that she was fiercely protective but also willing to call June on her bullshit, as any best friend should. Dylan and Mateo added a nice foil for June and Levi, honestly let’s have more about Mateo’s sweater vests, I’m here for it.

Pacing, length, and overall arc were great. I didn’t have any complaints about the book itself and kind of an odd observation from an English nerd, I found very few errors which is less common than you might think in an eARC so gold stars all around!

Super cute romantic comedy with a few twists to keep it from being predictable! You are rooting for them that whole way through!

I thought the premise for this book was cute. I love a ‘fake dating leads to falling in love” trope whole heartedly! This was a cute story that had a good amount of funny parts so I definitely classify it as a romcom. Unfortunately the MC’s Levi and June, especially Levi, were rather off putting to me, Levi’s ex cheated on him and at one point he basically takes on the responsibility of it while saying he wasn’t making excuses for it. But you pretty much are buddy! I’m a firm “Know your worth” or “learn your worth” and “don’t settle for less” flag waver. So for Levi to spend so much effort hoping to reconcile with the cheating ex and win her back, and to basically push June off to the side was hard for me to read. Especially after the point of Levi and June being intimate. I wanted to shake June and tell her. “NO!” Other than these things I had a good time reading this

I received an Advanced Readers. Copy of this book from NetGalley. This review is honest, unbiased, and completely my own.

First book I've ever read that makes running sound both sexy and romantic.

This book was filled with so much personal growth for both June & Levi and complicated emotions around grief, friendship, and growing up. I loved the way their relationship blossoms slowly. The secondary characters were also a lot of fun, especially Sana, June's best friend.

My only complaint is really how quickly Levi goes from officially breaking up with Kelly to immediately jumping into bed with June and saying he wants them to be together.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my unbiased opinions!

Although I liked the main characters June and Levi, I felt like the book was too wordy and slow at times. It also had some strange ex relationship issues that come up towards the end of the book. Overall I liked the main idea of the book, just not a huge fan of how some of it played out in the end.

Thanks NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC!

As a lover of the childhood friends to lovers trope I really thought I would enjoy this. However, I just truly could not find myself to care about this story or it’s characters. It’s also so unclear why both June and Levi’s breakups between their partners both went viral or why so many people apparently cared about them or why they were “famous.” Some people might vibe with this book but it was a miss for me.

I really wanted to love this book as I am a huge fan of Emma Lord but I didn't love these characters and apparently second chance romance just isn't for me. Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion

Emma Lord has made her way out of YA and it did not disappoint! I loved these characters and I loved the setting. I loved that there was a serious aspect, where the main characters are dealing with a deep grief; this added a depth that is sometimes missing in rom-coms. However, there were some other parts that felt just a little bit too drawn out, but it did not really take away from the overall experience for me. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this novel!

I had the opportunity to review The Break-Up Pact by Emma Lord. This is a childhood friends to lovers, rom-com story about Levi and June. They have both just went through public breakups and come up with a plan to try and make their exes jealous. The two main characters have a history and they realize they have stronger feelings for each other.

The story is cute There are a lot of cultural references that sometimes overshadow some of the plot. I did like the relationship between the FMC and her best friend Sana. Levi and June had a lot of baggage and sometimes it was drug out a little too much and not a lot of conversation. I liked the story but it could be better.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a fun, cute romance with many funny moments yet many deeper moments. I liked that it wasn't the typical quick typical predictable book, While it does have a HEA it takes a more realistic road to get there. Well written with nicely developed characters. Highly recommend.

Thank you Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

Yo say I loved this book is an understatement. I adored this book, from the first word to the last. Levi and June are both imperfectly perfect. I loved the first person POV from June. She was strong, introspective, self aware, emotional, supportive and funny.

Levi was shy and lonely, but strong in that although it took him time to get to where he had to be, once he was there is didn't waiver.

Their relationship and chemistry was organic and pure, and I never hesitated to believe in their love and connection. I also loved how June's relationship with Annie was described - the grief, love and unsaid feelings.

The author's writing style was poetic, heartbreaking and uplifting and beautiful.

I'd read this book again, and am now an Emma Lord fan.

Can I please visit Tea Tide? Because it sounds like a total vibe.

This book had me feeling all the emotions. Grief, joy, love, melancholy…it ran the gamut. I love the entire crew of June, Sana, Dylan, Mateo and Levi. Seeing June realize she’s surrounded by so many people who love her and finally accepting it was so satisfying.

The brilliance of Sana helping June and Levi traverse their journey as Revenge Exes while also kind of pulling the strings to make magic happen was perfect.

I’m so grateful to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for this advanced copy!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this early ARC. I thought I was reading Emma Lord's winter release but when I opened this book up I realized quickly that this is a hot summer romance. I loved the plot on this one- it is tropey and beachy in the best possible way. It had some Emily Henry vibes, but with all the sweet charm of an Emma Lord book. Highly recommended as summer reading, preferably after a run on the sand and sitting on a blanket by the shore!

Single POV
Childhood/teen friends > strangers > lovers
Small town
Internet sensations
Fake dating
Slow burn

When two childhood/teenage best friends drift apart after one sided romantic feelings develop, simultaneously have very public breakups nearly a decade later — both being cheated on and dumped, they find themselves back in their hometown figuring out what’s next for their relationships, their careers, themselves, and for each other while navigating grief and the guilt and anger that comes with it. June and Levi love to run. They’ve run from each other and their problems, and Emma Lord writes a manual on how to stop running from one another, but instead running through life and its obstacles together.

I am a sucker for saving the family business/the business dream of someone who passed. Two years in to the Hart sisters dream of owning a small tea shop in their beach town, the oldest sister Annie passes away. World traveling and adventure seeker June moves back home to take ownership of the shop, leading to her boyfriend of 10 years to publicly humiliate her on reality TV. I found it relatable how June needs friendship before intimacy. Gotta have that built in trust and deeper connection.

Enter Levi: best friend of the Hart siblings. Original crush of June. Rival of Griffin (June’s ex who dumped her on reality TV). Levi’s brain is wired to be in storyteller mode, or drafting up stories. He puts that dream aside for financial stability and becomes a tried and true NYC finance bro.

June and Levi easily fall back into step as if they haven’t spent nearly a decade not speaking to another. Levi remained close with June’s siblings, Annie and Dylan, but a miscommunication before leaving for college broke June’s heart and pushed the two of them in different directions.

I wanted June to confront him as well as her own decisions on why they stopped talking. She would get a little wishy-washy on me and I’d struggle to root for her a bit, and then remind myself she is struggling personally and professionally. How many battles can she take (or fake) at once?! June is faced with protecting Annie’s dream, but also her own emotions. My heart would start to sink every time I could feel June becoming more invested and comfortable in their fake dating Revenge Exes plot — especially when she wasn’t looking to win her ex back, but Levi was.

When June told Levi that he doesn’t have to be settled for someone to love him, I felt this in my bones. “I don’t think anyone ever gets to be settled in life. I think you just find people who weather it with you.”
I mean, who is truly settled in their life?! Who isn’t working towards a series of short and long term goals? By no means — don’t change yourself for others, but I can’t imagine living my life without seeking opportunities to improve myself. This conversation between the two MCs lets you see how mature they are for their ages of 27 and 28, and respecting your partner and meeting them where they are at, rather than trying to change them or put off big decisions until certain milestones are met.

“Because wanting something isn’t the same as committing to it.” Oh. Welp. RIP my heart. Just shattered by June telling Levi this.

But don’t worry, Emma Lord puts my heart (and yours) back together.

Random thoughts throughout the book:

Fuck Griffin and Kelly.

The scream poetry had me laughing and cringing. The Duolingo call out… I laughed so hard at that comment.

This slow burn… wow. Yes. Artfully and beautifully executed. I loved it.

I love Dylan and Mateo (Dylan’s finance and June’s bestie from high school).

Subplots helped to move the story along.

But truly, fuck Griffin and Kelly.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Emma Lord is usually a 5 star read for me, but I was expecting more from this. I didn’t connect with the story and it didn’t feel adult to me. Still well written, just not something I’d pick up again.