The Break-Up Pact is a wild ride, a romance with telereality elements, it was quite hilarious. In the beginning it was quite steamy between June and Levi, inter-dispersed with memories from high school and their terribly bad breakup stories, you can’t help but root for them. With unexpected depth lended from June’s older sister’s death, this book was sweet and three dimensional.

I rated this book a 4 because it really pulled me in. Unfortunately it isn’t a 5 star to me, as the romance gets less steamy and more needlessly complicated after about 70%. No spoilers, but I think the story could have finished stronger.

Cute and fun concept. I didn't connect with the characters, though, so I didn't really get tugged into this one. I think it will be enjoyed by others, though.

I was really excited about the premise of this book, unfortunately the execution just didn't work for me. The plot was sort of circular instead of linear to me. I was confused in certain places about the nature of the two main characters pasts with each other. At some points it felt like a triangle situation with Levi's circumstances. Both characters were a bit stagnant and I didn't feel any chemistry especially from the supposed hero in Levi. There were some cute parts and instances that I enjoyed as well as the friendship between June and Sana.

I received a complimentary copy of this book "The Break-up Pact" and all opinions expressed are my own. First time reading this author and I will try another one of her books. The story was cute and funny at points. Fake dating romance story was interesting but at some point I just wanted to finish, maybe 3/4 of the way through. Overall okay.

I usually love Emma Lord, but this one just didn't do it for me. I usually love a friends-to-lover trope and I really loved June and Levi's friendship, but they lacked chemistry when an actual relationship came into play. While I did chuckle quite a bit at some parts, a lot of this book felt long-winded and I just wanted things to get to the point and find out what happened! This won't stop me from reading more of Lord in the future (love love LOVED "Tweet Cute!"), but this one just wasn't for me. Thanks so much for the ARC!

This was a cute read. If you like fake dating meets childhood friends meets small town. It’s messy and wonderful at the same time!

Overall, this was an enjoyable book. There were parts of it that were slower paced but it was a relaxing, beach romance. There were a few subplots that I didn't think added much to the story and instead were what made the story seem slow at points. Levi and June were sweet and easy to root for.

friends to strangers to friends to lovers!

I was a really big fan of this book! I loved the characters, especially Sana, she was an amazing hype bestie for June. I would love a spinoff about Sana! I really liked the dynamic of them all being friends in high school and then coming together later in life, I felt like it really added to the drama of the break-up pact. Another part I really enjoyed was learning about Annie and her effect on everyone in the past and present. I LOVED the slow burn of them becoming friends again and eventually more, however, it felt very formulated like exactly at the halfway point they finally kissed and then the conflict brews at the ¾ point. The second half of the book felt rushed and jumpy in some parts, and the miscommunication was killing me. I’m not a big fan of miscommunication, especially when the main character actively avoids it on purpose. Overall, this book was a very lighthearted read and a PERFECT book for the beach! 3.5 ⭐

Thank you, NetGalley for the opportunity to review this ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC of the break-up pact.

I have really enjoyed other books by Emma Lord. I did enjoy the main characters, Levi and June.

However I found the book really slow moving and it took me a while to get through. The premise is cute but I think the resolution could have come along more quickly.

This was cute, Levi the MMC was very swoon worthy. I did not love that the fmc kept getting in her own way and some of the angst at the end seemed very manufactured, I also didn’t love the subplot with her manipulative ex, she seemed to know he was bad news and yet play into his hands anyway. Solid effort, could use some work.

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an opportunity to review this arc!

“The Break Up Pact” by Emma Lord is a fake dating romance story that follows former best friends June, a tea shop owner, and Levi, a hedge fund manager in NYC. After they both experience public, humiliating break-ups with their exes that spread like wildfire across TikTok, June and Levi accidentally make some juicy gossip of their own—a photo of them together has the internet convinced they’re a couple. With so many people rooting for them, they decide to put aside their rocky past and make a pact to fuel the fire. Pretending to date will help June’s shop get back on its feet and make Levi’s ex realize that she made a mistake. All they have to do is convince the world they’re in love, one swoon-worthy photo opp at a time.

This is the first book I’ve read by Emma Lord. I’ve heard that her Enemies to Lovers books are really great but I think her Friends to Lovers characters/story fell a bit flat. It needs a bit more development or something. I was initially really excited to read this book- the art cover and description were great and I liked June’s and Levi’s banter and thought it was cute but that was it. There was so much development after that. Also, I felt like the stakes weren’t high enough for the reasoning behind June and Levi’s relationship stopping when they were younger. It just felt like something was missing in the story.

Overall, it was a cute book that just needs some details ironing out and I would recommend it for people who like the friends-to-lovers or miscommunication trope. I’m going to give it a reread once it comes back out in August.

I was excited to see a new Emma Lord book! I was expecting a YA novel and this is NOT a YA novel. Even better! It’s an open door adult romance with adult content. I loved this book. The characters (more Sana please), the wedding planning, the sweater vests, the boardwalk setting, and the deeper theme of how we can get stuck in our grief.

June is now the famous “Crying girl” meme after her boyfriend breaks up with her on a reality show. Levi (her former friend) is back in town escaping New York because his ex made him Page 6 famous by cheating on him with an A List actor. When a picture of them together surfaces on the internet, everyone thinks they are dating as the Revenge Exes. The two decide to fake date to rebuild their reputations and save June’s tea shop.


Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy.

I wanted to love this. This is my first Emma Lord book, thanks NetGalley for the ARC, but it dragged. It was predictable, which I don't mind in what I consider an easy beach read rom/com. It just has so.many.words. I was already getting bored of all the "dates" and knew I had to be close to the pivot, then noticed I was only 33% in. I found myself wanting to skim to just thru a chapter. Example, one part near the end where Sana shares some wisdom, it took 3.5 pages for June to absorb this. Just too many whimsy, long winded, thoughts to get there... I enjoyed some of the humor between June and Levi, although Levi was a bit of a "hard to root for guy" because come on already.. given the nature of his "break up", he was a bit of a disappointment overall. I am not big on YA books, and while I don't consider this YA, hello spicy scene, it was written a bit juvenile and maybe that is why I couldn't get Into it? I am just glad it's over, I hate feeling that way about a book. 2* because I didn't hate it, but can't go 3 because a 3 is one I recommend.

This is the first book I’ve read by Emma Lord and it won’t be the last. I really enjoyed the story, the fake dating trope really works, and I especially loved the characters. They’re sassy and have heart and depth. Due to some real life responsibilities, it took me a little longer to get really into the book, but once I was able to commit, I finished the rest in one sitting. I’ll definitely be purchasing a physical copy once it’s published.

Thank you Emma Lord, for writing this wonderful book, and to the publisher for this ARC from NetGalley.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

"The Break Up Pact" by Emma Lord is a delightful exploration of friendship, self-discovery, and the unexpected turns that life can take. Lord's writing effortlessly weaves together humor, heartbreak, and genuine emotion, making this novel a standout in the contemporary romance genre.

The characters are well-crafted, each with their own quirks and complexities. The protagonist's journey of self-discovery is relatable and adds a layer of authenticity to the narrative. Lord skillfully addresses themes of friendship, love, and personal growth, making the story not only entertaining but also thought-provoking.

The pacing is well-balanced, keeping the reader engaged from start to finish. The witty dialogue and clever banter between characters contribute to the novel's charm. The Break Up Pact cleverly explores the dynamics of relationships and the importance of staying true to oneself.

While the plot may follow some familiar romance tropes, Emma Lord brings a fresh and modern perspective, making it an enjoyable and satisfying read. Overall, "The Break Up Pact" earns its four-star rating for its captivating storytelling, well-developed characters, and the insightful exploration of love and friendship.

I typically enjoy Emma Lord books. While I did enjoy this one, I felt several times that I wish this book would hurry up and end. I wanted to fall in love with June and Levi, and parts of the book almost got me there. The story arcs seemed like Lord was shoving too much in too short of time. While so much of this book speaks of the grief June faces from losing her sister, I felt like perhaps it gave Lord an excuse to leave readers hanging. I love the idea, the friends to lovers fake dating trope is normally one of my favorites! The book was cute and sweet, but I think it could’ve been 50 pages shorter!

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this book. The dialogue between characters was funny and engaging. This was a quick read, perfect for a snow day.

Thank you to Netgalley for this arc. Although the premise of this book was very intriguing, I did not enjoy this book at all. The characters were very flat and I did not feel any chemistry between the main love-interests. The writing was also very disengaging, as it was trying too hard to be relatable and “of the times”. In addition to the writing, there was a lot of telling not showing, which makes the book read like a bad fanfiction.

I had a fairly good time with this read, it delivered on the vibes that I needed at the moment. I've had a really bad track record with romcoms hitting for me lately, so this was a nice reprieve from that. I am always such a sucker for fake dating, it's definitely up there as one of my favorites. And also the friends-to-lovers was really good. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, friends-to-lovers is a trope, at least for me, that either really works or really doesn't. That transition from friends to lovers can be really hard if there's not adequate chemistry or tension, but this book had that in spades from the get-go! And yet it wasn't to the point that it was unbelievable that they would have stayed friends only for so long. Their relationship and banter had a nice balance of friendly fun at times and then tension at others, it kept me wanting to know more.

I really appreciated the theme across the book of seeking out healthier relationships, and how people should be accepted where they're at - even if that place is very messy and uncertain. The conversation around grief as well was really well done given the genre, and really helped support the plot progression. Sometimes growth across romcoms can be clunky, and not very deep, but this book did a good job of having those deeper meanings and themes spaced evenly throughout with these themes. Silly little romcoms are good for certain moments, but when there are deeper messages and growth, those ones always stick with me more, and hold up better over time. There were also some beautiful undertones of connection through storytelling, the importance of community and those connections, and growth across the lifetime.

There were a few elements that did diminish my enjoyment, albeit smaller details. The first one was the slow introduction of information, and world-building in a way. Like for example, this book takes place in a seaside town in the States, but I couldn't figure out which coast it was on until about ~60% in. In retrospect, there were some context clues, like Levi attending university and living in New York, but I interpreted it as he moved far away. I don't need to know what State a book takes place in (I am from Canada after all, it probably won't mean a whole lot to me anyway), but coastal towns on the east coast versus west coast are quite different in my opinion in terms of vibes, and even things like how warm the water is. This slow introduction of information did work well for things like why June and Levi had fallen out of touch, and why June was very wary of potentially falling for him again, but I needed more clarity around setting and how the characters knew each other (ex: is June the oldest sibling? I know Dylan is the youngest, but was Annie the oldest, or June?).

My other pet peeve with this book was the miscommunication in the last 25% roughly. Up to this point, I got where the characters were coming from. But when the same root issue kept causing conflict and wasn't being fully addressed, it got tiresome. I do relate to Junes deep fear of getting hurt or left behind, especially given the context of her sisters passing, but near the end I kind of wanted to shake her and tell her to go to therapy. There was justification for why there was no break taken, but it felt like there was a lot of pressure on Levi to demonstrate that he wasn't leaving (which make sense given their history but only to a point). This also contrasted with the emphasis of their deep connection and understanding of each other that went beyond verbal communication, these two themes felt weirdly juxtaposed. With the themes of meeting people where they're at, it made sense why things played out as they did, but you know I don't think seeing a therapist while working on their relationship would have hurt.

Overall, while I was a bit confused at the start, and a bit frustrated at the end, I still had a solid time with this book. If you're looking for tea shop with lots of scone talk, fake dating but was it ever really fake, and talks around grief, the messy journey of growth, community, and creativity, all wrapped up in a sweet romcom, you'll enjoy this one.

Thank you to the publisher for a gifted copy of this book.

Ugh - I'm sorry to say but this one dragged for me. I loved Emma Lord's previous YA novels with witty dialogues and fast paced plot. This one is adult romance and while I love a good open door romance, this story was slow and felt like it was going around in circles.