This book was adorable.

I loved the childhood friends to fake dating to HEA. I’m a sucker for well-done, well-written girly romance novels and The Break-Up Pact checked all the boxes. I also appreciate that it felt very “now” with all of the trends and social media references but it didn’t feel silly or over done. Thank you for also incorporating some heavy topics with care and grace, I cried reading about Annie and their sister relationship, as I am a sister too. All in all, a solid 4 stars and cute read. Thank you NetGalley for my ARC!

Ahhh! I was so giggly reading this! I loved the YA books from Emma Lord and adding the lil bit of spice into the mix was a perfect combination. There was a bit of whiplash and not quite enough backstory at the beginning of show they "hated" each other and moved on so quickly. And I also am not the biggest fan of an insecure FMC. But June and Levi were so cute.

2.5 rounded down. After now reading two second chance books from Emma, I'm convinced that I don't enjoy the trope from her. 🤣 It's also my first adult title from her, which I'm glad I still liked! Overall, I enjoyed this better than her other title releasing this year The Getaway List since it felt a bit more focused while still leaving room for other characters to have their developments too.

While there were a number of things I liked about it, honestly the romance was a tad bit frustrating because I feel like they would have important conversations without touching the root of the problem or would brush things over to "not cause problems" so the misunderstandings got a bit frustrating at times. But I did like June's character arc overall, and how Emma touched upon grief and moving on in life and finding one's way again, as both Levi and June were both at a crossroads in their lives. The small beachtown vibes was here, but I think we could've spent a little less time on the viral aspects to add more of the regulars in town and building that up or getting some more history too. I did really enjoy what we do get with the side characters though! This book also really would've benefited from having Levi's POV even though I get the focus is more on June's journey. It would've helped since I had trouble connecting with certain aspects from him and some of the logic.

Overall, I feel like the pacing was a little off, particularly with the romance, and also with some of the plot since the switch from fake to real felt a little abrupt, and also there were was one event that was building up the whole time and there's no payoff with it. I had a few question marks, but that's kind of reminiscient of June and Levi's journey in a way too, and fits with the theme of "not an ending, but a new beginning," so I can respect that.

An absolute delight and everything I ever dreamed of for Emma Lord's adult debut. With the same punchy, voice-driven magic found in her YAs, The Break-Up Pact will be a fast fave for adult readers, no doubt about it. This book has quickly become one of my all-time favorites.

I have very mixed feelings about this read. Emma Lord does a good job creating generally likeable characters and a story that works, despite how far fetched it may seem. But it really did kill me that June was so self destructive as a character for most of the book. Yes, I get growing up and growing into yourself through adversity, but there was a point at which I had to just step back and focus on Levi because she irked me with how she was basically so caught up in her own drama and downward spiral that she couldn't even see that her brother was missing her and that Levi cared about her. Gah!

I get wanting to honour her sister's memory with the tea shop, but obviously she was also stuck in a cycle of letting other people call the shots that she couldn't move the business into solvency because she couldn't see past the instructions her dead sister left her.

I did, however, like that Levi and June had a history, that they came together as a couple as friends (or former friends finding their way back to friendship) first, and that the orchestrated fake relationship was founded on something that existed before. And by the time things started to really go south for June, I was definitely invested in her as a character, flaws and all, enough to want to kick people on her behalf.

Sana was by far the most entertaining character in the book, and I have to admit I was a bit underwhelmed by what she ended up doing to break into her dream job. But I loved her vibe. And Nancy was such a nice person that I couldn't be mad when she threatened June with eviction.

All in all, not my favourite Lord book. And definitely still a fun beach read.

4.25★

The Break-Up Pact is such a fun and sizzling take on the fake dating trope. These characters and their emotions felt so real, I was beyond blown away by Emma Lord’s writing! This is my first read by her and it definitely will not be my last. The issues that the characters go through really resonated with me and I felt a strong connection to June.

Tropes: fake dating, childhood friends to lovers, small beach town, second chance romance

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was in such a bad reading slump, reading the first page of several promising books but none of them kept my attention. I picked this one up, and before I knew it I was in chapter 2. I loved it sooo much! That first page hooked me, and I just kept going, finishing it in one day.
So good!

Read if you like….
-unrequited
-second chances
-great friend group
-small town

Closed door mod: skip ch 15

I will read anything Emma Lord writes! The cover is so adorable i love the colors.

I enjoyed the book and it was just great character build and of course the writing was awesome!

The characters i just fell in love with and just wanted more of the book. Great writing, great author, great read!

Thanks NetGalley for letting me read and review.

this was cute but it didn't really do anything for me. i didn't feel much for any of the characters and the story just didn't grab me, which is unusual because i normally adore fake dating. the story also focused a lot on social media which kind of put me off. the ending was also kinda rushed.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The Break Up pact reminded me a lot of one of my all time favorite books, The People We Meet on Vacation. Emma Lord did a fabulous job creating chemistry and banter between Levi and June. By the end of the book I felt like I knew the characters and the town they lived in. While I didn’t love the viral social media element of the initial storyline and thought it wasn’t super realistic, I was willing to overlook that because I liked the characters and the chemistry between them so much. This was a great book and I hope to read more of Emma Lord! Thanks to St. Martin’s Press for the ARC!

Gosh, I love Emma Lord! I have truly enjoyed all of her books and this one was no exception- it even kept my attention on a four hour flight with lots of turbulence (and I am a nervous traveler!).

The Plot: June Hart has had a rough couple of years. After her sister passed away unexpectedly, June has taken over her tea shop and is doing her best to keep it afloat. Not only that, but her recent break up went viral with a meme of her crying face making her reluctantly famous. Interestingly enough, her childhood friend and crush, Levi Shaw, has also been recently and virally dumped. So it makes sense for both of them to start “fake dating” as they work to leave the past behind and show up their exes.

I will be honest and say that I’m not a fan of the fake dating trope, only because it is used so VERY often. But Lord’s interesting characters, moments of humor, and well- written chemistry are enough to make the trope feel fresh. I also thought that her portrayal of grief felt authentic and helped me see myself in her characters. This is a delightful read that I found hard to put down, and I am grateful to the author and the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy!

Thanks to Netgalley for the review copy. I love friends to lovers. I am looking forward to many more books by Lord. I am also craving some scones and great tea.

This was my first time reading anything from Emma Lord and I’m a fan now for sure. I loved the character development and fake dating is becoming my favorite trope ever. I like that it wasn’t smooth sailing to the happy ending because it allowed us a more full view of their lives and made it more realistic. Would definitely read again.

Thank you Net Gally for giving me this arc.

Wow! This book is the literal definition of laugh out loud funny. All the dialogue was so funny, the romance was there too. And the female friendships and representation MUAH.

4/5 stars!

I completely loved this book! I could not put it down. It made me laugh out loud at times, but also dealt with some serious themes. Fake dating is one of my favorite tropes, and I feel like this book did it really well.

It was the perfect combination of humor and heart. June and Levi were relatable, well developed characters.

This was my first Emma Lord book and will definitely not be my last!

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martins for the ARC in exchange for my review.

This was such a refreshing take on fake dating. Emma Lord made June so refreshing to be wary instead of falling victim to insta-love. I enjoyed the backstory between June and Levi and I found myself rooting for them every step of the way.
I too would have loved to see more Karma happen to Kelly and Griffen, the true villains of the story. Overall I thoroughly enjoy this book and I definitely recommend it.

“The Break-Up Pact” is exactly what you’d expect and want out of a romance book. A reliable friends-to-lovers trope with the right amount of spice. June and Levi are both adorable from beginning to end, and their terrible exes make them even more relatable (we all have at least one). I wish there was a little more investment into the supporting characters, Sana, Matteo, and Dylan, because I would have loved more time getting to know them, but overall it was a very enjoyable read.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC!

This was a really fun story and one that had me cheering on the main characters. It's a story of love, loss, friendship, and coming home. This is a great beach read and one that will make you feel all the feels.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for advance access to this digital copy.

The main character is fighting for someone else’s dream of running a scone shop that’s going downhill. She needs to let go and move on. I stopped after chapter 1 (4%). I wasn’t personally in the mood, but the writing is readable and the premise seems charming. Three to four stars for the target audience.

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

This book was the ultimate beach read! Totally got hooked on the main characters and breezed through the story. It's about two childhood friends who team up to fake a relationship to get back at their exes. Super fun, heartwarming, and just an all-around happy read. Definitely recommend if you're looking for something light and easy!