This was a very enjoyable story about June and Levi, childhood friends who are thrown together in a weird fake relationship after both being dumped pretty publicly. It did drag a bit in the middle, but was otherwise a nice read.

This was a story about June who gets dumped by her boyfriend of 10 years. Her childhood friend, Levi, is back in town and also newly single. They hatch a plan to fake-date to get back at their ex’s and end up truly falling for each other.

3.5 stars (rounded up)

I liked Levi and June and the way their relationship grew (it was cute, and Levi is an amazing cinnamon roll lead), but at the same time, there was also a part of me that wanted more. Not more stuff happening (there was a lot already crammed in with the back story/side plots) but more of something new. It was a quite formulaic second chance romance, and given I also just read this author's YA second chance romance, it felt like just the aged up version of that story.

So... cute and fun, just nothing revolutionary.

Emma Lord’s first foray into Adult fiction brings all her signature charm and heart. While her books feature romance, our characters often go on their own growth journey throughout the book, and this one is no exception. One of my favorite aspects of this book was the absolutely spot on feelings of grief and moving forward after loss.

Childhood friends - fake dating - loss- “revenge exes”
👩‍❤️‍👨🫖🏃‍♀️🥕🤭👨‍❤️‍👨
3.75-4 ⭐️
This was my first title from this author and I would definitely go back for seconds. Very descriptive story with real feelings. It was like a warm slow hug with humor and a small sprinkle of relatable real life spice.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this title.

rollercoaster ride through the complexities of friendship, love, and the unexpected power of pretending. June and Levi, former best friends turned estranged, find themselves in an intriguing situation after their respective public break-ups go viral.

Lord crafts a delightful narrative, blending fun and emotion effortlessly. June’s struggle to keep her tea shop afloat and Levi’s disillusionment as a failed novelist turned hedge fund manager create a relatable backdrop against which their story unfolds.

The premise of a fake relationship leading to real feelings might seem familiar, but Lord’s execution breathes new life into this trope. The chemistry between June and Levi crackles, offering readers moments of humor, vulnerability, and undeniable charm.

The author’s ability to interweave modern social media dynamics adds depth to the storyline, resonating with the contemporary audience. From TikTok frenzy to internet gossip, the narrative is as much about navigating a digital world as it is about navigating emotions.

The pacing is impeccable, with five heart-pounding dates that keep the reader engaged and rooting for the characters. Lord strikes a perfect balance between swoon-worthy moments and the underlying emotional complexities, ensuring the reader is emotionally invested in the characters’ journey.

While the “fake dating” trope often follows a predictable path, ‘The Breakup Pact’ surprises with its nuanced exploration of whether fake emotions can truly stay artificial. Lord cleverly challenges the notion that pretending doesn’t come with real feelings, keeping readers guessing until the very end.

In conclusion, ‘The Breakup Pact’ is a delightful, feel-good read that effortlessly blends humor, emotion, and modern-day dynamics. Emma Lord’s storytelling prowess shines through in this heartwarming tale of friendship, love, and the unexpected turns life throws our way.

Rating: 4/5 stars

June and Levi don’t talk. Until they suddenly are dating in the media’s eyes. After both split from their famous partners, it’s mutually beneficial: June needs to drum up business for her tea shop and Levi needs his get his ex’s attention. What better way than fake dating?
I enjoyed “Tweet Cute” and “You Have a Match” by Emma Lord, but I didn’t love them as much as this! Friends to lovers is sometimes heard to pull off, but it was paced well and felt like a natural transition from platonic to romantic. All the characters were their own people and gave such strong found family vibes in their hometown. I didn’t expect to be teary-eyed over a romance, but the way Annie, June’s sister who passed away, was talked about and grieved in the story made me emotional at times. If you’ve lost someone, it will touch you in spots. Just like how grief creeps up at random and/or happy times, June feels her sister in moments big and small.

If you enjoy friends to lovers, hometown romance, and fake dating, this is perfect. Happy reading this summer!

Estranged friends find their way back to each other after each has a viral break-up. I really enjoyed this open-door fake-dating romance.

Thanks Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the slow burn and second chance love for a friends to lovers theme. There are deep feelings of grief in the characters of a sister and friend gone too soon. I don’t think it takes an away from the story as there is a theme of moving on and creating something new through the pain and how healing that is.

This is friends to lovers and not enemies to lovers.

This does have spice in it .( not much )


I liked the first half the best. I did like the relationship between june and eli. I like emma lord writing style and the plot of the story.

If you are a fan of emma lord try this book.

I received an ARC edition from NetGalley for review.

Usually fake relationships aren’t my favorite trope but I was so pleasantly surprised by this sweet story of two childhood friends who were torn apart by loss and distance for many years before initiating a revenge dating plot against their awful exes.

Not only was the relationship between the two of them sweet and given appropriate depth, but the supporting cast of characters was fantastic.

I was happy to be surprised with some of the plot turns and was smitten with the HEA. I think the ending leaves the door open for follow-up stories about Sana and her new beau and an origin story for Matteo and Dylan.

This book was so cute! I was pleasantly surprised by the depth of this romance novel and the themes of friendship, perseverance, and dealing with complicated emotions in a mature way! My hat is tipped to Emma Lord for having older, mature characters that have made mistakes, but faces them in real-life ways (minus the going viral parts, but I guess that is real life now too!) Overall, the characters were very compelling for me, as well as the friends-to-lovers, love story. Fans of Emily Henry, Carley Fortune, and Christina Lauren will love the Break-Up Pact! Thank you NetGalley and St. Martins Griffin for the e-arc!

Thank you to St.Martins and Netgalley for the ARC of this book.

I was instantly intrigued at the start of this book. Our female protaganist, June, is a constant underdog. She is a people pleaser, seemingly drowning under the guise of holding it all together. .
The love interest, Levi, is depicted as a shy, sensitive guy who goes through the motions of life.
Both characters are emotionally stunted adults. They tend to either go status quo or choose avoidance when faced with change.
The book falls flat in the middle. It gets repetitive with the fake dating, and in my opinion not enough tension is built up. It isn't until the two leads get drunk, that they are able to finally let go on their self-control. This is the point in the book where the book shines and builds momentum.
There is spicy scene and I would give it a heat index of 2/5.

June finally found her voice by the end of the book. She started to trust others, but more importantly herself. I Loved her story arc and found her to be such an endearing character

Overall, Levi and Jane's love story was very sweet. I loved how the ending came full circle.

The highlight of this book is Jane's best friend. She lit up the pages in every scene she was in.

Romance tropes: Second chance romance and fake dating

Did I enjoy this book? Absolutely. Did I feel like the end was kinda rushed? Kinda. Do I wish I would have gotten to read Sanas article? YES

Overall, I thought this book was super cute! There was a tiny bit of miscommunication between the main characters in a way that they weren’t really saying how they really feel. (Or at least that’s how I feel Levi was too). This book def scratches the fake dating trope itch. It is funny at times and I did cry. I won’t lie. I would absolutely recommend this to a friend 🫶🏻

According to Goodreads this was my fourth Emma Lord book and this one was probably my least favorite. I didn't love our main characters and it felt like waaay too much teenage angst and drama to the point that I kept thinking June and Levi were much younger. I enjoyed our side characters much more.

Why was landlord Nancy so concerned about the scone shop being a local hangout? Obviously you want your business to be embraced and supported by the community so it thrives, but I got the impression that this is set in a touristy beach town so I would think a lot of the business would be from non-locals. It's like saying that an ice cream shop on the beach should be holding community events every night to appeal to the locals, when that's not their main clientele. And usually landlords just want to make sure that the rent is being paid and business is good (I know we got a plug about how Nancy was special and so much more than just a landlord, etc. but it just didn't feel realistic). Plus, there was already a bar that was the community hangout so why did this have to be one too? I get that the whole thing was meant to be the push for June to move forward and put her own spin on the place and not be stuck in the past, but the way it was done felt inauthentic. I would have rather had June realize it was okay to go on with her life and make changes to the shop and do community events (because she wanted to, not because her landlord told her to) vs. the way it went down.

This is minor and hopefully some get edited out, but there are currently eight references to Levi's smell being that of an "earthy sweetness" (Cool? I guess that's a good thing?) or "earthy", etc. and eleven times that "cackle' or "cackling" was used. Maybe someone could chuckle or chortle occasionally, it got to the point where I thought June was a witch with all that cackling. It wasn't a huge deal but it was a bit distracting to the point where I started looking for those repetitive words.

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

3.5 ⭐️s

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

This was cute, and the storyline was unique and fresh! I feel like the first half was a massive drag though, but the second half had me hooked!

I didn’t really feel like I connected to any part of this, and maybe that’s why I didn’t like it that much, but it’s worth the read if you want something wholesome and easy to read.

i am in my 👏 romcom 👏 era 👏 once more & the break up pact reminded me exactly why i love them. this was a fast-paced read with such ICONIC tropes & a sweet second chance romance.

i fell in love with the characters and the little town they live in from the start and adored even the side characters, who added wit and humor to the book that made it even funnier. i was extra excited about levi & june because they had enough depth to them that you wanted to root for them.

i especially loved the natural growth between them and how the characters took the time to work on themselves. more often than not we get characters who just jump into their love stories so quickly, but i appreciate the heavy communication these two had.

also really liked the writing style. perfect for a simple, quick romcom & had everything i look for in a summery romance. super sweet and just so charming! loved!

While the writing beautifully explores the mingling of past and present love, the plot's reality TV aspect feels disconnected from the deep connection between June and Levi. The secondary characters lack thorough characterisation. The banter between June and Eli is enjoyable, but the limited exploration of their relationship and frustrating communication skills detract from the overall plot. I would have loved to known more about really why they didn’t speak for 10 years. A short enjoyable read

There’s nothing wrong with this book except that it’s just… kind of boring. Though the premise was creative and the book was off to an exciting start, it then got really slow and I got bored of June and Levi as individuals and bored of them together. I’m tired of reading second-chance romances that try to turn why they broke up the first time into some big dramatic reveal only for it to actual be a tiny miscommunication that somehow was blown out of proportion. Second chance romances would be so much more compelling if the characters broke up the first time for a legitimate reason that rendered them incompatible at that point in their lives, and then during the break had the chance to actually grow significantly individually and work through some of their personal problems before meeting again and giving things a second shot.

Thank you to Emma Lord and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I think this is definitely a good fluffy summer read but not necessarily something you pick up if you're looking for an intense and truly life changing romance. I love a fake dating trope but found that some of the plot points didn't fully match up for me and I also am not a huge fan of the miscommunication trope