Any books written by Emma Lord are automatic reads for me, and I have yet to be disappointed. This book had me hooked from the start, and I simply could not stop reading. I loved how mature the characters were, and I appreciated the heck out of the fact that they communicated like healthy adults throughout the turbulence of their fake relationship- and beyond. Plus, like the locals of their hometown, I shipped June and Levi so hard. This book made me cry and had me cackling, and it was a delight to read. "Because wanting something isn't the same as committing to it. To understanding the reality of it." -June

I picked this up because I really enjoyed Tweet Cute—Emma Lord has such a fun, heartfelt style. While The Break-Up Pact had its moments, it didn’t feel quite as charming or emotionally satisfying to me.

The premise is promising, with a fake dating arrangement layered over some complicated history between the main characters. But their connection felt more platonic than romantic at times, which made it harder for me to fully root for them as a couple. I also found myself distracted by a subplot involving the main character’s sister—there were emotional stakes there that were hinted at but never fully explored, and it left things feeling a little unresolved.

Overall, this was a decent read with some sweet moments, but it didn’t quite stick the landing for me. Still, if you enjoy slow-burn romances with a bit of emotional weight, it might be worth checking out.

I’ve enjoyed Emma Lord’s young adult romances, so I was excited to read her first adult novel. I’m happy to report that it’s just as swoonworthy, sweet and emotionally complex but with an added element of spice. In The Break-Up Pact, she strikes the perfect balance between a second chance at love between soulmates and the profound effect grief has on the family and friends of the lost loved one. Although it’s written from the FMC June’s viewpoint, readers get a very good sense of MMC Levi’s thoughts and feelings, not just through the dialogue but also Lord’s thorough descriptions of facial expressions and physical movements, whether it’s dancing together, competitive foot races, the emotional reaction to hand-holding, or the variety of kisses they share.

As a tea and beach enthusiast, I really love that one of the primary settings is June’s small-town tea and scone cafe. It’s almost a character in itself, especially as it relates to June’s grief over losing her sister and her struggle to keep it open while trying to honor her sister’s legacy. I also enjoyed reading about Levi’s fledging writing career. One main thread that runs throughout is toxic exes and how the awful combination of gaslighting, social media, and internet trolls can take its toll on its victims. It’s not heavy but is a timely way to set up their love story. Share this with fans of Abby Jimenez, Katherine Center, and Christina Lauren. Highly recommended.

I truly was anticipating this read and loved the description before I started out. I picked it up twice and did make it through the second time but it just wasn’t for me.

I found it very slow and unnecessarily long to land up at the ending that it did. There seemed like all along there was one story, love story, and the other story of up fronting the 3 months rent and then there were like 10 surprise stories thrown in about 70% of the book in and I was even more over it by then. The store gets taken away, the ex is back with a reality show follow up show, MMC goes back and is “maybe” getting back with his ex, food trucks, sister/brother relationship dynamic… it was just a whole lot at once for a book that took way tooooo long to get to the conclusion.

I found the characters lacking and did not resonate with them at all. I see the vision for them and the anticipated character growth, however it wasn’t believable for me as they choose to see how they could be better and make better decisions but literally kept wavering and never focusing on the growth but rather chasing a relationship versus closure and doing things for themselves to begin healing.

This just wasn’t for me this time around but I did appreciate the initial ARC and was grateful for the audio copy so that I could get through the entirety of the book the second time around.

This book was such a light hearted and fun read. I enjoyed the chemistry between June and Levi. And few scenes were really funny!

This is a book i usually enjoy, but the Break Up Pact fell short for me. I didn’t really feel a connection between the main characters. Or even connected to them. After a huge miscommunication, they reconnect after 10 years and continue to not communicate properly.

The Break-Up Pact by Emma Lord is a sweet, second chance rom-com about two best friends. June and Levi grew up together and were practically inseparable until they were. Fast-forward ten years and now they are back together, faking a relationship after their respective break-ups went viral. Dubbed the Revenge Exes, the two agree to a fake relationship to save June’s bakery and give Levi some time to write his next novel. What they don’t count on is falling for each other.

June is struggling to keep her sister’s dream alive after her untimely death a few years prior. The little beachside tea shop is in the negative, and the owner of the building is ready to evict her. June desperately needs people coming in, but she so stuck on keeping the shop as it was when her sister was alive that she doesn’t see a way forward.

Levi is back in town temporarily, having rented a small apartment near the tea shop with a beach view. After his very public breakup, Levi is looking to reinvent himself. He’s stuck as a hedgefund manager, not at all what he wanted to do in life. He wants to go back to writing full time, but he’s blocked. When someone sneaks a picture of he and June running on the beach, the picture goes viral, boosting the sales at the teashop temporarily. Levi agrees to June’s plan, but he doesn’t know if his feelings can stay hidden.

I really enjoyed The Break-Up Pact. This was a sweet second chance romance between two friends. A miscommunication years earlier caused their friendship to crumble, but now they are getting a do over. Their rapport makes it easy to root for them from the first encounter on the beach. I loved seeing them grow together. The side story of the Revenge Exes made for a cute and often humorous storyline. If you are looking for a sweet rom-com, I highly recommend this one.

This book was a cute romance, nothing to super write home about but a fun little read that made me feel good while I was reading it. I love a second chance friendship romance, so that added a lovely layer to the stakes of the book, and both characters coming out of embarassing relationship ends made you want them to succeed. I am also a sucker for a book that features grief, and June and Levi really take you on a journey throughout the 320 pages here.


Overall, this was a typical romance novel, and I wouldn't go into it expecting to change your life, but if you want a little bit of fluff, and to lose your mind for a little while (and who doesn't, right now!?) then I'd say to go for this. :)

The novel focuses on their evolving relationships, personal growth, and the ups and downs of navigating love, friendship, and self-identity. While the story is filled with humor and heart, it also touches on deeper emotional struggles, showcasing the importance of friendship during tough times. However, the pacing and resolutions may feel predictable at times, but it remains a heartwarming read for fans of YA romance and friendship.

I have loved all of Emma Lord’s YA books and I was so excited to read her Adult Romance debut. And this did not disappoint. This had the expected love of food that we get in Emma’s books and combined with very relatable FMC/MMC characters. I’m a sucker for the fake dating trope and June & Levi were absolutely perfect. I loved their chemistry and I loved their relationship development. Reading her adult debut really makes me excited for what she has planned in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martins Press for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

the story line is about working on ourselves before committing to a relationship we know it's not right for us. it offers humor and entertainment, its prolonged storyline may leave readers seeking a more succinct and impactful resolution. June and Levi, two high school friends whose messy breakups become social media sensations. this one feel short with me because i felt like i couldn't connect with the main characters.

I typically rave about Emma Lord books, but this one was an average read for me. This is meant to be her adult debut, but some of the character behaviour didn’t reach that for me. I enjoyed the premise, faking dating to be in charge of the own narrative in the eyes of the media. This is a friends to lovers, but I wasn’t always buying the lovers part, and there was just too much miscommunication.
This book did, however, do a great job of handling grief. The characters are well developed and go through a good amount of growth throughout the novel. There are some delicious sounding scone creations. Overall, the story is enjoyable, it just doesn’t stand out.
I recommend this book if you are looking for a fun summer read. I look forward to seeing how Emma evolves as an adult contemporary romance writer.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Griffin and NetGalley for an early digital copy of the book. The opinions expressed are honest and my own.

Childhood best friends become close again through their breakups with different people.

This is another one of those fake dating troupes where we only start dating to get something else out of it. For June, it's getting her business back in the black. For Levi, it's to show his ex that she made a mistake cheating on him.

It's a cutesy story so please go into it as just that. It was a great palate cleanser.

I will always read Emma Lord, not because she writes the most thought-provoking books but because I always enjoy the books and the characters that she introduces us to.

I was so pumped to see this come up on NetGalley - I've loved Emma Lord's other books and was excited for this one as I saw in reviews it's not a YA, but an open-door romance! Huzzah!

Our MC's, June and Levi, were super close in high school. But, like most high school relationships, they grew apart and life took them in different directions. When both June and Levi have very public breakups that, thanks to social media, go viral, Levi heads back home. As Levi and June reconnect, a random snapshot of the two of them goes viral fueling speculation that they're together. Public opinion being the reason behind success or failure of small businesses, the two hatch a plan to save June's business - fake it.

The tropes were all there: fake dating, second chance romance, friends to lovers. It was a straightforward and fast read - all plusses in my book!

June and Levi were close friends in high school until they weren’t. Both of them recently experience very public breakups that went viral on social media leading Levi back home. As they reconnect, a photo of them together goes viral with the speculation that they are together. In an effort to turn public opinion and save June’s business, they decide to fake date.

I enjoyed watching June and Levi’s romance blossom. We know that June has a huge crush on him. And I thought it was obvious that he felt the same way when June talks about the past and in the present day. Their banter is so good!

This story is more than a romance. It is about healing and grief. June’s sister and Levi’s best friend, Annie died a few years prior to this story beginning. June still has a lot to process about this loss.

I did enjoy this story and read most of this one on audio. I recommend this for readers that like this if you enjoy

🩷 fake dating
🩷 second chance romance
🩷 small town settings
🩷 open door romance

I read this book late unfortunately but I'm glad that I had the chance. To me this was a story of complicated ties to friendship, family, and the places we call home.
June and Levi were high school friends that grew up with a few other friends in their small town, and June's sister, Annie. School and life decisions pull the group and Levi/June apart, but a strange romantic situation leads them back together in present time. June and Levi have both been publicly hurt and scorned by their partners, and Levi ends up back in town where June is running the cafe that had been her sisters dream (her sister having passed away in recent years). June had gone viral on social media over her messy breakup and was trying to lay low, but the idea of using the social media obsession as an advantage is proposed. Levi and June (with the help of a friend) agree to pretend to date and hang out while being shared on social media to make their exes jealous or get the results they want. In turn, they end up revisiting a lot of their past, hangups, old feelings, and getting stuck into what it means for them going forward.
This book was an easy read. The characters are likeable, the plot isn't over complicated, and it makes for a great cozy read.

This was lighthearted but had lots of emotions, and some tropes (fake-dating, friends to lovers) that I loved. It was straightforward and quick to read, and was overall enjoyable.

This is not my first Emma Lord book, but it was my first adult romance book that I have read of hers, and while I liked it, it wasn’t my favorite. I thought the premise was interesting, sort of a second chance slow burn romance with the main characters being very close friends in high school and finding themselves back in each other's lives. They agree to fake date, which is one of my favorite troupes. While I enjoyed the troupes, I think that I just didn’t connect to the characters as much as I wanted to. I didn’t really feel the tension between them as much as I wanted, and they felt a bit more cringe at times then I prefer. That being said, I did enjoy the elements of the book that involved June’s tea shop, and I’ve honestly never wanted a scone more in my life than by the time I have finished this book. It was a like, not a love, but it might be exactly what you are wanting.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced reading copy of this book. All opinions within this review are my own.

was not able to get into this book at the time it was due to be reviewed and was not able to finish reading. i am grateful to have been given the opportunity to read this book early and have heard nothing but good things about this author.

Words can’t even describe the joy this book brought me. Actively being in a reading stump, I went back to wear my love for books started, RomComs. In this book Emma gave me all I could want and more, a small town childhood friends to lovers is the hallmark book of my dreams. I was skeptical in the beginning as this plot included friends to lovers, fake dating, and second chances however it quickly sucked me in and made me feel like I was apart of their chaotic love story.

Thankyou so much NetGalley and the plungers for letting me have this e- ARC in exchange for my honest review.