SO very sad. I LOVE Emma Lord's YA books so much that I have written an entire homage to her YA story world.

But The Break-Up pact (her adult debut) really missed the mark for me. It had no spark, no oomph. Which was incredibly strange to me as her YA characters are known as being a little extra, with vivid personalities that practically jump off the page. This book didn't stand out for me at all. Maybe my expectations were too high, but I'm so disappointed.

3.5 stars rounded up because I remain an Emma Super Fan.

Two viral break-ups. One fake relationship. Five sparkling, heart-pounding dates. June and Levi can definitely pull this off without their hearts getting involved. Because everyone knows fake dating doesn’t come with real feelings. Right?

“The Break-Up Pact” by Emma Lord took me on a wild rollercoaster ride that you won’t believe. This book is like a warm hug and a cup of cocoa for your soul. It’s Emma Lord after all, and I’ve never read a book of hers I didnt like.

The story begins with an unexpected twist - a pact that surpasses all others. Liv and Jaxon, the main characters, choose to face the challenges of life after a breakup as a team. Picture a breakup support group, but with added humor, pizza, and quick-witted conversation. And can we talk about the banter? Emma Lord is always good for reading a great conversation!

This book is a must-read because of its unapologetic realness. Liv is an atypical protagonist. On the flip side, Jaxon is the ideal person to have as your partner in crime, especially when it comes to navigating breakups. Their dynamic is the perfect combination of sweet and spicy, making it impossible not to support them.

And the humor — oh, the humor! I caught myself bursting into laughter at the most unexpected times. Lord has a talent for infusing wit into even the most awkward scenarios. It feels like spending time with your most hilarious friend who can always make you smile.

And the romance? It’s like a captivating slow burn that grips you until the end. Lord builds up the relationship between Liv and Jaxon so skillfully that you’ll be rooting for them with all your heart. The romantic tension is so intense, and when it finally erupts, it’s like Fourth of July fireworks.

If you want a book that will make you laugh, cry, and restore your belief in love, “The Break-Up Pact” is a must-read. Believe me, you’ll be glad you did.

While The Break-Up Pact by Emma Lord was a cute read, I felt like the couple, Levi and June, did not have any major problems. Even the final obstacle was just them making up the next morning while saying there was not a problem. I also felt that some of the characters' fears and obstacles came out of nowhere and were just added to supposedly give them more depth like when June thought she would control Levi like Griffin did to her, but she showed no tendencies of being controlling and no fear of that earlier in the book. Also, problems that did develop in the book were solved by a short conversation instead of becoming an obstacle or learning experience for the character like June lying to her family. Dylan really should have been more disappointed in her.

Otherwise, there was good character development as all of them learned to overcome their grief and grow as individuals. Both June and Levi also worked to learn what they could be without following the plans their exes had for them. My favorite characters though were Dylan and Mateo. They always gave me a good laugh, and Dylan is just so pure.

as this was emma lord’s adult debut after tons of YA novels, i was a bit nervous to see how she handled the switch. spoiler alert- she NAILED it. all the charm and fun you expect with her novels was there, but with amped up banter, tension, and more nuanced discussions of heavy hitting topics.

was the premise of “revenge exes” silly and outrageous from the start? yeah- but she made me love it anyway

The Break-Up Pact by Emma Lord is a cute, fluffy romcom in a book that held my attention and kept me coming back for more. It is the story of two friends that grew up together, but drifted apart, coming back together after both suffering humiliating public (social media) breakups. They make a pact to pretend being a couple so she can generate more sales at her bakery to save it from closing and for him to make his ex jealous so they can get back together. I felt invested in June and Levi's situation and was rooting for them from beginning to end.

It took me more than a month to read this one, that's not good. The idea behind it was good, but the story fell flat. I didn't connect with the characters well. It's just missing something.

I received an ARC with NetGalley for this book, and I was so excited.

It was an easy, quick read, but felt somewhat middle of the road for me and I didn't connect with the characters well.

Friends to lovers and fake dating tropes? Sign me up! June and Levi were friends as teenagers, but they hadn't spoken in years......until they both are going through very public and very humiliating break-ups. That's when they concoct a plan to get back at their exes by fake dating. While in I enjoyed the premise and tropes in the novel, I felt that the novel's pace at the beginning was a bit slow for me, I love the chemistry that June and Levi shared and as the novel progresses I felt myself more immersed in their story. This was my first book by Emma Lord and I definitely plan to read more of her works in the future!

I liked this one but have read a lot of Emma Lord, and this one missed the mark a little. Fake dating is one of my favorite tropes, but the chemistry wasn't there like it could have been. I do love that some other themes (grief) were brought in that added a different kind of depth, and it was certainly cute. I'm just holding out for an Emma Lord book as cute as Tweet Cute.

This book had its moments. I loved the idea behind it. However, a lot of the story fell flat. The conflict had my heart fluttering and hoping for a good outcome. The story was missing a spark, a connection, and banter.

When I was in college I used to add fluffy sentences to papers to meet my word count. This book seemed to have a lot of fluffy sentences. They added nothing to the story.

First, I want to say thank you so much to NetGalley and Emma Lord for a copy of this book as an ARC! I was so excited to receive this and truly enjoyed this as a cute summer read.

I really did love this book SO much. It is, unfortunately, tied together with a tragic event. June's sister and Levi's best friend had passed away randomly and left them both distraught. Before she passed however, she caused a major falling out between June and Levi at the end of high school. After years of not speaking or connecting at all, June and Levi run into each other and find themselves in a break-up pact as revenge to their ex's.

I think I enjoyed this so much because I am a SUCKER for childhood friends to lovers. It's one of my absolute favorite tropes. This is a best friends, to strangers, to lovers second chance romance read that was perfect for summer. It hit so many emotions for me and I am so happy I read this. Levi was the perfect book boyfriend in my opinion.

A very solid 4 star read for me!

don't let this cover fool you, it's more than a sweet little romcom. There's a lot of depth in this that I wasn't expecting and truly loved this story.

Loved this one. This is definitely not just a light cutesy romance—I hope people don’t get cleft a rom com just from the title cover etc. loved the setting and side characters a lot!

June and Levi, best friends who haven't spoken in 10 years, find themselves back in each other's company and the object on an internet scandal of sorts. After being broken up with quite publicly, humiliated June is beside herself. When someone snaps a pic of her and Levi, who also was recently broken up with and names them the "Revenge Exes" they decide to go with it. The extra attention really boosts business for Une and her beachside tea shop. But keeping it a secret from practically everyone else turns out to be an issue, especially when they really do start having true feelings for each other. A great friends to lovers romance trope with a fun twist. Enjoyed every page.

This book was so fun! If you like reality TV and the craziness that follows along with people after being on reality tv or even tv adjacent, you will enjoy this book. There was a lot of fun but also a lot of real life struggles (owning a business, grief of losing a family member, etc). This had everything I am looking for in a romantic comedy novel. At times, it felt real but at others the plot was so goofy that it worked. It was a fun read!

In Emma Lord's debut adult romance, two former best friends, June and Levi, who haven't spoken in years, find themselves faking a relationship to salvage their reputations and personal lives after public break-ups. The novel, set in the quaint town of Benson Beach, charmingly explores how their fake dating scheme to boost June's struggling tea shop and reclaim Levi’s ex turns into something more meaningful. While the book offers delightful moments and strong chemistry between the leads, it occasionally struggles with an overlong narrative and a slightly immature approach to romance. Despite these issues, Lord's heartfelt storytelling and engaging characters provide a satisfying read for fans of the fake-dating trope and adult contemporary fiction.

This book! It’s freaking amazing! I have loved Emma Lords previous novels, and while this was her adult debut it left nothing on the table that I didn’t enjoy!

Her clear communication between the characters and the lack of toxicity from either main character was honestly refreshing. Loved the idyllic beach town setting with undertones of serious topics like grief. It was the perfect balance of sweet spicy and serious!

This book was super cute!

June and Levi used to be inseparable best friends, but years of silence have put a strain on their bond. Both are now grappling with high-profile break-ups that have captivated the internet. When a photo of them together goes viral, they decide to pretend they're in a relationship for their own gain—June wants to boost her floundering tea shop, and Levi aims to make his ex jealous. As they orchestrate their ideal romance, old hurts and repressed feelings begin to surface, leading them to reconsider if their pretend relationship might turn into something real.

I really like both June and Levi! This book is a fun, easy summer read. I love the fake dating plot mixed with June and Levi reminiscing and rekindling their past friendship all while realizing they want more. Emma Lord did a wonderful job bringing the characters to life and had me rooting for them the whole time.

Thanks to NetGalley and Emma Lord for the advanced copy!

i found this book so confusing! i couldn't understand the characters' motivations, and i didn't think we got the backstory we needed for a book that was so focused around relationship history. this was one of my most anticipated romances, so i'm bummed.

I made the epic mistake of judging a book by its adorable cover so i was expecting this to be a silly rom-com. I was delighted to discover that it was so much more than that. This is a love story about finding the right one after being broken by the wrong one. I laughed, I cried and now I seriously want to read the manuscript Levi was writing. 4.5 stars from me.