Levi & June
I was so excited to read this. The adorable cover and the blurb just sucked me right in. Unfortunately, that's where it ended for me. It was very mid-level and was hard for me to really stay engaged in the characters. Perhaps they were just a little too young for me? I really just did not feel the romantic connection and as the story continued I just became more frustrated with them.

While I will continue to try this author again in the future, sadly this one just was not for me.

I enjoyed this but will not be posting a review due to the ongoing boycott! Will edit in the future if that changes

Thank you St. Martin's Press for the copy of this book.
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Read if you like: fake dating, second chance romance
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June and Levi used to be best friends, but they grew apart. Now the two are thrust back together after they each go through terrible and very public breakups. They decide to fake date in the hopes of showing their exes that they have moved on and help the business of June's tea shop.
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This was a heartwarming story of two friends reconnecting and I loved how each had to overcome some obstacles to get together. But I loved their journey. Overall, I really enjoyed this!

This book had it’s moments but it didn’t quite hit the mark for me. Pacing of the plot felt off. While the concept of the book was promising, the execution left much to be desired in terms of emotional connection.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review

𝙼𝚢 𝚃𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜:
A fun heart warming fake dating romance that wasn’t super memorable

𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚒𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎:
Childhood friends to lovers
Second chance romance
Small beach towns
Fake dating
Great side characters
Humiliating break ups
Heavier topics
Slow burn

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝙸 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎𝚍:
The cover!

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝙸 𝚍𝚒𝚍𝚗’𝚝 𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚛:
Tik Tok mentions
Pacing felt a little off
Miscommunication

𝙵𝚊𝚟𝚘𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚎 𝚀𝚞𝚘𝚝𝚎𝚜:
★ “Anytime I felt out of place, I would think of you. Something funny you might say. And then I didn’t feel so out of place anymore.”
★ “For a moment, there’s only us— two people who have weathered a storm and come out together on the other side. Two people built to withstand more of them, when they come our way. Two people built to last.”

4.5 stars-

What a sweet, loving romance! I loved how supportive all of the characters were of each other. The story involves two childhood friends who lost touch and reconnect in this book. The side characters are mostly their friends and siblings who know them both so well. We also have a couple of self-centered exes in the mix as well.

I loved the small beach town feel. There are strong themes of working through grief, supporting one another’s dreams, and mutual pining.

Overall a lovely story I highly recommend!

Thank you SMP Romance and Macmillan audio for my gifted copies. All opinions are my own.

I’m a huge Emma Lord fan and j was excited for her adult debut.

I mostly enjoyed this, but it seemed to lack some of the same magic/sparkle that her YA romances have. I listened to the audiobook in addition to the ebook and adored Natalie Naudus’ narration.

This is a story of two former friends who haven’t spoken in years, but are reunited when he visits her struggling tea shop. They’re both broken up with very publicly by their exes and when they’re seen together the rumors start.

I wanted to live this one, but I just didn’t. A lot of the romance felt forced. Friends to lovers is my favorite trope, but this just felt like it was missing something. I will continue to look forward to Emma Lord’s books and hope we get more YA and adult romances soon!

This wasn't memorable at all. Like I had to look at the synopsis to remember what the book was about. I think I just wanted more from June and Levi's relationship. I never really felt the connection I wanted, especially when they were supposed to have been friends for so long before they had their falling out. The plot was a little over the top and ridiculous at times but it was a fun, if forgettable read.

A fun, light hearted beach rom-com. I really enjoyed this friends to lovers book. Very cute and a great escape. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

I didn't love it, but I didn't dislike it... this one just fell in the middle ground for me. Honestly I forgot this one is labeled adult instead of her usual YA and I kept forgetting that while reading too. Friends to lovers is always hit or miss for me plus this had second chance romance vibes to me which is also not a favorite of mine. So it may just be me and others may enjoy this one more than I did!

All of Emma lords books are cozy and cute with a very soft hearted love interest and this one is no different. However this one might be my least favorite of her books just because I'm not a huge fan of friends to lovers especially when we never really got to see their friendship form. A beachy rom com perfect for people who read her other books and books similar like emily henry and Samantha markum.

I love a fake dating story and this one did not disappoint! Emma Lord's books are always lighthearted and fun and this book was the perfect end of summer read.

When June's boyfriend publicly dumps her and she's caught crying in public, she doesn't think life could get worse. Then her old friend/frenemy Levi shows up and he's going through something similar. Could they team up and drum up better publicity for the both of them? What happens when the line is blurred and old feelings resurface?

Cute romance with some spice! Many thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press!

The Break-Up Pact was a great end of summer read and had a great atmosphere of a quaint little beach town. This was my first introduction to Emma Lord and I would definitely be interested in checking out some of her backlist and future books she releases. The book contained two of my favorite romance novel tropes which are fake dating and friends to lovers, I did feel that at times it felt a little instalove and unrealistic that the characters had spent the last 10 years pining after each other despite little to no contact over that timeframe. Overall this was a very enjoyable, quick and cute read.

As someone who has loved a few of Emma Lords previous books, this one didn’t capture me like I was hoping. I DNF at 48% unfortunately.

I have read nearly every single one of Emma Lord’s books and I can say with confidence, she NEVER MISSES.

Of course, this was her adult romance debut, so I’ve been used to reading her YA work. But , she completely knocked it out of the park once again!

With loveable, realistically flawed characters, Emma crafts us a story about grief, loss, and learning that sometimes, you are the one holding yourself back. Both Levi and June needed to realize what they really wanted in life, and BOY WAS IT FRUSTRATING!! The amount of “JUST TALK TO EACH OTHER” I was screaming in my head was off the charts. Miscommunication trope through the ROOF here. One thing I also did like is that there really wasn’t that last minute conflict that threw the relationship for a loop at the end. Sure it was rocky for our characters but they…genuinely got through it time and time again.

The Break-Up Pact hooked me right from page one. I laughed and cried my way through (as I pretty much always do with this authors books), and enjoyed every minute of spending my time in Benson Beach with June & Levi.

This was an easy, typical read. It was kind of hard to get into and I didn't feel any type of connection with either of the main characters. I kept thinking that the likelihood of two childhood friends becoming so famous separately as grown ups was hardly believable. Predictable.

I loved the fun and colorful cover. It instantly drew me in. Unfortunately, this storyline felt like it was missing something. This book just wasn't for me.

The Break Up Pact by Emma Lord is a contemporary. June and Levi were best friends as teenangers. They had a falling out before Levi left for college. They both end up having really public breakups and move back to their hometown. Social media plays a large role in this. They are assumed to be a couple and roll with it. Pretending to date will help June get her bakery back on it’s feet. Levi is hoping that it will help his ex realize that she made a mistake. During their time fake dating they have a spark. However they have a terrible time with communication.

The Break-Up Pact by Emma Lord is a fun romantic comedy. June and Levi were best friends in high school. They have not talked in years. June is running her sister’s tea shop and Levi is living in New York in Finance. They both experience a humiliating viral break-up. They take on a fake relationship with each and become known as the revenge exes. So, do they become more than friends?

This story was all things glittery and fun. I loved the banter, chemistry and deep friendship of June and Levi. The story magically takes us through their past and present of their relationship. The themes of walking through grief, being true to yourself, and not letting the past define you resonated with me. There were several laugh out loud moments and I enjoyed the photo ops to make their relationship real!

This friends to more story was a great read. I enjoyed the characters, fake dating, beach town and great themes. I recommend The Break-up Pact by Emma Lord!

I was given a copy by the publisher and not required to write a positive review.

I found the The Break-Up Pact to be quite mediocre. The plot felt cliche and predictable, and the characters were not very well-developed. The humor also fell a bit flat for me, and I didn't find myself laughing as much as I had hoped. Overall, I would say it was an okay read, but nothing to write home about.