4.5/5
They call it fake dating, but let’s be honest, the only people these two are fooling is themselves. This is full on regular dating.
I loved these two as a pair, and the chemistry between them was sizzling.
There was also a strong depiction of grief and loss and having to find your way growing without someone you’ve lost.
My only complaint was that I found their breakup frustrating and it felt like it was never fully addressed and resolved.
Also, inspired me do learn to make scones, so there’s that. Overall, a great story that I highly recommend.

This book has been on my tbr since last August, and I am regretting that now. Because, this book is so, so good. I will definitely read this author again. I loved the history of the 2 mc. I loved their banter, all the raw emotion and the storyline. 5 stars!

Many thanks to Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I want to start my review by saying that the fake dating trope is probably my least favorite in the romance genre. I find that it can be done well, but it is rare. I liked Lord's portrayal of Levi and June, but I found their relationship too complicated, and the story too diverging, to be invested in their fake dating storyline.

I loved the audiobook of this one, and would recommend listening rather than reading because the characters back story can be a little hard to follow otherwise.

THANK YOU to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this in exchange for my honest opinion.

3.5 rounded to 4 stars.

I definately thought this was more contemporary womens fiction than romance. i thought the book was ok - a little long and the slow burn was sooooooo slow. thank you for the arc - i like emma lord's book and glad to read her romance debut!

Levi and June are both involved in very public breakups. They then fake a relationship for entertainment. Levi partially engages to make his ex jealous and return to him. Levi and June were best friends growing up. There was a misunderstanding in their youth in which they left eachother thinking that neither had feelings for each other. Their fake relationship brings them closer and some of their feelings are returning. I enjoy the friends to lovers theme as well as fake relationship. It took me multiple efforts to get into this book. I enjoy the narrator’s voice and switch between male and female voices. Happy I stuck with this one. Thanks to NetGalley for ARC.

This was so fun from Emma Lord! Her characters still have the same Emma feel but they're older, obviously. June and Levi have both had very public breakups. On top of that drama and pressure, they are both wading through the loss of loved ones. While trying to figure out what to do and where to go with their lives they team up and enter a fake relationship.

I enjoyed this semi debut from Emma Lord. I've enjoyed her YA novels and this definitely has a strong Emma feel with older characters. The pacing was a little off for me but ultimately I had a good time reading it .

TW: Death of a loved one (past), navigating trauma, infidelity ( by exes not by main characters)

The Break Up Pact
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Author: Emma Lord

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

Synopsis: June and Levi were best friends as teenagers—until the day they weren’t. Now June is struggling to make rent on her beachside tea shop, Levi is living a New York cliché as a disillusioned hedge fund manager and failed novelist, and they've barely spoken in years.

But after they both experience public, humiliating break-ups with their exes that spread like wildfire across TikTok rabbit holes and daytime talk shows alike, they accidentally make some juicy gossip of their own—a photo of them together has the internet convinced they're a couple. With so many people rooting for them, they decide to put aside their rocky past and make a pact to fuel the fire. Pretending to date will help June’s shop get back on its feet and make Levi’s ex realize that she made a mistake. All they have to do is convince the world they're in love, one swoon-worthy photo opp at a time.

My Thoughts: Lord has been primarily a YA writer, this is her first adult romance release. Before I add a book to my TBR, I usually read the blurb and reviews. Some of the reviews were kind of harsh, I believe we can critique books without being abrasive, but that is just my two cents. I think the major issue is that most people expect this to be a typical romcom but it is more serious, more of an adult contemporary. While this was not her best writing, it was still enjoyable. June and Levi were best friends as teenagers, until they weren’t. A misunderstanding a few years ago caused the falling out. June is struggling beachside tea shop owner and Levi is a hedge fund manager. June also just had a very public humiliating break up. Coincidently, Levi also had a public break up of a different magnitude. The two are caught standing together in a public photograph that is posted on social media and the world loves them as a couple, even if that is not what was happening behind the picture. This follows tropes of fake dating, best friends, friends to lovers, and social media relationship.

The tone of this one is a bit more serious than Lord’s prior works. This is due to their recent public breakups and career issues. However, we all know in an adult world, this is called life, so it makes sense to me that a romance would be set around these popular issues, such as businesses struggle to stay open past five years, or you end up in a career that you are not passionate about anymore. Then the romance piece, you waste years of your life with someone who drops you without a moment’s notice, you lose people who are important to you, or friendships fade.

June seems to be living in her sister’s shadow (who passed away off page) and I would love to see her process through the grief and step into her own more. Levi returned to his hometown to put distance between him and his ex, and only focuses to much on wanting to get back with his ex versus moving on and seeing what is in front of him. Having said this, I still feel that the characters were well developed with depth, evenly matched, had some witty banter, definitely had chemistry, and were intriguing. Their characters could have been a bit more finely tuned and I think it would have really turned the narrative around. The author’s writing style was complex, serious with some humor blended in, romantic, relationship focused, heartwarming, and kept me engaged.

I normally rate Lord’s books between 4/5 ⭐️ but this one fell a little short. Still not a bad read, I just think some things could have been done differently, and it would have really elevated the storyline. I had both the digital and audio ARC (yes, sorry, I am behind on my reviews, a few months behind), and leaned more on the audio than the e-galley. Overall, I enjoyed the storyline, just wanted more. I would recommend to other readers as an adult contemporary fiction read.

I love Emma Lord’s works. It’s such a fun and cute story about a June and Levi. June and Levi I used to be friends but grew apart. Now in adulthood they had very public break ups and decide to fake date. June and Levi had to face a lot to get to where they are and this story brings them back together. However, this story was at times hard to follow. There was a lot going on, but I still enjoyed it.

This had a unique premise: former childhood friends, June and Levi, each have a viral break-up and reconnect to revenge fake-date. Told from June’s point-of-view, there was humor, banter and many push/pull, will they/won’t they moments as the “fake” turns to real. The miscommunication trope was hot and heavy and was somewhat redundant, thus dragging the plot a bit. This was my first book by this author, I’d love to go back and read the young adult backlist. 3.5 stars

Thank you St. Martin's Griffin and NetGalley for the DRC of The Break-Up Pact! All opinions in this review are my own.

Unsurprisingly, I enjoyed another Emma Lord book. I love the character she creates and how they interact with each other. Fake dating is my favorite trope and I like how this one had the added factor of social media. I like that the conflict towards the end is surprising and not just because the characters are afraid of their feelings for each other.

Just when I least expected, Emma Lord got me! The Break-Pact sets up as another “app” story. Something happens on the apps! Drama ensues. But it really goes much deeper than that. June, Annie (June’s sister), and Levi were inseparable as kids on Benson Beach before everyone went their separate ways. But Annie died suddenly. June now needs to run Annie’s business Tea Tide. Meanwhile, Levi has returned to finish his novel. Cue “the apps drama”. This leads to June and Levi fake dating. I don’t love fake dating as a trope (especially in contemporary novels) but there was some logic here. Obviously, the formula is fake dating becomes real dating. But this story delves into the emotions of truly deciding to commit to someone. And yes, that involves dealing with emotions like grief and feelings of inadequacy. I found the ending satisfying because it earned it. A truly heartwarming story.

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted copy.

The Break-Up Pact by Emma Lord is a delightful, laugh-out-loud rom-com that cleverly explores the chaos of second chances, fake relationships, and the unpredictable nature of love. June and Levi were once inseparable best friends, but years of silence and distance have come between them. Now, both are struggling in different ways—June is fighting to keep her beachside tea shop afloat, while Levi is living the high-stress life of a hedge fund manager in New York, failing to find fulfillment in either his career or his writing.

When a viral photo of them together after humiliating breakups with their exes convinces the internet they're a couple, June and Levi decide to roll with it. Their fake relationship could help save her business and make Levi's ex regret letting him go. What starts as a mutual, business-minded pact soon spirals into something more complicated, with staged "romantic" dates and swoon-worthy photo ops designed to convince the world they’re in love. But as the line between pretend and real begins to blur, both must confront the emotions they’ve been burying for years.

Lord expertly balances humor and heart, creating a cast of lovable characters and a setting full of charm and warmth. The dynamic between June and Levi is both sweet and full of tension, making their journey from fake romance to real feelings an absolute joy to read. The Break-Up Pact is a perfect feel-good read for fans of fake-dating tropes, second-chance romance, and witty banter. It’s a fun, heartfelt reminder that sometimes the best relationships come from the most unexpected places.

one thing about me, is that a second chance friends to lovers romance is going to do it for me every time. this was a sweet story about self discovery and grief, at its core. it delved into so many topics i don't see discussed in many books, and held a very messy romance between two people finding their way back together. i loved each of the characters, even the side characters had so much life in them.

Enjoyable but Predictable

The Break-Up Pact by Emma Lord is a charming and lighthearted read with plenty of witty dialogue and endearing characters. The chemistry between the protagonists is fun to follow, and Lord’s signature humor and heartfelt moments shine throughout the story.

That said, the plot is fairly predictable, following familiar romance tropes without many surprises. While the emotional beats are well-executed, some parts feel rushed, and the conflict resolution is a bit too convenient. I also wished for deeper character development in certain areas.

Overall, it’s an enjoyable book if you’re in the mood for a sweet and breezy romance, but it doesn’t break new ground. A solid 3 stars!

Emma Lord delivers a charming and heartwarming story in The Breakup Pact, blending humor and nostalgia with the fake-dating trope.

June and Levi were once inseparable best friends, but after a many years of silence, their lives couldn’t be more different. June is struggling to keep her beloved tea shop afloat, while Levi is reeling from a high-profile breakup. When a photo of them together goes viral, they hatch a plan: a fake relationship that will help Levi regain control of his public image and hopefully bring new business to June’s shop. Somehow these staged moments turn into real emotions. Their unresolved feelings from the past resurface, making them question whether their pact was ever just pretend.

Lord uses witty banter in this romance and while the book leans heavily on the miscommunication trope, the undeniable chemistry between June and Levi keeps the story engaging. The Breakup Pact is a delightful, fast-paced summer read perfect for fans of fake dating and friends-to-lovers.

It was pretty good but it didn't really stand out to me. I liked June and Levi's relationship and the themes around grief and figuring out your path. I really hated Griffin (obviously) but I also don't understand why she would stay in a 10 year relationship with a man who has never said 'I love you'...

2.5 ⭐️ oof. No more scones for me for a while.

I started this book months ago and only just finished it in the new year. Sure, the plot is right up an easy-to-read contemporary romance alley: June and Levi (too on the nose, i know) reunite after humiliating public breakups and decide to fake date to get back at their exes. BUT YALL. The drag of the will-they/wont-they is INSANE. How long was this book?? Almost DNF'd it (maybe should have).

In the beginning we learn that June's older sister, Annie, died suddenly a few years prior (did i make up that it was an aneurysm). She was Levi's best friend the driving force behind a beach-side tea shop June now poorly manages. The novel is bookended with insights and depth about Annie's loss that do draw you in, but the middle 30 chapters completely skip that depth to show the poor communication skills that led to June and Levi avoiding each other for 10 years. Everyone here needs a therapist before another relationship.

Lastly, (SPOILER) whyyyyyy was half the book building toward Dylan (June's brother) and Mateo's wedding just to NOT see/read/experience the event??? they just skip to a year later. i should have dnf'd right then and there, 95% in.

I have such trouble finding a brand of contemporary romance that I like. This was not it; maybe the next one.

Thank you for the opportunity to review this new novel.

This was not a romance for me, felt a bit childish to my taste.

This was a cute fake dating romcom with all of Emma Lord's signature charm. It didn't grab me like her other books have but it was still enjoyable and I'll keep reading everything she writes.

Thanks to St. MArtin's for the copy to review.

The Break-Up Pact by Emma Lord
Advanced Reader Copy received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Although I was delayed in picking this up, I’m glad I finally read it. This book has all the makings of a great beach read: set on a boardwalk, it follows two childhood friends who reconnect after both endure very public breakups. Reading this during the middle of an Iowa winter felt like a much-needed escape with Levi and June to a charming seaside town.

June runs a tea shop she inherited from her late sister, and the setting immediately transported me to a Nicholas Sparks-esque beach town (think The Last Song). Emma Lord’s writing is simple and easy to follow, told in first-person from June’s perspective. The single point of view keeps the narrative tight while maintaining an air of mystery about the characters’ pasts.

The tropes were a major draw for me-fake dating and second chances-but I couldn’t help but feel that having both diluted their impact. Perhaps focusing on one would have made the story more cohesive. Additionally, the subplot involving fame and its accompanying lack of privacy didn’t resonate with me and pulled me out of the narrative at times.

What stood out most were the supporting characters, particularly June’s brother and her best friend. Their unwavering support, both in helping her keep the Tea Tide afloat and in dealing with her sister’s loss, was heartwarming and added depth to the story.

Overall, The Break-Up Pact is a light, cute, and quick read. It may not have fully clicked for me, but fans of Emma Lord or small-town romances will likely enjoy it.

Rating: 3 stars