This is a great starter romance for that high school/college girl who wants to read on the beach a little, but will also take weeks, maybe months, to actually finish the book. The plot line, the dialogue, the ANNOYING back and forth hesitancy from the protagonists. My God, the gorgeous man that you’re in love with it telling you he loves you, why are you doubting it and throwing a big stink like a toddler! There was no real conflict in the book, nothing that had to be overcome. Longgg drawn out descriptions about June not knowing what Levi wants. SNOOZE. Ended up reading dialogue for the last 30%.

I was curious of I was going to like this. I love Emma Lord’s YA books and I’m happy to report that this book was just as good as the others (although the smutty scene did take me by surprise). This is perfect for anyone who wants a lighthearted read!

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.

Emma Lord has written a w inner! This book will transport you to the lives of the characters and take you along for a wild ride

I've only read one of Emma Lord's books before and I wasn't dazzled. But sometimes I just want a gooey, cheesy romance and this checked all the boxed I wanted it to. This was a sweet tale of estranged friends June and Levi, both back in their hometown of Benson Beach after living most of their adult lives away. Both have recently gone through very public break-ups and are trying to figure out their way in the world as individuals. One day, a picture is taken of the two of them in a very suggestive position and it goes viral--they become dubbed the "Revenge Exes" and then we get the whole plot of this novel! There are some underlying plot lines, like the success of June's small business, the relationships Levi and June have with June's siblings, and Levi's attempts at writing a novel. All of which contribute very well to the story and just added to the enjoyment of reading it. It covered the fake-dating and "friends first" tropes well, which are two of my favorites! This was a easy, quick, fun summer read.

Thanks for letting me try this book. It's just not right for me right now. Emma writes great YA and I hope for the best for you.

UGH I loved this! I loved the element of the TikTok viral breakups, the 2nd chance element was so fun, this was just delightful, sparkling, fun and electric.

This was my first time reading one of Emma's books and I now feel like I need to go back and read all the others!

The Break-Up Pact is a fun, easy read and at the same time hits on some big topics. Honestly, in some ways it reminds me of a Katherine Center book. The writing styles are different, but it left me feeling similarly to the way hers do. This one overall ended up being 3.5 stars for me. Right between I liked it and I REALLY liked it (I know my rating system could prob be better). Rounding it up to a 4 for this review.

Definitely recommend if you're looking for a sweet, quick rom com!

This book really packed a punch. June and Levi are childhood best friends and after being apart for 10 ish years, have finally crossed paths again and, oh boy, was the tension good.

The whole premise of the book (two breakups going viral on TikTok) was cute and clever and provided a fun little reason for this whole fake dating scenario.

I was glued to the pages of this book: the pacing was great, these characters are fantastic, and the writing is clear and smart. I loved the banter in this one; it was so high quality and had me laughing out loud. Levi and June are obviously made for each other, but each have well-developed growth and motives. They have a great community around them and I loved the Tea Tide realm and all of the scones. (But can we please have some recipes to accompany this book? It made me very hungry.)

Levi irritated me towards the end because he was a little too broody, and that is the only reason its sitting at a four star rating instead of a three.

If you loved Swear on this Life or Love and Other Words, then you'll love this one!

Tropes: second chance, childhood friends to lovers, fake dating, forced proximity, small town romance, and found family.

*I received a copy from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review.

I picked up this book anticipating a light summer romance between two friends, and while it delivered on that front, it exceeded my expectations in ways I hadn't imagined. The dialogue is refreshingly unexpected, and I found myself going back to reread passages just to fully grasp the depth of what Lord was conveying. I knew I would enjoy the book, but I didn't anticipate falling head over heels for every single aspect of it. It’s not just a love story; it’s a profound journey of self-discovery and healing from a loss that seemed insurmountable. If I could, I'd give it a perfect 10 stars. I wish I could relive the experience from the beginning. It’s one of those rare books that leaves you eager for more, only to leave you heartbroken when it’s over.

I almost DNF'd this a couple times but powered through. Both the FMC and MMC annoyed me at various times. And the animosity in the beginning seemed very unwarranted and childish. Also, I couldn't help feeling like the MMC was cheating on his ex, and wasn't emotionally ready. It just seemed so fast to move on.

It took me a minute to get into this friends-to-lovers, second-chance romance, but after the first few chapters, I became thoroughly engaged and ended up loving it. The characters are strong, and I loved the relationship between Levi and June and how their past informs it. The author develops the main characters' journey convincingly throughout the story: the way that each navigates loss in their lives, both the grief of losing Annie and their failed relationships. I became very invested in their love story and in June's learning to let go of guilt and failure from the past, finding her own path instead of trying to live the life her sister would have wanted. This is the first book I've read by this author, and I've already ordered all the other novels she's written!

June and Levi were best friends as teenagers. A misunderstanding just prior to Levi departing for college makes it where they haven’t spoken since. Now they are both adults and are both in their hometown of Benson Beach. after both having a public breakup. Levi and June end up “running into” each other outside her tea shop and they begin talking and catching-up. After a picture of them caught in a very suggestive position goes viral, they decide to go along with the charade and pretend to be a couple. this was a fun and witty adult second chance/childhood friends/fake dating rom com but there was some very deep and emotional moments the beginning moved a little slow but after i think it was paced well the writing style reminded me of emily henry. i love June and levi but the miscommunication in the book almost done me in but i not the biggest fan of miscommunication. i LOVED sana, June’s best friend and i loved that the side characters were down so well. i liked the book i wish i could have seen more revenge on griffin but i think it ended well. 3✨

• two victims of viral break-ups decide to fake date to save a tea shop & maybe win back an ex
• second chance romance, but the reason for the tension & break up was so underwhelming, it kind of deflated the plot
• the writing felt very emily henry-esque, & was ultimately a quick read, just fell a little flat

☕️Book Review☕️
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Summary- 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.

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?
*
Rating- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
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My thoughts- I have such a massive book hangover from this beauty! I loved loved this book SO much! It was so sweet and I just fell head over heels in love with Levi and June. The most lovable main characters , the sweetest setting in a beachside scone shop 🥺, and discusses grief in a really profound/relatable way. This book is so good, special thanks for @netgally and @macmillianaudio for the advanced copy!
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QOTD- what is your favorite sweet treat? Since this one took place in a scone/tea shop!

This was a cute romance. Emma's books are usually cute beach reads and this one is like the others. The difference this one is more adult and steamier. I didn't find such great chemistry between the 2 MC's so it was hard for me to be invested in the book. There was also a lot of back and forth with the 2 MC's as well.

Thanks to Net Galley for an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review as always, all word are my own.

This book was super sweet and an easy read… but it just took me a hot minute to read it. I just wasn’t hooked the entire time.

I love a good friends to lovers - fake dating - business owning book. I loved the concepts of a tea/scone shop that June works at. I liked the concepts of getting back at your ex - but it didn’t stand out compared to some of the others with the same tropes.

I think if you’re looking for a fun end of summer read - this is a sweet one to pick up.

I have been a fan of Emma Lord’s YA novels and was excited to read her foray into an adult romance.

June and Levi were friends as teens. They were connected by her sister, Annie, who has sadly passed away. Now both are back in their hometown after their break-ups with their exes went viral. They decide to fake date to get back at the exes and help June with some needed funds for the tea shop she owns. Spending more time together gets hearts involved, and they must decide if a chance at love is worth the risk of heartbreak.

Emma Lord writes messy characters well and writes their love stories even better. June and Levi are perfect for each other. They both have messy lives, but they work great together. The two together had a lot of chemistry which led to a lot of funny moments. June did irritate me a bit sometimes, she just seemed all over the place, and so stuck, but there was also a reason for who she was. She was living the dream of her sister.

I loved so much about this story. Both June and Levi are struggling in their own lives and with the help of each other are reminded of who they are and what they want. I did feel at times these characters acted a bit younger than they were. They are around 27 years old and I felt that they read closer to 22, especially with some of their communication and avoidance.

Overall this was a cute premise, that is perfect for a small town lover. I continue to enjoy Emma Lord’s novels and can’t wait to see what else she writes!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a copy of this book. All opinions are 100% mine.

read if you like: fake dating, second chance-ish, friends to enemies to lovers

I am a huge fan of Emma Lord's YA romances--she's particularly good at balancing the messiness of an emerging romance with the messiness of figuring out who you are--and I was eager to read her first adult romance. This book's characters are older (and more worried about their work), but recognizably messy. June is trying to keep her tea shop open (and keep her dead sister's dream going); Levi is trying to complete his first novel. They're both unfortunately viral for the way their exes just broke up with them, and they're also former best friends who haven't spoken for ten years. They decide to come up with an even more viral fake dating plot as vengeance (the Revenge Exes).
Unfortunately, even though they're ten years older, they haven't successfully left high school behind--everyone in this book has too much history with each other (whether that's long-term friendship, long-term longing, or just as sense of who everyone used to be). While that plays into the book's theme of figuring out who you really are, it felt more restrictive than the usual discoveries Lord lets her characters make. I understand the theme of returning home--and sometimes reassessing home at the same time--but I wanted the characters to have more new possibilities and less unresolved ones. I also wanted the characters to be more grounded in their current lives (Tea Tide, the tea shop, is important to the plot, but June's working hours so often got reduced to scone recipes. Levi's writing and life is even fainter.)
It's still a satisfying story, but it feels a little under risen.
Thanks to the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for my free earc in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are all my own.

I just didn't get into this book as much as I anticipated. It's a fake dating story, set up to show their ex's revenge. Old friends, fake dating, it's got a lot of tropes going on. The premise was great, I just think the actual story fell flat for me. I tried to root for the MCs, but I didn't even care enough to want them to get together.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a temporary, digital ARC in return for my review.

Former best friends June and Levi both find themselves in the same situation--very publicly dumped by their significant others. Now, they decide to fake a relationship together in order to turn public favor to them.

I LOVED this romcom! Here's what I loved:

June and Levi: They are perfect. Both are funny and flawed. Together they are even better than apart. Watching them realize how much they actually mean to each other made my day.

Second Chance(ish): While they were never together to begin with, this does feel like a second chance. They were best friends who were (obviously) secretly in love with each other. I loved getting little bits of their past friendship.

The humor and the heart: This book had a perfect combination of humor and heart break. All of the characters are dealing with the death of June's sister which affects them in so many ways. But they still have a good humor to everything they do. I also adored the beach town and all of its inhabitants.

All in all, I added this book! It's a perfect romcom!

Thank you to the author and publisher for the gifted copy.