Such a good read! June and Levi are old friends who haven’t spoken in years, but each have been dumped and gone viral. They begin to fake date and are known as “revenge exes”.

I really enjoyed June and Levi coming back together. I of course hated Griffin- I’ve known men like him and Emma Lord does a great job writing him as well as all the characters!

3. 5 stars. Overall I enjoyed this book. There was about 20% where June drove me crazy and it really ruined my pacing of reading. I was super invested and flying through it until this one moment where the decisions she was making really irritated me. However, I pushed through and she did pull it around. I was surprised by how much I liked the ending after how frustrated I was with June. I pushed through because I knew the character was going through grieving and that looks so different for everyone. I love Emma Lord's YA books and this was a good intro to adult romances for her, though it doesn't match her YA for me. I did love the small town and I think it could have been flushed out more.

The characters were extremely unlikeable in my opinion. Childhood friends that hadn’t talked in many years found themselves together again at a funeral. June’s sister and Levi’s best friend. Fun….said no one ever.

The two then decided to use each other (I mean fake date) to gain something on each end. June needed to get more publicity for her small-business that her (dead) sister originally started and Levi wanted to make his ex-girlfriend (who cheated on him) jealous so that she would want him back. LIKE, WHAT?!

June was afraid to move on after her sisters death which, believe me, I can understand but if her sister was still here, she would have wanted her to expand and do all the things with her tea shop. And as far as Levi goes, that man is dead to me. He was pining after his ex who CHEATED on him. Obviously this a romance book so we know how the fake-dating scenario worked out but good Lord, WHY?

This romance was a bit unbelievable considering the quickness they both agreed to fake date. And, Levi's reluctance to let go of the women who cheated on him was bothersome. This couple's relationship didn't feel genuine at the end.

Thank you, St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin

This book was pretty boring unfortunately. It was cutesy at times with a could be cute setting but just fell so flat. I think introducing fun locals into the bakery would have been neat.. make the story feel more whole. Like a fun grandpa that comes in to buy scones and chats your ear off or something. I just felt nothing for any of the characters which sucked.

Thanks for the earc in exchange for an honest review.

DNF @ 21%. Couldn't get into this. Thanks to NetGalley, St Martin's Press & MacMillan Audio for advance copies.

Great book for an easy read to get your mind off things and just have a good time while reading it This book will have you laughing and giggling like a good romcom should Overall, five star read that everyone should give a chance

What a cute summer read. I really did enjoy the book it made me laugh, and cry. There were some parts that felt rushed and could have been expanded. The choices that Levi makes in the book a didn't agree with but I understood them.
I enjoyed the topic o dealing with losing a love one. June's choice to do everything on her own kind of bites her but in a way I think she needed to have it happen.

Emma Lord shines in her adult contemporary romance debut, The Break-Up Pact!

June and Levi were connected summers ago by one person: June's sister Annie.. With Annie's death, June is now running the family tea shop and trying to stay afloat in the coastal town. While she's got some help being known as the one dumped and crying on social media, it won't last her forever. Cue in Levi, who's back in town working on his novel after also being publicly dumped and left for someone else. June needs the funds and publicity to keep her tea shop alive and Levi wants an ex back for good. What better way to solve both issues than with a "break-up" pact.

I adored reading The Break-Up Pact and could not put it down. The humor, the little nods to Emma herself and the scenes pulling at my heartstrings had me flipping the pages to find out how both June and Levi's story unfolds. I adored the side characters and the overall setting, feeling right at home in the small coastal town. I was rooting for June to find herself and honestly, for Levi's portion of his "pact" to downfall because ew, his situation. Fans of romantic "beach read" comedies will adore Lord's debut adult romance and want more from her as soon as possible!

The Break Up Pact is Emma Lord’s first real voyage into adult fiction, and I was excited to see how her style would transfer. I am a huge fan of her YA books - she writes such fun, lovable, witty teens & as a high school English teacher, I love sharing her books with my students.

However, I’m not sure this one really worked for me. The characters, despite being in their late 20s, read way more like late teens/early 20s. I felt this way about her college ages characters in her book Begin Again as well; there is something not quite transferring well for me when it comes to her attempting older characters.

I am also a little disappointed that this book is pretty similar to many of her others. The main female character feels like a slightly different shade of many of her other MCs from past books. There are some repeating patterns of her work that I love - the repeating dessert motif is one I hope she continues in every book tbh it’s a fun touch - but I would like a little more nuance in her characters.

Overall, this was fine. It just didn’t feel like a new book with new characters, and I’m not sure Lord pushed herself enough into the adult fiction genre. I will still read whatever Lord writes next, but perhaps with a little less enthusiasm than I have in the past.

Readers should go into this thinking of an adult contemporary, romance book. While the writing is very Emma Lord-esc, the content is more mature than her previous work and has more serious themes than the cute cover might imply.

That said, I enjoyed this book a lot. Two childhood friends who never admitted feelings to each other have lost their friendship in the past ten years but reconnect and start to fake date. As they date they are both processing why their most recent relationships failed, how to move on, and realizing they have not been living the life they want for themselves. Readers follow along as together they figure out what they want and how they can support each other through the changes.

I was given a free copy of this book; I’m leaving an honest and voluntary review.

“Take that picture and I will throw your phone so far into the ocean you’ll start getting texts from Poseidon.”

The Break-Up Pact is a fake dating M/F romance featuring a pair of high school friends who lose touch until they both have very public, viral relationships end.

“I march out of the shop with all the indignation a woman who just managed to carve a hole in rock bottom can possibly muster. “

June’s sister Annie died two years ago. Annie’s best friend, Levi, is back in town after his fiancee leaves him for a TV personality. June has become a meme for her sobs after her ten-year boyfriend broke up with her on a reality TV show. The two quickly find themselves in a fake, mutually beneficial relationship, dubbed the Revenge Exes by the Internet. It goes without saying the two have a history and that the fake part of the relationship is hard to keep up.

“Is that why you’re here? So we can form a Benson Beach viral breakup support group? Because I don’t really have time for niche extracurriculars right now.”

The duo eventually must confront not just their issues in their former relationships, but also their own history. There’s a lot of drama here because losing a sister or best friend so young is not a common nor easy thing to accept.

𐙚 ‧₊˚ ⋅
rating: 4.5

Overall Thoughts
The amount of time it took me to finish this book (6 months..) does not reflect how I feel about the book. The book started off with such a good idea and throughout the book it stayed really consistent with the plot. I loved all the plot points and tropes in this one, which is what initially made me want to pick it up and drove me to finish it. I liked the realness I felt throughout the book and the emotions it made me feel. This was my second Emma Lord book, the first being tweet cute which was such a cute young adult book but this is catered as adult fiction and WOW.... it blew my mind the range she is able to deliver. I LOVED the topics discussed in this one and how deep it could get in terms of grief and how to navigate it. As someone who has experienced a loss and will forever understand grief I tend to eat books like this up. However even without the grief plotline it covered so many other important topics such as doing what's right for you, not holding yourself back for a partner or significant other and the importance of appreciating what you have right now, in the moment. It was such a strong, adorable and fulfilling story that I really enjoyed and hope that others who decide walk away with the same heartwarming feelings I did.

For Someone Who Likes꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱
𖹭 Friends to lovers
𖹭 Fake dating
𖹭 small town/small business representation
𖹭 romance not main plot but features other topics
𖹭 deals with grief

I have read every book that Emma Lord has written. I've come to expect a well developed story with expertly crafted characters with witty dialogue. 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐊-𝐔𝐏 𝐏𝐀𝐂𝐓 (PUB 08.24) is her first adult contemporary rom-com. While I enjoyed this solid 3-star read, I should have managed my expectations more. I am confident that her next adult title will be even better. Thanks to St. Martin's Press for the early copy.

𝗪𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝:
- Easy read
- Beach town and tea shop
- Childhood friends to amore
- Second chances
- Slow burn/One open door scene
- Delivered on the Com part of rom-com

𝗪𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐧'𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤
- Overuse of the word scone. so.many.scones.
- Story meandered with uneven pacing.
- Lack of communication.

Long review coming

Loved this so much more than her YA reads! The scones and baking aspect was adorable and the fake dating was chefs kiss. Loved the spice as well. It was light hearted and funny and made me feel warm and fuzzy inside. I felt like I could taste the baked goods while reading her descriptions. This was such a great read

The Break-Up Pact is the perfect adult novel with an open-door, second-chance, angsty romance. The chemistry between June and Levi is amazing, making their fake dating journey both entertaining and heartfelt. Despite their long-standing romantic feelings, they manage to fake date convincingly while navigating their complicated past.

The story delves deep into their personal struggles, particularly overcoming the death of June’s sister, Annie. It’s amazing to see how, despite past miscommunication, longing, and pining, they are able to rekindle their friendship and perhaps even something more. This book is a delightful blend of humor, romance, and genuine emotion—an absolute must-read!

Thanks to Emma Lord, St. Martin's Publishing, and Netgalley for the advanced reader copy!!!

I DEVOURED this book!

The Break-Up Pact we follow the relationship of June and Levi. They were best friends in high school but due to a misunderstanding before Levi leaves for college results in a falling out and they had lost touch. Now they are both going through viral break-ups that present a unique opportunity to give them both what they want for June to turn Tea-tide around and for Levi to win Kelly back.

I may be biased but the fake-dating trope is probably one of my favorite. I loved the character growth throughout this book especially June’s. Being around the same age she took change and hardship and allowed it to help her grow.

I know Emma Lord is normally a YA author but I really enjoyed this transition into contemporary romance. I hope readers can see the undertones of this as they read it instead of it being a super witty rom-com.

I loved this book and am excited for what is to come from Emma!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for an eARC of this new romance novel.

3.5⭐️ (rounded up)

June is now a viral meme after a public break up. Her childhood best friend and former crush, Levi has just returned to town after his own public break up. The two have not seen each other in years but decide to start a fake relationship to profit off of their current fame. June’s tea shop has been struggling financially and Levi wants to make his ex-fiancée jealous so it’s a win-win situation. But what happens when their fake dates start to feel real and June’s crush on Levi returns?

This was such an adorable, summer read! I loved the first 2/3 of this book and I was rooting for June and Levi, but I will say that the last 1/3 of the book dragged on a little. There were also times where I was annoyed by Levi, but overall I enjoyed the book! Emma did a great job with the fake dating trope and I was literally kicking my feet and giggling at times. This would be a great read if you are looking for a cute and quirky small town romance.

What to expect:
🩵 Romantic Comedy
🩵 Fake Dating
🩵 Friends-to-Lovers
🩵 Second Chance
🩵 Small Town

Thank you to Emma Lord, St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Emma you had me routing for June and Levi the whole way! The banter was hilarious and I loved their small little beach town and childhood friend vibes.

The ideal beach read!

I had such a good time reading The Break-Up Pact! June and Levi were so well developed and I loved the drama of it all. This was a fast paced, tension filled, wild ride. I blew through it in one sitting solely because I couldn't get enough of June and Levi's banter and how ridiculously perfect the whole childhood friends to strangers to fake dating on a reality show situation was.

Will be recommending to all my reality show loving friends!