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

The Break-Up Pact was one of my favorite fake dating books last year. I love Lord’s characters, her funny banter, and the way social media was worked into this story.

This one has romance of course, but it also has a pretty emotional subplot. I seem to be really drawn to the books lately that have a mix of romance and heavier topics. It makes the characters and story so relatable! Love doesn’t always happen during the perfect times, and I really like books about the love that can sneak up on you even in hard times. Lord does it so well in this one!

I also loved the setting in this one! I’m a city girl at heart, but the cute seaside town sounds like a place I’d love to visit!

Well......I genuinely don't have a whole lot to say about this one...

I do want to thank Netgalley for the ARC. I'm super thankful for the opportunity to review this book!

Now to the nitty gritty, yeah?

I am a romance reader. I LOVE love. That said, I am picky about certain things. The main certain thing being the development of the MC's romance.

In this case, June & Levi were childhood friends that fell out of touch, and to be honest, I don't really get June's "meh" about Levi as a whole.....Waaaay too much resentment in my opinion. But that could just be because June annoyed me for most of this book......We didn't connect.
I also REALLY don't get how you go from running into each other for the first time, to "fake dating" for "revenge" like 2 pages later.......

WTF......Makes NO sense. Not realistic at ALL. NOT AT ALL!!!!!

Levi was just kind of ok too. Not swoon worthy, as he should be. He's kinda a turd.

You read that right....a turd.

Didn't love it y'all.....Did. Not. Love. It.

The Break-Up Pact by Emma Lord is a sweet and cozy story. The story and the characters leave you feeling good and hopeful.

4/5 stars

I thought this was a good, unique spin on some of the more popular romance tropes. It was definitely more of a "slow burn," but I appreciated the character depth and emotional ties that the FMC had to her sister. and how this story also focused a lot on grief and emotional growth for her. The tea shop in a beach town setting is a dream come true! Overall the premise for how these exs got together was funny, the paparazzi element was unique, and it was an enjoyable read throughout. Not my most favorite romance I read in 2024, but a great read to escape.

Thank you to St. Martins, Netgalley and the Author for an eARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Break-Up Pact by Emma Lord was such a cute story!

5🌟

June and Levi find themselves single after very public and very viral break up posts on social media.

Then in a crazy twist they find themselves in a picture together that manages to get posted leading everyone to believe they are a couple.

So, why not pretend to date and make a break-up pact? I love a good fake dating troupe and this one was perfect!

ohhh I wanted to absolutely adore this one, but it was just a solid 3 star read for me. I never really felt the chemistry between our two main characters.

Oh Emma Lord, her pacing really gets to me and... not in a good way. But, pacing aside this was a decent book. I thought the whole cheating exes part was a bit much but it fit with the story. I wasn't really into their romance, it wasn't convincing to me but I think that was partly due to the pacing of the book. The tea shop was so cute but I was so unprepared for the sadness in this book. Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley, who provided me with an ARC.

This was such a sweet romance. I love the enemies to lovers trope and pretending to be together/break up is a fun way to tell that type of story. I think readers who have enjoyed Emma Lord's previous books will love this one as well. Thanks again for the advanced copy.

This was just okay. No major complaints but nothing special either. June and Levi were fine but kinda forgettable. They didn’t really have much chemistry and the fake dating felt rushed. There was grief represented which I was happy to see.

Oh dear.. This book looked and sounded so cute so when I was given access to the ARC audiobook last year I was excited. I started it early this year after sitting on it for a bit and I was super disappointed. This is my first Emma Lord book, so I don’t have a real sense of her books yet, but this one was not for me.

I love the fake dating trope - but this was also friends to lovers // fake dating. There was quite a bit going on but at the same time.. Not much at all. There were a number of things I did not like about the book but mostly it felt like it was 100 years long and dragged on forever.

The book in total was dry.. Like a scone.. Which.. They talked about scones CONSTANTLY. I don’t think people eat scones at the level that they talked about them so the MC hinging her tea shop business on new scone recipes.. And a hot tea shop on the beach? Hm..

There was one spicy scene in the book but it wasn’t enough to revive this book for me. There is a lot more that I can say but ultimately.. it just was not the book for me!

I tried so hard to like this book and I feel kinda bad that I wasn’t able to manage it. I appreciate what the author was trying to do as far as build out characters with real emotional journeys, but it fell really flat for me. It felt very heavy handed like we were just being pounded over the head with how hard it was to move on after Annie. I didn’t feel invested and the characters felt very one dimensional, like their emotional struggles were the only thing we knew about them. I just ultimately didn’t enjoy reading the book—it felt like a slog and I was relieved when it ended. I normally like Emma Lord so hopefully this is just a one-off for me.

This was cute but it didn’t make a whole lot of sense to me.

After years of not speaking, like at all, these two decide to fake date. I’m sorry, what?! I mean I know a lot of fake dating tropes are pretty far fetched but this one wasn’t even trying to make it seem a little believable. Also, in what world would the internet care about these two people dating?

I think the fact that the MMC was still trying to get back with his fiancé is what made the whole thing a little icky from the beginning. He went from wanting his fiancé back to wanting to get with June in a blink. It was just kind of weird and the chemistry between them fell flat for me.

Overall, this wasn’t terrible but it wasn’t great. I didn’t really like either main character. The good news is that it’s a quick read! So there’s that.

Thank you to SMP and Netgalley for the eARC.

This reminded me of People We Meet on Vacation. I hated People we meet on vacation. That’s all I have to say sorry Emma lord I love all uour other books but this one missed the mark for me 😭

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an early copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review. Fun, but not really for me. I've enjoyed Emma Lord books in the past but I find them pretty hit or miss, this was more on the miss side for me.

June and Levi, friends since childhood, find themselves fake dating after not seeing each other for some 10 years. Both very publicly dumped, they decide to fake date each other. Levi, to try and win back his ex and June to try to get some good press after the horrible meme made of her breakup crying.

June and Levi wind up on numerous “dates” while scoping out various people and places to potentially hire for June’s brother’s upcoming wedding.

They find themselves reconnecting after their 10 years of silence from each other.

Cute friends to lovers and fake dating. Every time the ugly trying meme was mentioned I pictured Kim K, just me?

Following Lord's previous YA hits, this debut into adult romance was fantastic! The humor and banter remained, just leveled up a little bit for an older audience. I can't wait for more stories from one of my can't-miss authors!

This read was just okay for me. I feel like I kept going back and forth throughout with if I was enjoying it or not - it wasn't consistent. It just didn't pack enough of a punch for me and felt a bit too light. It felt like it could have been more. I didn't feel the connection between the two main characters and it felt more friend zone. I didn't really get why they stopped talking and why they started to gain feeling for each other.

Thank you to Netgalley, Emma Lord and St Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Break-Up Pact by Emma Lord is a lighthearted and charming romantic comedy with plenty of heart, but it doesn't quite reach its full potential. While I enjoyed the chemistry between the main characters and the witty banter, the story felt a bit predictable at times, and some of the emotional beats didn’t hit as hard as I’d hoped.

The novel follows the story of two college students, Liv and Mack, who have been friends for years but find themselves in a unique situation. When their relationships hit a rough patch, they make a pact to help each other get through their breakups. What begins as a supportive friendship soon starts to blur the lines between platonic and romantic feelings, creating a whirlwind of emotions and unexpected turns.

Emma Lord has a great writing style, and her characters are easy to connect with, especially if you enjoy stories about friendship, love, and self-discovery. Liv and Mack are both relatable and well-developed, each struggling with their own personal issues. The evolving dynamic between them is entertaining, and I appreciated how their relationship grew throughout the novel.

However, the pacing of the story was a bit uneven. The plot felt slow in certain areas, and while I enjoyed the moments of humor and lightness, there were times when the narrative seemed to drag. The buildup to the romance was engaging, but I felt that the eventual resolution came too quickly and didn’t fully explore the depth of emotions involved. It left me wishing for more development in their relationship and a stronger emotional payoff.

One thing that stood out to me was the predictability of the plot. While the concept of the break-up pact is fun and has a lot of potential for tension and drama, the story followed a pretty familiar trajectory with few surprises along the way. Some twists were easy to anticipate, which made the book feel a bit formulaic at times. That said, if you’re looking for a cozy, feel-good read with a touch of romance, The Break-Up Pact delivers on that front.

Overall, The Break-Up Pact is an enjoyable, light read, but it lacks the emotional depth and originality that could have elevated it into something truly memorable. If you're a fan of rom-coms and character-driven stories, you'll likely find it fun and sweet, but it may not leave a lasting impression.

**Thank you to the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

In Emma Lord's latest release you can find tropes like fake dating and second chance romance. There is some miscommunication which is always a bit infuriating as a reader. This book also deals with some heavier topics and less rom-com, maybe more rom-dram? Either way, it was a like not a love from me as I had a tough time connecting with the characters. This is likely a me problem. Thanks for the eARC NetGalley and SMP!