
Member Reviews

Emma Lord has taken the YA Contemporary literary world by storm, and this is her first Adult Contemporary novel.
Full of fun summer vibes and second chances, this is a great book to get readers into beach season! Just beware of the family grief. Lord handles grief over Annie very well, but as June's sister and Levi's best friend, the memory of Annie is everywhere and so, too is the grief that the characters must manage. As it should be.
Pre-order a copy before it's August 13, 2024 release!
#NetGalley - I voluntarily read a Review Copy of this book. All opinions stated are solely my own and no one else’s.

This book is pure summer time perfection <3
If you want a second chance romance set in a small beach town, this is for you!! The perfect combination of fake dating and childhood friends WITH beautiful discussions of overcoming loss. I love the atmosphere of this story, and having the FMC run a cute little tea shop was adorableee. Every time they describe the different scones the shop sells, I was drooling!
This book is packed full of Emma Lord's signature humor, banter, and quirks. This book was an incredible step into the adult romance genre from an author I already adored, and I am truly so excited to see what other adult romances she will come up with in the future!

This is the first book that I have read by Emma Lord, so going into this with good expectations! As someone that chronically reads the romance genre, this book didn't disappoint. It's a classic friends to lovers trope, one that I think should always be explored upon. I'm also a sucker for fake dating tropes ♥ and this one was one of my favorites.
It was an emotional turmoil, I laughed and cried and the characters felt so developed and real! It also toils with themes of grief and how people can get stuck in grief (though rightfully so with the way her boyfriend breaks up with her).
Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy!

This book is a good summer read. I thought that some parts of it dragged, but it definitely had a lot of depth to it. There was obviously a romance aspect with the fake dating trope very front and center. However, it also discussed dealing with grief of a loved one, especially when that loved one is young.
The main characters are adorable, but I wish there had been a little bit more conflict between them.
I enjoyed reading this! Thank you to St. Martin's Press for this advanced copy!

This book was cute but something was missing for me! June and Levi go through a second chance romance after they both break up with their previous significant other. I thought it had cute moments but felt like it lacked some depth and had some holes in the story! Overall I would say if you want a cute and easy read that isn’t too deep then it would be a good choice.
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

This is my first Emma book that I have read. I love a good fake out saying story so I was excited for this one. I love Levi and June. It’s an easy breezy book that moves fast paced.
I enjoyed it

I thought this was a great adult debut! I've read a few of Emma Lord's YA novels that I've really enjoyed and this feels similar but also is just a really solid adult romance.
Oh and the spicy scene! This isn't going to knock your socks off with levels of spice but what we do get is REALLY well done! It's sweet and tender and sexy and is just the perfect blend for this book.
Read this for:
- Fake Dating
- Beach town
- Childhood friends to lovers
- No third act breakup
- so. many. scones.
There was just a little too much drama - particularly Levi going back to NYC and living with his ex but not communicating well - for me to rate this 5 stars but I still really enjoyed it and can't wait to see what Emma does next!

Pretty disappointed with this one. I've read Emma Lord in the past, but sadly I didn't connect to this one or the romance. Too many miscommunications and not enough depth to meet my romance-loving expectations.

The Break-Up Pact is Emma Lord's first book in the new adult/adult genre of contemporary fiction. This romance includes secret feelings, heartache, and fake dating as well as grief and starting over. This was a heartwarming story; however, I would have liked to see more clever banter between the characters. Overall, a great addition to Lord's offerings, but not one I can recommend to my younger readers.

This was a cute book that had a slow start, but it got be hooked in and invested in the middle. I love a fake dating premise, and this had the added bonus of pining from being childhood friends as well. There were a couple of place when I wanted to yell at June and Levi, but honestly that just made me more invested how the story would play out.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC!

Although this book deals with grief and grieving, this book was sweet. June is running a tea shop near the beach, taking on the struggle of keeping it open. Levi, her childhood best friend (now ex-best friend) is back in town.
Both June and Levi are recovering from very, very public break-ups and decide to fake date in order to distract the media. June hopes this extra attention will boost tea sales, and tries to come to terms with enjoying being around Levi.
While it’s not necessarily a super fresh take on fake dating, it’s a fun read full of heart. Levi and June have to come to terms with repairing their friendship and deal with how to yearn for something more.

June and Levi were best friends as teenagers until their friendship mysteriously fizzled. 10 years later they're reunited under strange circumstances: the internet is obsessed with their personal lives. Both having recently been publicly dumped, so two decide to fake date in hopes of changing the narrative. Although the beats of this rom-com felt familiar and comfortable, the way Lord uses documenting fake dates to build this slow-burn was well done and memorable.

4 out of 5 stars - If you ask me, I'll tell you to read it.
Super cute book. I enjoyed reading it and getting to know the characters.

I walked into this read with zero expectations and my GOODNESS was it good !!!! Such a wholesome story and truly one where you are rooting for the main characters from the beginning. Absolutely loved my first Emma Lord adult romance book!
Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced review copy.

June and Levi were best friends as teenagers, but then all of a sudden they weren't anymore. Years later they have lost touch and both are failing in their lives. After embarrassing breakups, the two reconnect and realize that if they fake date maybe they can each find the success they are looking for.
Such a cute story.
Thank you, NetGalley for the ARC!

This book had everything you could want out of a summer romance. Levi and June were the freaking CUTEST. I loveeeee a good friends to lovers. It did feel a little slow and repetitive at first, and it was definitely a slow burn. But when it picked up, it picked UP.

Though the Break-Up Pact is one of my favorite tropes, fake dating.
I had a hard time falling in love with this book.
It was very cute, and an easy read.
If you’re looking for a beach read this summer where you can just breeze through with the predictability of a Hallmark movie I would recommend this book.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC of The Break-Up Pact. Easy fun romance that kept me readying. Loved the characters and will continue to read this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for sending an e arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.
June and Levi were friends in high school and recently crossed paths again due to their public break-ups. When both of them were photographed together, the internet believes they are a new couple. They make a fake dating pact to get back at their exes but end up falling in love.
This was a cute easy read but unfortunately, the lack of communication trope really did it for me. I thought their story was rushed and lacked a lot of communication. This made it difficult to love both of the main characters. However, it did have its cute moments and i found myself reading multiple chapters in one sitting!

Just finished reading “The Break Up Pact” by Emma Lord.
This book is cute - very Hallmark movie feel.
I did find that there wasn’t much character development at the beginning. It felt like the author assumed you knew the characters and their back story. However, as time went on there were little titbits that came out about their backstory.
Two former best friends who haven’t spoken in years are dealing with very public break ups so they pretend to date. What continues is a lot of miscommunication, misunderstanding and assumptions but no big shocking surprises.