I have a bit of a pet peeve when it comes to books where there's a "tell, no show" thing going on.

When June and Levi's respective break-ups go viral, there's just one thing to do: change the focus by fake dating! Fake-dating is one of my favorite tropes, and I really liked the angle that the author took with this one, especially with the way it was set up. What irked me a little was the fact that we're told these characters used to have huge crushes on each other way back in the day, so I'm expecting chemistry, tension, maybe a little bit of angst thrown in there. Unfortunately, the romance lacks all of that.

There were some inconsistencies and unsatisfying conclusions that made me feel eh towards the story. I especially wasn't a fan of the June and how she'd pull the teenager disappearing act when it came to talk about her feelings. Like, really?

Anyway, it was a semi-enjoyable story but not one I'd want to read again or recommend.

The author's passion shines through in this book. I just didn’t connect with it like I wanted to. It has great potential to appeal to other romance readers and I encourage others to try it out! Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book.

This is my first by Lord and it won't be the last. I read this was her adult debut and I was not disappointed. It was quick, easy, sweet, and cute. I loved the wit and the banter and read it quick. A great feel-good quick read. I look forward to more!

I received an advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I wanted more from this one. I was so excited going into it, but during some parts the characters were unlikeable, both through dialogue and their actions in the book. I didn't feel much of a connection between the two main characters - I was meant to believe that these two were childhood best friends, but I wasn't convinced. The chemistry between the two was off and something was missing - they had no spark, no strong banter. This hasn't deterred me from reading another Emma Lord book in the future, I'm willing to give another a try.

Super cute romcom. I loved June and Levi’s fake dating chemistry and their shared history. Emma Lord is an auto buy author for me now. And now I’m craving scones!

-Fake Dating-Friends To Lovers-Childhood Friends

This was a cute more YA romance novel. I enjoyed the storyline and I always love a good fake dating for revenge plot. While this one is classified as a contemporary romance to me it does read a little more YA with very minor spice. While I loved the writing I found the MMC a little unlikable and never found myself rooting for him but of course that is personal preference. Star rating- 3.25


Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you for the opportunity to review this advanced reader's edition. Unfortunately, I will not be able to give it the time required to write a thorough review and will be unable to read it for this purpose.

Emma Lord is becoming an auto buy author for me. I love hilarious cringy situations that make you want to look away while still taking a peak. That is how Emma Lord creates these embarrassing at times hilarious yet hopeful and romantic stories you are rooting for.

Unfortunately this was a miss for me. I didn’t feel any chemistry at all between the main characters, June and Levi. And I could not stand Levi!

I adored this sugary sweet dessert of a novel. Emma Lord's writing swung from laugh-out-loud funny to a depth of emotional introspection that I found surprising from a contemporary romance. As with many rom-coms, there were moments of ridiculousness and plenty of trope-fulfilling lines, but this one hit it out of the park for me. This was a pleasantly surprising 4.5/5 for me. I will be reaching for more from this author in the future when I need a fun romance for a change of pace. Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and the author for a digital ARC.

Lord is the reigning YA romcom queen, and every book of hers has a great cast, funny premise, and whip-smart writing. I devoured this one just like all the others!

I think this author does best with YA as this had some adult content but the characters read like her YA books. This one dragged a little bit for me and just felt a little off.

Unfortunately this book was not for me. I had a hard time getting through it and ultimately could not finish.

This book unfortunately haunted my tbr pile for a long time. I tried a handful of times to jump into it but just couldn't connect with the story. It definitely did not deserve a DNF or no rating though so here we are, albeit a bit delayed. There is nothing intrinsically wrong with this book but there was also nothing that connected me to the characters or even left me truly rooting for them. This book had a lot of things I typically enjoy in romance books (fake dating is actually usually one of my favorite romance tropes) but everything fell a bit flat for me.

The FMC & MMC felt soooooo platonic despite supposedly having long term history and a childhood past. I never once really felt any true angst or longing or pining between them. It was stated, and often very descriptive, but never truly *felt* any of those feelings in their actions. There's a ton of miscommunication through the entirety of the book and not great communication in general.

There are quite a bit of side characters that also seem to quickly serve their purpose and then proceed to completely fade to the background. We're supposed to be following the wedding planning for two of their closest loved ones but barely even see them throughout the story. Parents? Practically non-existent other than their house. Best friend plays her beginning role and then also fades away. Sister that passed away who was the hub of the group of friends and siblings. I know that the story of course revolves around the FMC & MMC but it really needed something to help round out the story or add some more intrigue because I was mostly just...uninterested.

I think this book just wasn't really for me or I wasn't the right reader for this book! It was not terrible by any means but just not a favorite for me.

June and Levi are both grieving when circumstances thrust them back into one another's lives. There was a lot of humor built into this double whammy of a trope (fake dating and second chance) novel. I really enjoyed and appreciated June and Levi showing up for one another. Initially to save themselves and then to support one another.

Thank you so much @StMartinsPress for giving me this ARC in exchange for my honest and unbiased review (Release Date | 13 August 2024)

SYNOPSIS | June + Levi were best friends as teenagers, but a misunderstanding resulted in them falling out right before Levi departs for college. Ten years later, June returns to their hometown to run her sisters tea shop after a very public breakup and finds Levi has also returned after his girlfriend broke up with him too. After a compromising photo of them goes viral they decide to run with it + pretend to be a couple all in an attempt to make their ex's jealous.

WHAT I LIKED:
- I liked June + Levi as individuals (but sadly I didn't feel the spark or root for them as a couple)
- fun banter at the beginning of the book (which unfortunately fizzled out as the book progressed)
- a beach-side tea shop sounds adorable
- a decent transition into the adult romance genre

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
- considering June's sister is an integral part to the story I felt her character + relationships were very underdeveloped
- the foundation of the book hinges on miscommunication (aka my least favourite trope)
- this took me four months to finish because I initially put it down during a sex scene and then every time I picked it back up again I got the ick and couldn't make myself care

this book unfortunately took me an entire calendar year to get through. I’m a big fan of Lord’s YA Tweet Cute and generally love how quirky her stories can feel. In an adult contemporary setting however, it loses its charm. I felt like the characters came off really one-dimensional (like Griffin being such an easy villain to hate / write off for his childish behavior and Sana treated as the token diversity side character and white female main character’s best friend. Please) and the romance didn’t have me invested at all. What I really loved about the story was how June worked through her feelings of grief about her sister and learning how to not let the past dictate her present. But that was like maybe 2% of this novel. Super disappointed about this read and genuinely one of the hardest romances I’ve had to finish this year.

This is so much fun! I loved every second of it 💕 I was looking for a break from the holiday reads, & this hit the spot 🥰 Emma’s books are a breath of fresh air, & always enjoyable 🌟 this one is no different!

June is someone I would love to meet. She is smart, creative, strong, & learns to go after what she wants. She also owns a coffee shop called Tea Tide & it sounds like my kind of place! And Levi is so much more than he thinks. He is passionate, caring, & looks out for those he loves. June & Levi gave me all the feels 🫶🏻 their relationship was so much in the making ❤️ a slow burn that keeps a smile on your face.

Even though this is a romcom, it incorporates some heavy topics with care, & that makes the characters & story so much more authentic & relatable. Well done 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

What to expect:
✨friends to lovers
✨fake dating
✨second chance
✨small beach town
✨cute coffee shop
✨slow burn
✨open door
✨fun revenge plot

HAPPY READING 🫶🏻📚 thank you @netgalley @stmartinspress for the earc & the #gifted finished copy 💕💕💕

The Break-Up Pact was the first book I’ve read by Emma Lord and right from the beginning I knew that this story would be an interesting read. I always love a friends to lovers trope and June and Levi’s story did not disappoint. June and Levi went through very public breakups that both went viral and ended up coming back to their childhood town. After years of no contact, they end up re-connecting and decide to fake date one another. However, they didn’t plan on their real feelings coming back.

Emma’s writing and character development were such a great reminder that peoples’ lives are never linear. We all go through ups and downs as well as hardships. June and Levi’s relationship shows us that no matter how much time has passed that it’s never too late to reach out to someone who meant a lot to you in your past. What’s meant to be will always end up working out.

Overall, I thought of this book as a heartwarming and relatable read. The only thing I would have wanted was a few extra chapters to in order to to rush the conclusion the book.

Thank you so much NetGalley and St. Martins Press for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

An e-ARC was provided by the publisher and net galley in exchange for an honest review.

2 stars

While this book has a good premise, there is not much that sets it apart from other contemporary romances. I was not able to connect with the main characters and the romance was missing.