I think this just wasn’t for me. I loved the first half but once Levi and June got together I fell into a major reading slump and the book started feeling super boring to me. I absolutely love childhood friends to lovers but the ten years of barely talking because of a misunderstanding thrown in was not fun. There were multiple events that should’ve been on the page but were only told later (why do I complain about this is SO many reviews), and things felt both rushed and too slow.

I think most of my complaints are subjective so still read if you want, but I would not encourage someone to.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book.

This was a delightful story. I’ve really enjoyed Emma Lord’s YA novel so was excited and nervous for her adult debut. It was a sweet romance and the characters were well developed.

At first I thought this was going to be a fun beach read. It was, but it was a little deeper than I expected. I really enjoyed all of the characters. I related to June a lot. Couldn’t put it down.

*This uncorrected proof definitely needs to developmental and line edits to correct several plot inconsistencies, re-arrange a few scenes for linguistic and narrative clarity, and correct spelling and grammar errors. I am happy to write a public review for the books in a final state, but I don't feel comfortable doing so when it needs this much.*

I enjoyed this story a lot, particularly the setting and a lot of the story beats that get the characters into a fake dating scenario. It's the rare kind of fake dating book that does feel like it could be possible on some level. That said I did have problems with a few parts of the book, particularly the two lead characters.
June did not seem to have much of a voice, particularly when contrasted with Sana who has a ton of voice. I feel that we could have used a bit more individuality about what she wants, as well as more of a distinct voice for her narration and speaking.
Levi could use quite a bit more on-page development. He has a voice, but it's also unclear what he wants.
Sana is good, just needs a stronger reason to push June and Levi to fake date.
The side characters are mostly thin but fine.

Storywise I liked the book, and would definitely read this author again, but the characters need... more?

Two and a half stars. Would be higher (4 stars) if these issues were corrected.

The Break-Up Pact - Emma Lord
After an embarrassing public break up, June can't help but feel bad when her old friend Levi goes through a similar public experience. While they haven't talked in years, and there's a past full of hurt and unspoken words, June and Levi decide to team up and pretend to date to bring attention to June's struggling business and make Jake's ex a little jealous.
While their fake relationship is blowing up on social media, June and Levi navigate mending their friendship while facing their past and trying to suppress any left over feelings to keep the situation from getting difficult.
Can they pull off fake dating without the truth coming to light, while both figure out the path they want to take moving forward?
I always enjoy a light fluffy rom-com type book and this one was no exception. I loved the banter between June and Levi and them falling into a familiar but unfamiliar stride. I'm a sucker for childhood friend trope books. They give me all the feels. Besides their complicated relationships, I always truly enjoyed the story of June letting go of past obligations to her sister, making the business hers and finding a way to thrive in some not ideal scenarios!
In the end I gave this fun book ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5. I envision this one being a hit for all the readers looking for a beach read or pool side read this summer! Expect to see this one August 13th, 2024!

This book had likeable moments, but it just wasn't for me.

The pacing of the plot was very uneven. Some scenes took forever, while others that were nice, seemed rushed, taking away from the story as a whole.

The characters did not seem realistic or likable, which is a huge piece of getting me connected to the story.

The premise of the book seemed exciting, but it fell flat.

I absolutely love Emma Lord! June and Levi are childhood best friends who have fallen mostly out of touch but remained distant acquaintances. Now they have reconnected over as their break-ups go public and their “date” goes viral. We love a “fake date” moment in rom-coms!!!! As June and Levi add fuel to the viral fire they find their connection is more real than fake. Highly recommend for a summer read that will carry you away!

Completely consumable! This is Emma Lord’s transition to adult romance, and I loved it! She paints absolutely gorgeous writing and descriptions, and at the same time gives us plot complexity. Grief is woven throughout the novel in an authentic and careful way, which I really appreciated. I would love to be able to spend some time in Benson Beach, and of course I want to be friends with all the side characters. I wish we had gotten to see Mateo and Dylan’s wedding! There were times when it was hard to watch June struggle, but that’s always my experience when I love the main characters. The author crafted the spicy scene with great talent; I wish there had been more than one! I would love to see more adult romance from Emma Lord.

I've been a fan of Emma Lord since reading Tweet Cute a few years back. That has been my favorite from this author thus far, but after reading the Break-Up Pact I may have a new favorite.

In this story we follow childhood friends June and Levi. Both are picking up the pieces after facing public humiliating breakups, more June than Levi. When the two are caught together rumor spreads that they are the revenge exes and the two take full advantage of this.

This story was written for a more mature audience than the author usually writes for, but her writing still comes through the pages. June and Levi are still written as if they are real people in the world and the side characters add great moments throughout the story. The author does a wonderful job of demonstrating the history the characters have with each other.

This story is not without heartbreak. There are mentions of a sibling passing away off the pages and while it is important to the storyline, it isn't so present to make it hard to read the story itself.

The Break-Up Pact will be a great beach read this summer!

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

June Hart and Levi Shaw, childhood best friends who have been estranged for about 10 years, are suddenly reunited in their home town after both of their very humiliating breakups went viral. June and Levi become the internet's newest darling couple after a leaked photo of the pari innocently hanging out takes the internet by storm. Both quickly realize the benefits that go along with everyone thinking they are a couple could be extremely beneficial. June and Levi agree to put the lingering hard feelings aside to seize the opportunity. June has hopes to save her struggling tea shop while Levi wants to rekindle things with the fiance that very publicly cheated on him. As June and Levi go on fake dates to portray a blossoming relationship, the lines start to blur as real feelings develop between them.

The Break-Up Pact was the first book by Emma Lord that I've read, and it definitely didn't disappoint. I thought Lord did a fantastic job at fleshing out both Levi and June that made it easy to understand their motivations and to feel like I really knew the characters. While I really enjoyed this book, I just wish there had been a little bit more conflict between June and Levi. It just seems like any time a potential conflict came up, it was all resolved very quickly. The Break-Up Pact would be the perfect summer romance, and I would definitely recommend this book when it is released.

The Break-Up Pact by Emma Lord is an easy summer beach read. You want a book to through in your bag and casually check in and out of during a vacation? This is the book for you. We've got friends to lovers. We've got a small town bakery on the verge of collapse. We've a viral internet video. It's like the summer edition of a Halmark movie and sometimes, that's all you need.

The plot is easy to follow and the characters are endearing. I will warn you, the slow burn is slowwwww. Like to the point I was unsure if the characters actually liked each other or if the hostility was purely hostile.

TW: grief, off page loss of a sibling.

This book had me smiling all along.

I loved the whole fake dating journey with June and Levi. ‘’

Will definitely recommend

June & Levi were best friends growing up, but they went their separate ways despite having feelings for one another. Over a decade later, they find themselves in the same place (beautiful Benson Beach) nursing a broken heart. For separate reasons, their breakups went viral, so they decide to fake date as “Revenge Exes.” June wants her ex to know she’s moved on & Levi wants his ex to realize she really wants to be with him.

There are several tropes found in this story, but they all struggled to get their footing. We had some friends-to-lovers, but their friendship was fractured when they met back up. Why was it fractured? Because of the miscommunication trope from when they graduated high school & went their separate ways. Miscommunication trope has never been a favorite of mine, so I didn’t love that piece of the story. We also have fake dating, but the timeline of it needed some ironing. The agreement happened way too quickly & then it was serious, but not really. Again, it needed some ironing.

There were a lot of emotions that were just waiting to bust through. I was waiting for that gut-wrenching burst of emotions & I felt like it was all a little too mundane. I wanted more. I do think with the right narrators, this could be better on audio. They could potentially bring this story off the page where it often fell flat.

I liked this story, but I wasn’t enamored by it. I didn’t feel a pull to keep reading. The idea and outline of the story is there, but it felt two-dimensional in that it never came alive.

Thank you to NetGalley & St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This book releases in August 2024.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
book was a light fun romantic read. The over all storyline was good. Unfortunately, the characters did not leave a lasting impression on me. That being said, I found this a quick and enjoyable book.

The Break-Up Pact by Emma Lord was such a sweet summer small-town romance. I loved June and Levi and their fake-dating scheme. Their chemistry was unmatched and I loved their growth throughout the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with this Advanced Reader's Copy.

The forced Proximity is off the charts. Emma Lord is a genius. Her books are always a must! Don’t skip on this must read. The banter is beautiful and you’ll be rooting for them to work out what feels a bit contrived in the beginning. It’s not my favorite of Emma’s but still worth reading.

this book was sadly not for me. it had its cute rom com vibe to it so I would definitely recommend it to others but I just couldn't get into it. I found the main character to be very icky so I couldn't connect.

Thank you so much to net galley and the publisher for this ARC!!

In this fun romance beach read, you get to enjoy The Break Up Pact!! In a plot for one friend to save face and another to win back a love, The Break Up Pact is filled with ups, down, hard times and good. This is truly a fun read which leaves you rooting for June and Levi as they reconnect after 10 years and a tragedy ago!

The Break-Up Pact is a fake dating, childhood friends to lovers book, but it’s also more than that. It’s a book about grieving, and healing. June Hart lost her sister two years ago and is running her sister’s tea shop and bakery trying to keep it afloat. Levi Shaw is a writer, an old friend of the Hart family, best friends with Junes brother Dylan, and comes back to the small town after the loss of their sister. He and June have been elected to help Dylan plan his wedding, and send them out on many tasks. Levi’s big city famous girlfriend had dumped him publicly on live tv, something similar to what happened to June with her boyfriend of 10 years. So when people see them together and think they’re dating, suddenly people are drawn to the tea shop and June sees it as a way to keep the shop afloat. No harm no foul right? So they make the break up pact.

This story is both light hearted and emotional. I feel like it’s a good description to say this book is for adults who enjoyed Sarah Dessen novels in their teen years. The characters are both so lovely, and together they’re so healthy for each other. It’s soft, comforting, healing, it made me tear up a little. It’s also a great spring and summer read. Takes place on a beach with sand, clubs, a cozy tea shop with inventive scones and creative and sassy side characters you also can’t help but love.

I read romance but don’t often highly rate it, because I like Good romance. This is Good romance. With a capital G.

These are the trigger warning I collected: grief, loss of sibling, cheating

The Break-Up Pact comes out August 12, 2024!

Thank you Emma Lord, NetGalley, and St. Martins Press for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The writing in "The Break-Up Pact" is sharp and engaging, with Lord's signature wit shining through in every page. The dialogue is snappy and relatable, and the pacing is spot-on, keeping readers hooked from start to finish. Lord also incorporates elements of social media and technology seamlessly into the story, adding a modern twist to the classic tale of friendship and romance.

Overall, "The Break-Up Pact" is a charming and heartfelt novel that will resonate with readers of all ages. With its lovable characters, engaging storyline, and poignant themes, it is a must-read for fans of contemporary YA fiction. Emma Lord has crafted a gem of a novel that is sure to leave readers eagerly awaiting her next book.