So I'm a huuge slow burn reader, and of course I knew that it would not be a slow book (due to the number of pages), but I <s> never</s> NEVER thought that it was such a quick read. I really don't joke when I say it was QUICK!!!
Sometimes you want a fast read, sometimes you don't want to read a 400+ pages book or sometimes you just want to get out of your reading slump. What is the best solution than a quick romance novel? Bestie, I was in a reading slump, finally came out of it, then read this book and now I'm back in a reading slump. I would like to thank Emma Lord for that.🤗🤗

Back to the book that is written too fast for me, (side note: I had the exact the same problem with Tweet Cute her other book). I want to give u an example: We come from the meeting with the 2 Mcs after YEARS to a few pages after "Let's fake date" uhhh ??? You haven't seen each other for years and then you meet again and go fake date? I mean yes, cool ... completely normal ... why not right?

𝐒𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐧𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟏; 𝐥𝐞𝐭'𝐬 𝐠𝐨 𝐭𝐨 𝐧𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟐

The six-time mention of the word TikTok…
YES U READ THAT RIGHT 6 TIMES?!!!!
No one can top Ali Hazelwood because she mentioned it 17 times in her last book (I’m sorry, Ali Ily), but STILL SIX TIMES??? When do authors learn that it's not okay to mention that ugly word? It's really making me want to close the book (in my situation, my phone) and throw it out of the window. But that’s not the only word that definitely got too mentioned in this book, because what is Emma Lord’s obsession with the word scone?? (I really had to google it because I had no idea what it was) because it was mentioned !hold tight! 46 times!!
YES, THE WORD SCONE WAS MENTIONED FORTY-SIX TIMES, LIKE I GET IT, SHE OWNS A TEA SHOP, BUT I HAD TO READ THE WORD SCONES FORTY-SIX TIMES, MY POOR EYES.🫣🫣

𝐋𝐞𝐭'𝐬 𝐠𝐨 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐲 𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧, 𝐧𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟑:

If I don’t connect with the characters (especially the main characters), the book is immediately not my cup of tea. I don’t care how good the writing is; I don’t care about tropes and so on. And guess what this wasn’t just too fast or had TikTok mentioned in it no of course this isn’t it, but the FEMALE MAIN CHARACTER GOT ON MY NERVES!!!! She was so annoying and ohmygaaad so judgmental, and these are the types of people I despise🫶🏼🫶🏼

In fact, I liked the best friend, Sana, of the female main character much more, like THAT'S the kind of woman I want to read about.💞💞(she’s also the reason I’m giving this 2 stars instead of 1)

𝚂𝚒𝚍𝚎 𝚗𝚘𝚝𝚎: 𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚒𝚜 𝙼𝚈 𝚘𝚙𝚒𝚗𝚒𝚘𝚗. 𝙿𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚎 𝚍𝚘𝚗’𝚝 𝚕𝚎𝚝 𝚒𝚝 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚐𝚎 𝚈𝙾𝚄𝚁 𝚘𝚙𝚒𝚗𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚘𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚒𝚝 𝚘𝚛 𝚗𝚘𝚝.🫂

I LOVED this book! I was hooked from the first page-it was such a rollercoaster of emotions! The banter between June and Levi was amazing, and I loved watching their romance bloom. It was a great little rom-com, that could have used a bit more spice in my opinion! The chemistry was certainly there! Overall, 4 stars! Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

Oh my gosh. I LOVED this book.
I love fake dating books and especially when it involves best friends!
The first chapter was a little slow but I promise. If you push through that you won’t regret it. This book is a second chance romance book and I LOVE LoVe LOVE those kinds. Thank you for the early copy!

Emma Lord's 'The Breakup Pact' is a delightful rollercoaster of emotions that had me hooked from the first page to the very end. With wit as sharp as a freshly honed pencil and characters as vibrant as a box of Crayola crayons, Lord takes us on a journey through friendship, love, and self-discovery. The dynamic between the protagonists is both heartwarming and hilarious, with each page brimming with banter that kept me grinning from ear to ear. Lord effortlessly blends humor with heartfelt moments, creating a story that's as satisfying as a perfectly executed doodle in the margins of a notebook. If you're looking for a charming and relatable read that's as comforting as your favorite sweater, look no further than 'The Breakup Pact.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC on this book for my honest review.

I TRIED to like this book, but I just didn't. The book felt like it went on forever and I found my mind wandering on other thoughts as I was reading.

Ugh, tough one. I liked the idea - 2 people who have recently experienced public breakups decide to fake date as a cover. Unfortunately, I couldn't stand Levi's character and without spoilers, his relationship with the fiancee and with June was absurd. Some good parts - thank goodness for Nana, too bad she wasn't a main character.

Thanks for the ARC!

The Break-Up Pact was such a fun and heartwarming read! The tropes were all nailed: childhood crushes, fake dating with adorable date ideas, friends to lovers, and the witty banter? Chefs kiss! I truly felt the profound connection between the main characters. The ending stalled a little bit for me, but overall, I adored this book! This has made me want to pick up Emma Lord’s other books!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC!

ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.

This book has a lot of promise, and a lot of potential. While there were hints of really good development, and really good chemistry between the leads, everything felt a little too rushed to be able to appreciate it. The first third of this book rushes through their reunion, and their fake dating to the confession that they still had feelings for each other. This book would benefit most from just slowing down and allowing a slow burn. Let the tension build on its own instead of constantly forcing the characters together. Let them actually develop instead of just verbally announce how they've changed. While already a cute and fun story, letting both love interests develop separately will elevate the story and allow the reader to really care about them getting together.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC of "The Break-Up Pact" by Emma Lord in exchange for my honest review. June and Levi were likable characters who were childhood friends who had not talked since high school. Both characters went through viral break-ups and became internet fodder. They decide to fake date to help June's tea shop business and to make Levi's ex jealous. There were a lot of funny scenes and growth of the characters. I would have liked to know more about June's sister and what happened to her. I would recommend this book .

This book felt really sweet. The intertwining of friendships and relationships throughout the whole story were really fun. It truly felt like a small town and we were plopped down to see a short period of time. I wish the time frame of everything had been a little longer, it felt a little rushed from Levi’s side that he dropped his whole life in a month.

Overall the writing is beautiful and we’re given details that truly make you feel how our FMC is feeling at the time. I wish it was dual pov and perhaps a few more spicy scenes. The build was perfect though 🥵

This romantic comedy has heart, emotion, and a beautiful ending. It is light and fluffy at first, but really pulls you in to care about the characters. I would say more, but I don’t want to spoil it.

I read this in less than a day- I couldn’t put it down.

Highly highly recommend! 5/5 stars.

3.5 stars for me.

June and Levi are high school sweethearts who suddenly reconnect when Levi shows back up in their hometown. The duo jump into planning June’s brothers wedding and enter a “break-up pact.”

I’m usually a sucker for the second chance romance trope, so I really wanted to love this! It just was a little slow for me. I think I wanted more out of Levi. Maybe even his perspective or just more action?

Also, Levi’s reason for being in the pact…. ::cringe:: I never got past that.

Thank you to SMP and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you so much to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for giving me this preciuos book in advance!
All opinions expressed are my own.
I love Emma's book, i read all of them, but i have to say it, i loved more the YA, and i'm not a fan of that genre.
The story has this trope:
- Fake dating
- Old friends
- Old crush
- Friends to lovers
The fact that i love about Emma's books are the pop-culture references (TS mostly :D ). The story itself is sweet and a little slow, but totally enjoyable. June has a tea shop, but she's having problems running it, there are few customers.
Apart from that she is now know as "Crying girl", she is basically a living meme.
Then, we have Levi, her old friend, the one who got away, he is back in town, and he is also famous on social, he was cheated by a famous actress.
I only give this story 4 stars 'cause i didn't like how naive June seems to be, and how silly Levi is behaving. Get together the two of you! Also i didn't like how the two main character have basically the same situation, i know that's basically the theme of the story, but i'm not convinced at all.
The story is anyway very entertaining.

This book had an absolutely fantastic plot! Could not put the book down once I began reading it. I will recommend it to everyone I know!

Oh how I loved everything about this book. It was funny and charming and swoon worthy with moments where I could feel my heart breaking alongside Junes.

This is one time where I don’t think the synopsis on the back does this book justice. And I also don’t quite understand the vitriol of some of the other reviews. I went into this book in a bit of a slump after reading some heavy historical fiction, and I was apprehensive from the synopsis. But man I am so glad I have it a chance because it was really delightful.

This is a fast paced romance between two lifelong friends who have spent a decade apart (and the reasoning is a huge plot point which I won’t dive into here). They’re also both grieving and processing the loss of Junes sister and Levi’s best friend, Annie. It’s emotional and fun, and there’s something so satisfying about getting to watch the full cycle of the romance. It starts with the premise of fake dating, but it doesn’t feel forced or fake. This isn’t your standard enemies to lovers or second chance romances. This is a decade of hurt and fear and self preservation that felt real. Sometimes these tropes are so wildly over the top and ridiculous that it feels insane. But this one was just realistic enough that I could sink into it. I was also really pleasantly surprised with how June handled some very tough situations where in most books (and in life) it would have led to a very dramatic fight or argument or just being passive aggressive. Instead it was clear she had grown and was learning to trust herself, her judgment, and her relationships. Such an important lesson that was really well done.

I would have been incredibly satisfied if this book had about a hundred more pages. I think there were some plot points glossed over for the sake of time and space (like why Levi and Griffin absolutely hate each other) and it probably could have benefited from hearing some of Levi’s perspective (however that could have led to some internal book spoilers). I wish we saw a little more of Sana, as she reminded me so much of my own best friend that I found myself equally invested in her own path and story.

Are there some zany moments and characters that make you shake your head? Sure. But that’s literally almost every small town trope and truly just reminded me of Gilmore Girls with well meaning neighbors and friends being busy bodies.

Overall, this book was a delight and one I’ll be picking up again just to settle into a cozy romance with a lot of heart.

A solid 3 star read. There was something nostalgic about the book that I couldn’t quite put my finger on. The book had almost everything I need for a great romcom- fake dating, cute setting, characters with similar interests to me…… but I just didn’t connect to the characters. I still would recommend - the writing was great! Wasn’t expecting the spice but it was a welcome addition too!

This has to be my favorite Emma Lord book! I was hooked from the beginning and couldn’t put it down. It’s a cute, feel-good easy read. June and Levi were made for each other and I was rooting for them the whole time.

The Break-Up Pact scone (iykyk)
1 cup childhood friends to strangers to lovers
2 cups fake dating
1/2 cup revenge
1/2 cup tea
1/4 cup carrots
2 tbsp the ashes of Griffin Halter’s reputation

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an advanced copy of The Break-Up Pact.

There have been some peaks and valleys but because I loved Tweet Cute so much, I have basically committed myself to reading every Emma Lord book. And being way beyond the YA demographic, I was super excited to hear that she was debuting her first adult novel this year. So excited that I requested the ARC on NetGalley and crossed my fingers that I would get approved. Thankfully, I was!

Seeing the rating of this book kind of low (at least to me) on Goodreads had me quite worried about the book. So I was definitely a little nervous and a little cautious going into the book.

However, for the most part, that worry was for nothing. The Break-Up Pact is a really great rom-com, beachy read kind of book. Relatively low stakes and... come on... we all know how the book is going to end, right? So, basically it's the perfect kind of book to escape into. I really enjoyed the main characters as well as the secondary characters. They were all very Emma Lord and throughly enjoyable go on a journey with.

The biggest issue I think I had with The Break-Up Pact is that everything was just good, not great. In a lot of ways, it is very similar to Beach Read. However, where Beach Read gave you all the feelings, from happiness to giddiness to sadness, The Break-Up Pact got you just close enough to feel the beginnings of something but didn't take the reader all the way. I was just left wishing for just slightly more all around.

Another issue (smaller for sure) was that it was kind of hard to pin down the age of the main characters. They seemed to behave like early twenty-year olds to me but I think they were actually close to thirty. Honestly, I'm still not 100% sure. I guess what I'm trying to say here is that they felt a little young for this book and reminded me a lot of Lord's characters in her YA books. I wished that the main characters were in their early thirties just to give some space between Lord's YA and adult work.

All in all, The Break-Up Pact is a fast, fun read. Perfect for the beach and equally perfect for fans who looking for something similar to Beach Read. While it isn't as good as that novel, it will certainly entertain fans looking for something close to it.

This was a fun one! Humorous, sexy, the banter was top tier. I enjoyed the characters and the pacing, would have liked a little bit more build up for tension purposes but otherwise a great read.

Fake dating between two best friends, who haven’t seen each other in a decade, after monumentally devastating viral breakups. Can they find their way back to friendship? Is there something more?

Here’s what worked for me:
•June and Levi are adorable together. I love the cross country connection from high school and the cute “I’ll race you to the…” competitions they share.
•I love the connection June and Levi have with the made up world and companion stories they shared as kids.
•The scone recipes sound yummy (but honestly get weird).
•When June finally has her chance to tell Griffin off, it’s handled really well — not over the top or unrealistically, but how I think most of us wish we’d behave.

Here’s what didn’t work for me:
•The ending goes on too long. There is an overwrought explanation of how they come to be together that could be edited.
•I don’t understand why her business is a tea shop on the boardwalk. That doesn’t seem to be a business you’d find in that setting. It’s not integral to the plot so it would make more sense to pick something else.
•Personal preference but I’m not a fan of the shop name: Tea Tide. I guess it’s a play on Tea Time + beach, but it felt awkward and clunky.
•Who is too busy to plan their own wedding? The idea of sending your sister and friend to pick wedding cake flavors, venues, and a DJ seems…unrealistic.

June had been dating Griffin for ten years. After graduation they went off on a death defying, world traveling adventure. But when Griffin cheats on June and then breaks up with her on reality tv, her snot nosed, bumbling response becomes meme fodder. Tail tucked between her legs, she returns to Benson Beach, where she grew up. There she tries her best to keep the tea shop her sister opened on the boardwalk from going under.

Enter Levi. He’s returned home, too, from NYC after his own humiliating break up. His girlfriend left him for a top tier movie star. He’s devastated and hoping to reconcile.

So June and Levi hatch a plan: She needs to make more money to keep the shop open and he needs to make his ex jealous, so they cook up a fake dating scenario and push it on social media as the #revengeexes to drum up publicity. A win-win!

It’s all going fine until the feelings June has always had for Levi resurface. But she knows, from an overheard conversation and ten years of radio silence that he doesn’t feel the same way. Or does he?

This is a e-ARC that I was given the opportunity to read and review from NetGalley and St. Martin Press. Releases August 13, 2024.