Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the arc in exchange for an honest review

I do not understand what compels Emily Henry and now Emma Lord to choose happy-go-lucky rom com covers for their romantic dramas overflowing with heartache and emotional complexity. It's an odd choice.

✦ 3.5 stars of clever banter, scenes crammed with delicious tension, and beautiful, romantic prose.

This actually pains me, but I subtracted what I did from my rating because these characters do not know how to communicate like adults, and there was far too much OW drama that hit a little too close to home for me. Simply begging Emma Lord to write more adult contemporary romance, sans those things.

In "The Breakup Pact," Emma Lord crafts a tale that goes beyond the surface of internet memes and struggling businesses, revealing the depth of her characters. June Hart, initially introduced as an internet meme and owner of the beachside cafe Tea Tide, undergoes a journey of self-discovery throughout the book. It takes time for her to unravel her true identity, culminating in a satisfying revelation that matches the creative descriptions of her cafe's scones.

June and her childhood friend Levi embark on a fake dating scheme to boost her business and help Levi win back his cheating fiancée. While their staged relationship practically breaks the internet, the narrative takes readers on a delightful ride through fun dates at the museum, trivia nights, and cake tastings. However, the romantic aspect of their relationship may come across as somewhat immature, laden with the overused misunderstanding trope that echoes a middle school rom-com rather than a story about mature adults.

The character arcs of June and Levi, though resolved, could have been more finely executed, as their growth seems hindered by the miscommunication trope that lingers from their high school days. The narrative unfolds with unnecessary length and occasional dragging moments, contributing to a feeling of immaturity in the characters. Despite the humorous elements and the beachy setting of Benson Beach, the book falls short of the expectations set by Lord's previous works in the YA genre.

The friends-to-lovers trope, while present, seems drawn out and needlessly complicated at times, making it challenging to fully connect with the characters' indecision. While the book didn't evoke strong dislike, it also didn't achieve the level of love expected. The friends' waffling, considering their single status and the faux relationship, creates moments of confusion and impedes the progression of the narrative. While "The Breakup Pact" offers humor and entertainment, its prolonged storyline may leave readers seeking a more succinct and impactful resolution.

For the first time, I'm awarding an Emma Lord book less than five stars, settling for three solid stars. It's not that I didn't enjoy the book; it was a decent read. However, considering Emma Lord is one of my favorite romance authors, I had higher expectations. I'm optimistic that I'll find more satisfaction in her next release.

Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with this digital reviewer copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

June, Levi and June’s sister Annie were always together growing up. Annie and Levi were going to write books together and June had a crush on Levi. When Annie died June took over the Tea Tide trying to bring back their dreams of serving tea and providing interesting scones. June had not talked to Levi in years. June was with Griffin taking on adventures that would scare most people and when he dumps her on national television she is devastated. Levi was with his fiancé for 4 years until she cheated on him. When he comes back to his hometown, June and Levi decide to fake date to make both look better. I loved the way Sana, June’s best friend, captured June and Levi and their true feelings for each other. June is so caught up in missing Annie, trying to make the tea shop what Annie would want that she struggles with the present and the future. I loved seeing her work through the guilt of not being with Annie and the feelings she had for Levi years ago. Great book about trusting yourself and allowing yourself to let go. Wonderful characters and story.

2.5 rounded to 3. I found this very boring and predictable. If you are looking for something mindless and fun to read and just looking for a happy ending of a beach read, this one is fine, but I didn't find anything new or unexpected. That said, it wasn't a bad read. It was just easily forgettable.

Thank you so much to #netgalley and #stmartinspress for this arc for honest review.

I was excited to receive a complimentary copy of The Break-Up Pact by Emma Lord from NetGalley. Opinions in this review are completely my own.

Possible Spoilers:
This is one of my favourite tropes, friends to lovers. I have enjoyed all of Emma Lord's books so far. The characters she writes are engaging and I want to be friends with them. I love the growth that Levi and June were able to go through and still find each other on the other side of it. I like how they were able to encourage each other rather push too hard like their exes had done to them.

The plot of this story was excellent. I went through a variety of emotions reading it. From June's unresolved feelings tied up in her sister's death, to her friendship that spanned over a decade with Levi; I felt it. I could relate to how they said that they would think of each other over the years; I have lost people and wondered about them too. It is always a bittersweet feeling. I love that Levi and June were able to find their way back into each others' lives.

I recommend this novel to anyone needing a perfect feel good novel.

it was cute but ultimately i was bored with it. which is disappointing because i wanted to like it </3

thanks to NetGalley and publishers for this arc.

The Breakup Pact
Author: Emma Lord
Publisher: St Martin’s Griffen
Publication: August 13, 2024
Recommend: Yes!
Especially if you love: Fake dating, pop culture references, second chance romance, running, tea, and scones!

When you meet June Hart at the beginning of The Breakup Pact, you come to know her as an internet meme and struggling owner of Tea Tide- a quaint beachside cafe, but she is so much more than just this. It takes almost the entirety of the book for her to discover who she is, but when she gets there, the end result is satisfying, almost as much as the creative descriptions of her cafe’s scones. June and her childhood best friend Levi turn to a fake dating scheme to boast her business and to help him win his cheating fiancée back (whyyyyy?!). While practically breaking the internet, June and Levi enjoy fun dates at the museum, trivia night, and cake tasting, fooling the world and themselves about their little plan. Business is booming for June at Tea Tide as everyone wants a taste of the “revenge exes”, so much that she creates scone in their honor, not initially realizing she is chasing her local clientele far away. Levi realizes he’s been happy for the first time in years, reconciling a friendship and not pretending in the least to be in love with June, he’s ready to move from NY, change careers, and live life in his own terms. Both Levi and June realize they have been living their lives with the influence of others, but will they be able to put away the 10+years of hurt since high school and move forward together? What do they actually want out of life?

This is my first book by Emma Lord and I found her writing style captivating! Benson Beach sounds so charming and what I wouldn’t give to cozy up in Tea Tide for a few hours. As a former cross country runner , I also appreciated the former cross country teammates aspect and the frequent running references in the book- Levi and June went on beach runs together- how cute and steamy.

Thank you @stmartinspress and @netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of The Break-Up Pact. I've read two of Emma Lord's YA novels and enjoyed them, but I loved this one (her adult debut). June and Levi (and the rest of the supporting cast) were such amazing, fun characters. I loved following along on June's character development, and the romance is swoon-worthy. This is definitely one to add to your TBR when it publishes in August of 2024!

This was my first book by Emma Lord and I was hooked on The Break Up Pact from the beginning. I really enjoyed June’s character development. I could relate to her a lot as someone who has been in a relationship that had run its course but you stick around because of the time you’ve invested it. Her unconventional reconnection with Levi was a fun journey. I was also a fan of the interconnection of the supporting characters. The connections between the supporting characters was something I found very relatable despite not being from a small town like June and Levi. I am excited to explore more of Emma Lord’s novels.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for this ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

I loved one of Emma's YA novels but as her adult debut, this was great. I am always down for a "its always been you" type of read and this definitely has those vibes. I am also so smitten with the growth that both June and Levi had individually to make themselves ready for each other. The epilogue tied up so nicely and I was so happy with the ending.

This was a fun summery read. It had all the beach, sunny, small town vibes. Loved the revenge breakup pact and that June & Levi took back their lives. It was a cute second chance that had a nice balance of drama and resolution. It even had a little dash of spice, which I loved. The tension was a good as Junes scones.

That said, I didn't enjoy one of the side characters, Junes sister. I won't get into details to avoid spoilers but it was hard to wrap my head around her actions. There was resolution and growth so it did end nicely. Overall, enjoyed this book very much and would recommend.

Thank you to St. Martin's Griffin and Netgalley for the opportunity to review this ARC. As always, our opinion is our own.

Breakups that went viral, a fake relationship and a history that has June and Levi bound together for the rest of their lives. This is not my typical rainy day story, but I picked it up because of the seemingly second-chance romance nature of the plot.

At first glance, June and Levi seem like star-crossed lovers, and they act more like exes than old friends. We find out pretty quickly that they've had feelings for each other since they were children, but never told the other because of middle-school-esque "hurdles" and misunderstandings. As children, they're tied together by June's sister (a.k.a. Levi's best friend). As adults, it happens to be because of their public breakups with their former love interests.

I will attest to the fact that the characters are well-written, but the romance itself seemed so immature because of the overuse of the misunderstanding trope. Honestly, there were so many instances where it felt like I was reading a middle school rom-com as opposed to a story about two grown adults.

Both June's and Levi's character arcs, although resolved, could've been executed better. But, we come to the conclusion, that their support of the other is what motivates them to move forward and live to their fullest capacity.

This is such a cute summer read!!! I enjoyed this book so much and I will definitely be buying the psychical copy when it comes out.

Emma Lord has long established herself as one of my favorite authors. Not only is she one of my auto-buy authors, but I have made my husband read every single one of her books as well. Lord has been writing young adult books for the past few years, but she moved into the adult realm with The Break-Up Pact. It is so surprise that I absolutely loved it.

Two of my favorite romance tropes are friends to lovers and fake dating. Both are used prominently in The Break-Up Pact. Even though they haven’t spoken for years at the start of the book, June and Levi’s relationship is colored by their history. Their banter is immediate and their chemistry undeniable. That depth of their relationship is evident and makes their story compelling.

The Break-Up Pact includes everything I’ve loved about all of Lord’s other novels. Lord has a beautiful way of blending humor with emotional depth. June and Levi make each other laugh coming up with silly games to rank paintings, but they are both working through grief over the loss of June’s older sister, Annie. June is running her sister’s tea shop and is afraid to let the memory of her sister down. Lord’s stories are reminders of how laughter and loss can coexist.

Another signature of Lord’s work is a strong group of friends who are central to the story. The Break-Up Pact, June’s brother, Dylan, and his fiancé, Mateo, are core to the story. Lord does a wonderful job painting them as three dimensional characters even though they are not the protagonists of the story. The reader learns about Mateo’s sweater vests, and how the college students he teaches keep track of them on Instagram. Dylan is described as, “what happens when the Energizer Bunny has an affair with the Hulk and their love child subsequently marries a gallon of cold brew coffee to make another child.” This world-building makes every element of Lord’s work come alive.

In a similar vein, I am always floored by Lord’s vivid and specific imagery. She describes a moment between June and Levi, “I can’t remember the last time I felt like this electric, buzzing with so much energy it feels like I am outside the edges of myself, soakingnin everyone else’s happiness along with mine.” She paints such a picture that the words just jump off the page.

One of my favorite little Easter eggs in The Breakip Pact is that Lord referenced one of her own viral Tweets. While June and Levi are at a bar, someone gets onstage and says, “DO YOU THINK GOUDA GETS UPSET ABOUT GETTING OLDER? NO. IT JUST GETS MORE EXPENSIVE AT TRADER JOE’S…BE LIKE GOUDA! KNOW YOUR WORTH.” Lord Tweeted this in September 2022, and it made me laugh so hard to see it appear in this book.

I absolutely loved The Break-Up Pact. I cannot wait for it to officially be out in the world, so I can make everyone I know read it.

"It's only a story, June," he says. "We get to make our own endings."

This is a solid 3 star for me! I enjoyed reading it, but there wasn't the wow factor that I want to see when I am reading a romance book. Levi was a total strike out for me. I just felt like his ex factor was misleading and kind of strange. Sir, she's making you look bad. Move along please.

I suppose June was fine, but like she just blamed the universe on things that she maybe could have controlled with a little effort.

Quite honestly, this was one giant miscommunication from ten years ago that they could have easily fixed if they would have just been upfront and honest with each other, & I just cannot stand the miscommunication trope. I need something more.

Thank you to Netgalley & St. Martin's Press for the e-arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this novel. The characters were well developed and the plot flowed in a way that made sense. I would recommend this book to others and look forward to reading others by this author.

Emma lord is one of my fav all time YA authors but unfortunately she should have stayed in that genre. These characters were extremely immature in my opinion. I get that grief plays a big part in their personality/choice of actions but most of this book could have been solved with a conversation (I know it’s fiction). Loved the setting of Benson Beach and of course yay for fake dating but this book was unnecessarily long and dragged on at times. However it is absolutely hilarious and I definitely laughed out loud multiple times. Do I still loved Emma Lord? Yes. Will I be recommending this one? Probably not.

Two estranged childhood friends reconnect to fake date after being dumped in publicly humiliating ways which become viral.

In Emma Lord's adult debut, 'The Break Up Pact', June Hart and Levi Shaw agree to become 'revenge exes' so June can save her late sister (and Levi's best friend) Annie's struggling tea shop and Levi can win back his ex Kelly who dumped him for a movie star. The two fell out ten years previously and haven't spoken since. Despite June's anger and hurt over their estrangement, she finds herself fighting her attraction to Levi, reminding herself he's still hung up on Kelly.

This book had me hooked from the start and I devoured it in one sitting. I loved the insight into June's thoughts and how she needed to protect herself with her feelings about Levi. Levi was also caring and supportive, but also challenged June when she needed it, such as her reasons for hanging onto Annie's dream. June also supported and pushed Levi to reclaim his earlier writing instead of writing what he thinks people expect him to write. When they finally started communicating their feelings, they did it openly and honestly. Despite a decade apart, its clear the two of them were the perfect complements for each other.

I do wish, however that June put down her enmity and confronted Levi earlier about the reasons behind why they fell out. I would've also liked more of an exploration of both of their feelings about Annie's role in their estrangement. It was a missed opportunity to see how that newfound knowledge about their dead loved one affected their grief.

Lord writes well-rounded characters, including supporting ones. I adored Dylan and Matteo. I also found the plot developments refreshing, particularly in relation to the outcome of Tea Tide. I do, however, wonder if perhaps June should've let it go entirely. Also, while I wanted to shake Levi for his stubbornness to win Kelly back despite his attraction to June, I actually appreciated where that plot went. Levi needed to properly overcome why he was hanging onto Kelly, even if it hurt June in the process.

An entertaining and well-paced second chance friends to lovers rom com packed with poignant moments and refreshing plot development.

Thanks to St Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC.

"The Break-Up Pact," by Emma Lord is a quintessential friends to lovers story. June and Levi, highschool best friends, lost touch and resorted to very occasional texts. Ten years later, they both become the victims of viral break ups. When Levi returns to his hometown, he and June devise a plan to pretend-date, in hopes that it will bring business to June's struggling scone shop, and make Levi's cheating ex-girlfriend interested in getting back together. They did not expect sparked memories and feelings to return.

While, I love the friends to lovers trope,, I found the story to be long, drawn out, and, at times, unnecessarily complicated.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

3.5 stars rounded up! I thought this was super cute and I loved that it didn’t all just get super dramatic and then get nicely wrapped up in the last 80%. Friends to lovers is one of my favorite tropes and I love how this book also explored themes of grief and self-exploration. Cute, lovable read.

If you loved Tweet Cute, you will certainly enjoy The Break-Up Pact, which similarly balances the lead character's journey to find her way and what she wants with the romance. This is also an homage to the power of family -- especially siblings -- and how strong those relationships can be for some, though it is mixed the the grief of losing one of those relationships. Highly recommend.