This is my first read by Emma Lord, so I went into it without knowing much about her or her writing style. I enjoyed the characters in this book, the connections and the friendship banter was fun. However, the romantic story took a while to build and I was getting a little impatient that it didn't happen a little quicker. I like this book, and will definitely read others by this author.

The Break-Up Pact by Emma Lord is a very cute second chance and fake dating romance. These are tropes I like, and I found the novel employed them both in a fresh way.

Bothe main characters are victims of major breakups that get a lot of play on social media. Based on a friend’s suggestion, they become revenge exes on social media, a concept that should bring all of them advantages in love life and career.

The plot develops as a reader would wish. Secondary characters are fun and interesting, and reading the novel is a very pleasurable way to spend an afternoon.

June and Levi were best friends in high school and drifted apart. From a small town where they were tied together through June's sister and their friends, they were both victims of viral breakups. They are in the same place at the same time and start to rekindle their friendship and after an encounter that had them feeling like they were in high school again and photographed, people think they're a couple. They go along with it, her to keep her struggling business afloat and him to get his fiance back. In true fake dating/ friends to lovers form, feelings come to light. Feelings that they both always had. Of course there's terrible exes and supportive friends and family. I enjoyed this read. I received this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 Stars

The Breakup Pact definitely wastes no time thrusting readers into its whirlwind plot! The narrative swiftly establishes that June and Levi are already going viral for their "fake" relationship as quickly as 16% into the book, so if you're looking for a fast-paced storyline, this is it.

The pace of this book makes it a quick and easy beach read. (Perfect for its publication date planned for next August.) The novel exudes a lighthearted, silly, and cute vibe, delivering the promised fun factor. However, amidst the speedy progression and amusing scenarios, I felt a sense of depth with the characters and their relationships was lacking.

Essentially, The Breakup Pact offers a dose of cute and fun romance, making it a suitable choice for readers seeking a light and breezy escape. However, those looking for a more profound connection with the characters or a nuanced exploration of relationships might find the narrative somewhat lacking. Despite its charming qualities, the overuse of miscommunication tropes adds a layer of predictable frustration that could deter those seeking a more unique and emotionally resonant romantic story.

I really enjoyed this fake dating, friends to lovers rom-com from Emma. Two childhood friends both suffer very public breakups and engage in a pact to fake date their way through the fallout together in hopes to win their exes back. Through the journey they end up falling for each other instead.

Wonderfully written, fun novel with some serious moments intertwined. The plot to spice ratio was well balanced, the side characters were well done and the story flowed easily.

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Griffin and Emma Lord for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

5/5 for me I loved this book in a deep way! I've never read Emma Lord before, but I will again!

For starters, this book is so much more than the cover lets on. It looks like a fluffy romance book, and at times it is, but more importantly it's a really moving story on grief and friendship and trauma. The third act conflict in this book was one of the most realistic and mature that I've read in a book recently. It was more about two people growing on their own before coming together rather than forcing themselves together and waiting for the rest of it to fit around them. These two really put in the work to overcome their past and grow together. It was such a beautiful book.

My only note is that the MMC frustrated me a bit with his actions regarding the OW. Not too bad, but I do wish he handled a few things differently, which he also acknowledged after the fact. It did still leave a slightly sour taste in my mouth, but not enough to bring this book down from a 5.

Definitely recommend. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martins Griffin I received a free electronic copy of the book to read and provide a review. Publication date: 8/13/ 2024

Squeeee!! This was ADORABLE! I really enjoyed the second chance / friends to lovers / fake dating trope story of Levi and June. I loved the nostalgia of their youth, the tension of their present, and the struggles surrounding how to cope with the loss of Annie. I still have unresolved and bitter questions about Kelly, but appreciated the friendship and support continually found with Sana, Mateo and Dylan.

All in all, a cheesy and lovely romance that gave me ALL THE FEELS. I want to eat a scone on the beach now.

I enjoyed Emma Lord's adult romance. June and Levi have chemistry right away. I liked how even though these two characters fell into an old rhythm like good old friends reconnecting initially, they still managed to mis-communicate and be deeply flawed. They share the wound of the loss of Annie, June’s sister, and Levi’s best friend. It's a quirky viral break-up, meets fake dating, meets a meditation on grieving years after a shared loss.

This combination doesn't always seem like it should work. But it does. The romance is definitely a slow burn, and the novel itself moves at a slower pace. The spice level is mild, but it’s there. Definitely sexual tension on their dates. This is a book that takes getting to the half-way point to draw you in. But after that I couldn't put it down.

Side notes: I love Sana! I would follow her romantic adventures next. And flagging this as a missed opportunity: The Revenge-Exs would have been a stronger title. I will die on that hill.

Thank you, St. Martin's Press, for this ARC.

3.5 Stars Rounded to 4
Cover 3 Stars
Thank you NetGalley and the Publisher for the eArc.
This is a pretty standard rom-com, but it runs long, and its humor is strictly in the 'Twee' variety. It's very cutesy. The FMC owns a tea shop on the boardwalk that exclusively serves tea and scones. So. Many. Scones. A scone filled with store-bought boxed cookies, by the way, sounds absolutely appalling. (Another note, The Russian Tea Room in Manhattan didn't serve tea.)

If you don’t like miscommunication tropes, be warned. This entire book is one long miscommunication between teenage best friends who then reconnect in their late twenties, but still act kind of like teenagers.

There are a ton of side plots: her shop's economic failure, brother's wedding, a reality television show, a fantasy novel in the works, the dead sister. There is a lot going on in this book but it's all on the periphery and really does little to impact the actual story other than to move the MMC and FMC from spot-to-spot in their beach town.

I didn't love it, but it was entertaining for what it was.

This book was just fine. I spent most of the book wondering if June and Levi had any chemistry or even anything in common with each other aside from their high school past. The “fake dating” aspect of this novel was confusing- were June and Levi planning her brother’s wedding or were they just trying to go social media viral?
I loved the idea of a second chance fake dating trope, but The Breakup Pact needed some plot and character development to really be great.
Thanks to St. Martins Press and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for review.

I think this book was okay, entertaining enough that I wasn’t mad at it but I will probably forget everything that happened in the book within days.

The book made me question if June and Levi even have anything in common anymore or if their relationship is still built on the past. It seems like everything was about the past and some of the big issues they had in present life (hello!! He still wanted to be with his ex and was in contact with her??) were really just brushed over.
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC <3

A fun cute read! the main characters were charming, even though it was a book with many cliches it was still entertaining and i think the spicy scenes were very well done, the chemistry was good and believable and it was a satisfying ending

This book was so good! The romance was just what I wanted. The setting was perfect and I loved the plot twist. I would highly recommend this book.

The Break-Up Pact is a friends to lovers/second chance trope. I've not read this author before but will be picking up more of her books in the future.

Levi and June are estranged best friends from childhood. Both of them separately become viral sensations overnight due to being dumped by their respective partners. This leads them to reunite in a common goal of regaining some lost dignity.

I loved the relationship between these two. Levi is a quiet but steady presence and nit an overt hero. June battles with her own struggles of finding herself and past grief. They both know each other so well and there's nothing forced about their dynamic.

The only reason this wasn't a five-star read for me is that there was some disjointedness in the writing. I found myself bored but still invested in what was going to happen. I think it could be cleaned up to flow better. overall, it was an enjoyable read.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for this ARC in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

Thank you St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for approving my request to read "The Break-Up Pact" by Emma Lord.

Truthfully, this book was not my favorite book that I've read and I found it very slow and hard to get through. This story follows two main characters who go through very public break-ups. My first dislike about the book is the mention of social media, for some reason that always upsets me because I read to escape real life! This book had a lot of different tropes and I feel like it was too many at times. Overall, it wasn't for me.

I’d give this book a 3.5/4!

If you like fake dating, small town romance, friends to lovers, and baking - this one’s for you! I did enjoy both the characters, and I love a fake dating romance.

There’s quite a bit of “fluff” in the beginning, but the latter half of the book kept me interested. The miscommunication between the two characters was getting to be too repetitive, but overall it was a decent read!

Thank you, NetGalley, for proving this arc!

2.5 stars out of 5.

This book wasn't for me. The plot dragged on in the beginning and the book was really hard to get into. I think the miscommunication troupe here was a bit extreme and unnecessary. I also still did not understand why June and Levi stopped talking all those years ago and continued the silence. It would have been great if we had more information on their past and I think that would have cleared up some questions.

June and Levi used to be great friends then Levi moved away and June started dating someone else. Their lives went opposite ways and they stopped talking. Both of them were broken up with by their significant others and went viral. June was living in her home town, Benson Beach, running a tea shop while Levi was in New York. Levi ended up coming back to Benson Beach after his break up. Levi and June started talking again then form a pact to fake date to get back at their exes.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Griffin for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Read if you enjoy:
-Friends to Lovers
-Second Chance Romance
-Small Town Setting
-Fake dating
-Single, first person POV

I liked getting to see glimpses of June and Levi’s high school days and getting to see them process their grief over June’s sister
Annie, in their own ways. I’m not a fan of when TikTok/social media is mentioned a lot in books but it did feel necessary for this plot. Overall, the story felt a little dragged on and the drama with the ex’s felt a bit unrealistic and not handled in a good way. The miscommunication trope was a bit heavy but if you don’t mind that it is an enjoyable story.

2.5 ⭐️ rounded to 3

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for a honest review.

Thank you Netgalley and St Martin's Press for allowing me to read and review this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Two former friends create a fake dating, 'break-up pact' to get back at their famous exes for humiliating them on the internet.

June unexpectedly loses her sister and has to move back to her childhood hometown to take over her sister's tea and scone shop Tea Tides. Levi runs away from New York to take a break from his ex and work on a novel. June had a crush on Levi in high school and after a couple of misunderstandings and a possible unrequited love, they don't see each other until ten years later. June and Levi both went through a hellish break-up on the internet and they decide to fake date to help June's business thrive and make Levi's ex want what she lost. Will they be able to move passed their rocky past and rekindle their friendship or will they be stuck wondering what could have been?

Emma Lord is best known for her quirky, entertaining young adult stories like Tweet Cute, Begin Again, and The Getaway List. The Break-up Pact is her first adult romance.

I truly enjoyed the beginning and middle of the story. I liked reading about the sibling bond between June, Dylan, and Annie, and the friendship they had with Mateo and Levi. Emma Lord knows how to write a good sibling focused story. I felt the ache and pain June was going through remembering Annie and how Tea Tides affected their relationship. I understood the drive and motivation of June wanting to keep Tea Tides open and the feeling of being stuck.

The romantic tension between June and Levi is great! I liked the way Lord wrote the 'will they won't they' and fake dating tropes. There's not a lot of spice for spicier readers but for me, it was the right amount. Besides the romance, I loved reading about their former inseparable friendship, how it broke apart, and the way they are rebuilding it as the 'Revenge Exes'.

I do appreciate that the 'third act break-up' didn't feel like a normal 'third act break-up'. The ending made sense for these characters. BUT the last 25% dragged in my opinion. Everything does wrap-up nicely but to me it felt like it took too long.

Overall, I'm looking forward to reading more Emma Lord books in the future! I love her writing style and the way she develops her characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the ARC of this sweet book! This is my first book by this author and I will definitely read more in the future. The book is a sweet rom com with a fake dating trope. It is fairly lighthearted as a whole but does have some depth in the story, which for me makes it a better read.

The main character, June, is back living in her hometown after the unexpected death of her big sister and a traumatic breakup that had her "go viral" as a crying meme. She has taken over her sister's tea shop and is struggling to keep the business going. Levi, her childhood and teenage, best friend is also back in town following his traumatic and also viral breakup. June has always loved him, but is under the impression that her love is unrequited. They decide to embark on a fake dating relationship to bolster their careers and capitalize on their viral stories. In the meantime, they discover some of the reasons they stopped talking were a misunderstanding and also discover things about themselves personally and as a couple. It's a super cute book and I enjoyed it thoroughly. Thanks for the opportunity to review it.