This book is so cute. Friends to enemies to lovers, second chance. Juni, her siblings and two of their closest friends were woven tightly together through their childhoods. The unfortunate and untimely passing of her sister left Juni with the business they envisioned. When the best friend that had drifted with her sister's loss comes back and they're seen together after both having public and Internet famed breakups, media followed them, insisting they're now together, creating a narrative to allow healing from their last relationships, their pasts and ideas towards their futures.

#arc
#netgalley
#thebreakuppact

This book was a cute quick read about friends to lovers. I did find myself engrossed in the plot while being by annoyed by both characters being stuck in their own ruts. June’s of course was understandable due to the untimely death of her sister, but I find it hard to remain engrossed when you feel like the characters are making the wrong decisions. Overall it was a cute read though that I finished in a matter of hours.

The Break Up Pact
By Emma Lord

⭐⭐
🌶️🌶️

“𝑰𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒘𝒉𝒚 𝒚𝒐𝒖’𝒓𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆? 𝑺𝒐 𝒘𝒆 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒎 𝒂 𝑩𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒐𝒏 𝑩𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉 𝒗𝒊𝒓𝒂𝒍 𝒃𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒌𝒖𝒑 𝒔𝒖𝒑𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕 𝒈𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒑? 𝑩𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝑰 𝒅𝒐𝒏’𝒕 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒏𝒊𝒄𝒉𝒆 𝒆𝒙𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒖𝒓𝒓𝒊𝒄𝒖𝒍𝒂𝒓𝒔 𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒏𝒐𝒘.”

I had a really hard time getting into this book. The premise was really cute. Former childhood best friends both go viral for bad breakups and fake date to restore their reputations. The problem is the MCs have zero chemistry.

June spent so much time talking about her sister that passed away that she forgot to have a personality. She talks constantly about regrets but is so rutted its hard to really even root for her because it seems like it will fall in deaf ears. She lets people walk all over her and it's just not fun to read.

Levi is among the more annoying MMCs I've ever read. He spent the first 50% of the novel hoping that the fake dating would help him get back with his cheating ex. Levi, my dude... We want MMCs who are obsessed with the FMC... Not another woman. And then he changes his tune at a record speed. He's incredibly indecisive and he was all together to close to "real life man" rather than "book boyfriend" 😒

I love a slow burn but in order to burn there has to be heat. This is barely an ember. And then it goes from zero to sixty with no build up. Seriously the pacing of this book is so weird.

The miscommunication in the second half was absolutely infuriating and I would have DNFd if I wasn't so close to the end. Honestly I only kept reading for Sana. She was a delight and had much better Main Character Energy.

“𝑰 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌 𝑰 𝒅𝒊𝒅𝒏’𝒕 𝒑𝒖𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒚,” 𝒔𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝑳𝒆𝒗𝒊, 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒗𝒐𝒊𝒄𝒆 𝒍𝒐𝒘 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒚, “𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕’𝒔 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒊𝒕. 𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒚. 𝑰 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒕 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖. 𝑩𝒆𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒂 𝒘𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒓. 𝑩𝒆𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒖𝒄𝒉 𝒂𝒕 𝒂𝒍𝒍. 𝑰 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒘𝒂𝒕𝒄𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒐𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒇𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝑰 𝒕𝒐𝒍𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎.”

Read August 16-18, 2024

There has not been any single book written by Emma Lord that I have not enjoyed. But I have to say now that The Break-Up Pact is now my favorite book. The fake dating, second chance small-town romance was absolutely perfect. I adored both Levi and June. I loved the relationship between Levi and June. It was lovely, heartwarming, and supportive. The handling of the loss of a close family member was exceptional. This book had my feelings all over the place but in a good way. Emma Lord’s writing is absolutely beautiful and I will continue to support her work. Thank you once again NetGalley and publishing Company for giving me this amazing opportunity. I can’t wait to purchase a physical copy because the cover is stunning.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy. This was the authors first adult book - I think I enjoyed her YA books better. There was a good story line, but I feel like it drug a little. I will definitely read more of her books though. The characters were sweet and likable.

June and Levi, former best friends, reconnect after a decade of silence following messy public break-ups. June, struggling to save her late sister's tea shop, and Levi, a failed novelist, and disillusioned hedge fund manager, decide to fake a relationship when a viral photo mistakenly pairs them as a couple. The story blends humor and emotional depth, though lingering misunderstandings somewhat hinder the characters' development, but the story offers a delightful mix of heart-pounding moments and nostalgic romance, making it an enjoyable read for fans of second-chance love stories.

Wow. This is probably the most I've disliked a couple in a long time. I don't think they should even be a couple, truth be told.
I wish I could tell you any positive characteristics about either of these main leads, but the book spent more time focusing on their "romantic tension" that it lacked any time or space to make either one of them an interesting or likable character on their own. Not that they are likable together, because they aren't. What does June like about Levi? Who actually knows. There's a lack of a coherent backstory to make us care about her relationship with him, why 10 years later she's still holding a bitter flame for him, etc. We get bits of history here and there that revolve around June's dead sister (which, interesting way to portray grief honestly. The first half of the book they are sharing memories about this sister she apparently misses, the second half of the book they make her seem like a giant bitch and use her as an excuse for their shitty behavior/choices.), but none of it builds their relationship or character into anything quite interesting or likable.
Also if I'm supposed to buy into this romance and tension between these two, shouldn't June....like Levi as a person? She doesn't like him, she doesn't take responsibility that she was willing to throw away a friendship that apparently meant so much to her that she thought about him longingly for a decade over a simple miscommunication. Even when this is explained away, she continues to expect the absolute worst of him....what exactly do you like about this man? Matter of fact, what am I supposed to like about either of you.
Perhaps this author should focus on Young Adult novels, because these two people cannot get over the bullshit they put each other to in high school and continue to act with a brain that never developed past that age.
Don't waste your time with this book.

🫖 fake dating
🫖 small beach town
🫖 childhood friends
🫖 friends to lovers
🫖 slow burn
🫖 toxic/gaslighting exes
🫖 grief/loss of sibling

I liked this book but unfortunately didn’t love it. But it was cute! June and Levi, and really all of the characters, were so relatable. I loved June and Levi’s relationship: from childhood friends, to teenage crushes, to rekindling in the present, and the potential of the future. I also adored the side characters, especially Sana.

I appreciated the commentary on toxic exes, and the theme of growth as an individual. There is also a theme of grief and the loss of a sibling, which added another layer to the story.

Overall I just wasn’t blown away, though it was cute. I thought there were times it felt a bit longwinded or I was losing interest. But maybe I’m an outlier.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

"The Breakup Pack" by Emma Lord is a beautifully crafted story that delves into the complexities of love, loss, and the power of friendship rekindled. The narrative centers around June and Levi, two individuals who find themselves navigating the aftermath of their own breakups. Brought together by a shared desire to exact some form of revenge on their exes, they unexpectedly discover a deeper connection with each other.

What sets this story apart is its multifaceted exploration of relationships, not only between romantic partners but also within the bonds of family and friendship. June and Levi's journey is intricately woven with the profound grief they both share over the loss of June’s sister, Annie. This shared sorrow becomes a pivotal aspect of their relationship, adding a layer of depth and emotional resonance that goes beyond the typical revenge-driven romance.

Emma Lord masterfully balances the light-hearted and humorous aspects of the "revenge on exes" storyline with the poignant and heart-wrenching experience of coping with loss. The juxtaposition of these two plot points—the playful and the painful—creates a narrative that is both engaging and deeply moving. As the characters navigate their grief and healing, the story unfolds in a way that feels authentic and relatable, making it a compelling read.

I was truly captivated by this book. The intertwining of revenge and grief made the story rich and multidimensional, offering readers a chance to reflect on how love and loss often coexist in our lives. Emma Lord’s writing shines in its ability to capture the complexities of these emotions, making "The Breakup Pack" a memorable and beautifully written tale that resonates long after the last page is turned.

This was a cute fake dating, childhood friends to lovers story. It had some depth to it also touching on loss and grief and sibling relationships as well. The writing had Emily Henry vibes, but it did drag on a bit at times with a little too much introspection for my liking which is why it was a 3 star for me.

I do recommend it though If you are looking for a cute romance.

Thank you to #NetGalley, Emma Lord, and the publisher of the book for the eARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

June and Levi were the best of friends as teens and then one day they weren't. Now it's ten years later and they're both struggling.
June can't pay the rent for her beachside tea shop and Levi is failed novelist and discouraged hedge fund manager in NYC. To make matters worse, they have both experienced TikTok famous break ups. Can this use their humiliating fame to make things better? That's when they decide to fake date to help June's shop and Levi's novel. They just have to convince people they are really falling in love. Will the fake dating turn into real love?


I loved this story! I love Emma Lord! It was a fun summer rom com! I highly recommend it!

Former friends, Levi and June agrees to fake date to help each other out with very public breakups. We get a bit of romance between the two as well as their past l, dealing with grief death of a family member and trying to keep a business from failing. There is a lot going on and I felt the love story got a little lost. I wasn't vested in their story but kept going to see how it all ends. The story was a bit predictable and wasn't my favorite of Emma Lord's book.

Natalie Naudus did a good job with the narration. Thank you @smpromance @netgalley @macmillan.audio for a copy of this

This took way too long for me to read this one. I was so bored throughout the book and should have dnf’d it when the first drop of doubt came through my brain.

I could not connect with either main characters. The plot was obvious to me and it felt like a waste of time to read this. The few moments where it was redeemable was in the beginning when the initial break ups/scandal happen and the two MC’s go viral. A few funny moments for sure but mostly this was just dragged out and left me so so so bored.

Thank you Netgalley & St. Martin’s Press for the eARC. this just wasn’t for me.

Emma Lord’s debut adult novel had all of the charm and wit that her YA novels do. The setting of the tea shop was cutesy but not overly sweet. I thought the build up to the character’s happily ever after came out nicely.

Normally this would have been a book I’d really enjoy however, I wasn’t very bought in. I thought the story was really slow. I didn’t have a connection with the characters like I was hoping but did enjoy the story towards the last 10 chapters. I feel if I was in a better reading mood this would have been a bigger yes for me then what it was. Thank you again to St. Martins Press and netgalley for this opportunity!

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

This was sick a sweet, feel good story! I have a soft spot for a romantic comedy every now and then and this one hit the spot! It’s about two old friends who haven’t been close since they lost someone years ago but come together to help friends and plan a scheme to fake date to get their recent exes back. It’s fairly predictable at times but still comical and makes for the perfect beach/vacation read. If you’re into romcoms with HEA and aren’t too spicy, you should try this book!

Extremely cute and easy beach read- this was perfect on my vacation. Enemies to lovers, beach town setting. My first by Emma and I like her cozy style. Thank you for the ARC!

This was a cute and fun read! It had some heavy moments of emotion as well as frustration of misunderstanding, but all in all it gave a feeling of warmth. I really enjoyed June and Levi and their relationship. Sana is an amazing side character who probably needs her own book!! As always, epilogues have my heart!

I was hopeful when reading the synopsis of this book but it just wasn't for me. I didn't find either main character particularly likable which made it hard to connect with and root for them.

Read if you like:
- Fake relationship
- Childhood friends to lovers
- Tabloid gossip
- Scones

Emma Lord's first adult romance lives up to or better than her young adult books. From the cozy setting in summer to the crazy situations she puts her characters in, it's funny, cute, sexy, and charming. I loved every character, even the villain(s?). I loved the character development. I think it's hard to write essentially a romcom that also deals with grief and the characters doing real soul searching to shed the not so nice parts of themselves and be able to grow. And June and Levi were able to grow together and as individual characters. I'm still imagining them in the food truck with Levi writing at a little table, helping June when he can. I can't wait to read more from Emma Lord!