Thank you St. Martin's Press for this ARC. This is a sweet story about high school friends finding their way back to each other. There are good discussions on loss and self identity. Really enjoyed this one.

Unfortunately I don’t think book was for me, I didn’t really connect with the characters but I can see how others would love it.

Romances are always a palette cleanser for me after reading some heavy books. This was fine - nothing groundbreaking, but just fine.

3.5 stars rounded up
Ok The Break Up Pact was super cute. It had the feel of a Hallmark movie (but with a little bit of spice!). It was incredibly charming with the best friends as teenagers turned "fake" romance later in life romance trope. It's very cheesy, but I found it very enjoyable. Sometimes you need that light hearted, feel good romance, especially after a string of darker books. Is it a literary masterpiece? Not exactly, but it is definitely worth the read. The characters are likeable and I found myself laughing out loud while reading.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with an advanced e-book copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. The Break Up Pact was my first adult romance novel by Emma Lord. I was intrigued by the book’s premise and wanted to enjoy it more than I actually did. The chemistry between the two characters developed rapidly from platonic to steamy after a misunderstanding several years prior. I appreciated that both characters recognized the importance of addressing personal issues before entering into a serious relationship. However, my high expectations for the book may have contributed to my rating. Nevertheless, it was still an enjoyable read!

This is definitely a romance for contemporary readers; the premise for the book (public, viral breakups on social media) could not have existed ten years ago.
Overall, I really liked the book - a great adult debut for the author. It's a great friends to lovers, shared grieving, new lease on life book. While there is serious subject matter (off page death, grief), there is still a lot of humour.

Would love to have the scone recipes!

Thanks to SMP for an eARC of the book; all opinions are my own.

Lily Menon’s The Breakup Pack is a refreshingly fun, witty, and heartwarming rom-com that you won't be able to put down! With a perfect blend of humor, romance, and a touch of real-life complexity, this book is an absolute gem for fans of feel-good stories with depth.

The premise is clever and relatable—two friends, each dealing with the aftermath of tough breakups, form a pact to help each other navigate the ups and downs of post-relationship life. But as they grow closer, their feelings start to shift in unexpected and heartwarming ways. Menon does an excellent job of creating a connection between the characters that feels both realistic and swoon-worthy.

I have read everything by Emma Lord. She is a fantastic writer who tells amazing stories. I had high hopes for The Break-Up Pact. It is a fake dating, friends to lovers story that was a fun story but left me wanting a bit more.

I’ve been a fan of Emma Lord’s work for a while, so I was excited to dive into The Fake Dating Pact. The premise, featuring two former best friends pretending to date after embarrassing break-ups go viral, sounded like the perfect mix of humor and heart. And while I did enjoy the book, I have to admit, I ended up with a bit of a mixed feeling about it.

Let me start with what I loved: June and Levi's dynamic was incredibly engaging. The chemistry between them, especially as they navigated their awkward history and growing feelings, was really well done. I loved how Lord explored their past friendship and the tension that lingered from years of silence. The banter between them had me smiling, and there were definitely moments that made me swoon a little. As a reader, I couldn’t help but root for them, and I appreciated that they each had their own emotional arcs to work through.

However, there were moments where the plot felt a bit too predictable for my taste. As much as I love a good fake dating trope, this one didn’t really offer many surprises. The story followed a pretty familiar trajectory, and I found myself waiting for the next obvious twist. At times, it felt like the pacing slowed down in places where it could have picked up more steam. Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoyed the ride, but I found myself wishing for a bit more tension or originality to push the story to the next level.

That said, the book did bring some emotional depth to the table, especially when it came to June and Levi’s individual growth. Their personal journeys felt real, and there were moments that genuinely tugged at my heart. I think that’s what kept me hooked—while the plot was somewhat predictable, the emotional beats kept me invested in their story.

Overall, I’d give The Fake Dating Pact 3 stars. It’s a fun and sweet read, perfect if you’re looking for a light escape with some heartwarming moments. But for me, it just didn’t quite hit the level of wow that I was hoping for. If you’re a fan of rom-coms, it’s still worth checking out—just don’t go in expecting something totally groundbreaking.

I unfortunately had to DNF this book around 40%. I was super excited for the concept of two jilted lovers getting together, plus a second chance love trope, but thought the book moved too slowly to keep me interested. I came back to it occasionally for months, but just couldn't get into it.

Incredibly sweet, am so delighted Emma Lord is bringing her charm and cozy writing from her young adult reads to adult romance.

DNF@ 33%

Fake dating is one of my favorite tropes, but I don't think it was well done in this book. The main issue was that the characters had zero chemistry. I've heard nothing but good things about Emma Lords previous books, so I am still interested in reading those.

This was soo cute.

Fast read, bonus that I read it at the beach! Likeable characters, humour, and really cheesy romance. Liked June and Levi were very cute and you could feel the tension… I mean who doesn’t remember their first love?! Typical miscomunication trope but still entertaining!

If you’re looking for a quick romance- be sure to pick this one up!

ARC received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Lighthearted rom-com does it's job but is as the genre often tends to be, predictable without the emotional complexity or twist to have a major impact. Enjoyable and a good beach read though. Miscommunication tropes wear on me though and wish they would grow up. Second chance romance, fake dating, miscommunication.

Thank you to the publisher for the review copy! I just couldn't get in the mood for this one, but I do love this author!

This one was a cute story! It was such a slow burn and so clear to everyone around them that they belonged together and I eat up fake dating so I knew this would be right up my alley. Their fake “dates” were adorable. I wish we had Levi’s POV to give us an insight into what was going on in his head and the pining, but I loved how it all came together! Also - both their exes were the worst!!!

Thanks to SMP Romance and NetGalley for this ARC!

The breakup pact was a classic Emma Lord book, they always make me feel a lot but in a good way. Will be recommending this to students looking for book recommendations!!!

I love all of Emma Lord's books, and her first adult novel was no exception! So sweet and cute and bantery and fun with a deep heart to it too. My only issue was that it had about 30 more pages than it needed to where it felt like it just kept wrapping things up even though everything had pretty much already worked out. But it was still a great book, and I stayed up till 1am to finish it!

(Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change upon final publication.)

This story was an a fun story from an author I don’t know or haven’t read before! Will look at finding other things by this author. I am grateful for the early access, thank you to those that allowed it!

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishing Company for this Advanced Readers Copy of The Break Up Pact by Emma Lord!