Fake dating is one of my favorite tropes of all time and THIS is an excellent example of that! I will be reading as many Emma Lord books that I can get my hands on after this.

This was such a fun book. I love fake dating and the characters were well developed.

Thank you NetGalley, the author, the publisher for a copy of this book!

i loved this book. june and levi were so cute! i love fake dating and these two were messy in a perfect way

Unfortunately, this book felt completely driven by tropes rather than by story. The fake dating premise overshadowed more genuine themes that could have been explored, and it lent very little to the development of the characters or plot. I needed earlier clarification on why the two main characters stopped being friends, and their friendship resolved very quickly.

Super cute read but everything felt very surface level…I kept expecting there to be some sort of emotional depth because it was being set up and then it would fall flat. Apart from this it was a super cute story!

I really enjoyed The Breakup Pact! While the hero frustrated me a bit—taking his time to commit and then revealing their fake relationship to his ex—it ultimately made his journey feel more realistic. His hesitation added tension, even if it wasn’t ‘cool’ on his part. Aside from that slip, the story was nearly perfect, with great chemistry and a satisfying conclusion. Highly recommend!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

What do you get when you combine a few of my favorite tropes (fake dating, second chance, siblings best friend) with things I dislike the most (reality television and society climbers)? You get a pretty decent book. June's boyfriend dumps her on live TV (think The Apprentice meets the opening scene to Hope Floats). Levi's fiancé cheats on him with a major celebrity. Both are back in their hometown and find each other once again. While the relationship begins as fake, will they remember their unrequited crushes and fall for one another?

Such a quick easy read for romance lovers! This was a cute book if you’re looking for a good summer read

I really wanted to like this more than I did. Not sure if I couldn’t relate to June and Levi but this was a miss

I absolutely loved "The Breakup Pact" by Emma Lord! From the start, I was drawn into the story of two best friends who decide to break up with their partners, only to realize their feelings for each other run deeper than they thought.

Lord's writing is witty and relatable, capturing the ups and downs of teenage life perfectly. I found myself laughing out loud at their antics and rooting for them to figure it all out. The chemistry between the characters is genuine, and their journey of self-discovery made the story even more engaging.

This book was great. Good love story, wasn't cliche or too predictable. I laughed a lot and reccomend it to my friends

This started off really strong for me and just fell flat towards the end. I didn’t really connect with the characters so I think that affected me in the long run. I do LOVE a fake dating trope though!

If you’re looking for a relaxed, easy read give this one a shot! In the end, just wasn’t for me

This book was a bit middle of the road for me. I read through the first half of it in one sitting and then the second half took me a LONG time to get through. I think the premise was cute and the characters were fun, but the pacing was off, and the development of the romance could have used a lot of work.

The story is about two childhood friends turned strangers that get very publicly dumped and decide to very publicly (fake) date to get back at (or with) their exes. Because of this scenario I wanted way more angst???? These two were long-term besties and also LIKED each other and then stopped talking for years. There should have been awkwardness and angst and more of a slow-build but these two fairly jump into deciding they actually like each other and then there's angst because the MMC is still technically trying to get his ex back?

I don't know. It was still fun and cute with some cringe moments that all rom coms have. The side characters were cute, and the plot managed to plot a bit. I think this just needed a little reworking tbh.

Would recommend if you like a silly little friends to lovers romance. Thank you to NetGalley and publishers for my ARC!

As a fan of the friends-to-lovers trope, I appreciated the cozy beach town setting. However, I found the repeated focus on the characters' physical attraction a bit excessive. We get it—they're into each other! There’s no need to keep hammering that point home.

The story centers on June and Levi, two high school friends whose tumultuous breakups become viral sensations. When a rumor spreads online suggesting they’re a couple, they decide to play along for their own reasons, leading to a rekindling of old feelings.

My main issue with the book was June herself. From the very beginning, her judgmental attitude rubbed me the wrong way, making it difficult to fully engage with the story. It’s tough to enjoy a book when you can’t connect with the main character, you know?

Despite this, there were some sweet moments in the story that I enjoyed. Overall, it was a decent read. If you're looking for a light-hearted romance with a beachy vibe, The Break-Up Pact might be worth checking out.

I've read and loved every book by Emma Lord so I was really excited for this one since it was her adult romance debut! I enjoyed this one too, but not as much as I love her YA stuff. I love the revenge exes stuff but I think I needed more angst for them in the beginning. 3.5 stars

As soon as I found out that one of my favorite YA authors was making her Adult debut, I just had to get my hands on it. Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC of this book!! Emma Lord’s books have always felt like a warm hug and this one was no exception!

It was definitely a fast-paced book but that didn’t particularly bother me. I also don’t need all my books to make perfect sense, sometimes you just want the teeth-rotting sweetness and that’s what I always know Emma will deliver!

Levi was very sweet, my only problem was that I almost didn’t recognize the guy we first met compared to the one we get to know. And June definitely had some flaws but don’t we all? I was rooting for them both.

I wish we had gotten to see some more of Kelly because I just never understood her. And that guy June was dating, I don’t even know his name, SUCCKKKKSSSSS.

I particularly enjoyed the conversations around grief and Annie, that was truly the highlight of the book for me. Siblings’ relationships will always mean the most to me.

If you’ve enjoyed other books from Emma, I think you’ll enjoy this one, too!

I liked this. It was an enjoyable and easy read. I enjoyed the banter and storyline. There were some longer parts but liked the ending.

Emma Lord’s The Break-Up Pact is a lively, heartfelt journey through friendship, love, and the unexpected twists of life in the digital age. When ex-best friends June and Levi find themselves thrust into the public eye after their respective break-ups go viral, they decide to revive their old friendship—with a twist. As the internet mistakenly dubs them a couple, they make a pact to lean into the rumor, hoping it will revive June’s struggling beachside tea shop and help Levi’s ex see what she's lost.

Lord has a knack for creating characters who feel both authentic and vividly relatable. June’s tenacity to keep her shop afloat despite mounting pressures and Levi’s classic New York disillusionment combine to create a dynamic duo whose chemistry practically leaps off the page. The charm of their “fake relationship” hinges on five picture-perfect dates, all designed to convince the world that they’re in love—except, of course, they aren’t supposed to be. Lord beautifully navigates the blurry lines between pretend and real feelings, giving readers a glimpse into the insecurities and hopes that underpin adult relationships.

Through witty dialogue, engaging plot twists, and a fair share of emotional moments, The Break-Up Pact captures the essence of modern romance with a social-media twist. The novel reminds us of the challenges of friendship and forgiveness, the strength of second chances, and how, even in a world obsessed with appearances, the most meaningful love stories can emerge from real vulnerability.

With its sparkling, romantic scenes and a storyline that tugs at the heart, The Break-Up Pact is a must-read for fans of contemporary romance who enjoy their love stories with equal parts humor and depth. Emma Lord once again proves she’s a master of the genre, delivering a story that is sure to leave readers rooting for June and Levi’s happily-ever-after.

I absolutely love everything Emma Lord writes, This again is another feel good second chance romance of two people trying to get over their respective exes by fake dating. But throw in the element of social media and their previous breakups going viral. This book constantly had me giddy and metaphorically kicking my feet as the main characters constantly tried to deny the evolution of their relationship. This book is a good reminder that dreams are not set in stone and how one must be willing and open to adapt to find an even better dream/reality can be out there,

Emma Lord brings some wit to this friends to lovers story, but the characters leave something to be desired. I prefer to see the connection between the characters in a romance book, and this felt more like the author was just telling us there was a connection.
The miscommunication irritated me.

Overall, this book is a light read and good for fans of romantic comedy, but it doesn't compare to the stories told by Abby Jimenez, Anabell Monaghan, or Emily Henry. It's pretty meh.