I am an Emma Lord fan first, human second. I have been devouring her YA rom-coms diligently and was excited to see her venture into the adult genre. That being said, I was disappointed with this one.

June and Levi, former best friends, pretend to date after their public break-ups go viral. Their fake relationship is meant to boost June’s business and make Levi’s ex regret her decision. However, their pretend dating rekindles old feelings and complicates what was supposed to be a straightforward business arrangement.

Emma Lord often requires a stretch of the imagination, but The Break-Up Pact demands too much suspension of disbelief from the jump. It’s hard to accept that June and Levi, after ten years of radio silence, could seamlessly jump into a fake dating relationship, especially given the reasons for their past estrangement. It made the rest of the book hard to swallow, even though the fake dates and interactions were cute.

The problem is that June and Levi come across as teenagers, which would be fine if they weren’t approaching their thirties. They strike an odd balance between mature and ridiculously childish. The jokes that work in YA rom-coms feel cringey and forced here. Despite dealing with mature issues (TW for the death of siblings and cheating, among other things), their approach has a coming-of-age feel rather than that of adults with life experience. I’m not suggesting a specific age at which one has everything figured out, but life will offer enough experience to handle complex problems more maturely.

In conclusion, this wasn’t a bad book. It includes Emma Lord’s trademark sweetness, yearning, hilarious (and sometimes awkward) jokes, and the pains of growing up. If the characters were younger and the sex scene removed, it could have been a solid YA read. Unfortunately, it doesn’t quite fit the adult demographic it aims for.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced copy. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

*Review will be shared to Barnes and Noble on release date. Review shared on Goodreads and Storygraph a week in advance.*

I liked the premise of the book. A great setup for a rom com. June owns a seaside tea shop after the sudden death of her older sister 2 years prior and was recently publicly dumped by her ex. Levi also recently dumped tabloid style comes back to his hometown and reconnects with June, his childhood friend that he hasn’t talked to in 10 years. I feel like Annie’s (June's late sister) presence is felt throughout the book almost too much, but makes sense since it dictates a lot of June and Levi’s past and the grief they continue to deal with.

A couple of plot points that took a while to figure out for me:
*The location of Benson Beach is about 1.5 hours from NYC. Where it is actually located is not mentioned
*The reason these best friends didn’t talk for 10 years gets revealed about 55%
*Levi is best friends with June’s siblings as well; Annie (who died 2 years ago due to a brain aneurysm) and Dylan
*Annie was a year older than June, Dylan is 2 years younger than June.
*Levi and Annie were the same age and in the same grade in highschool

-fake dating
-small town
-grief
-friends to lovers
-second chance

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced digital copy of this book

3.5 rounded up on the strength of Emma Lord's beautiful writing and the emotional connection between Levi and June. The first two-thirds of this book were truly a pleasure to read. Unfortunately it lost me at the high drama that I kept hoping wouldn't be coming. Honestly, the whole Revenge Exes thing and then the drama brought on by THEIR exes seemed unnecessary to me, and I was especially annoyed at how Levi handled it. I feel like this book had so much potential that was lost to me in the end because of tropes like communication issues and love triangles.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's for providing an ARC for my honest feedback.

The way I flew through this book, I cannot even begin to explain how much I loved it.

June and Levi are two characters who have obvious history that have been impacted by grief, missed opportunities, and insecurities. Watching these two become best friends again, and then rediscover their love for one another was soooooo fun and also heartfelt.

There's nothing like the tension that exists during fake dating, but when it's between two people who have a deep love for one another? *chef's kiss*

I absolutely loved the storyline dealing with both of their grief as well, I felt it was handled beautifully and added another layer to this book making it more than just a fun little rom-com.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you St Martin's Press & netgalley for an ARC of this book in exchange with an honest review.

If you know me, you know I looooove a second chance romance. Mixed in with some fake dating too?? that's my dream. So the premise of this book definitely sold me! I enjoyed it. June and Levi are cute but I felt like their relationship was lacking. I did unfortunately find myself getting bored and so so annoyed at some points of the book. Maybe it was a me issue?? IDK! I wanted to enjoy this one a lot more but I just don't think it's for me :(

The Break Up Pact: ★★★☆☆ (3)

Pub date: August 13 - preorder yours now!

Thank you St. Martin's Press & NetGalley for the ARC!

I have read many of Emma Lord's books and was excited to get the opportunity to read another! June & Levi's love story was really sweet, from start to finish. I am a big fan of friends to lovers tropes and this one didn't disappoint. I also loved the backdrop of the cafe and the beachside city.

If you're a romcom fan, this is for you!

Thank you again for the ARC!

This book wasn’t for me. The premise was nice, I personally struggled to connect with these characters.
I did enjoy the friends, Sana and Mateo. For me, it felt as though something was missing in the relationship between the main characters.

This is a book I really wanted to love but I felt like the plot was a little meh. It felt like it was missing something for sure. This book is about June and Levi, childhood friends who reunite into a fake dating situation. Their relationship felt a bit Hallmark to me and actually moved pretty fast. I will say that I did like the banter between June and Levi! If you are looking for a light and quick Summer read then this is the book for you.

Tropes:
- Friends to Lovers
- Fake Dating
- Small Town (Beach) Romance

Love love love! I loved reading this book.

Levi was the perfect boy next door. I loved how he was already intertwined with everyone.

June was the perfect middle sister. She was set so perfectly in Tea Time but also helping with the wedding planning..

I loved that Sana and Mateo were part of everything.

The quantity of characters really added to it. I loved that there were only a few key and a few supporting. There wasn’t a need for any more.

The ex’s were great villains. You really couldn’t have created more perfect “others.” I felt like he was Jax Taylor, iykyk.

I will definitely recommend and would love to read more!

This was a cute romance following June and Levi as they fake-date after their respective partners break up with them in very public ways - read if you like:
-Second chance romance (he's her high school crush/childhood best friend)
-Fake dating (for revenge purposes)
-Set by the sea
-Tea and scone baking
I believe this was Emma Lord's debut adult romance, and I'm happy to report it was fun with the perfect amount of seriousness, just like her YAs. There wasn't as much humor/silly puns as there are in her YAs, but I think it fit the tone of the story well. There is repeated mention of June's sister/Levi's best friend dying 2 years ago, though the book focuses more on the day-to-day grief rather than exploring it as if it had just happened. I would recommend this one for a quick but still meaningful romance:)

First of all I would like to thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for giving me the chance to read this book as an ARC. I am still crying happy tears at that ending. It was perfect absolutely no notes. I adore June, I loved the moment she stepped into her power it made me feel so incredibly proud for someone who is fictional. This was such a fun refreshing book to read and I thoroughly enjoyed every second of it. This was my first Emma Lord book and I can't wait to read the rest of them.

This was really enjoyable.

June and Levi were best friends growing up. Until they weren't. For ten years after graduation, they barely spoke. Now, June is running her late sister's tea shop in their hometown and Levi is a finance bro. Both of them have just gone viral in the same week for being cheated on and broken up with by their respective exes. So, they hatch an idea to be Revenge Exes; Levi to try and win his ex back and June to drum up business for the tea shop.

All around, this one was a hit for me. I liked June and Levi both instantly. I felt that their history was revealed at a really good pace (instead of just alluded to for the whole book and you never found out why). There was so much communication between the two of them! The third act conflict was all about our MCs' emotions instead of a miscommunication, and I always appreciate that.

If you like a good second chance romance, this one is really easy and summery.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

"The Break-Up Pact" by Emma Lord offers an enjoyable and light-hearted read, perfect for a summer escape. The storyline is engaging, with plenty of cute, funny, and romantic moments that keep the reader entertained. However, while the book was generally good, it didn't quite reach the level of depth or memorability I hoped for.

One area that could use improvement is the portrayal of the female main character (FMC). Initially, I found her somewhat lacking in strength and agency. However, I appreciated her development throughout the story, culminating in her standing up for herself more by the end. This growth added a satisfying element to her character arc.

Overall, "The Break-Up Pact" is a delightful read, ideal for lounging by the pool or enjoying a beach vacation. Its light, romantic, and occasionally steamy narrative makes it a great choice for those looking for an entertaining and breezy book. 3.5 stars overall.

I have loved Emma’s YA books and this being her adult debut I knew I wanted to read it. Unfortunately it fell a little flat for me. The story was inconsistent and I didn’t love June and Levi. I would love more Sana but less of forcing her being diverse. Also, too many times saying scone and TikTok. Hopefully her next adult book is better.

: The Break-Up Pact by Emma Lord
️: 2/5

The gist: Two friends, estranged for a decade, find each other being on the dumped end of breakups gone viral. June has become known as "crying girl" on TikTok after she was unexpectedly dumped. Levi found himself in Page Six and the topic of gossipy whispers. Their answer? Fake date to get back at their exes and help get June's business get back on its feet. What's the worst that can happen, right?

The good: I love a good fake dating trope overall. This book's beachside setting was summery and fun. And minimal conflict made for a smooth read plot-wise (the dreaded 3rd act breakup wasn't tough to swallow).

The eh: Is it just me, or does it feel like June and Levi have zero chemistry? Like absolutely none. It made it hard to root for them to end up together. (Minor spoiler alert) This friend group is bound by a tragedy, and the grieving and emotions behind it felt flat. I didn't feel particularly drawn to the details of the plot or any of the characters. This is a bummer, as I did enjoy Emma Lord's previous novel, Begin Again.

Thank you to @stmartinspress via @netgalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. The Break-Up Pact is out later this month on August 13th.

I usually adore Emma Lord's YA books, and I was excited to read her first adult romance novel.

The beachy vibes in The Break-Up Pact were immaculate, and the side characters were charming. Aside from those elements, though, I kept losing interest in the narrative.

The main characters, June and Levi, felt flat, and the story conflicts felt weak. I kept reading, determined to enjoy one of my most anticipated summer releases, but it never picked up for me.

That doesn't mean you won't love The Break-Up Pact; give it a shot if you like the description, and especially if you're looking for a beach read!

I normally love Emma Lord's books. But I think this is the first adult romance I have read, they have all been YA before. And this one unfortunately still read like a YA book, but with some spice in it. I wasn't a fan of their chemistry and there was a lot about the sister who past away a few years before the book takes place. The book was almost more about the sister than the main characters.

3 stars
1 spice

The Break-Up Pact by Emma Lord [St. Martin's Press #gifted #netgalley]

Humiliating break ups. Childhood best friends reunited. Fake dating. Real feelings. I think that pretty much sums up The Break-Up Pact. I really enjoyed reading the story and seeing all the layers of June and Levi's relationship as we got to know more about what went down between the two of them that explains why they were out of touch for almost a decade before this story takes place. Overall, it was a good romance to read over the summer.

DNF at 70%. I tried to push through this one but unfortunately it lost me around the half way mark. I am a big friends to lovers fan but the fake dating/ viral break up aspect let me down. The way it was written felt young adult then bam lot’s of random spice. Most of this is a me-thing so hopefully this one works better for others!

I was excited for an adult novel from Emma Lord (her YA romances are great)! This was a fun friends-to-lovers romance with a great beach town setting. It was perfect for beach reading. June and Levi have a great connection, in part due to their shared history. I really enjoyed the social media aspect (their viral breakups push them together in adulthood). There is great banter, well-rounded side characters (Sana is my favorite), and a very satisfying ending. I definitely recommend this one for romance readers! Thanks to Emma Lord, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.