I have loved all of Emma Lord's YA books so I was really excited to check out her adult debut. This was a very sweet story about childhood best friends who disconnect for 10+ years and when they reconnect, they begin fake dating and eventually fall in love. There was some good banter and funny moments between Levi and June. However, I think the miscommunication/refusal to communicate at all made was tooooo much for me. Like come on AT LEAST TALK ABOUT IT!!! I think Lord's writing is better for YA but I will continue to read whatever she writes.

This was such a fun, lighthearted, and sexy reads! I just adore Emma’s writing!! This one was the perfect summer read!! I can’t wait to read what’s next from the author!

I loved Emma Lord’s YA novels so I knew I was going to love this one and she did not disappoint. This left me feeling all the feels and satisfied like I just had a delicious scone (IYKYK). The perfect blend of friendship, friends-to-lovers, finding yourself, and fake-dating! One of my fave reads this year for sure.

I love a good fake dating trope as much as the next person, but this one threw me off just a bit. Capitulation so quickly after being so angry with Levi seems to be off for June, especially after what she went through. I wouldn't have thought she'd give him the time of day...at least not right away. I DID however love how they pushed each other (eventually) to find and live their dreams and not allow others to control their respective destiny. It was cute and had a satisfying HEA.

This story was a lot deeper than I was expecting. And while I’m not mad, I don’t think the cover matches the tone.

I also did not know this book had explicit scenes. That is due to my poor research, but it was still jarring and took me out of the story.

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted copy.

This was a fun, easy read, but pretty basic as far as romcoms go. Nothing earth shattering, but just an average read for me. But - ughhhhh a miscommunication trope....not my favorite and so overdone in this book.

I do like fake dating and friends to lovers, but I didn't really feel a connection between June and Levi beyond a physical attraction.

Glad I read this, but not one of my favorites.

It wasn’t the worst thing I’ve ever read but I feel like the writing was very immature so it kind of read like fanfiction. Most of the romantic scenes were a little tough to get through. The characters were so unbelievable as real humans on this earth that even though they did nothing to particularly offend my sensibilities they were still kind of unlikable. It was meh overall.

Friendship turned romance through a few misunderstandings and a bit of fake dating. It was a fast and enjoyable read but it was very similar to others in the genre. Nothing wrong with that, it was like a new episode of an enjoyable TV show, but I think that over time it wouldn't stand out.

Thank you for providing this copy for me to read and review.

This is a small town romantic comedy with a fake dating trope. What's not to love! I really enjoyed the romance and interactions between the two main characters as well as the their shared bonding and handling grief. However I feel like I would have loved to see the FMC grow more in the community (beyond her storefront) but even more interactions with her neighbors and making friends.

This was a feel good, romcom that made me nostalgic for the high school days of first loves. While obviously we all go through changes, we never forget our first loves and this book reminds me of that.

I loved this one! So cute and the fake dating trope was perfect! The couple were adorable together and I’ve never read a story about a tea shop so that was a fun twist too. Overall I enjoyed it!

I love a fake dating trope, but the lead-in to this one was soooo abrupt. june was really annoying, and the side characters had more depth than the leads here. it was kind of just ok?

The Breakup Pact is a fun and heartfelt YA romance which I really enjoyed!

Emma Lord’s writing is super easy to follow and flows beautifully! The characters are super relatable, and there is a lot of self-discovery, which to me is very important in a romance!

This is a cozy read that you will inhale!

4.5/5
They call it fake dating, but let’s be honest, the only people these two are fooling is themselves. This is full on regular dating.
I loved these two as a pair, and the chemistry between them was sizzling.
There was also a strong depiction of grief and loss and having to find your way growing without someone you’ve lost.
My only complaint was that I found their breakup frustrating and it felt like it was never fully addressed and resolved.
Also, inspired me do learn to make scones, so there’s that. Overall, a great story that I highly recommend.

This book has been on my tbr since last August, and I am regretting that now. Because, this book is so, so good. I will definitely read this author again. I loved the history of the 2 mc. I loved their banter, all the raw emotion and the storyline. 5 stars!

Many thanks to Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I want to start my review by saying that the fake dating trope is probably my least favorite in the romance genre. I find that it can be done well, but it is rare. I liked Lord's portrayal of Levi and June, but I found their relationship too complicated, and the story too diverging, to be invested in their fake dating storyline.

I loved the audiobook of this one, and would recommend listening rather than reading because the characters back story can be a little hard to follow otherwise.

THANK YOU to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this in exchange for my honest opinion.

3.5 rounded to 4 stars.

I definately thought this was more contemporary womens fiction than romance. i thought the book was ok - a little long and the slow burn was sooooooo slow. thank you for the arc - i like emma lord's book and glad to read her romance debut!

Levi and June are both involved in very public breakups. They then fake a relationship for entertainment. Levi partially engages to make his ex jealous and return to him. Levi and June were best friends growing up. There was a misunderstanding in their youth in which they left eachother thinking that neither had feelings for each other. Their fake relationship brings them closer and some of their feelings are returning. I enjoy the friends to lovers theme as well as fake relationship. It took me multiple efforts to get into this book. I enjoy the narrator’s voice and switch between male and female voices. Happy I stuck with this one. Thanks to NetGalley for ARC.

This was so fun from Emma Lord! Her characters still have the same Emma feel but they're older, obviously. June and Levi have both had very public breakups. On top of that drama and pressure, they are both wading through the loss of loved ones. While trying to figure out what to do and where to go with their lives they team up and enter a fake relationship.

I enjoyed this semi debut from Emma Lord. I've enjoyed her YA novels and this definitely has a strong Emma feel with older characters. The pacing was a little off for me but ultimately I had a good time reading it .

TW: Death of a loved one (past), navigating trauma, infidelity ( by exes not by main characters)

The Break Up Pact
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Author: Emma Lord

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

Synopsis: June and Levi were best friends as teenagers—until the day they weren’t. Now June is struggling to make rent on her beachside tea shop, Levi is living a New York cliché as a disillusioned hedge fund manager and failed novelist, and they've barely spoken in years.

But after they both experience public, humiliating break-ups with their exes that spread like wildfire across TikTok rabbit holes and daytime talk shows alike, they accidentally make some juicy gossip of their own—a photo of them together has the internet convinced they're a couple. With so many people rooting for them, they decide to put aside their rocky past and make a pact to fuel the fire. Pretending to date will help June’s shop get back on its feet and make Levi’s ex realize that she made a mistake. All they have to do is convince the world they're in love, one swoon-worthy photo opp at a time.

My Thoughts: Lord has been primarily a YA writer, this is her first adult romance release. Before I add a book to my TBR, I usually read the blurb and reviews. Some of the reviews were kind of harsh, I believe we can critique books without being abrasive, but that is just my two cents. I think the major issue is that most people expect this to be a typical romcom but it is more serious, more of an adult contemporary. While this was not her best writing, it was still enjoyable. June and Levi were best friends as teenagers, until they weren’t. A misunderstanding a few years ago caused the falling out. June is struggling beachside tea shop owner and Levi is a hedge fund manager. June also just had a very public humiliating break up. Coincidently, Levi also had a public break up of a different magnitude. The two are caught standing together in a public photograph that is posted on social media and the world loves them as a couple, even if that is not what was happening behind the picture. This follows tropes of fake dating, best friends, friends to lovers, and social media relationship.

The tone of this one is a bit more serious than Lord’s prior works. This is due to their recent public breakups and career issues. However, we all know in an adult world, this is called life, so it makes sense to me that a romance would be set around these popular issues, such as businesses struggle to stay open past five years, or you end up in a career that you are not passionate about anymore. Then the romance piece, you waste years of your life with someone who drops you without a moment’s notice, you lose people who are important to you, or friendships fade.

June seems to be living in her sister’s shadow (who passed away off page) and I would love to see her process through the grief and step into her own more. Levi returned to his hometown to put distance between him and his ex, and only focuses to much on wanting to get back with his ex versus moving on and seeing what is in front of him. Having said this, I still feel that the characters were well developed with depth, evenly matched, had some witty banter, definitely had chemistry, and were intriguing. Their characters could have been a bit more finely tuned and I think it would have really turned the narrative around. The author’s writing style was complex, serious with some humor blended in, romantic, relationship focused, heartwarming, and kept me engaged.

I normally rate Lord’s books between 4/5 ⭐️ but this one fell a little short. Still not a bad read, I just think some things could have been done differently, and it would have really elevated the storyline. I had both the digital and audio ARC (yes, sorry, I am behind on my reviews, a few months behind), and leaned more on the audio than the e-galley. Overall, I enjoyed the storyline, just wanted more. I would recommend to other readers as an adult contemporary fiction read.