I love Emma Lord. Her books are so fun with easy to relate to characters and conflict. This book did not disappoint. For her first adult romance it definitely had the tension and the steam alongside adult conflict/ resolution, but it very much relied on the YA backstory to carry the story. Overall it was a cute summer beach town read that made me want to curl up in my favorite local coffee shop with a hot tea and a scone and my first high school love.

I received an advance review copy for free from the publisher via Netgalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

June and Levi, once inseparable friends, haven’t spoken in ten years. Now, both reeling from humiliating break-ups that went viral, they find themselves the subject of a new rumour: the internet thinks they’re dating. Desperate to boost June’s struggling tea shop and help Levi win back his ex, they agree to fake a romance. As they stage swoon-worthy dates to keep up the ruse, old feelings resurface. Can they navigate the charade without their hearts getting involved, or will this pretend romance become the real deal?

Fans of the miscommunication trope, rejoice! You are certainly in for one hell of a treat in Emma Lord’s adult debut!

Haters of the miscommunication trope…come join me in my misery. Did I bum myself out while reading this book? Absolutely. But a girl can only handle so much. And if you don’t like the miscommunication trope and the main miscommunication is cleared up at 55% of the book…only to be immediately followed by the next miscommunication five pages later that will drive the rest of the story to its final conclusion…you’re just out of luck.

I know this is a very subjective preference, but I just can’t stand miscommunication where everything—the entire plot—could be resolved with one honest conversation. Now, if you give me some extra reasons for this miscommunication? Great, hit me up, give me something to rally against immature characters. But here, we have two adults, and especially our main character June, who will actively utter sentences like “If I win this race, we never talk about what happened again” multiple times to evade an honest, mature conversation and I just don’t want that in my romances. I love open communication, honesty, trusting your partner with your vulnerable parts and this is just not what you’re getting with this book.

Unfortunately, while I usually adore all the tropes Lord brings us and always give her books five stars, this time around, the miscommunication just infused every other part of this story that could have been great with a bad feeling.

One thing is the combination of childhood best friends and fake dating and second chance romance. All great tropes that Lord has handled perfectly in the past, yet here a lot of the character development and even the nostalgia for June and Levi’s childhood years felt superficial and more show than tell. Their connection was tainted by their miscommunication and made it a real challenge to connect to their rekindling of their friendship and eventual romance.

Similarly, the fake dating was quite hindered by the fact that Levi was literally still somehow sort of but not really engaged to a woman who publicly cheated on him—yet he still couldn’t make up his mind. That made the whole fake dating turning into real feelings even harder to appreciate since the miscommunication from their youth further complicated an already insurmountable amount of issues. So while I did think there was a lot of potential here, it just didn’t appeal to me.

For me, the highlight in The Break-Up Pact was really June’s and Levi’s individual journey of growth. June undergoes quite the self-discovery as she struggles with listening to her gut in the face of losing her sister and their old dreams yet eventually learns to go for what she wants and bet on herself even if the odds don’t look good. She’s a go-getter in the end and I think that journey deserves all the love and will be very relatable to a lot of readers.

Meanwhile, Levi also has some roadblocks to overcome and while I won’t get into the whole fiancée situation, the way writer’s block and Levi wanting to go after his dreams but feeling pressure to be what everyone wants him to be in the literary world felt so real and raw that it made me ache for him.

Beyond the things that made me want to scream, Lord still brings her usual charm and humour to The Break-Up Pact. There are moments of utter hilarity, fun bits like a certain scream poetry scene and quirky characters that deserve to have their own book just because they turn out to be absolute show-stealers. So if you’re a fan of the miscommunication trope, you’re sure to enjoy this fun, beachy romp and if you’re not, you still find find a lot to love in Lord’s newest adventure.

Two viral break-ups, one fake relationship, childhood best friends and a whole lot of miscommunication meet in Emma Lord’s adult debut The Break-Up Pact, perfect for fans of Elena Armas and Abby Jimenez!

Following a break up that went viral June has become a meme and has nosy tourists flocking to her beachside tea shop. A tea shop that she’s been trying to keep afloat by herself since her sister’s death. June is at a loss of how to keep the tea shop moving forward until an opportunity presents itself in the form of Levi, her best friend who she hasn’t spoken to in ten years. Levi has recently gone through the same viral break up situation and can relate to June. Together they come up with a plan to fake date in order to help June get back in her feet with the tea shop. Their ‘celebrity’ status will have customers lining up at the door to get a glimpse of ‘the Revenge Exes’. Fake dating never goes as planned and this time around is no exception. Will Levi and June be able to make it out of this with their friendship in tact? Or will their friendship turn into something more?

I was drawn in by the cover of this book and was ready for this fun romance. It didn’t disappoint. I enjoy a good friends to lovers romance and fake dating is always fun, even though we always know it’s not going to go as planned. I liked June and Levi together and enjoyed finding out about their pasts together. The romance was sweet and perfect for a fun summer romance read. Each character had their own baggage and grief that needed to be sorted through and I think this added a lot to the story and their relationship. I enjoyed the main characters, but I really want to know more about the side characters and see their own stories play out. I know this isn’t a series, but I did grow attached to some of the side characters and wish I could see how their lives unfold. Overall this was a fun, lighthearted summer read that is great for romance fans!

This was very cute!

Childhood friends reunited under some wild circumstances! A small town! Bad breakups gone viral! Simmering sexual tension!

Y'all know that fake romance isn't my fave, but it worked here. A very quick romance that was a delightful addition to my week!

Big thanks to St. Martins Press an

This was my first time reading one of Emma Lord’s novels, and WOW! It was amazing!

From start to finish, this book was captivating and evoked emotion. Not to mention, it’s extremely well-written!

While reading about the relationship struggles the characters went through and learning to trust oneself before being able to fully trust another, I couldn’t help but think about how relatable the characters were in the story! I think the themes of trust, grief, self-confidence, self-worth, and love will appeal to all readers, but especially millennials. The uncertainty of change and taking a leap, whether in love or one’s career, can feel daunting, and this book captured all of the emotions perfectly.
 
Thank you for the ARC copy of this wonderful book!

Thank you, St Martin's Griffin and NetGalley, for the advanced copy of The Break-Up Pact.

This was as cute fun beach read. I read some other reviews that scored this novel rather low (two and one star), and I really think those people are looking for more out of a novel than what this had to offer. This book gave me exactly what I thought it would: fun, love, fake dating, and second-chance romance. Emma Lord did a great job in her debut adult romance. I'll definitely keep my eye out for her next!

June is trying like crazy to keep her beachside tea and pastry shop's doors open when she sees a blast from the past, her one-time teenage friend. Levi was more friendly with June's older sister who has since passed, but there was always a current of something more between June and Levi. June carries on with her high school sweetheart, and Levi starts dating someone after his move to New York. When both go through very public, very nasty breakups, Levi finds his way back to Benson Beach and finds himself making a break-up pact with June. He wants to save his relationship with his ex and she needs help to save her floundering shop. When the fake feelings start to awaken real feelings from the past, Levi and June are forced to make a decision to bet on each other or cut ties once and for all.

3 stars for my first read from Emma Lord. I didn't find anything wrong with this book. It just won't be especially memorable for me. I would entertain reading other's from the author in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this advanced eARC copy. The Break-Up Pact is available on August 13, 2024.

This was a cute, lighthearted read from a new to me author, and I’ll be sure to read more of her books in the future.

Loved the setting and the plot about June’s tea shop, which was utterly charming and delightful. Loved the fake dating of it all, one of my favorite tropes. Loved the moment when things became real for June and Levi, when their long term attraction finally came out.

Levi did drive me semi- crazy though with what felt like extreme indecisiveness, making me dock a star. He wasn’t the best book boyfriend I’ve read, though he does start to make up for it in the end.

Thank you SMP for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

This book is cute. I enjoyed the premise and the writing was good. The only thing (which may be a me thing) is I didn’t really connect with the characters.

I thought The Break-Up Pact was really cute, but unfortunately, some pieces did feel a little too familiar to me. I can be a tough romcom critic and some of the plot points and dialogue felt forced and unrealistic to me. That said, it was a really easy, fun read, and I would definitely recommend it to someone who enjoys a Sarah Adams, Hallmark style story.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really, really, really wanted to love this book. Small town, second chance, fake dating vibes is my thing. Sadly, this fell a bit flat for me. I never truly felt the chemistry between June and Levi - not in the past or present.

There were a few things that felt unfinished to me and others that seemed forced. The whole wedding planning plot line was unrealistic and the tension with June’s dead sister was unresolved.

While I was pleased the main characters got their HEA, I was never fully invested in their relationship and felt my mind wandering through parts of the book. I alternated between print and audio versions of the book and found the audio to be well done.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and St. Martin’s Griffin for the opportunity to access advance copies in exchange for my unbiased review.

feel like Emma Lord just is not for me.

I didn’t feel any chemistry between the characters, the plot was just okay, and the pacing felt rushed.

I had such high hopes for this book!

Best friends in high school getting a chance to reconnect and fall in love through fake dating. Sounds like a solid plot! But it just did not deliver for me. The chemistry between the characters just wasn't there. The banter fell flat and the jokes didn't hit home. It was also a very slow burn, and since it lacked so much for me, I wasn't invested enough to want to keep going.

The writing is solid and the cover is super cute! It just didn't work for me.

This is my first book by Emma Lord and I enjoyed her writing style. I felt the nostalgic love between our two main characters in the way she describes how June’s body reacts to Levi. I was really into this at first but as the story went on it felt drawn out and I wasn’t reaching for my kindle often. My interest picked up again closer to the end of the book. Overall, a sweet summer read. I loved the full circle moment at the end!

Thank you for the advanced copy.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6696609521

3.5/5 I am so happy that Emma Lord is making her adult romance debut. I loved Tweet Cute so much! The Break Up Pact was a fun premise - two childhood friends go through viral break ups and reconnect to fake date to become the Revenge Exes. As always with the fake dating troupe, June realizes that her feelings for Levi may not be in the past after all.

I liked June as a narrator, but I would have also liked to have gotten Levi's POV too. I am huge fan of fake dating, but I felt it took too long for June and Levi to get together. There was a lot of description of what Levi meant to June then and now leading up to them getting together. Once they finally get together, their scene was equal parts spicy and sweet. I wish there was more of that throughout the book. I feel like we hardly go to see Levi and June as a couple. While they acted in ways that they needed, it left me wanting more of them as a real couple. I enjoyed it, and would recommend it!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin, for providing me with a copy to read and review.

I wanted to like this more than I did, though other readers I'm sure will be right on board. For what is presented as an enemies-to-lovers fake dating romcom, grief featured a lot. I don't need that--I've enough of it in real life. Also,, the story does focus a lot on social media and going viral, Tim-Tok and the like, which again isn't my thing. But it might be yours.

My biggest complaint is that the two spent way too long avoiding just talking things out, a negative motivation that is a total buzzkill for me. There were many fun aspects to the book, making it an okay read, but I felt it could have been miles better without the dead friend dragging them down, and some real conversations to make their romance interesting.

Former best friends enacting a fake dating plot after they both got virally dumped. Oh the set up of this book had me so excited!! June and Levi have barely spoken over the past 10 years but after being on the receiving ends of massively public break ups they find themselves both back in their home town. The first half of this book flew between the fake dates and tension. The second half dragged on a bit but I loved the call backs in the epilogue!

A friends to lovers book with a really fun twist, I love how this plays out on a national and local stage!

June is a pretty fun heroine — even if she makes some frustrating decisions in the name of protecting herself. It was nice to watch her process grief, and how she loves the people around her so well. And her longing for Levi’s friendship is so pure and good, and relatable. And the way she falls into that is so satisfying.

Levi is making some terrible choice we all can relate to when we love someone for a long time… and then June shows up and gives him a bit of power back. I loved him and his soft spots.

My biggest frustration was with the clear miscommunication… or more accurately, REFUSAL of communication because no one says anything they feel, from chapters 16 through 22 or 23. It made me not want to finish it. The character’s decisions were very frustrating. BUT they were realistic in their stupidity. But they did have a lot of internal problems they needed to solve so the chapters are necessary… Although if miscomm is a huge red flag for you, maybe skip those chapters. . .

But the end was sweet. I was happy I finished it when I got past myself. All in all, about a 3.5 read.



CW/TW: loss of sibling before story; one chapter of sex on page, easily skippable;

. . . ⭑ ⭑ ⭑ ⭑ ⭒
Hallmark movie vibes live here friends, and if it weren’t for the fact that it’s summer, this bad boy would be all over my TV during the holiday season.

This completely served its purpose, and checked the boxes for a lovely summer vacation read. Small town romance? Check. Friends to lovers? Check. Fake dating? Check. Some spice, solid banter, and plenty of baked goods? Check, check, and check. While enjoyed the dynamics between June and Levi, I also really liked both the friendship that June held with Sana, and the relationship between Dylan and Mateo. These small town interconnected relationships usually have a tendency to hook me, but I quite enjoyed the ones in this novel.

Epilogues don’t really do it for me, and I feel the same way about this one; happily-ever-afters don’t have to be served on a silver platter, complete with a proposal. This is fully a personal preference, so it’s not that there was anything about this one that I disliked, I just find the last chapter is the true end of the book.

Overall, I enjoyed this cute summer romance and would definitely pick up something else by this author.

~👩🏻‍🦰

The story begins with June who is fresh out of a 10-year relationship and due to her ex being on reality TV, she’s since become a meme. She’s also struggling to run The Tea Tide as business is slow. However, things only get stranger as she runs into Levi, her former friend who was also publicly dumped by his fiance.

I’m sure you can see where this story is going. Levi and June agree to fake-date as a way for June to help keep her business afloat while Levi wants to make his ex jealous. Of course, old feelings start to come back and the connection between these two is undeniable. While it seems like this book would hit the normal fake dating beats, Emma Lord really takes you on an emotional rollercoaster with this one.

The Break-Up Pact is a lot about the romance between June and Levi, but it’s also about their shared bond with Annie. Annie is June’s sister and Levi’s best friend who passed due to a brain aneurysm. The two are still dealing with a lot of grief, related to that and it has impacted their lives in different ways. It’s honestly hard to read at times so if you’re in the midst of grief, I’d suggest sitting this one out.

Aside from the grief featured in these pages, the story does focus a lot on social media, going viral, and dealing with the aftermath of that. If you enjoy drama, reality TV, and TikTok, then The Break-Up Pact is exactly what you need. On the whole, this book was fun and felt very akin to Lord’s YA titles so I think this would be a great stepping stone if you’re looking for something more from her.

The only real critique I have about The Break-Up Pact is how much June and Levi avoided having big or hard conversations. The two of them couldn’t just sit down and talk which aggravated me. Either way, this feels like a great start to Emma Lord’s adult romance writing journey.