The Break-Up Pact was kind of a flop for me. I didn't love the plot and the characters, June and Levi, just didn't have the chemistry I was hoping for. This was the authors first foray into this genre, I believe, but I love her work, so I was super bummed I didn't love this :(

Thank you to Netgalley and SMP for the arc of The Breakup Pact, it was greatly appreciated. That being said, I wish I had more to say about the book other than it wasn't for me. It was a bit too cheesy and I didn't really feel any spark between Levi and June... Plus Levi kinda sucked lol

Levi is trash.

This book had a lot of potential but it took the whole “small town is a character” thing way too far. We learned more about the main characters brother and his fiance than we did the actual characters. Our main character, August, was likable and flawed but all the other characters just made this book fall flat. I found myself skimming through the paragraphs upon paragraphs talking about a relationship that wasn’t even part of the story. Also, Levi was trash and I’m not sure this was even a love story.

An adorable summer beach read! This was a 4.5-star read for me. Emma Lord knows how to do witty, unique, quirky writing. The Break-Up Pact had me smiling as I read. The love story was very cutesy, so I was blown away by the sensual, steamy spice-level scene when June and Levi finally get together. It's now one of my favorite romance book sex scenes. There were so many great quotable moments that made me jealous of Lord’s brain, often wondering how she came up with these small tidbits that add a lot of flavor to the story (pun intended as I know how much Lord loves her desserts). The reason this wasn’t a full 5-star read for me was why Levi and June stopped talking for so many years, the back of the book description made it seem like it would be something way more intense. I also wish the ending included a scene of the wedding since so much of the book was about planning it! I look forward to reading more Emma Lord books in the future and am so excited she has dipped her toes into adult romance! Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the ARC of The Break-Up Pact. All opinions are my own.

June and Levi both experience very public breakups (or breaks) and they decide to work together to make the best out of their situations. As the book moves on, it really highlights their shared history and grief. They both communicate really well since they’ve been friends for so long and their fake dates were funny to see unfold. There are some really serious undertones to the book and I think the author handled the complexity of grief really well even though I wasn’t aware how present it would be when I started the book. With that in mind, this wasn’t a book I felt the urge to read all in one sitting, so slowly listening to the audiobook kept me engaged. Also, there was a real villain to this story and it was Nancy. I don’t like her one bit and I was so upset to see her come back in the epilogue. The ending overall, wrapped things up well but felt rushed and wasn’t as satisfying I wanted. Overall, this is a good read but be prepared for discussions of grief and the trauma that comes with it. 3.75⭐️, 2🌶, ⚠️

Sweet, open-door adult romance! Very cute, and a great author that is new to me! Great for a summer read by the pool or on the beach.

For a writer who loves grilled cheese, Emma Lord wrote a “three star” scone of a novel. Thank you to the team at St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read this ARC copy. I have read one other Emma Lord book and it was YA. As far as pacing goes, it felt like it read super quickly as her YA novels do. I don’t think this is technically a bad thing, but it did make what the peak of the novel and what seemed to be a third act ‘break’ but not break up go really fast. So while the pacing seemed a little off it wasn’t terrible.

Emma Lord also writes about a complex topic (death of a family member - prior to plot) in a way that honors that character, but allows the reader to connect to the main characters grieving process. I also loved the resolution to the book wasn’t a ‘quick fix’ it was something that allowed both characters to grow as individuals and an outcome that worked for both of them, too.

Overall I would recommend. If you love a quicker paced book with minor spice, but what I would dub as a cracked door romance this is the novel for you. If you don’t particularly enjoy a third act break (up) situation then avoid this one.

This book wasn’t per se bad.. but it wasn’t anything special. Some chapters felt like they drug on forever and others felt super rushed… I’ve said this with another Emma Lord book, but I think 16 year old Cass would’ve liked it better than 27 year old Cass did.

Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martins Press & Macmillan audio for the opportunity to read / listen to this ARC.

June and Levi were best friends in high school and then all of a sudden they were not and went their separate ways. Years later when they both experience public breakups, they reconnect in the beach town that June's tea shop is in and they decide to fake date to help their internet image recover after their respective breakups. Will they be able to convince the world that they are actually dating and in love?

This was such a cute fake dating story and I really enjoyed the friend group that they reconnected with in the beach town. I feel like we got to know June way more than we got to know Levi. Levi's ex created lots of issues for him and June and just seemed like she was acting like a dog trying to mark her territory by coming into June's tea shop and talking about how well she knew Levi. I really enjoyed the ending with the food truck helping June's business be successful. There are a few spicy scenes, but overall, I loved this cute second chance rom com.

This book was cheesy with the TikTok of it all and almost very hallmark like. I fell right into the story and the characters but I was cringing at parts because it felt very gen Z. I love a fake dating but I just felt like something in the plot was missing and I couldn’t put my finger on it.

The Break-Up Pact by Emma Lord is a must read! It is a funny rom-com that is also heart-warming. I did not even know about aware of the author, Emma Lord until I requested this book and I am so glad I did. I enjoyed Emma’s writing style and her ability to pull at my heart strings while also making me laugh.


In summary, The Break-Up Pact is a story about two childhood best friends who become estranged. June goes through a breakup with her ex boyfriend Griffin and goes viral better known as “The Crying Girl” after the breakup is aired on national television. Levi returns to Benson Beach after his own public breakup with celebrity girlfriend, Kelly. In attempts to make both exes jealous, June and Levi agree to fake dating. Thus, the name: The Break-Up Pact. The chemistry between these two is undeniable and the banter is immediate. The question then is: will their pact survive?


If you enjoy the following tropes, this book is for you!

✨Friends to lovers
✨ Brothers best friend
✨ Fake Dating
✨ Found Family
✨ Small town



Thank you NetGalley and publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The Break-Up Pact will be out in the wild on August 13th. The Break-Up Pact by Emma Lord is a must read! It is a funny rom-com that is also heart-warming. I did not even know about aware of the author, Emma Lord until I requested this book and I am so glad I did. I enjoyed Emma’s writing style and her ability to pull at my heart strings while also making me laugh.


In summary, The Break-Up Pact is a story about two childhood best friends who become estranged. June goes through a breakup with her ex boyfriend Griffin and goes viral better known as “The Crying Girl” after the breakup is aired on national television. Levi returns to Benson Beach after his own public breakup with celebrity girlfriend, Kelly. In attempts to make both exes jealous, June and Levi agree to fake dating. Thus, the name: The Break-Up Pact. The chemistry between these two is undeniable and the banter is immediate. The question then is: will their pact survive?


If you enjoy the following tropes, this book is for you!

✨Friends to lovers
✨ Brothers best friend
✨ Fake Dating
✨ Found Family
✨ Small town



Thank you NetGalley and publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The Break-Up Pact will be out in the wild on August 13th.

I’m a sucker for fake dating and this was exactly the right amount of tension! I really enjoyed this book and I think this is a great summer read!

Started out cute, but I had a hard time with the premise & just didn't get into the characters. Well-written, just not for me.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC!!!

I am thrilled with Emma Lord’s adult debut. It was filled with the sweets we have come to expect from her. There was longing, pining, and spice. Loved!!!

I've read all of Emma Lord's books and while her YA and NA books were great for me, this one felt very meh. Levi and June... I didn't feel a spark between them and I got so fed up with Levi and his ex situation. The ending was nice but by that point I was a bit over it. I enjoy Emma Lord's writing and I hope this was just a fluke for me.

The Break Up Pact is a second chance romance between two high school friends who reconnect after a years long falling out. When June and Levi’s breakups to their exes go viral, they create a wild plan to fake date and reclaim their online images as the “Revenge Exes”.

I wanted to love this so much but it unfortunately was just middle of the road for me. I love a fake dating plot, but aside from that, I felt like the plot had some weak elements. The fake dating plan was established almost instantaneously. I felt like there was no build up or any discussion about the idea of fake dating- it just happened. There’s a lot of communication lacking between the main characters as well. I think this is a cute idea but it unfortunately didn’t hit the mark that I expected it to. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy for review!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy!

I'm a fan of Emma Lord's young adult books, so I was excited to read her first adult romance. The Break-Up Pact has all the charm and fun of her young adult books, just with older characters and more adult themes. There was one part that got more spicy that I like to read, and I skipped over it--but that was just my personal preference. I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a cute fake dating/friends-to-lovers romance!

2.75 ⭐ ARC from Netgalley, these are my own thoughts and opinions. Thank you for the advanced copy!

I wanted to like this SO MUCH. It seemed right up my alley. I just didn't. First, it's basically just one massive miscommunication trope with a dash of maybe cheating? Depends on your view of it. It wasn't for me, but I could see how it would be cute for some.

Posting on GR & Storygraph 7/15, posting to IG stories week of 7/15

“Before I took over Tea Tide, I imagined running a tea shop by the ocean would be like something out of a Hallmark movie. ”
Here are reasons to read the Contemporary book:

Teenage friends - Teenage best friends June and Levi had a falling out
Public Breakup - and years later, they both had a public and viral breakup with their respective exs
Fake Dating - This causes a reunion, and due to some unintended photos, the internet thinks they are now together, and fake dating works in their favor
Tea and Scones - June’s tea shops is failing and this could be the thing that helps her get back on her feet

Emma Lord is one of my fav contemporary authors. And if this book sounds a little like Funny Story, by Emily Henry, it has the same premise. BUT - the characters are unique, the beachy location is fun, and the food descriptions are perfection. One of the things the author does well is make an easy reading experience, and that is something I absolutely look forward to. The fact that this couple new each other so well as teens really helped bring more depth to the situation. Your next beach read (literally) is right here.

I'm super bummed about this but I just cannot bring myself to care about this book in any way. I found myself not even paying attention. The reviews aren't stellar so I'm not feeling really great about continuing with that in mind either.