Thank you, Netgalley and St Martin's Press, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I found this book to be cute, but it was a bit of a challenge to get into at the beginning. However, the story picked up towards the middle and end, which was nice. While I felt that June, the female lead, was a bit weak, I did enjoy Levi, the male lead, and would definitely characterize him as a more favorable character in the book. This book dealt with heavy topics but was still lighthearted. I'm a fan of the 'fake dating' trope, so I loved how June and Levi played that out, especially since they already had a foundation of friendship to build on. It wasn't just a random occurrence.

Read if you like:
- Fake Dating
- Friends to lovers
- slow burn
- small-town vibes

What a great story! I’m a sucker for a good fake dating plot and this definitely scratched that itch. It did start a bit slow for me, but definitely got a little better as I got farther into it. Would recommend to just about anyone!

Should've been 5 stars, is 3.5 stars, rounding up to 4 because the emotion is authentic.

Levi and June are reconnected after spending almost a decade of barely communicating. What was only a shared history is now a shared public humiliation, as they've both gone through embarrassing breakups making the rounds on social media. In an effort to bring more business to June's struggling bakery and get Levi's ex-fiancee back, they decide to form a fake relationship with a pact to break-up.

This is a beautiful love story about June and Levi recognizing the people who they are, the people who they were, and the people they want to be. Emma Lord explores how our experiences and grief shape us and the choices we make. I'm a sucker for smart writing and insightful dialogue, and this didn't disappoint. The story is told from Emma's POV and, I rarely say this, I don't know that Levi's POV would have added to the story in any meaningful way.

The Break-Up Pact focuses on Levi and June, but the relationship between June and scones was just as important. I want to give this book 5 stars. I really, really do. But I can't for a few reasons:
- This isn't a fake dating trope; this is friends-to-lovers who don't correct anyone who assumes they're a couple.
- A miscommunication trope is used and I wouldn't say it's necessarily used well.
- I felt like their character arcs were never fully resolved, but they did get to the "next step" in growth. I somehow need 100 more pages but also 100 less.
- More could have been explored in their individual grief journeys. In the same vein of their relationship as a couple, it felt like an incomplete resolution.

All of the pieces were here, it just didn't feel fully completed or explored. The writing was extremely intelligent and very funny, there was just something missing.

3.5/5 rounded up

This was a cute, fluffy read. It didn’t give me that WOW factor but the fake dating trope kept me engaged. I see this being a good beach read this summer for something light and fun.

I loved the push and pull of June and Levi’s relationship. I think my favorite parts were of them together. Any time June was by herself, she got kind of annoying. She did have a lot to sort through though.

I really enjoyed the side characters. Sana, Dylan and Mateo. They all had a spark in them that made me love them. I think it was just how much they deeply cared about June and that was truly precious.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange of my honest review.

The Break-Up Pact delivers a delightful blend of humor, heart, and hijinks in this charming rom-com.
June and Levi, former best friends turned estranged acquaintances, find themselves thrown back together in a hilarious twist of fate when their respective break-ups go viral. As they navigate the chaos of their newfound internet fame, they hatch a plan to fake a relationship for the sake of their reputations and personal agendas.
The author crafts a witty and relatable story, filled with laugh-out-loud moments and endearing characters. June's struggles to keep her tea shop afloat and Levi's disillusionment with his New York lifestyle add depth to their characters, making them feel authentic and relatable.
As June and Levi embark on their fake relationship, readers are treated to a series of swoon-worthy dates and humorous mishaps that will keep them eagerly turning the pages. Despite their best efforts to keep things strictly platonic, sparks fly between them, leading to unexpected revelations and heartfelt moments.
While the premise may be familiar, Lord injects fresh energy and genuine emotion into the story, resulting in a thoroughly enjoyable read. The Break-Up Pact is a feel-good romp that will leave readers smiling and rooting for love, fake or otherwise.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This was a really cute read and nice and easy as well. This book is the kind of book that refreshes the palate but also engages the mind. It was super easy to get into and the flow was very quickly paced so the reader almost had no choice but to embrace it before they were swallowed up by the plot. This book is all about our two main characters June and Levi. June is trying desperately to shake her 'crying ex' persona that her ex has left her with after their terrible break up and June is trying to forget his ex after his name becomes news when she cheated on him with an A lister. When a photo of the two together convinces the world they are a couple the two decide to run with it and embrace the rumors in order to raise june's business' sales and to convince Levi's ex she had a mistake. This was a super cute friends to lovers kind of story and while it was a little bit predictable and easy to see how it was going to end right off the bat that didn't change my enjoyment of the story along the way. I really liked the flow and fast pace that the story took but the part that I liked the most was the interaction between the two main characters. It was really cute to watch them pretend to be in love and then slowly fall in love for real. This was a really well written book with characters that I adored. When I learned that author Emma Lord primarily focuses on YA novels I was very surprised because she took this romance book by storm. Great job especially for a genre switch. I know that when this book hits the shelves it will do great and I'm very glad to be able to say that I read it first.

I liked this book! As always, Emma Lord had great world-building skills and the characters were interesting. A steady, engaging book from start to finish. The story is a little slow in the start.

Thank you, Netgalley, for an arc of The Break-Up Pact. I absolutely loved Tweet Cute and often recommend it to my students. This is not one I can have in my HS library because of the spicy scenes, but I will definitely recommend it to my Book Club.

I am not a fan of the miscommunication trope, especially when the audience can tell SO EASY what is really happening, but Lord has such good banter, and fun characters, that I still enjoyed the book!

I will continue to read all she writes!

Thanks for the ARC! I was excited to read this and bypassed other books in my queue but it slowed my reading down. The book had an undercurrent of sadness with the passing of a family member. There is drama that could have been more fun but wasn’t. The wording was too flowy to keep my interest and the plot wasn’t what I needed. Overall I think it was a decent book but I wouldn’t recommend to my book club girls since it was so slow.

This was my first Emma Lord book (I have Tweet Cute to read, but never did).
I really liked this book. Although the slow burn was a little too slow for me, the characters weren't caught up in stupid non communication problems, which was a relief.

The star of the book in my opinion was Sana. She was great from start to finish and I would love to read a story with her as the MC.

Overall, a solid 4 stars!

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC ❤️

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Breakup Pact is a lightheaded romance with beachy vibes and a super easy read. We get friends to lovesr, second chance and fake-dating. I’m not a fan of the misunderstanding trope but overall, this is a cute book!

The Break-Up Pact has some of my favorite tropes: fake dating, childhood friends to lovers, second chance. June and Levi were friends as kids and are reunited when they both go through very public, and humiliating break ups. When a photo of them together goes viral and people assume they're dating, they go with it and pretend to date in order to make his ex jealous and to bring publicity to her failing tea shop.

I thought the setting of this book was absolutely charming. I could picture it so easily. It was a very quick read and I appreciated the pacing. June's friend Sana was hilarious- I would definitely read a book with her as the FMC. That being said, the premise was kind of a miss for me- I can't imagine anyone caring THAT much about breakups between D-list celebrities and their unknown SO's. I didn't care for the miscommunication between the MC's and didn't find either of them very likeable, although Levi grew on me. All in all, I didn't hate it, but didn't love it, but I'll definitely read this author again.

First of all, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy of The Break-Up Pact. I've read most of Emma Lord's other books, so when I saw this one, I was excited to add another title to our YA romance shelves. I, in fact, did not look closely and did not realize this is an adult novel. So... while the ages of the MCs and the spice factor make The Break-Up Pact not a good fit for my school library shelves, I very much enjoyed this book as someone who is (maybe a little older than.... shh) the target audience.

I am a sucker for the tropes of childhood friends to lovers and fake dating. I don't know what it is, but they just get me almost every time. This is no exception. The pacing of The Break-Up Pact felt very YA, which I like. Additionally, I enjoyed how issues of consent were just woven in and Saba's description of Levi and June's love was just spot-on for what we should be looking for in relationships, in my opinion.

So overall, I can't put this on my school shelves, but I'll be recommending it to all of my friends and in all of my book groups!

This story kept me interested-ish, I did feel as if it was a bit too heavy on the social media, in a way that made it a bit unrealistic. They were both publicly shamed on TikTok? I don't know, this book just wasn't for me.

What a cute story! I enjoyed this fun and banter filled tale. Thank you so much for the advanced copy. Would definitely recommend for my romance enemies to lovers readers!

I loved this book. Could not put it down! Emma Lord did it again. I loved the characters and the story, overall would highly recommend!

Emma Lord's "The Charm Offensive" is a heartwarming romance about second chances and unexpected love. June and Levi, estranged best friends, fake date after their break-ups go viral. With witty banter and palpable chemistry, their journey is filled with self-discovery and forgiveness. Lord's subtle approach to intimacy adds authenticity, making it a satisfying read for fans of contemporary romance.

ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own!

Everything I've read by Emma Lord has been young adult, but this is a wonderful foray into the adult romance genre. I absolutely loved Levi and June's second-chance romance, the development of their characters both individually and together, and their happily ever after. The sex scenes were very subtly spicy but so, so sweet—and well written! Throughout the story, Lord gracefully and carefully handled the topic of grief in a way that felt true but not too heavy. Loved this one! Would absolutely recommend.

First off, I love the names of the main characters, Levi and June, and loved even more when he teased her by calling her by any other month. This was a quick and easy summer read, but the characters still had depth and plenty of time for character development.

June and Levi were inseparable growing up until a high school crush and miscommunication caused a falling out. Ten years later, June and Levi are reunited, both suffering from breakups that went viral and decide to change the narrative and fake date throwing the internet into a frenzy. But as most fake dating stories go, the lines begin to blur. As they try to mend their friendship, figure out their careers, and continue to sort through the grief of losing Annie, June’s sister and Levi’s best friend, it keeps getting harder and harder for June to guard her heart.

I’ve read other Emma Lord books, but they’ve all been young adult so while this didn’t have a ton of spice it definitely had more steam than her other books.

The Break Up Pact by Emma Lord ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley, Emma Lord and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The story follows June and Levi, childhood friends who agree to fake date for publicity after June is dumped live on reality tv, and Levi’s long-term girlfriend cheats on him with a Hollywood heartthrob. June hopes the social media buzz will help save her struggling beachside cafe, TeaTide, while Levi hopes his ex will gain perspective by seeing him with someone else. Their plot is complicated by their intense history, June and Levi both had secret crushed on one another in high school, and spent the last 10 years barely speaking - until the unexpected death of June’s sister Annie.

I really wanted to enjoy this book. I’d heard great reviews of Emma Lord’s other novels and hoped her first adult contemporary romance novel would live up to that hype. There was a lot of potential, but ultimately I feel like this needed more depth to be a great romance story. June and Levi are both clearly still dealing with their grief over the loss of Annie, and this seems to be put in the background and used as an excuse for characters to deflect their feelings and miscommunicate. This book is heavy on the miscommunication trope which drives the majority of the conflict. I also think the secondary characters could’ve added so much complexity to building out this story, but they were underutilized.

One thing I liked about Lord’s writing style was her pacing, the story moved well and I was never bored. I loved the beach small-town vibes that Lord wove into the setting, it suited the romance well. I also enjoyed June and Levi’s relationship in their happy moments. They had adorable dates, witty banter and great sexual chemistry. But when things got hard, their dynamic didn’t work well together and I feel like they never truly resolved their issues.

I will definitely give Emma Lord’s other novels a read to see how they measure up. If you’ve read her other books, I would love to hear which you liked and if you read The Break Up Pact, what your thoughts are!

The Break Up Pact will be published August 12th 2024.