Member Reviews

I give this book a solid three stars.
A story about friends turned lovers after a ten year gap of no communication. Both of the main characters went through a vicious public breakup that went viral. When they decide to “fake date”, old feeling a start to come alive and they end up revealing how they truly feel for each other.

The story was hard to pick up at first. The first few chapters talked about the past and why they haven’t spoken in a while, then the pact was made. After that, I felt the story started to get interesting and I was able to finish the book.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC version of the story.

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Thanks to Emma Lord, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC of “The Breakup Pact”.

Two friends end up not speaking for 10 years due to a series of misunderstandings and tragedy. I liked the friendship and evolving romance, a second chance friends to lovers is always a trope I enjoy. I really was invested in learning about Annie, and seeing June outgrow the shadow of her deceased sister. I enjoyed the tea shop and scone recipes-genius! What I didn’t like or relate to was the paparazzi being so invested in these two characters because of their ex’s. That part of the story felt like it jumped the shark.

The writing is well done and the tension between Levi and June works. Definitely worth a read and a good bit of escapism.

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The Break-Up Pact review:
What I loved about this:
•The tea shop with adventurous scone recipes!
•Revenge-Ex’s. This is a badass concept.
•Scream poetry
•Sana’s Fizzle article
•the handful of clever jokes throughout


This has:
•second-chance romance
-friends to lovers
•fake dating

A small seaside town, two messy viral breakups, and a reunion of childhood friends June and Levi. June Hart never expected to run into her high school friend and unrequited crush Levi Shaw mooching off the Wi-Fi in her seaside tea shop. BUT THERE HE IS. After almost 9 years of essentially ghosting each-other, they come up with a mutually beneficial arrangement to win back Levi’s fiancé and to bring in more revenue for Junes flailing tea and scone shop.

What I didn’t like:
•the romance progresses way too quickly for me, it’s too early when the playful, sexy, roughhousing begins.
•I think this is missing something to really captivate the reader. I found this pretty put-down-able with the most interesting character being Annie, the deceased sister. I just couldn’t get invested.
•Also I found myself wondering, why are these two non-celebs constantly getting papped? It just seems a little out of place.
I’m just not buying that these characters are interesting enough to warrant the fan base they have.

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The Break up Pact was a very detailed, emotional story. The pining and chemistry was evident from the beginning. There’s a lot of growth and grief the characters work through together and on their own. The only thing I felt missing was a dual POV. Thank you Netgalley and St Martins Press for the ARC to review.

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I really did enjoy this book. I could not put it down and was fully invested to see what was going to happen and play out. I really loved the characters but I feel like the ending was a tad too long. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 for me.

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I adored Emma Lord's YA books so I felt certain her adult debut would make me feel the same way. Filled with all the nerdiness, humor, and heart that's so quintessentially Emma, her adult debut shines!

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Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy.

This story was funny and cute. It started off a little rocky to me -- we learn about tensions between the main character and her ex, but they get resolved very quickly. After that, though, the book feels much more cohesive. Lord does a great job showing how the ex's presence transforms the main character, and I enjoyed reading all about the tea shop the main character owns too. I love how the story ties something timeless like a tea shop to a viral breakup moment. Definitely a good, speedy read!

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I really enjoyed Emma Lord’s Tweet Cute (and monster cake), and while her other books haven’t called to me, I was excited to read this, her first adult romance. Parts of it still felt a little young-adult, there were times when I wanted a little more depth to their characters and the plot itself, and there was a bit too much focus for me on the villainous behaviour when I cared more about our main characters and their friend group. But that said, it brought the summer feeling I’ve been craving with a small beach town, a supportive friends-to-lovers relationship, shared grief and the exploration of dealing with change when you want to hold on.

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When we are introduced to the main characters of June and Levi, the scene has already been set for what's going to happen. After they both were "dumped" in an embarrassingly public way, they both decide to go back home to "hide out". Which of course means, the two former best friends, become best friends again. They hatch a plan to help each other out, which definitely won't back fire.
The story line is captive, and while it does follow a typical "blueprint", the reader is still left hoping for a happy ending for both of the main characters.

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LEVI AND JUNE HAVE MY HEART! They hadn't been in contact with each other in over 10 years and the communication they have with each other & the love they’ve always had for each other is just so beautiful after so long ! They overcame a lot alone & with each other in this book and it was just so lovely. I just loved them so much.

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Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this Advanced Reader’s Copy of The Break-Up Pact by Emma Lord due to be released on August 13, 2024.

Childhood friendship turned adult romance is one of my favorite tropes (see: Anne Shirley and Gilbert Blythe) and another is fake dating, so I was pretty excited to dive into this story. Unfortunately, it was so slow to burn that the fire almost went out more than once. It likely would have become a DNF by the halfway point had it not been an ARC read. The chemistry between June and Levi was both lacking and felt forced, and their character growth was just…stagnant.

Finally —finally!— there is forward movement on all fronts and then June throws up a ridiculous roadblock which is oh-so-frustrating after everything she’s thought, said, and done previously. But when a situation with Levi and his ex arises soon after, and he handles it based on what June said, she’s upset and hurt. It was hard to have sympathy for her.

I think if things hadn’t dragged on so much at the beginning of the story then I might have been more receptive to all that happened in the second half, and that’s all on me.

Overall, if you’re looking for an easy beach read where childhood friends have a chance at adult romance, and you have the patience for a slower than average burn, you should give The Break-Up Pact a shot.

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3⭐️

This book had it’s moments but it didn’t quite hit the mark for me.

The pacing of the plot felt uneven, with certain scenes dragging while others seemed rushed, detracting from the overall flow of the story.

Also, the characters seemed interesting at first, but their relationship didn’t feel real or genuine.

Overall, while the concept of the book was promising, the execution left much to be desired in terms of emotional connection.

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

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The Break-Up Pact by Emma Lord is a cute small town, second chance rom com. I loved how both June and Levi had recently suffered some heartbreak and were able to reconnect as friends while processing everything going on in their lives. Plus, when they decided to start fake dating to make his ex jealous, I was all in. Fate dating is one of my absolute favorite tropes! This book not only covers the grief of heartbreak in a relationship, but also in losing someone close to you and how this grief can manifest in different ways. There was so much growth for both main characters, especially over the last 10 years and I love how they grew more into who they are meant to be. And when they finally acknowledge their true feelings, my heart was so warm with love.

This book is set to release on August 13th, 2024 and I’d definitely recommend for a fast paced and sweet rom com! It would be a perfect beach read!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the chance to read an early ARC in exchange for an honest review!

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4.5 | i really really enjoyed this book! the writing was whimsical yet easy to read and kept you wanting more! these characters were so cute - like do i love levi? perhaps. and i don't like scones so don't mind me consistently craving a scone while reading. emma lord did her job and it was well-done!

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I absolutely loved this book. Emma Lord can do no wrong, this book was one that I could not put down. The characters were developed nicely and the tropes were perfectly executed.

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WOW. Easily a 5 star read. This was lighthearted and fun in so many ways. Even though this book deals with the impact of grief and loss, the author does it in a way that really captures how it can sneak up on you when you’re least expecting it. She captures how you can continue to live your life and move on while still honoring your lost love one. And, while that was happening as the undertone of the story, one of the quaintest fake dating tropes was center stage. The connection between June and Levi was evident from their very first interaction. The tension was screaming off the pages. There was moments that I really felt everything to my core, but also moments where I was hysterically laughing (Catch me making a bracelet that says be like Gouda). The side characters were also woven into the fabric of this book in such a beautiful way that truly allowed them to be a huge part of it and not just an afterthought. I loved everything about this!!

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This was a cute read and honestly wanted to enjoy the characters felt a bit bland. The miscommunication also wasn’t done as well as I’d hope. I just don’t think this book was for me!

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2.75 stars.

This book follows June and Levi, who were friends in high school and reunited a couple of years after their public break-ups hit the internet. When a photograph leads everyone to believe they're a couple, they fake a date to boost June's business and help Levi win back his cheating fiancée. As they navigate their staged relationship, filled with fun, cute dates, they unexpectedly fall in love again.

While the story is cute and has elements of fake dating and second chances, it lacks some depth. The romantic aspect may come off as immature, leaning heavily on the overused misunderstanding trope, which may remind readers more of a middle school rom-com than a story about mature adults. Despite this, the journey is enjoyable, albeit somewhat predictable. The characters' chemistry as a couple feels slightly off, and the miscommunication trope, although a personal preference for some readers, doesn't add much depth to the plot here. The lack of high stakes leads to an anticlimactic resolution.

Overall, it's a cute read, but may not be everyone's favorite from Emma Lord. This might be for you if you're into cheesy, cute stories with familiar tropes. However, if you're looking for something with more depth and complexity, you might want to pass on this one.

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I want to thank Netgalley for giving me this ARC! I thought this was a cute little story. I really liked the setting and the atmosphere. For some reason I found myself not connecting to the characters as much but I still enjoyed their story. This is a quick and easy romance to read that I think most people would enjoy!

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Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Emma Lord for the opportunity to enjoy this advanced reader copy.

This is my first time reading Emma Lord's work and my understanding is this is her first in the adult genre. This is a classic trope of getting a second chance at love missed. I found the romance to be positively adorable as I admittedly have a soft spot for this particular trope. The book has a bit of a slow start but I do think it's necessary that it does as the world building is set up rather well from there on out.

I loved that rather than have characters that fight or miscommunicate Lord has made actual functioning adults who talk about their problems. I feel like this is such a rarity in romance novels that it actually felt like a breath of fresh air.

This book just oozes with summer cozy vibes and I highly recommend taking it along with you to the beach this summer.

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