Listening to this book was an absolute delight. 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🌶, ⚠️

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.

After not seeing each other for ten years, June and Levi reconnect after both experiencing rather embarrassing and public breakups. Old high school friends, the duo decide to enter into a pact of fake dating after a steamy picture of them goes viral. June hopes to ride the fame wave in order to save her tea shop, while Levi hopes to make his ex (or separated?) partner jealous.

The story was cute, and that’s all I really have to say to describe it. I felt like it got very descriptive at points and had less dialogue than what I would have liked for a deeper narrative. I also only listened to this book, so I may have missed things? But I found that I was not really connecting and vibing with the characters. I liked the relationship June has with her best friend, Sana and I found her side story to be really enjoyable for the amount of time she was present. The miscommunication between the couple overshadowed so much of the depth I was looking for in the characters. Levi felt like a mystery to me, and it would have been interesting to learn about things from his perspective. And June was so caught up sometimes that I felt she was very narrowminded and would have easily solved a lot of problems and questions if she had simply talked to Levi. Despite all that, the story of their second-chance romance was cute. It had some spicy scenes and build-up that I enjoyed listening.

The narrator, Natalie Naudus, truly adds to the storytelling with different tones and voices for each character. Despite not really connecting with the story or characters, I did enjoy her storytelling and clear narration.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and Emma Lord for providing me with an ALC in exchange for my honest review!

This was very cute. I love Emma Lord - she knows escapist romance. I finished this a few days ago, and had to remind myself of the plot because it didn't stay with me, but the feelings still did.

The premise on this one was a bit too far-fetched for me, but I love the narrator! Fun, light listen if you can suspend disbelief for a few hours.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan audio for this ALC!!!

Natalie Naudus is a friggin’ queen at story telling! Her narration was spectacular!

I am thrilled at 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!!!

The Break-Up Pact was a cute second chance romance between June and Levi. The premise of two public breakups was interesting and I loved the setting of a tea shop by the sea. The book went deeper with the loss of a sister and friend. I appreciated the author didn’t paint Annie as perfect simply because she had passed. She was a complex character like all the others. Overall I enjoyed the book, but think it would resonate most with someone who has lost someone close to them.

4.25 ⭐️

This story was very enjoyable and not what I was expecting. The premise is easy to understand and accustom to, but as the story progresses the layers get peeled back to get to a deeper understanding of the characters and their struggles. June and Levi end up having one of the most healthy relationships I’ve read about. When they’re getting into the root of their feelings for each other, they talk out how they feel and what that means in a way that doesn’t steer into a toxic dynamic. They’ll have a misunderstanding but calmly and rationally explain their perspective and navigate through it without having an unnecessary third act break up. I appreciate how this wasn’t over the top dramatic and instead showcases two characters overcoming a misunderstanding in their childhood and moving through it together.

Thank you Netgalley, Macmillan Audio, and the author for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I love a fake dating trope, it may be cliche but it tickles my fancy. This, however, was not it. There was so much going on in this book and I genuinely didn’t care. It was meh, and I’m glad it’s over.

My thoughts are as follows, maybe it will intrigue you:

All of these people are annoying.

Was it just me or was there an excessive amount of running? Enough about the running.

I don’t want to read about going viral or TikTok or memefication.

Eyeroll, eyeroll, cringe, chuckle, cringe, eyeroll.

Oh good, these people have not evolved in the 10 years post high school, but a couple weeks really made the difference…

🫖 Second chance at friendship
✍️ Small town vibe with a tourist trap twist
🏝️ Cute banter
🫖 Fake dating
✍️ Some steamy tension
🏝️ Great beach read

This cute story follows 2 childhood friends who lost touch as they rekindle their friendship and discover more about each other. I really liked this cast. Even the exes served their roles well. I enjoyed following June’s journey as she slowly opens the doors to fully grieve the loss of her sister that occurred years before this story takes place.

Thank you NetGalley, Emma Lord, and Macmillian audio for this audiobook ARC.

I received a copy of this audiobook from netGalley for a honest review.

Levi and June were made for each other but due to unfortunate events in their teenage years they ended up with people who used them and treated them badly. Both ending up in viral breakups at about the same time. They reunite and somehow get convinced to pretend to date to start a new viral story. I thought this was a sweet story with a lot of heartache-June's sister and Levi's best friend suddenly died a few years before. I love the resolutions and the epilogue. Their friends were great too. I only wished them all happiness at the beach.

THE BREAK-UP PACT
Emma Lord

After an embarrassing break up on a popular tv show, June has returned to her hometown to run the Tea Shop, she and her sister dreamed up together. After the loss of her sister and the break up of a long term relationship, June is feeling lost. Just when every part of her life feels up in the air her childhood friend, Levi, comes home to work on his novel. Levi has also had a publicly humiliating break up. After being seen together a rumor goes around that June and Levi are together. Using the rumor to their advantage, June and Levi work together for Levi's Ex-Fiance to see the error of her ways and for Junes to no longer look like the girl that sobbed while she was dumped on live television.

I really like the pacing of this book. The story was not rushed and the layout of the story was smooth. I really appreciate how the Author, Emma Lord, worked grief into the story. Not only did June lose her sister, Levi lost one of his best friends. I enjoyed reading how June and Levi supported each other not just in their broken relationships but also in their grief.

I would give this book a 4 out of 5 stars! This book is geared towards adults with a tad bit of spice.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read The Break-Up Pact!!!

4.5 ⭐️ this is my 2nd Emma Lord book and I definitely enjoyed this read! I can’t wait to check out more of her books! This book was a perfect friends to lovers and fake dating trope. I loved all the small ways the 2 main characters could connect and their banter was everything! I loved the way they teased and joked with each other. The character development in this book was amazing!🩷
I highly recommend this book! 🩷💛

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan 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. The narrator of the audiobook also did a great job. I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a cute fake dating/friends-to-lovers romance!

This was an ALC from Netgalley and the Macmillan audio.

Not going to lie this audio drug on for me. Some of the scenes were very rushed and some just took to long to where I listened in 2.5 speed just to get thru them. I'm not a fan of single person narration, but Natalie Naudus did a good job of trying to keep me engaged in the story. I was confused the blurb says two couples that had broken up but Levi wasn't broken up with he was just publicly cheated on where June she was publicly Dumped and Drug thru the tabloids. I just kept wishing for more. This was my first Emma Lord book and I'm sure I'll try again.

I enjoyed listening to The Break-Up Pact by Emma Lord. The narration was very entertaining and well-done. I felt for the characters who were old friends trying to create a relationship that will aid in rekindling broken relationships. Of course, social media plays a big part in their masquerade. Will their former loves take the bait? This a must-read for the summer!

I think this is a perfectly fine contemporary romance. Nothing about it feels unique but it satisfies the desire for this type of romance. They have all the typical problems of a fake dating trope. I spent so much of the book just wishing they could be honest with each other, which is expected but still frustrating. The narrator was great!

Thank you Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for the advance reader copy. Oh my gosh what a heartfelt, laugh out loud and spicy romance! I fell in love with the main characters and their love story. I couldn't put this novel down

I requested this arc from NetGalley because it contains my favorite trope and is narrated by one of my favorite narrators. The narrator did an outstanding job and is the only reason I got as far as I did. Unfortunately, I had to DNF at 82%. I can’t keep going even at double speed because it's just so bad. The author seems completely clueless about the world and about adult relationships. I can’t stand for her to mention a character “holding court” or refer to Twitter one more time. As a platform name, Twitter hasn’t even existed for a full year and can’t have been relevant when she started writing this book. Yet this whole book mentions twitter constantly. That’s just one example of the immature writing. But I quit because what began as a third act conflict is now just too gratuitous, dragging on and stupid. At this point, I don’t even care if the FMC ends up happy. She deserves better, but her author’s standards are sadly too low.