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.

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.

REVIEW: The Break-Up Pact ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I am a sucker for a good fake dating trope, so I was very excited to start The Break-Up Pact.

June and Levi have been close friends since they were little. However, they lose contact with each other and their friends due to changes such as shared loss, moving somewhere else, and dating others. When both characters are embarrassingly and publicly broken up, Levi returns home to see June. With help from one of June's friends, they decide to make a pact to pretend to date each other to get back at their exes and improve June's tea shop business.

The Break-Up Pact was a great contemporary romance with many fun tropes, such as fake dating, friends to lovers, small town, and second chance romance. I really liked June and Levi as the main characters. They both have shared grief they are trying to manage while also trying to discover who they are and where they belong. As childhood friends, they shared many memories. I enjoyed their playful chemistry together. The spice level is mild-medium but still satisfying. I even really liked the supporting characters in The Break-Up Pact. All the characters had backgrounds and unique personality traits, making each character more distinct.

The one little thing that could have been slightly changed for me was that the book started off really slow. However, once you get through the first few chapters, it picks up and is so good.

Overall, I really enjoyed The Break-Up Pact! It was a great combination of romance tropes, and I found the characters really thought out.

Thank you, Netgalley, St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin, and Macmillan Audio, for the free advanced copy for my honest review!

My Rating: 3.5 ⭐️

In The Break-Up Pact, two childhood friends, June and Levi, who haven’t be in touch for 10 years, are reacquainted after their break-ups with their exes go viral.
Accidentally making some gossip of their own, the friends decide to make a pact and fuel the internet fire. By pretending to date, their hope is to convince Levi’s ex that she made a mistake and to help June’s failing tea/ scone shop get back on its feet.
As the two try to convince the world they’re in love, feelings from the past creep in and they discover not everything within their pact is fake.
There was some depth brought into the story with not only self growth and discovery, but also in the characters journey to heal after the loss of a loved one.

Over all, I thought this was a cute, summery read with relatable characters, a lovely setting and unique storyline.

I read via audiobook, and I thought the narrator did a great job in bringing the story to life.

Thanks so much to St Martin’s Griffin for this ALC to read and review.

I thought this was a fun premise for a book. The characters feelings for each other were believable and the mishaps were also believable. I liked the setting the most and would love to visit the tea shop. The author did a good job of making me crave a scone on the boardwalk.