The break up pact was exactly what I was expecting. Two ex besties who fake date to get back at/with their exes and of course get their own HEA.
This book does deal a lot with the FMC and the loss of her sister Annie, who was also Levi’s (the MMC’s) best friend.
I did love the character of Sana. She honestly made the book for me.
I did a read/listen combination of this title which is honestly becoming me new favorite thing to do when I’m busy or late at night! Narration was done very well on the audiobook.
You’ll love this book if you like:
*fake dating
*friends to lovers
*cozy shop owners
I received an ARC of this title from NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

Let's premise this review with this little fact: I have loved most, if not all, of Emma Lord's YA novels I've picked up. I was beyond excited for this Adult fiction when I heard about it.

It's possible I just wasn't in the right mood for this book when I listened, or maybe I'd psyched myself up too much? but I loved the narrator, Natalie Naudus. She did a fantastic job. I had a really hard time connecting with the main characters and understanding their hang-ups and choices. (Third Act confusion to nth degree

[Spoiler] Who goes back to live with their Ex while figuring out their future life logistics and dating someone else!? I'd be so angry if I was dating that guy.[/spoiler]

I wanted to root for them but I found myself just not caring enough about what happened and wishing the book would hurry up and end because it felt like each chapter was just the same thing/emotions happening over and over but with different words.

I did enjoy the small-town, beach setting and the back story of the main characters. It was a cute romcom, I just wish a few key elements had been handled differently, or in a way that made more sense to me.

The side characters in this book were all phenomenal and I would love to read more about them!

Thank you to MacMillan Audio and NetGalley for the ALC in exchange for my own opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan audio for an advanced listen of this audio book!

Written by Emma Lord and narrated by Natalie Naudus this book is the perfect summer read or listen!

June, a beach tea shop owner, is bouncing back from a break up that became TikTok famous while trying to maintain a stream of customers to keep her business afloat. Her high school friend, Levi is dealing with a similar break up drama while struggling to complete the book he is currently writing.

The two’s lives collide after many years of a severed friendship. While helping to plan June’s brother’s wedding, Levi and June make a pact to “fake-date” in hopes of gaining internet attention to build June’s business while spurring Levi’s ex’s jealous.

Their plan ends up working to their benefits in an unintended way. This summer read is a great reminder that sometimes we need to walk through hard times to build the life (and love!) that we’ve always hoped for!

This is a cute childhood friends to lovers, second chance romance, fake dating story.
I found this to be pleasantly predictable, but not exactly the heart soaring romance I was looking for. It was cheesy in some places, but also lovely in others.

I slightly disagree with the title. I feel like “The Revenge Ex’s” would have made more sense to me.

Overall a fun, quick read that will satisfy a craving for fluffy, cutesy romance.

I received an ARC from NetGalley for this book and just couldn't get into it. I really wasn't feeling anything for the characters and it just seemed to carry on in a boring way. HOWEVER when I saw it was available as an audiobook I gave it another try and am so glad I did! This is a cute, warm story about childhood friends getting a second chance while getting back at their exes.

The Break-Up Pact is a fun, light-hearted love story that was a good summer read and kept my interest as I listened to the audiobook. The characters were interesting and relatable, although sometimes a little immature for my taste. An easy read and good narrator.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

June is licking her wounds. There is now a meme of her crying. Her ex boyfriend publicly humiliated her on national television. Enter Levi. He has also experienced a public break up. These two have been friends since high school. So, they decide to give the public some swoon worthy photos.

June and Levi have a cute relationship. I did enjoy Levi a bit more than June. June tended to jump to too many conclusions with out any conversations! This made me want to Gibbs slap her! She also went back on tv with her ex…WHY?? But, Levi never really gives up on her! He always has her back.

The narrator, Natalie Naudus, really kept the story moving for me. She has some really great voices for the characters.

Need a quick, friends to lovers romance…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

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

I want to start by saying the narrator is great! She did a great job with all of the different characters and voices and really gets the emotion in the story.
The story itself is not as great. I found June to be very immature and immediately (and unnecessarily) horny for the romantic interest. She is also very untrusting, seems to thrive on miscommunication, and has the deepest, most flowery thoughts ever in the midst of totally normal moments. They go on for a while.

I don't know. I hated June. She makes the worst decisions with so much conviction. Makes herself the center of the world. And then suddenly has the most eye-opening revelations and everything is better until it isn't again. Levi was meh. He sounds cute but flaky.

This was... so frustrating. But I feel like that's how every romance I've read recently has been. June and Levi were childhood/teenage friends who never became anything more. Now Levi is broken up with by a semi-celeb and June is broken up with her long-time bf who was never really nice to her and lo and behold... they're gonna get together.

I'm not going to lie... I don't remember much about this book. I'm doing this review a full month and a half late, but everything was out of my brain within a day or two after reading. The characters were forgettable (if actually quite aggravating), the plot was barely there, and the initial concept was just kind of silly. A break up going viral on TikTok (not only one but TWO) would maybe hold my interest for a day... if that.

June is annoying for not wanting to change anything about her sister's tea shop. While I understand grief and wanting to hold onto the things that were your sister's are things that are hard to break, I think I'd feel worse knowing my sister's shop actually went fully under because I wasn't willing to change. BUT THAT'S JUST ME and I can see how it's relatable but GOSH I was annoyed.

Levi was just... there. He didn't seem like the best book boyfriend of all time, and his little jokes of calling June other months as nicknames got old. Was it a bad book? No, but it was incredibly mediocre and forgettable. I recommend grabbing some others first.

Emma Lord is one of my fave ya romance authors so I was beyond eager to read her adult debut!

Synopsis: June and Levi were best friends as kids, but haven't spoken in a decade. Coincidentally, they both experience viral breakups with their exes and concoct a plan to fake date to both grab hold of what they want. For June, it's the success of her beachside tea shop and for Levi it's to win his ex back.

I am so sad to write that this was not good. It was messy (but not in a good way?), it was kinda sad at certain parts, it was awkward, and honestly I just did not love our main characters. We all know we hate miscommunication and uff da it's bad in this one. If Emma Lord keeps writing adult romance, I will absolutely give it another try but unfortunately this one was quite a miss and I decided to give it 2 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy.

I think this book was just not for me. I’m not a big fan of friends to lovers as a trope and I just really did not connect with the MMC at all. I also found some of the plot points to be confusing, but I think that also may have just been due to my lack of connection with the characters. The side characters were more interesting to me but also not great. I just didn’t love it.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I'm not a huge fan of miscommunication but I loved this one! Super cute hometown romance.

Publisher's summary
Two best friends who haven’t spoken in ten years pretend to date after break-ups with their respective exes go viral, in this delightfully fun and deeply emotional novel from New York Times bestselling author Emma Lord.
June and Levi were best friends as teenagers—until the day they weren’t. Now June is struggling to make rent on her beachside tea shop, Levi is living a New York cliché as a disillusioned hedge fund manager and failed novelist, and they've barely spoken in years.
But after they both experience public, humiliating break-ups with their exes that spread like wildfire across TikTok rabbit holes and daytime talk shows alike, they accidentally make some juicy gossip of their own—a photo of them together has the internet convinced they're a couple. With so many people rooting for them, they decide to put aside their rocky past and make a pact to fuel the fire. Pretending to date will help June’s shop get back on its feet and make Levi’s ex realize that she made a mistake. All they have to do is convince the world they're in love, one swoon-worthy photo opp at a time.
Two viral break-ups. One fake relationship. Five sparkling, heart-pounding dates. June and Levi can definitely pull this off without their hearts getting involved. Because everyone knows fake dating doesn’t come with real feelings. Right?

Thanks to NetGalley & Macmillan Audio for the ALC of this book!

The Break-Up Pact
By: Emma Lord
Narrated by: Natalie Naudus
Length: 9 hrs and 18 mins
Unabridged Audiobook
Publisher: Macmillan Audio

Oof. As a big fan of Emma Lord’s YA books, I was sooo excited for her adult romance debut! But the immaturity of the characters was honestly worse than in most YA books I’ve read.

This is a second chance, hate to love romance with heavy themes of miscommunication and overall lack of communication. You’ll find yourself yelling at the characters to act their age.

Decent rom-com. Emily Henry-ish dialogue and not a huge story going on we are just fake dating on our way towards love.
Good beach read but ultimately forgettable.
Spice leve is open door. Not a ton of cussing an the cussing there was felt out of place.

Thanks NetGalley and McMillian audio for the advanced copy!

June Hart is a meme. The internet has dubbed her “crying girl” after her boyfriend broke up with her on a reality show. She’s just trying to move on with her life and her tea shop when Levi Shaw, her childhood best friend shows back up. Levi has also just been publicly cheated on, and, despite the fact that they haven’t talked in years, the breakups bring Levi and June back together. They decide to start fake dating to get back at their exes, but in the meantime, they’re finding themselves again too. Emma Lord’s foray into the adult romance genre has the same charm as her YA novels. However, the characterization wasn’t as strong. There was both a lot and nothing going on for these characters. Readers learn little of their shared past, and even their current relationship just feels…well, fake. Unfortunately, this book fell flat especially in comparison to Lord’s other work.

The audiobook narrator didn’t help move the story along either. The monotone lacked emotion and made the story feel all the more boring.

Overall this story had likable characters and witty dialogue, with decent romantic chemistry. I also enjoyed the exploration of friendship and the evolution from friends to lovers felt authentic. However, the plot often felt predictable and the miscommunication trope felt too easy.

I really enjoyed the narration and felt they brought a strong contribution to the storytelling.

Sincere thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an advanced listener copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Break-Up Pact is a sweet missed opportunities, best friends to lovers romance.

I found myself reaching for my headphones! It was a fun summer read with great narration.

My favorite was how cross country running was playfully weaved throughout the story.

June and Levi were best friends as teenagers until something happens and now they haven't spoken in 10 years. That is until they both go through very public breakups. They decide to fake date to help them both but the fake part starts to become very real.

I have mix feelings with this book. I love June and Levi but they are both so toxic. Like both were destroyed over their exes but also can't speak about their feelings for each other. It leaves for a lot of drama that they both have to endure. I did love their dynamic and how even with years apart they fell right back in sync with each other.

Not a bad book by a long shot, I really enjoyed it. I just think even fake dating shortly after a breakup wasn't ideal for 2 people who haven't moved on. Again I loved June and Levi and I love the ending but to get there made me upset with both characters multiple times. Like OMG just tell each other how you feel.

Thank you for providing me with an early access copy of this amazing romcom!

This was the perfect book to listen to as I did things around the house. It was easy to follow along, kept my attention, and was very enjoyable.

You’ll fall in love with most of the characters (you’ll def dislike the ones that aren’t supposed to like!) and you’ll have plenty of emotions play out while listening.

I did increase the play speed, but I do that for all audiobooks. The narrator did a great job bringing the story to life.

The Break-Up Pact, while offering an engaging story with witty dialogue reminiscent of Emily Henry, ultimately fell short of my expectations. Comparing anyone to Emily Henry is some big shoes to fill, and I partially blame that for this review being harsh, BUT one thing that I did find misleading off the top was that this book dove heavily into grief and how it impacts a person, even years later. That was not at all what I expected from the cover or description.

There is a Hallmark-esque plot, complete with small-town charm and a stereotypical "big city" male lead, and an evil big city ex girlfriend who comes in and ruins everything. June's self-awareness and her strong friendship with Sana added depth to the narrative.

Some elements were a bit outlandish, like the activities scream poetry, the reality tv, ETC. and I felt like June didn’t get any resolution that would have satisfied me about what happened with Levi and Kelly. Why didn’t he text her back? What was with the scone scene? The scene on the beach??? I will never know.

Overall, "The Break-Up Pact" is an enjoyable read with relatable characters and heartfelt moments. However it was not a standout for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to read and review this book