The Break-Up Pact 🎧
By: @dilemmalord
Narrated by: @natalienaudus
Publisher: @macmillan.audio
Download: @netgalley

Thank you @netgalley and @macmillan.audio for a copy of this ALC.

My Review
⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

I absolutely love the narrator Natalie Naudus. This story is about June, a struggling beachside tea shop owner. June finds herself running into her old out of town bestie, Levi. One thing they both have in common are their humiliating break-ups spread all across social media. Together, they decide to team up and fake date, only to become known as the viral “Revenge Exes.” With goals of June’s tea shop gaining popularity and Levi’s ex getting jealous, they both feel they have nothing to lose.

Fake dating is actually one of my favourite romance tropes, but I would have loved the storyline more if it was not obvious that June still had some unresolved feelings for Levi. A lot of the narration involved much of June’s inner thoughts, which I was not too crazy about. I did however, enjoy the steamy scenes.

A light summer read. Release date was yesterday (August 13, 2024)

#NetGalley #MacMillanAudio #TheBreakUpPact #summerreads #beachreads #August2024 #Augustreads #EmmaLord #NatalieNaudus #audiobook #bookreview

I've enjoyed all of Emma Lord's YA novels so I was thrilled to see she was coming out with an adult romance.

I thought the premise behind this novel was clever and original. This wasn't just a mushy, gushy romance - - it had heart and true heartbreak. June and Levi had experienced a huge loss when June's sister had died. She was not only June's sister but one of Levi's best friends. It was a loss for them both. What it takes most of the novel to find out is what happened to drive them apart years ago. It seems June was heartbroken when Levi left town and seemed to never look back. So, she never asked about him. She knew he was still in touch with her sister yet she wouldn't lower herself to see how he was. She couldn't open her heart to care. Then Annie died and her world went sideways and everything changed.

When June's boyfriend dumps her publicly and she's humiliated by a crying meme made from her crying face, she thinks things can't get worse. Then Levi shows up back in her home town and things are just as awkward between them as she expected they'd be. But when she discovers he was also recently publicly humiliated by his girlfriend/fiancee, she finds a soft spot for him. And things gradually evolve from there. Before you know it, they are the "Revenge Exes." It's only supposed to be temporary. And it's only supposed to be fake. But feelings happen and then they get in the way. Then life happens and things change and misunderstandings come along and things are complicated.....well you know how this plays out. There's a misunderstanding....or is it that something isn't explained clearly enough? Whatever it is, they end up jilted and unsure if they can proceed. They both truly have a lot to figure out.

I really enjoyed this foray into adult romance and dealing with real-life problems. Ms. Lord did a fabulous job of crossing over and giving these characters solid backstories we could care about and pull for. I look forward to more books like this one in the future.

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: The narration was spot on and really was in sync with the book. I enjoyed it even more because of the way the story flowed in the audio form. 4 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley for early copies of both the audiobook and ebook.

Fake romance, friends to lovers, small town and some reality tv as background tossed in for good measure. June and Levi haven’t spoken in the 10 years since her beloved sister and his best friend suddenly died of a brain aneurysm. She stayed in town to continue running her sister's tea shop. It was her dream and June feels obligated to keep it going. It has been a struggle that is not helped with her landlord, who is more like a comic book Overlord of some far away galaxy and her truly awful ex who humiliated her in front of the world via reality TV. Turns out he hooked up with Levis ex in the most public way. Levi returns to town to wait it out and hope his ex comes to her senses and takes him back. June always had a major crush on Levi, but 10 years is a long time. In moments June goes from wanting to kick him off the tea shop patio to together hatching a plan to fake date and change the narrative and get their lives back on track. Can this work to save her business, her sense of self rehab her public image, get the keyboard thugs of social media off her back and maybe, just maybe find her a real romantic partner? You’ve got to read or listen to find out! Okay, kidding Of course it winds up with a lovely HEA as that is what we came for and fully expected. I had to let some things go while listening. The overall level of immaturity for the main characters, June’s almost simpering crush for Levi, Levi’s “waiting for his ex to come to her senses thinking they’re just on a break”, her landlord and her BFF who seemingly both helped her, but also used her to further her career. I am somewhere in the middle hence the 3 star rating.

This was okay. There was just nothing original that really stood out. The story was predictable and the characters just fell kind of flat.

FLEW through this excellent, incredible book. Tightly written, earnest, laugh-out-loud funny at several parts—one of the best contemporary romance books I've read in ages

A cutesy feel good romance about friends to lovers. I loved the beach vibes from this one - a perfect romance for summertime.

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. I usually like the books that Emma Lord writes, but I couldn't get into this story.

This book is fine whether listening or reading but it is not overly exciting. The narrator, Natalie Naudus, gives a fine narration yet I did not find anything overly impressive about her performance. At times, the narration was monotone. There was so much time spent in the novel with June's thoughts & fears on a constant loop with nothing exciting happening.

At the beginning, the event surrounding June pulls the reader in - her face is plastered on social media due to her public breakup going viral. Even though she lives in a small seaside town it does not seem to make a difference but then Levi, a close friend & childhood crush - returns to the small town. He had his own public break-up as well. This is where the action of the story seems to dry up. They spend time together. They bond through grief, loss & how to move forward both separately & together.

While Levi & June agree on fake dating & showing others they are fine, their friendship goes back & forth. There are trust issues, misunderstandings & both being a little lost at the moment. But nothing happens - nothing truly exciting. There are a lot of memories & moments replayed but nothing to really push the listener to keep going. Again, most of the book is about the thoughts & fears June has repeating on a constant loop. Personally, I was bored half way through & only kept listening because I felt I needed to do so.

It is only when getting close to the end of the book that the listener/reader once again sees things moving at a more exciting pace. Naudus becomes more expressive in her narration but the monotone still comes & goes. She builds the excitement of everything new happening. It is too bad it only happens toward the ending.

I think for anyone who is interested in this book, I would recommend reading, not listening. Once the narrator gets into your head & creates the image through voice you just cannot let it go. So, I would definitely read over listening.

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