The Break-Up Pact
by Emma Lord
Romantic Comedy
Contemporary
Second Chance
320 Pages
"Delightfully swoony and emotionally satisfying—Lord delivers the perfect blend of humor, heart, and heat."
Synopsis
Two best friends who haven't spoken in ten years pretend to date after breakups with their respective exes go viral, in this delightfully fun and deeply emotional novel. June and Levi were inseparable 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 breakups that spread like wildfire across TikTok and daytime talk shows, they accidentally create 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 speculation. Pretending to date will help June's shop get back on its feet and make Levi's ex realize her mistake. All they have to do is convince the world they're in love, one swoon-worthy photo op at a time. Two viral breakups. 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? From beloved rom-com author Emma Lord comes a story about second chances, the messiness of modern love, and what happens when you pretend to fall for the person you never stopped loving.
Our Take
The Break-Up Pact is Emma Lord doing what she does best—delivering romance that's equal parts funny, swoony, and emotionally resonant. The fake-dating trope gets a fresh spin with the viral breakup angle that feels perfectly timed for our social media-obsessed moment. What elevates this beyond typical rom-com fare is the ten-year estrangement between June and Levi, which adds genuine emotional weight. Lord doesn't rush past the hurt and betrayal that separated them; instead, she uses the fake relationship as a mechanism for them to slowly rebuild trust while confronting what went wrong. The chemistry between June and Levi crackles from page one—their banter is sharp, their tension palpable, and watching them fall back in love is pure joy. The beachside tea shop setting is charming, and June's financial struggles ground the story in relatable stakes beyond just romance. Levi's corporate burnout and abandoned writing dreams add dimension to what could have been a one-note love interest. The five dates structure creates natural pacing and momentum, each encounter deepening their connection while raising the stakes. Lord balances humor with genuine emotional depth, exploring themes of dreams deferred, forgiveness, and what it means to choose yourself versus choosing love. The social media commentary is light but pointed, never overwhelming the central relationship. Fans of Beach Read by Emily Henry or The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren will devour this. The Break-Up Pact is the perfect contemporary romance—smart, sweet, and satisfying.
