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3.45 AVERAGE
3.45 AVERAGE
Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!
This was, at its heart, okay. It was fine. Did I get actively bored in a couple of places? Yes. There were other bits and pieces that caught my attention marginally more, but there was nothing about this romance that really set it apart from anything else at all. Which would have been fine if it had been particularly compelling. It wasn't bad. It wasn't super good. 2.5/5 rounded up.
This was, at its heart, okay. It was fine. Did I get actively bored in a couple of places? Yes. There were other bits and pieces that caught my attention marginally more, but there was nothing about this romance that really set it apart from anything else at all. Which would have been fine if it had been particularly compelling. It wasn't bad. It wasn't super good. 2.5/5 rounded up.
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
lighthearted
medium-paced
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
lighthearted
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
I had the pleasure of reading this book before receiving the audiobook version. I’ll first post my review of the audiobook aspects of The Break-Up Pact, with my original, full review added below.
I adored this book and I found that Natalie Naudus’s narration only added to my enjoyment. There’s a thing that female narrators in this genre do - their voices are soft, breathy, overly wistful. It’s fine when the emotions of the passage call for it, but the rest of the time it’s distracting and emotionally dissonant.. So when I find a narrator that doesn’t do that, I take note. Loved this performance. Loved this book.
Original Review, for the e-book version:
My first 4.5-5 star read of 2024.
I’ve read two of Emma Lord’s YA novels, both of which I enjoyed, but I was still a bit skeptical of her move into adult romance. I should have known better than to doubt her. Everything about this book feels like a shift into a more adult world - the writing is mature (and, quite frankly, beautiful), there is spice(!!), and the plot has more depth. There are so many lovely sentences and amazing ways of phrasing things - I wish I could stick them in my pocket, just to take out and enjoy later.
Emma has proven, in her earlier YA novels, that she has a good handle on pop culture, media, and social media, all of which come into play in this book. She’s also good about handling heavy emotions without coming across as exploitative. (No trauma for the sake of drama.)
In reading other reviews, I see several low ones. I guess I’m still surprised when I see so many people whose opinions differ from my own, and I’m starting to parse out why - there are two camps of Rom-Com novels, regardless of genre or trope: those that purely fantasy fulfillment vs. those that are more grounded in reality. So many of these reviews aren’t faulting these characters for being poorly written but for being *flawed*. Honestly, I’d find myself reading and enjoying both, but it’s always the latter kind of book that sticks with me. Both June and Levi have issues - they’ve got baggage to sort out. If you want to read a book that’s purely fantasy fulfillment, with a swoony MMC that already has his shit together, this isn’t the book for you. Instead, this reads much more like a Beth O’Leary or Mhairi McFarlane novel - two flawed people, trying to make it work.
Anyhow, the plot description is fairly spot-on for this one, so I don’t feel the need to rehash it.
Thanks to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the advanced reader copy of this novel.
I adored this book and I found that Natalie Naudus’s narration only added to my enjoyment. There’s a thing that female narrators in this genre do - their voices are soft, breathy, overly wistful. It’s fine when the emotions of the passage call for it, but the rest of the time it’s distracting and emotionally dissonant.. So when I find a narrator that doesn’t do that, I take note. Loved this performance. Loved this book.
Original Review, for the e-book version:
My first 4.5-5 star read of 2024.
I’ve read two of Emma Lord’s YA novels, both of which I enjoyed, but I was still a bit skeptical of her move into adult romance. I should have known better than to doubt her. Everything about this book feels like a shift into a more adult world - the writing is mature (and, quite frankly, beautiful), there is spice(!!), and the plot has more depth. There are so many lovely sentences and amazing ways of phrasing things - I wish I could stick them in my pocket, just to take out and enjoy later.
Emma has proven, in her earlier YA novels, that she has a good handle on pop culture, media, and social media, all of which come into play in this book. She’s also good about handling heavy emotions without coming across as exploitative. (No trauma for the sake of drama.)
In reading other reviews, I see several low ones. I guess I’m still surprised when I see so many people whose opinions differ from my own, and I’m starting to parse out why - there are two camps of Rom-Com novels, regardless of genre or trope: those that purely fantasy fulfillment vs. those that are more grounded in reality. So many of these reviews aren’t faulting these characters for being poorly written but for being *flawed*. Honestly, I’d find myself reading and enjoying both, but it’s always the latter kind of book that sticks with me. Both June and Levi have issues - they’ve got baggage to sort out. If you want to read a book that’s purely fantasy fulfillment, with a swoony MMC that already has his shit together, this isn’t the book for you. Instead, this reads much more like a Beth O’Leary or Mhairi McFarlane novel - two flawed people, trying to make it work.
Anyhow, the plot description is fairly spot-on for this one, so I don’t feel the need to rehash it.
Thanks to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the advanced reader copy of this novel.