'The Break-Up Pact' by Emma Lord

4 stars!

Book Blurb:

"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 new 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?"


My Review:

Emma Lord has taken the YA Contemporary literary world by storm, and this is her first Adult Contemporary novel.

Full of fun summer vibes and second chances, this is a great book to get readers into beach season! Just beware of the family grief. Lord handles grief over Annie very well, but as June's sister and Levi's best friend, the memory of Annie is everywhere and so, too is the grief that the characters must manage. As it should be.

Pre-order a copy before it's August 13, 2024 release!

#NetGalley - I voluntarily read a Review Copy of this book. All opinions stated are solely my own and no one else’s.

'The Calculation of You and Me' by Serena Kaylor

5 amazing stars!

Book Blurb:

"A calculus nerd enlists her surly classmate’s help to win back her ex-boyfriend, but when sparks start to fly, she realizes there’s no algorithm for falling in love.

Marlowe Thompson understands a lot of things. She understands that calculus isn’t overwhelmingly beautiful to everyone, and that it typically kills the mood when you try to talk Python coding over beer pong. She understands people were surprised when golden boy Josh asked her out and she went from weird, math-obsessed Marlowe to half of their school’s couple goals. Unfortunately, Marlowe was surprised when Josh dumped her because he’d prefer a girlfriend who was more romantic. One with emotional depth.

But Marlowe has never failed anything in her life, and she isn’t about to start now. When she’s paired with Ashton Hayes for an English project, his black clothing and moody eyeliner cause a bit of a systems overload, and the dissonant sounds of his rock band make her brain itch. But when she discovers Ash's hidden stash of love songs, Marlowe makes a desperate deal to unleash her inner romantic heroine: if Ash will agree to help her write some love letters, she’ll calculate the perfect data analytics formula to make Ash's band go viral.

As the semester heats up with yearning love notes and late nights spent with a boy who escapes any box her brain tries to put him in, Marlowe starts to question if there’s really a set solution to love. Could a girl who has never met a problem she couldn’t solve have gotten the math so massively wrong?"


My Review:

Enjoyed following Marlowe on this journey of finding self-worth while supported by friends and family. Especially loved all the representation! 'The Calculation of You and Me' has a great inclusive cast of neurodivergent and LGBTQIA+ characters.

After being dumped by the most popular guy in her school, who tries to blame her for the failure of their two-year relationship ending, Marlowe just wants to understand her supposed short-comings and fix them, so that everything can go back to normal in her world. The most patient and understanding best friends in the universe support her and try to cheer her up, even when they know her ex is wrong, and even if they think her plan isn't the best.

When Marlowe and Ash are assigned to an English project together she gets the idea that surly, emo, song-writing, lead singer Ash can help her write love letters to her ex, in order to win him back. Enter the slow-burn, bickering-to-friends to maybe more... Ash won't write the letters for Marlowe, but he is willing to tutor her in romance, including field trips and recommending romance novels. It is an absolute delight to follow their PG, YA romance unfold, and to watch those who love her support her ever-so-slow realization that maybe Josh never deserved her, and Ash sure does.

Releasing on June 18th - grab a copy here.

#NetGalley - I voluntarily read a Review Copy of this book. All opinions stated are solely my own and no one else’s.