Emily Giffin is a wonderful author and the storyline seemed like a great idea, however it did fall flat for me. What happened in the beginning was thrown at us without much of a background. That part would have had a bigger impact on the rest of the book had I known the character more or even a clue as to why it happened. This same thing was mentioned throughout the book, tied to decisions made but really didn’t make the connection as a whole for me. I felt like the main plot was missing and there were too many holes.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for allowing me to read an ARC. All opinions expressed here are my own.

tw- suicide and potential SA

i feel like this had a lot of potential and the friends group had a nice dynamic but it ultimately fell short. it was in three different POV’s but they didn’t sound too incredibly different so i often forgot who’s POV i was in. they’re incredibly immature for their age (32ish). it got a little boring at around 60%. the characters felt a bit underdeveloped or underwhelming i guess could be a better word to describe them? thanks netgalley for giving me the chance to read + review this ARC!

2.5 ⭐️

I do think the premise had potential, but it was very slow moving, the characters pov chapters all felt like the same so no one had a unique voice, everyone was underdeveloped, romance was an afterthought… and honestly the only one I thought had uniqueness was Olivia who had 5% involvement in the story.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. I really wanted to like this book. However, it fell flat for me. I struggled through the last 30% and almost did not finish.

I feel like it had potential but there really was no plot and I felt that these friends had no business being friends. It was kind of like a train wreck you couldn’t look away from.

I couldn’t relate to the characters, I did not like any of them. I don’t want to give spoilers but the beginning was rushed and should have focused on the four friends more. I’m agitated that there was no explanation or hints at why the tragedy happened. And the twist at the end…c’mon that doesn’t just happen. There should have been mentions of at least curiosity, but there was none whatsoever.

I’ve liked other books by the author but this was not for me unfortunately.

A beautiful story about lifelong friendships and finding your own path in this world despite the expectations of others. I flew through this book and found myself reading it every chance I got.

I really liked this book.
It grabbed my attention from the start with a group of friends going through a tragedy and making a pact to always be there together. When Hannah catches her fiancé cheating on her she reaches out to her friends and Tyson and Lainey immediately fly to her to help her through it. They end up on the vacation of a lifetime.

Reading through the three different perspectives of the friends kept the pace of the book moving. The different dynamics between the friends made it a fine read. There’s definitely some tough subject matter but overall a very good read.

This was a little darker in places than I have come to expect from author Emily Giffin, but still enjoyable. I love the idea of friends being there for each other through life’s ups and downs. The travel component was a highlight of this book for me. I think this is a good vacation read; a little darkness a lot of light, some travel, a little romance. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this story.

Loved this book! It isn’t often I read a book in just a few days but I didn’t want to put this one down. This one had surprises from the very beginning pages all the way to the end! It made me wish I had friendships like this from college but felt like I had three best friends by the end of the book. It is a book of friendship, love, reflection, and learning - it will make you think about your own life and what you want to different going forward. Definitely recommend!

3 stars – The Summer Pact by Emily Giffin is the story of a college pact made between four students. While the four are very different in upbringing, they create a strong bond that grows from that freshman year. Tragedy strikes and only 3 graduate college. Those three, Lainey, Hannah and Tyson, continue on with their lives but remain steadfast friends. The friends reunite again for Hannah’s wedding and then continue to Texas and Italy. Giffin weaves her tale and creates beautiful images of the Italian countryside.

I really liked the characters (both main and side). They were fleshed out and interesting people. Each chapter was told from the perspective of one of the three main characters and that added quite a bit of depth. Overall, I felt that the story was a bit slow to be honest. The narrative is good but a bit too heavy/intense at times. There is a bit of romance, but this isn’t a romance novel. I enjoyed it but it wasn’t my favorite from this author.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for allowing me to read an ARC. Thank you to Emily Giffin for creating such interesting stories for all of us readers to enjoy. All opinions expressed here are my own.

A group of college friends loses one and makes a pact that they will always be there for each other. One only has to call and the others will come and help.

Emily Griffin just makes my heart happy! While parts of this book are a little dark and serious, it's still a good book! Four friends going through life, the highs and lows, all of it. I like it! Too real? Not really, unless you know an A list actor! Perfect summer or beach read!

This was a quick and easy read. I really loved the travel component of this book. The dynamic of the friend group was interesting, but not sure believable. Although I'm okay with that. Books are an escape for me.

4.5⭐️
The premise of this book immediately intrigued me. It was better than I thought, though.
The story about 4 friends who meet in college. They go through a serious trauma, and make a “Summer Pact” to always be there for each other in their time of need.
Fast forward years after college, and one of them is going through an extremely challenging time in her life. Out comes the “Summer Pact” which unravels an amazing, life changing journey. They travel to the island of Capri, and Emily Giffin does not fall short on the descriptions of the island. Completely transports you to Italy. You all know I love a book that can mentally transport me to a beautiful, faraway land.
This story is about love, loss, and true friends that are like family, but mostly self discovery. EG did a great job really making you feel like Tyson, Lainey, Hannah and Summer are so much more than friends, and much more like family. I really loved that part of the book.
There were a few things that just didn’t quite flow for me, which were the romances. They seemed a bit sudden, and not quite built up enough!?
I really enjoyed this book. It will be a great summer read to pop into your beach or pool bag. I definitely recommend this book.
Thank you NetGalley, Random House Publishing and Ballantine Books
Pub Date July 9 2024

Summer Pact
By Emily Giffin

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️

Thank you @netgalley and @penguinrandomhouse for this opportunity to read and review Summer Pact by Emily Giffin.

Emily Giffin did it again! Summer pact follows four best friends who meet their first year of university. Hannah, Lainey, Tyson and Summer - wildly different personalities but build a strong bond through out their time in university. When tragedy hits the group their lives are changed forever. From the tragedy a pact is made to come whenever one of them hits their rock bottom. Fast forward 10 years later when one of their lives is turned upside down, the pact is invoked and the friends come together. Something that started as to be support for one takes a turn into learning about themselves and each other.

Summer Pact was an emotional ride. The multi-person points of view was my favorite. My favorite character was Hannah. She reminded me of a people pleaser and reading how her character developed was inspiring. The friendship in this group made my heart ache. In a world where a lot of people suffer alone it was a story where the characters came together in support of each other.

Emily Giffin did an amazing job embedding current events and hard to speak about topics in the story that made you deeply feel for each character. Emily knows how to make the reader feel empathy for her characters. I felt sad when they were sad and cheered them on when they were getting a win. It was fun to see Taylor Swift mentioned in the book due to knowing Giffin is a Swiftie and made it even more sweet. The description of the Capri setting makes me want to pay a visit. I could picture it perfectly!

I expected to enjoy this book much more than I did. It had an interesting premise, but it felt like it took a long time for the story to develop, and when it did, it was a bit predictable. Overall, it didn't quite realize its potential.

This was a fun book. Three friends make a pact to always be there for each other after a close friend commits suicide. One girls finds her fiancé in a compromising situation prior to her wedding and the 2 friends flock to her rescue and whisk her off on a trip to heal. I loved the premise and the characters were fun, the story took many turns and I didn’t like how the story goes along and then everything resolved/changes at the end, and there are some very unexpected turns, but they did not feel quite developed. All in all a great summer read.

Another winner from Emily Giffin - this one is more focused on friendship rather than romance, although there is some romance here. The characters were real and flawed and I appreciated their struggles. The Summer Pact also depicts how addiction can manifest in different ways, which is something that really resonated with me in this. I am a huge Giffin fan and look forward to her releases every other year, and I wish we didn't have to wait two more years for more!

I have been a fan of Emily Giffin from day one and The Summer Pact was a perfect reminder of why I am so drawn to her writing. Giffin can draw the reader into her character's lives and make you care about them deeply. She doesn't shy away from tough subjects, instead writing with a quick wit and charm that helps you understand the human heart. I highly recommend The Summer Pact for your summer reading TBR list- you will not be disappointed! Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the chance to read this ARC!

A group of friends make a pact and they stick to the pact despite the death of one of them. The book shares the values of a real friendship and friends being there for each other through thick and thin. The book is full of suspense, love and drama. A must read for summer.

In their senior year, four friends who have been very close throughout their college years, face a horrible tragedy—(spoiler alert and/or sensitivity warning) one of them commits suicide. The three remaining friends make a pact to be there for each other in the darkest days. They agree that if one of them contacts the others in a difficult time, each will make a way to be there to walk alongside their suffering friend.

Here's what worked for me: I like the set-up and the author’s exploration of what makes for a good friend. The group dynamics was interesting too. Giffin deftly distinguished the characters and showed how they responded differently to each other when all together and one-on-one. I also liked getting to go to Capri! It’s now on my travel bucket list.

But here’s what didn’t work: I never really connected with any of the characters. One seemed a little wooden, one was too self-absorbed to be likeable, and one’s story arc didn’t seem believable. I’ll leave you to decide who is who if you read it.

The themes of friendship, loyalty, dysfunctional families, finding yourself, and love are all there, but this wasn’t the summer read I was hoping for.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance reading copy.