*The Summer Pact* is a heartfelt, easy-to-get-lost-in story about friendship, healing, and second chances. It follows a group of friends who reunite years after a tragic event and make a pact to honor a promise from their past, leading to a summer of self-discovery and unexpected turns. The characters feel relatable, the emotions are real, and it’s got that perfect mix of nostalgia and hope. It’s a great pick if you’re in the mood for something warm, reflective, and a little bit uplifting.

I thought this would be a light beach read, but instead it is a thoughtful story of friendship and who we turn to in the time of tragedy. A coming of age story.

The Summer Pact delves into the relationship between four close friends and what happens after tragedy strikes. I am often frustrated that friendship isn't reflected in popular literature as it has been so foundational for me in my life. I enjoyed Giffin's most recent title and will be happy to handsell it this year.

While I thought this was a good book, it was not at all what I thought it was going to be about. The Summer pact refers to a friend Summer that the three main characters had, not summer the season. I guess if I’d read more about it instead of picking it up because Emily Giffin wrote it, I would’ve been more prepared. Either way, I am glad I read it. As a warning, there is a suicide in the book and it is prevalent through the entire story. I loved the friendship and love that the three friends, Tyson, Lainey, and Hannah, have together. They will truly do anything for each other and are always striving to make the best things happen for each other. Part of the story takes place in Capri and Emily Giffin’s descriptions are absolutely beautiful. While it wasn’t the beach read I thought I was getting into, it was a good book and I am glad I read it.

The Summer Pact by Emily Giffin is a novel that really is not a fun summer read. Rather, it deals with serious topics like suicide and rape. This book is very unlike previous books by the author. The book’s treatment of some of these topics made me uncomfortable. I think many people might find this book triggering and there is not a very satisfying ending. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. This book really fell flat for me and I wasn't interested in finishing it.

I always enjoy Emily Giffin, and the Summer Pact was no exception. A tale of friendship, promises made, and tests of who will really be there when the chips are down. Highly recommend.

I went back and forth on my rating for this book because I did greatly enjoy it, but I felt I had to take a star off as a UVA graduate for the many details that made it clear that Giffin was not a UVA undergrad herself (saying campus instead of Grounds, saying “walking up the lawn” instead of “walking the Lawn” etc) - otherwise it was a great, poignant read about self discovery and the evolution of friendships.

I was thinking this book would be an uplifting, light-hearted summery read, but i was very much mistaken. The Summer Pact, despite the title and cover, is actually a book with some very heavy themes, including suicide, infidelity, and alcoholism.

None of the characters are particularly likable. Hannah has just learned about her fiance cheating on her, Lainey is a hot mess, and Tyson is incredibly self-righteous. The book is labeled a romance, but the romance felt forced and came real quick at the end of the book.

All in all, not a terrible book, but just wasn't great, in my opinion.

Started this because I thought it was a summer read as evidenced by the title and cover but it was definitely intentionally misleading and I shelved it until later. But should have left it on the shelf. I wanted to read Emily Giffin but her newest book was not for me. The characters were unlikable, the plot was ridiculous, and the virtue signaling was heavy. I should have left it DNF!

this one unfortunately fell short for me. It definitely needed some trigger warnings... the cover does not do a good job of hinting at the heavy topics that this book covers, some right at the beginning (TW: suicide, alcoholism, family dynamics, death) I thought this book was overall an easy, quick read, but it just didn't ...do much? Idk how to explain it. The best part of the book was the random mention of Taylor Swift and the Eras Tour LOL

This is a fantastic easy read. I read it on vacation and could not put it down. Following the lives of 3 friends in the wake of their fourth friend's death and various personal trials, I ended up feeling very invested in the characters and their lives. Very much enjoyed this one.

I've never read a book by Emliy Giffin that I didn't enjoy and this is no exception. We are following a group of college friends who made a pact to always be there for each other in their time of need. Though this book wasn't as deep as some of her past books, I did enjoy the found family aspect of the story.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishing Company for this Advanced Readers Copy of The Summer Pact by Emily Griffin!

⭐⭐⭐ A book about travel and friendship is always fun, but this one also reminded me so much (too much?) of another book (this one, from last summer), and I didn’t like it quite as much. Also, the very beginning of this caught me off guard (SPOILER AHEAD…….. but, honestly, one I wish I’d had) with a pretty brutal suicide on a college campus that set a heavy and sad tone I wasn’t prepared for from Giffin. (I can handle heavy and sad typically, but I think this book would have done well with a trigger warning at the start.)

The Summer Pact is a heartfelt story about friendship, love, and new beginnings. Giffin’s trademark emotional depth shines through, making it an easy and satisfying read.

The Summer Pact by Emily Giffin is a story of three college friends who, following a tragedy, make a pact to be there for each other any time, no matter when, where, or why. Ten years after graduation, one friend calls and the other two drop everything to be there for her.

This was my first Emily Giffin novel and I was less than impressed. I know her other books are quite popular at my library and this one looked so light and fun (yes, based soley on the cover). I thought maybe I was reading an entirely different author. I couldn't connect to ANY of the characters. I felt like they were all selfish, annoying, and whiney. It was hard to tell the difference between the characters POVs and I had to keep reminding myself who's section I was reading. The characters dialogue was so full of political correctness that it was over the top. I felt like the three remaining friends undermined Summer and the reason behind the pact they made. The romance felt just thrown in as an afterthought. I just found it all very weird and VERY unlikeable.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Three college friends reunite in the aftermath of a suicide. The years have passed the friends have stayed tight knit as they try to comprehend why their friend would make such a permanent decision. This book was classic Emily Giffin though the topic was a tough one to read about. How the remaining friends rebuild their lives and stick even closer together was heartwarming. I did enjoy this book as I am a fan of all Emily Giffin books. She warms my heart every time.

I spent most of this novel expecting a plot twist or something deeper to make me feel something. It wasn't a bad read, but I felt like it left me wanting something more out of it.

Ended up DNFing at 20%. This book just wasn't for me, but I can see how it would work well for a different audience.