"The Summer Pact" is about friendship and support during good and bad times. Summer, Tyson, Lainey, and Hannah meet at college, and despite coming from different backgrounds and personalities, they form a strong bond and become best friends. They make a pact to embark on a summer journey after a tragic event. Throughout this journey, they face challenges, uncover important truths, and grow towards what truly matters.

My Thoughts About the Book:
I had mixed feelings about "Summer Pact." I love the cover, which initially drew me to the book, and I also liked the book's concept. I had heard good things about Emily Giffin's other novels, so I was eager to read this one. While reading, I enjoyed getting to know the characters and had some favorite scenes. However, I found it hard to connect with the characters at times because many details and backstories were left out. The story also felt fast-paced and abrupt with certain events and scenes. Some of the characters were immature for their age. Overall, the story has a good plot, a lot going on in each chapter, interesting characters, and some relatable life experiences.

I also wanted to thank NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the opportunity to read this ARC for an honest review.

“Remember there’s a difference between your history and your legacy. Your history is what happened. Your legacy is what you set in motion.”

Emily Giffin will always be a favorite author of mine because her stories always hit that sweet spot of deep and thought-provoking and also fun and uplifting.

When I saw The Summer Pact was being released I knew I needed to get my hands on it as soon as possible and am so glad I did. This story is told from three different perspectives, all friends from college, struggling with their hardships. They come together to support each other and go on a pretty amazing journey. I loved it. While some of the story deals with deeper topics like grief and addiction, there is also grace, humility, and humor, and I found myself so invested in these characters. I binged this one in two days!

While all of the characters really resonated with me, my favorite was Hannah. She has no clue how strong she is, how much what she carries resonates with so many, how brave she is. I really was rooting for all of them and really enjoyed the growth in all of the characters but Hannah the most.

Thank you Emily Giffin for writing another amazing beach read! Please go read this one and then let me know which character was your favorite!

Emily Giffin is one of my auto-read authors and has been for years, so of course I was thrilled to get a copy of her newest release.

The Summer Pact follows a group of college friends as they navigate their friendship in the wake of a tragedy and as they grow into adulthood. This book was definitely a quick read and was entertaining enough, but ultimately, it wasn’t a hit for me.

While it did make it an easy read, the writing felt pretty juvenile and simplistic to me. It’s told in alternating points-of-view from 3 characters but none of them had a discernible voice, so I kept forgetting whose POV I was reading. The characters felt like they could have been much more developed in general.

The plot had a lot of potential to really explore some difficult concepts but it felt like there was too much going on without really my going deep into any of it. Ultimately I just didn’t feel invested in any of the characters or their stories. And the end felt like too much was crammed in at once and it ended in such a tidy bow, it felt overly saccharine and forced.

This book was fine. I didn’t hate it but it left me wanting more and ultimately was pretty forgettable.

Thanks to @netgalley and @ballantinecorp for the free egalley in exchange for an honest review.

I've read all of Emily Giffin's novels and her writing voice has really evolved over time. The Summer Pact is definitely on my list of her top three though!
The story was really engaging the entire time and I loved all of the main characters and cared so much about them. Getting to see each of their perspectives was helpful. There are some heavy topics, but Emily handles them in a sensitive and honest way. I also loved the armchair adventure aspect and felt like I was in Italy with the friends. It was really easy to visualize people and places.

I was constantly surprised by everything that was happening and had no idea what would come up next. I maybe only guessed at a few things but they were hinted at early on. And Hannah's mother made me so angry on Hannah's behalf. Such toxic behavior! She reminded me a bit of Skeeter's mom in The Help(but also with a lot of Hilly's personality).

This is such a great summer (or even year-round) read and it will definitely make you laugh, smile, and even cry! Perfect for fans of Jane Green and Jill Santopolo, as well.

(Trigger warnings below.)

Movie casting suggestions:
Tyson: Lucien Laviscount
Hannah: Elizabeth Lail
Lainey: Meghann Fahy
Summer: Bella Thorne
Grady: Luke Kleintank
Olivia: Adelaide Kane

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TW: suicide, death of parent, alcoholism

The Summer Pact was a great read that intertwined serious topics with happy endings. I loved the theme of friendship and found family that was woven throughout this book but felt that the writing seemed a bit immature. Great message, fun characters but some of the situations and reactions of the main characters seemed juvenile. Still a solid 3.5 star read!

Many thanks to Random House Ballantine and Netgalley for the ARC.

I loved this book! It's well-written, enjoyable, and a great read. I absolutely LOVE Emily Giffin and her writing! Some of my faves have been Something Borrowed, Something Blue, Meant to Be, and now The Summer Pact!! She did a great job of writing in a way that captured my attention, and made me not want to put it down until I was finished! I would highly recommend it!

I loved this book! A lovely story about grief and friendship and the ties that bind us through life. I liked the various point of views and felt the pacing of the story was right. I had not read an Emily Giffin book in several years, so was glad to see her books were still a staple read! Thank you for the ARC and look forward to sharing this recommendation with friends!

This was an enjoyable read that transported me to Capri where I’m now more than ready to visit. I loved Emily’s description of the island and the history of it. Having followed Emily for a long time, I loved being able to identify parts of her in the book (connection to UVA, running, etc).

The story is about four college students who become friends but are then struck with grief, sadness and confusion when one tragically loses her life through suicide. I enjoyed hearing each person’s perspective and how they each had their own personal issues to deal with and overcome while still being there for one another….truly what friendship is.

Thank you for the advanced copy of this book. My reviews can be read on my GoodReads account here: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1335387-kelly

I'm a big fan of Emily Giffin, so I was really excited to get an advanced copy of her latest book, The Summer Pact. This book is about a group of friends - Hannah, Summer, Lainey, and Tyson - who meet at the University of Virginia. Right before graduation, Summer commits suicide, leaving the rest of the group wondering how they could have missed the signs that their friend was struggling. They decide to make a pact to always be there for each other no matter what. Fast forward a few years, and Hannah finds herself in a shocking and heartbreaking situation. Within hours, Tyson and Lainey are on the next plane to come see her. After catching up with one another, they realize that they are all facing challenges of their own and are at different crossroads in their lives. As a group, they decide to honor their promise to Summer to check in with one another by taking a step back from their lives to travel the world together for a few weeks.

The book continues to explore the bond of their friendship as they continue to grow individually and together by addressing their fears, challenges, and personal hurdles. Overall, this is the first book by this author that has left me feeling underwhelmed. With that being said, it was still a good summer read. I just did not feel as drawn into the story or characters as I have in the past. I gave this book 3 stars on Goodreads and look forward to reading what Emily writes next!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was a beautiful story by Emily Giffin. There was so much emotion in this book and it was enjoyable. The writing was done well and flowed easily. The three POV's helped add more depth to the story and make it more well rounded.

There was wonderful story of friendship and found family. Although, there were quite a few heavy topics and trauma discussed. While they were handled well, it was a little too much for me at times.

Overall it was a good book that I would recommend if you are okay with the triggers.

Please take heed of the trigger warnings at the beginning of this book and read with caution. I found this to be an emotional, heartwarming friendship story and each of the characters were well done and their perspectives intriguing enough to carry their parts of the story.

This book was not at all what I expected but I loved it. It was sad and deep and about friendships. It made me cry and laugh, and I couldn’t put it down. Emily Giffin does it again.

**𝑨𝑹𝑪 𝑹𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘** 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑺𝒖𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒓 𝑷𝒂𝒄𝒕 𝒃𝒚 𝑬𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒚 𝑮𝒊𝒇𝒇𝒊𝒏

Release Date: July 9, 2024

4⭐️3🌶

This is the perfect summer read! There is a small friend group that meet on the first day of college, and they're inseparable after that. This little slice-of-life book is a breath of fresh air with its realism and heart.

All the characters are facing some sort of midlife crisis, and they decide to take the European vacation they never got to have together after graduation. This is book is all about finding yourself and hard truths!

A big thank you to @netgalley for approving me for this ARC!

A story of four college friends who are there for each other ten years later, during a time of trail. Exploring themes of grief, hope, and love in its many forms, this is a great story.

The always reliable Emily Giffin's latest novel follows the story of college besties who, after a tragic event, make a pact to be there for each other. Told in 3 POVs, it felt like a coming-of-age story as the characters navigate the perils of life. The narrative flows easily despite some weighty topics. Giffin never gets in too deep and I never felt completely invested in any of the characters. The romances at the end of the book felt like an afterthought. I would have liked more depth to the plot. For me, The Summer Pact was just ok.

This is a wonderful story about friendship, helping each other heal from grief, and being there for each other in times of need. I like this author's writing style and her descriptions of the area and scenery and I also liked reading it from the POV of all the friends. I wish the tragic drama hadn't happened at the very beginning of the story as the rest of the story dragged a bit. I also would have liked more depth to the romance in the story.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this. I haven’t read anything by Emily Giffin in awhile but have loved everything I’ve read previously. The characters in this book are super relatable and I truly loved their bond. I also loved how we got each characters POV. Having a best friend pass away as well this book really hit home for me. Super quick read for me I was able to read this in a day.

The Summer Pact is a heart wrenching tale by Emily Giffen. Four freshman from very different geographical areas and backgrounds come together in the rec room of their dorm at the University of Virginia. Lainey, from the San Diego area, was majoring in the arts and had a definite dramatic flare. Summer, from the Chicago area, was pre-med and at the university on a track scholarship. Hannah, from Atlanta, is currently undecided but leaning towards interior design. Tyson, from DC, is pre-law. On that night early in their college experience the four friends bond in a way they don’t bond with anyone else. For four years they are one for all and all for one. But right before graduation, an unforeseen tragedy strikes. While this has the power to tear them apart, it brings them even closer as they enter into a pact to always be there in the most dire times for the others.

Ten years after graduation they are all pursuing careers when Hannah’s life crumbles bringing the others to her aid. With this rally, the friends, led by Lainey, decide to follow through on an idea they had in college and each choose a place to travel to as a group in the vein of Eat, Pray, Love. What they discover about themselves and each other forms the heart of the story.

This is a very interesting, sometimes intense, story. This book deals with some difficult subjects such as suicide, alcohol abuse, negative family dynamics, issues of race and gender, and sexuality. Ms. Giffen has devised a tight plot line that holds some surprises. With very well drawn characters and perfectly described settings, this story is bound to go down as one of her best. I did enjoy this book and I do recommend it.

This is not my favorite of Emily Giffin's books, but there's still plenty to like. The exploration of friendship and grief and the ways we change as we age was heartfelt and tender. There are also some pop-culture moments and Easter eggs that are fun to note. I didn't really connect with the characters deeply, which limited my investment in their story, but I did think the multiple POVs were interesting. Thank you to Netgalley and Ballantine Books for the review copy.