Emily Giffin was the author that welcomed me into the world of reading. Once I discovered her books, I DEVOURED them. She told such wonderful stories and I was absolutely enthralled with her characters, storylines and plot twists. I have read every one of her books, and this one did not disappoint!

This book tells the stories of a group of friends who met in college and are bonded for life. Sadly tragedy sets in shortly after their friendship begins, but that only bonds the remaining 3 even more securely. They promise to be for their each other whenever they need them. Holding true to their word, their bond is tested when one calls the group asking for help. I loved how real and transparent the characters are, struggling with real-life problems.

Review posted on Goodreads. Thank you NetGalley for this ARC, all opinions are my own.

What a beautiful story of friendship and love.

A decade before, three best friends, Lainey, Hannah and Tyson, lost their fourth member to suicide. After that tragic loss they decided to start “The Summer Pact” in honor of their passed friend Summer, meaning they would be there for each other in their most difficult moments no matter what.

That time comes when Hannah finds her fiancé had cheated on her. The story then develops into such a heart warming story of friendship and finding your true self.

I loved the writing style and individual POV from all three friends. I also really enjoyed the character development and ending the story showing how each character truly developed into who they were meant to be. Although, I do feel as if the romance and some key parts of the book were rushed and I found myself at 95% thinking “there’s got to be more”. I feel satisfied enough with the ending, but still wished for more elaboration.

All in all I would give 4 stars! Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the ARC of this book!

When I requested this ARC from NetGalley, I was expecting a light, beachy read. I should have known better as “light” isn’t usually a word I’d use to describe Giffin’s writing. The Summer Pact is an agreement three friends make after the suicide of their friend, Summer. The trio gets back together after one of them has a life crisis (and then it turns out all three are in a crisis of some sort). I enjoyed the story’s exploration of what it means to be friends. Watching the three figure out their next steps (as well as the ending overall) was delightful.

I enjoyed the Summer Pact by Emily Giffin. It is about how four friends who found each other in college their freshman year and stayed together. Unfortunately a tragedy happens in their senior year and the remaining friends decide to always be there for each other - no matter what. A story that has tragedy, romance and strong friendships. Thank you to Random House Publishing Group/Ballantine and NetGalley for the E-ARC.
This is my own opinion.

I usually love Emily Giffin books. This one got a tad messy - and for such a quick read it tried to take on too many heavy topics.
"The summer pact" is the agreement made by three friends in college in the wake of a tragedy to be there for each other in the future, no matter what. Ten years later, the friends come together in the name of this pact and embark on a journey that winds up changing their lives.

Thank you, Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for this ARC.

Emily Giffin’s latest book did not disappoint. The story follows three college best friends as they navigate the impact the loss of their friend during their senior year, over a decade down the road leaves on their current lives.

This book was another fantastic Emily Giffin novel. I have read every book she has written, and this one was one of her best. She had an incredible ability to write characters in a way that makes you feel as if you know them.

I enjoyed the travel in this story, and the different places the three friends were able to visit. I definitely recommend this new book that will be coming out soon!

I was really excited about the premise of this book and feel it has great potential!! I love the idea of focusing on a friendship and one that stays connected over so many years. The biggest issue for me was that, while I appreciate books discussing real-world issues, I felt that this book tried to address too many issues in too short of a period. It left me feeling like some of the writing, story telling, and important and serious problems were shallow.

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review!

This book was a little rough for me. I wanted to love it & the premise of doing anything for your friends resonated with me and felt special. Unfortunately, it all felt immature & childish. I would never act like some of these characters, especially towards my “best friends”. Lainey's character was particularly difficult to sympathize with and I found myself not even bothered by her accident at the end of the book. In addition, while I enjoy multiple POV's, there were times when I forgot which character I was reading because they were not differentiated enough for me.

The book felt really slow throughout the first 75%, but then extremely rushed at the end. More happened in the epilogue than in the entire book. 🙃 The love stories felt like an afterthought and I hate that more was touched on and gave insight to the tragedy of Summer's suicide.

However, some parts of the story were beautiful & I loved the focus on friendship & love. I wish that there had been more of that.

Emily is so talented and this book reconfirms why I must read every single book she writes. I love the character development of each person and how it all comes together the way it does. (no spoilers!) Thank you for the early opportunity to read this one.

I was immediately drawn into this story of 4 friends from college: Hannah, Lainey, Summer & Tyson. I could feel the emotions and relate to each of the characters in this story. Hannah, the peacemaker who makes excuses for those around her, Summer, who has all this pressure on her to be perfect, Lainey, who struggles with handling tough things in life and Tyson, trying to live up to the expectations of his family.

Hannah, Lainey & Tyson make a pact to always be there for each other whenever they hit rock bottom. When Hannah reaches her rock bottom, she calls her friends and they embark on a journey together where they travel to places they had forgotten to go to. I loved how the story is told through Hannah, Lainey & Tyson's eyes. It's not necessarily a light read because issues with mental health, suicide and alcoholism
are present (which could be triggering for some), but still enjoyable. I am a sucker for a book that gets me in my feels and feels like it could happen in real life.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

i would love to give this more than three stars, but it lacks a few things for me. positives, it was a quick and easy read. negatives, i feel like it tried to deal with too many heavy topics and failed with some. wdym one of the characters was sexually assaulted and that was just one sentence and never mentioned again. the romances also… random and first started to happen at the 80% mark. the character i didn’t expect to have a gay romance did though! overall, it wasn’t a bad read, just wasn’t anything spectacular.

This book was an interesting read, I enjoyed the relationship between the three friends and how Summer united them, even after all of the years since college. However, I kept wanting more depth with the character development. I felt like there was more to each of the friends that we didn’t really see. The ending felt quite abrupt with the two biggest plot points somewhat unresolved.

I loved this book! It was the perfect summer friendship/beach read and was poignant and full of nostalgia, not just a “fluff” book- definitely recommend!

the summer pact- Emily Giffin
pub date- July 9,2024

a college friend group faces tragedy, right before graduation. the tragedy they face causes them to make a pact, a pact they come together for almost a decade after it’s made.
almost 10 years after their pact is made, Hannah, is facing something that turns her world upside down..calling her closest friends, and staying true to their promise, her friends drop their lives and head to her.
they soon realize, they’re all facing a cross roads.

read if you like:
🤍found family
🤍dual POV’s
🤍travel
🤍self discovery

this was a super quick read that hit on some really hard subjects (check trigger warnings.)
the mental health representation throughout this book was good, and seemed well thought out.
i enjoyed reading about how this friend group got through their grief and how they grow together.
this was a quick, but very heartwarming read.

3.5⭐️

This one wasn't as much my cup of tea, but it was fun learning about a group of friends and how they show up for each other. I love books about family and found family, and enjoyed seeing different types of personal relationships. The twists were fun, and I appreciated that the novel tackled some pretty difficult topics as well. This was my first Emily Giffin book, and I don't think I was very used to her writing style. Some of the POVs probably weren't my favorite, and I'd be interested in trying another book by this author!

This book starts out with four friends meeting in college. After a tragic event they decide to always come to each other in their time of need. The book follows the friends as one of them needs the support of her friends right before her wedding.

I hadn’t read an Emily Giffin novel since something borrowed and overall I enjoyed this one. It was equally parts touching and dove into parts of grief that people keep hidden. A good beach read for the summer

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced reader copy of The Summer Pact.

The opening description of the 4 friends meeting in college brought back so many fun memories of great friends I met.
The Summer Pact is layered, and touching. A group of college friends make a pact, after a tragedy, that will cause them to reunite 10 years later and go on a life changing adventure.

The Summer Pact: A Journey of Friendship Tested by Time
Thank you to Random House Publishing for the opportunity to read an ARC of Emily Giffin's latest novel, The Summer Pact. This women's fiction explores the enduring power of friendship and the challenges of navigating life's unexpected turns.

The story centers on four college friends bound by a pact made in the wake of a devastating tragedy. Years later, when one of them faces a personal crisis, the pact compels them to reunite and embark on a transformative journey together.

Giffin's strength lies in her ability to craft engaging narratives. The fast-paced final trip section keeps the reader turning pages, and the initial exploration of grief following their friend's suicide adds emotional depth.

However, the character development falls short. The narrative jumps between perspectives, yet I struggled to connect deeply with any of the characters. Their bond, central to the plot, feels underdeveloped, making it difficult to fully root for their successes. Additionally, the resolution feels somewhat rushed and lacks the emotional resonance one might expect.

While The Summer Pact offers an exploration of personal growth and the enduring nature of friendship, the characters and the conclusion could have benefitted from further development.

Recommendation: This is a light summer read for fans of women's fiction who enjoy stories about friendship and self-discovery. However, readers seeking a more profound emotional connection with the characters might want to look elsewhere.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I have loved Emily Giffin since her first books. I have been a huge fan and avid reader of everything she’s written.

I was very excited when I was afforded the opportunity to read her latest work before it was released! This book did not disappoint. It is the perfect beach read. I didn’t want to put it down. I often found myself in the middle of the night staying up to read it.

Definitely worth a read! You won’t be disappointed!