The Summer Pact….took me by surprise

Based on the cover i was expecting a very light hearted read but instead it was very compelling and heartfelt. The story follows a group of friends that have made a pact to be there for each other following a tragedy that involved their friend. The story is told in multiple POVs which was done beautifully.
The characters are written well and the author did a great job at making them human and the audience able to relate to them in certain aspects.

It was a great read but left me wanting more! The end felt almost rushed, it ended very abruptly

Please make sure to read triggers as there are some major ones !

I loved this book! Loved the characters and their stories and the way they were woven together in a beautiful way! Emily Griffin will be added to my favorite authors now!

Such a great summer read! Loved the characters and the vacation vibes! Now I want Togo to Capri. Well thought out character development and storyline.

First of all, thank you to Random House and Netgalley for an Advanced Reader Copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
I've heard very good things about Emily Griffin's books, so I was very interested in reading this one. I'm glad I did! Her writing really pulled me in and made me want to keep reading.
I can't say I loved any of the characters, but I loved their friendship. I loved how they were so supportive of each other, and got past disagreements so quickly without holding grudges.
Very good read!

What a joy to come back to an Emily Giffin book!

"The Summer Pact" is a captivating exploration of friendship, resilience, and self-discovery. We follow four college friends, forever bound by a tragic event that reshapes their futures. United by grief and a solemn pact, these characters' journey takes an unexpected turn a decade later when one of their lives unravels, prompting a reunion.

Giffin is a master at navigating the complexities of human relationships and alternating between perspectives. From the idyllic college campus to the picturesque landscapes of Texas, Capri, and Paris, the novel's vivid settings serve as a lively backdrop. But what I loved most was how authentic "The Summer Pact" felt; Giffin portrays the highs and lows of friendship with unflinching honesty, capturing the intricacies of loyalty, betrayal, and forgiveness.

Emily Giffin once again proves herself as a master storyteller, delivering a poignant and unforgettable tale that lingers long after the final page is turned.

This book was rough for me, mostly because I found all three of the characters deeply unlikable. The story was OK...but Lainey was a wreck, Tyson was very holier than though and Hannah was a doormat. And then everything just wrapped up nicely in the end? They didn't even really seem to like each other.

A note for the editors: Tyson says he has all of Lainey's series "recorded" but it's on Hulu...so how is it recorded?!

Review

The Summer Pact : Emily Giffin

Format: ebook (NetGalley)
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine Books
Publication Date:July 9, 2024
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

After tragedy strikes a group of friends in college, the 3 remaining friends make a pact to always be there for each other during hard times. The book follows these 3 friends a decade later when their lives completely change and they decide to take a spontaneous vacation. The book is filled with romance, sadness, and friendship. This book is all about finding your true self. It changes narration between each of the 3 friends giving the reader a chance get to know each character equally. This book also touches on some darker topics such as suicide and addiction.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book, but I thought it ended way too abruptly. I wanted more of an ending for all of the characters that were built.


Thank you to random house publishing and NetGalley for this ARC!

I received a free e-arc of this book through Netgalley. This book deals with some hard subjects such as suicide and alcoholism so it's not a light summer read. It's about 4 friends who meet in college and how they support each other through the tough times. It reminds me of my own friends from college and the decisions we make afterwards. I enjoyed the book, but really it ended too early.

I absolutely loved this book! It’s about a group of friends and their relationships with each other after a tragic event that took place in college. The characters are delightful and interesting. There’s even some armchair travel involved. I couldn’t wait to see what happens with them.
Emily Giffin is a terrific writer and she navigates friendships, loves, losses, and relationships very well.
The dialogue is interesting and snappy at times. I could see this being a movie.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

3.5 stars! Thank you Random House for the eARC via NetGalley.

Overall, this book was cute! It was about a group of college friends who link up one summer to travel together to help each other get through some rough times. The story was full of “finding yourself” moments and some surprising romance subplots. Although the premise of the book was cute, it definitely touched on some dark topics like suicide & addiction.

While reading the story I really enjoyed the found family trope, but disliked that even though it was a story about best friends, overall their relationship felt like it was lacking something. It just didn’t give me the feeling that their friendship was something special. However, it was still an enjoyable read that I would recommend to others.

Four friends from various background meet their Freshman year at UVA. When tragedy strikes before graduation, they make a pact to continue to be present for one another.

Fifteen years later, our Hannah is set to marry an Atlanta trust fund baby and Ole Miss frat bro. Well, until she sneaks up on him having a tryst with local Atlanta influencer. Hannah is devastated. The rest of the group drops everything to fly to Atlanta to confront the fiance. They decide to take a trip together to get Hannah out of Atlanta.

Emily Giffen is excellent in putting stress on relationships and seeing where our characters fall. This was a fun, fast read. It would be excellent for a pool side read!

I liked this as a coming-of-age and growing apart and together novel. I felt the end felt too movie montage-like, but I appreciated the depth of care the friends had for each other.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this ARC in exchange for my honest review! I love Emily Giffin so I was excited to read this!

This is classic Emily Giffin… the writing flows beautifully and the characters are complex. I loved the descriptions of Italy. The topic of suicide and the loss of their friend is dealt with well in the writing, and you get to see the effects it has on the main characters for years to come. The story is told in all 3 view points of Hannah, Lainey and Tyson, which I also liked because you can see into all their headspaces for a bit.

Things I struggled with… I felt like some of the story lines were rushed or came out of nowhere (mostly the romances). I would have liked to see those relationships evolve a little bit more. I also just couldn’t connect with Lainey’s character and she just felt extremely unlikable to me. She meddled in her friends’ lives ALOT but when they tried to do the same, she lost her mind. She seemed very immature and selfish most of the book.

All in all, I really enjoyed the book and would give it 3 1/2 stars.

⭐️ This review is currently posted on Goodreads! ⭐️

The Summer Pact by Emily Giffin is an enjoyable read that also hits some very serious topics. But ultimately, this is a story about the power of friendship.

The friendships made when young are incredibly strong and life changing. Such is the case with the four college freshmen who meet in this story. Although all come from different backgrounds, they immediately bond. When tragedy strikes, and they are down to three at graduation, the bond becomes even tighter. Ten years later, when one of the three, Hannah, discovers her fiancé cheating, she is at a total loss. Her two college friends come to support her, even at pretty steep personal costs to their own lives.

I loved this novel because of the realistic portrayal of friendship and how it can help an individual overcome adversity. There also is a delightful segment when the group travels to Capri. It was easy to travel vicariously with Giffin’s wonderful descriptions. Despite some sad moments, this book will leave the reader in a happy place.

When a devastating life-changing moment occurs for four college friends at graduation that leaves only three of them, they make a friendship pact that will change their lives forever though they don’t know it at the time.

Ten years later, when Hannah finds her fiancé cheating on her right before the wedding Tyson and Lainey immediately fly to Atlanta to help her break the engagement.

Then they plan a trip that their fourth friend Summer would have loved, to Texas, Capri and Paris and leave almost immediately, arranging to miss, blowing off or quitting their jobs.

On this amazing trip they see gorgeous sights and beautiful views, eat incredibly delicious food and find out things about themselves they never knew.

This is definitely a novel you’ll want to read. I’ve always loved Emily Giffin books and this is another incredible one.

Based on the title alone, I thought this was going to be a book about Summertime. But the word "Summer" in the title refers not to the season, but to Summer the person, one of the members of a group of 4 tight knit college friends. This book surprised me and ended up being a wonderful coming of age story that follows the friends through an unexpected tragedy, and the various trials, celebrations, and journey to finding yourself that happens in our 20s and early 30s. Overall this was a wonderful read; some of the relationship pairings felt a bit forced but otherwise I really enjoyed this. Emily Giffin is always a treat!

Emily Giffin is one of my favorite authors and this did not disappoint! This book is about lasting friendships and the bonds that hold us together, and how we survive because of the people we have around us.

I love Emily Giffin books and was so happy to receive this! This is the perfect beach read. This is about friendship between three college friends 10 years after one of their friends had committed suicide in college. There are some more difficult topics but that is what makes the book so good as how it handled. I really enjoyed this.

I really enjoyed this book. Emily Giffin’s characters are well crafted and easy to get behind. I liked that this was almost set up like a chick flick would be as well it really made it more fun to read

3/3.5 Enjoyed! This was a quick and entertaining read. I think Emily Griffin is the master of a perfect beach read and this novel fits right in with the rest of her oeuvre. Its light while still exploring some poignant themes and character development. We got to see the story unfold over several different fun settings - a mini vacation for the reader. The characters were complex enough to drive the story forward and pull you in without having to be perfectly cookie cutter likable. This book wont change your life, and I likely wont think about it much after today, but I had a good time reading it; it was immersive and entertaining. I think it accomplished exactly what it set out to do.