Rating 3.5 I have never read an Emily Griffin book before so I did not know what to expect. This summer read is about a group of friends who after a tragedy make a pact to always be there for each other during hard times. Ten years later after one friend has a breakup, they take time to travel and support each other.
There were some heavy topics throughout the book such as addiction, suicide and parental conflicts all weaved throughout a summer read. I was not connected to any of the characters. It also seemed impractical to me that one guy would be friends with three girls. They just seemed like an odd pairing of friends. I did enjoy the support that the characters gave each other but I just didn't feel any connection with any of the characters. Lainey to me was the most messy and my least favorite of all the characters. Capri as a background location was great. It made want to take a trip to Italy.

Thank you to Netgalley and Ballantine books for the gifted copy.

Loved this book by Giffin! The way Summer tore them apart and got them back together proved to be a great storyline. Loved the plot of this book!

I didn’t fall in love with this book. The romantic relationships felt very forced, and I didn’t find myself believing or cheering for any of them to happen/last. I wish the author would have really followed the arc of the characters growing up together as they became adults, leaning on each other during times of need. There were a lot of good qualities about this book, but overall I didn’t really enjoy it.

Family is what you make it and Tyson, Lainie, Hannah and Summer become fast friends their freshman year in college. That friendship only deepens after Summer’s sudden death. They vow to always be there for each other and, if there is a crisis, to be at each other’s side - literally. Fast forward to ten years later. Hannah’s engagement blows up with lies and betrayal. Lainie and Tyson join her and the three plan to take several weeks to travel together to their dream destinations. Lainie and Tyson face problems of their own which will become obvious during their trips. Each location changes them until their trip to Capri and a near death experience cause permanent and welcome effects.

Emily Giffin brings these characters to life with her emotional dialogue, glamorous setting (Capri, not Texas) and shows us what holds the trio back and how they overcome limitations. While The Summer Pact may be a beach read, it will stay with you long after you read the final pages. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and Emily Giffin for this ARC.

I really wanted to love this book, but unfortunately that was not the case. I know that rom coms are not always meant to be realistic, but this book was incredibly far fetched. What kind of people can just drop everything and go on a two week vacation to three destinations that are not anywhere near each other? Also, the ending was also horrible. Lainey completely overreacted and the whole event with her on a yacht was unnecessarily dramatic. I unfortunately didn't really like or connect well with any of the three main characters. I wouldn't recommend reading The Summer Pact.

This book had a take on friendships while growing up but sticking together through tough times. I will say there is definitely some heavy subject matter.

Now on to a short summary:
Three friends come together again because one of their fiance's cheats. They had created a "Summer Pact" in memory of their fourth best friend that when something so low happens to one another they will drop everything to be there and support. The three realize they are all going through it and decide to take a trip to 3 different locations. Drama, self discovery and self realization happens.

I am still surprised these people are friends and sometimes they just were too much. But it really does show opposites can attract in friendship too.

It was a good read but just wasn't very memorable in my opinion.

Thank you Netgalley, the publishers and author for the advanced reader's copy.

Thank you for the advanced copy! This was a sweet story of friendship, love and loss. Four very different students connect during their freshman year at university and create strong bonds . Tragedy during their senior year and the rest of the novel follows how it impacted them. It was a very quick read that I really enjoyed. There were some slow spots for me. Make sure to check trigger warnings!

Emily Giffin’s newest title The Summer Pact is perfectly timed this summer for pairing with an Aperol Spritz. Giffin is back with another heartfelt portrayal about a group of friends who meet in college and form lifelong bonds.

Hannah, the people pleaser, Lainey, the future actress, Tyson, the scholar and Summer, the athlete meet freshman year at the University of Virginia and become fast friends. When a tragedy strikes their group, the remaining friends make a pact to always be there for each other during life’s ups and downs. Ten years later, Hannah is about to celebrate the happiest time of her life until an unexpected development causes her to invoke the pact. What follows is a life changing trip to Europe for them all.

Giffin’s characters are written realistically, complete with flaws and having made questionable choices in their messy lives. With references to La Fontelina in Capri, the setting will transport you to a glorious summer location. The Summer Pact is a thirty something coming of age tale about friendship and self-discovery. A perfect summer escape read touching on topics of grief, love and hope.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House -Ballantine for the advanced reader’s copy.

Okay, normally I absolutely love everything Emily Griffin writes, but this didn't work for me. It was still quick and enjoyable, but doesn't meet the precedence she's set with her other books.

Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the arc.

This might be my favorite Emily Giffin novel yet! 3 friends, romance, adventure with a lot of highs and lows. It was a quick read and a wonderful escape. Thanks to #NetGalley for the opportunity to preview #TheSummerPact

The Summer pact is a moving story of best friends who lose one due to suicide. They make a pact that no matter what they will be there when the others need them. The story is well crafted, the characters are fantastic! Definitely a fun read!

thank you to netgalley and random house publishing group - ballantine for this arc!!

READ THIS IF YOU ENJOY ↡
💛 found family
👥 multiple POVs
✈️ traveling with your best friends
📖 character-driven plot

REVIEW ↡
emily giffin is a consistent 4/5-star author for me. her writing always captivates me and keeps me entertained and attached to the characters. i thought THE SUMMER PACT was a great beach read - it was a quick read, had solid character development, and detailed travels in the US and abroad. i liked the pop culture references and feel like i could understand emily’s interests (taylor swift, the royals) that way. so glad to cross this one off my summer TBR and definitely recommend it!

Emily Giffin books are very polarizing: they are either really good or really bad. The Summer Pact is one of the few that break pattern, being a so-so novel.
Freshman year finds Lainey (a California party girl), Tyson, (a brilliant social justice warrior from D.C.), Summer (runner extraordinaire and perfectionist from the Midwest), and Hannah (a mild-mannered Southerner with an overbearing mother) sharing dorm space. Despite their differences, the roommates become fast friends. When Summer commits suicide, everything changes. Stunned and heartbroken, the surviving three make a pact to be there for each other in their time of need, no matter how separated they are by circumstances or distance. Ten years later, Hannah calls on this pact when she finds her fiancé cheating. Lainey and Tyson raced to her despite personal sacrifice. The three decide to take a trip with one picking a destination. Will the three deal with their deepest issues and find themselves again? Can the memory of Summer save them all?
The characters are to the extremes. Tyson is Chidi Anagonye on steroids, Lainey is the stereotypical party girl, and Hannah is the archetypical pushover. There is very little character development: only one character really changes. As for the twists for the other two? I saw those coming a mile away. The love stories come so quickly that they make no sense. If you’re into tropes, this novel might be for you.
But the story itself is a great setup. Giffin explores how people handle grief both in the short and long term. Bringing these friends back together and truly caring about one another throughout the years is inspiring. Few of us have such friends that stay so long, especially with life changes. The trip here is secondary: it’s not the story. Instead, it is about friends supporting each other in an effort to help them stay alive.
The Summer Pact has some beautiful ideas and moments. The characters are archetypes to the extreme, but the memory of Summer pushes the reader forward to see what they will do with their lives.
Publication Date: July 9
I received an ARC from the publisher; all opinions are my own.

Lifelong college friends all in very real, very different struggling phases in life. I appreciated how in touch with reality this book tried to be while also giving us all the drama. I loved each one of these characters and I think they did such a great job showing how we memorialize the people in our lives that we lose young. Obsessed with this. The title was so clever! So much depth but it also moved so fast.

Please check the content warnings on this one. They’re listed right away in the book! Otherwise, I would absolutely you pick up this book ASAP. So good and filled with so much travel! AND SO MANY LAYERS.

thank you NetGalley and Random House publishing for this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a snooze. I didn’t like it at all. The story is about friends who make a pact to be there for each other in times of trouble. One of the friends catches her fiancé in bed with another woman and the pact is activated as the friends decide to travel to heal her broken heart. From there, the book takes some unexpected turns-but none that matter because the story is so stupid. This is seriously one of the worst books I’ve ever read, which is sad because I love Emily Giffin so much.

I really enjoyed this book about college friends and the ways they stayed supportive and close through the years, even with some ups and downs in their friendship. I'm always a fan of longstanding friendship stories and Emily Giffin always does a great job writing realistic relationships.

A lovely story about 4 college friends. With the loss of one of the friends, the remaining 3 friends make a summer pact.
The story is told in three POV’s which really let us get to know each one individually.
I thought the deep friendships they had formed was beautiful. Each one is flawed and hurting. Can they find peace and go forward?
(Elements in the story contain suicide, addiction and sexuality)
Thanks NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

I have really enjoyed most of Emily Giffin’s previous books and was excited to read her latest!

This one started really strong for me. I love books about friendship and the premise was one I was excited for! The first 30% of the book was a solid 4 stars for me but it quickly went downhill for me.

The characters needed more development and there needed to be more on their friendship developing in order for this book to really work. It was hard to have a time jump and not have the solid foundation for the story to sit on.

I also felt this book tried to do too much. It dealt with suicide, racism, alcoholism, and more with much of it feeling like an after school special.

I had such high hopes after starting this book and it just fell flat. I don’t think I’d recommend this one.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

While, I have enjoyed previous Emily Griffin, books, this book failed in my opinion. It is a well written book, but I struggled with it. I was disappointed in this book and think it might be my last Emily Griffin read

A book about the power of friendship after tragedy told from multiple POVs. I really like Emily Giffin's earlier novels but it's been a long time since I read one. This one didn't measure up to my memories of her past books. The POVs all sounded the same and became repetitive. It was a quick read but not my favorite.