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.

Another interesting thought provoking novel by Emily Giffin. This is the story of 4 friends, a suicide, a pact from the other three to always be there for each other and for this threesome how that pact worked. Hannah, Lainey, and Tyson were best friends at UVA, and when another of their group dies by suicide, it makes the friends feel so guilty they don’t want that to happen to them ever again. Even though they graduate and go on separately with their lives, when the call comes from any one of them, they all agree to drop everything in their life to be there. Ultimately this is a story of friendship and how it worked for them. This book totally caught my attention and I never moved until the last page. I thoroughly enjoyed the depth of each character and their reactions to every circumstance they were in.

3.5 Stars. I was excited to read an Emily Griffin book (this is actually my second) just because it seems like she's a pretty popular author. Also, the idea of four college friends reuniting years after a tragedy that affected them all was intriguing. Unfortunately, it missed the mark for me somewhere along the way. It seemed to all boil down to sexuality in the end. I really thought there would be some sort of big revelation involving the tragedy, but there wasn't.

Thanks to Random House Group-Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.

THE SUMMER PACT by Emily Giffin had me wishing I could pack my bags and travel with them.

Lainey, Tyson, Hannah and Summer had an instant connection when they met as students at the University of Virginia. Inseparable from that day on, they saw each other through break-ups, triumphs, love lives and poor grades. When Summer dies unexpectedly, just before graduation, the others struggle with guilt over not being there for her and vow that it will never happen again.

When Hannah, the ‘Southern Belle’ breaks off her engagement to Grady after she catches him cheating, she puts out the call to her friends for support. They both immediately fly to her aid. Tyson, a lawyer trying to make partner and Lainey, an actress who has a messy family situation, put their lives on hold to maintain the pact they made after Summer’s death, while also putting their careers and relationships in jeopardy. While nursing Hannah through the break-up, the three decide to travel to Europe in salute to Summer who often spoke of wanting to go. Each of the three is hiding something from the others but all will be revealed in the end with secrets uncovered and new possibilities opening.

I really enjoyed this book. The banter between the friends made for a fun romp through Europe. The locales and sunsets made me wish I was there with them. The writing was clear and concise making me feel the ocean breezes and smell the Italian sauces. This is my first Emily Giffin novel, but I will be watching to see where she goes next.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for this ARC opportunity. All opinions are my own and given voluntarily.

Emily Giffin has always been and will always be an "automatic read" author for me. Her ability to dive deep into relationships (romantic, family, or friendship) is incredible. She provides great insight into why her characters behave they way they do, and this was evident in The Summer Pact. I loved how she built the bond of these college friends who are trying to navigate young adulthood and beyond by leaning on each other in tough times. The Capri setting of the novel was especially enjoyable. While this is a bit darker and more serious than a typical beach read, I do feel as though this will be a popular book for anyone looking for a summer vacation book.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-galley.

AMAZING!!!!
I am literally obsessed with this book, I mean I couldn’t stop reading! This book had everything in it, it had romance, drama, suspense, and everything else. If you are looking for a perfect book for the end of the summer, don’t pass this book up!

This is my first book by Emily Giffin, and I can’t wait to read more.