I love Emily Giffin's books and was so excited to see she was coming out with something new. I think that this book differs from most of her other works, and I don't think it was the right book for me. The characters seemed immature and I found I was often confused between who was narrating which chapter. I just couldn't connect with this book on any level. Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine Books for this ARC.

This story follows 4 close friends, who all attended the same college. These friends were living life, but soon they all get hit with some unexpected heavy news, that will change their lives forever. After the news, these friends learn that being there for each other is important and they can never make the same mistake twice. With everyone dedicating themselves to the “pact” life will HAVE to change ONE DAY. When that “one day comes” They have big decisions to make as full grown adults now, are they willing to drop everything for the ones they love? Are they a man/woman of their word? Or are they willing to go through another tragedy.

These friends showed how important it is to have friends who show up for you, friends who accept you as you come. Friends who also remember, the Summer Pact.🩷


This has become one of my favorite books, I really appreciate Emily for sharing this masterpiece🩷

One of my favorite summer reads! I loved the story of friendship and connections the characters shared and made me hope that I can continue to have friendships of my own like theirs.

Emily Giffin’s The Summer Pact is a heartfelt story about friendship, healing, and second chances. It follows a group of friends who reunite years after a tragic event and make a pact to honor a promise from their past, leading to a summer of self-discovery and unexpected turns. The characters feel relatable, the emotions are real, and it’s got that perfect mix of nostalgia and hope. It’s a great pick if you’re in the mood for something warm, reflective, and a little bit uplifting.

An emotionally taught book that shows how powerful true friendship can be. Love is not always romantic and friendship can be the greatest love story of all.

I loved this book and bought the physical copy when it came out. It was so good. The romance was amazing.

*The Summer Pact* is a heartfelt, easy-to-get-lost-in story about friendship, healing, and second chances. It follows a group of friends who reunite years after a tragic event and make a pact to honor a promise from their past, leading to a summer of self-discovery and unexpected turns. The characters feel relatable, the emotions are real, and it’s got that perfect mix of nostalgia and hope. It’s a great pick if you’re in the mood for something warm, reflective, and a little bit uplifting.

I thought this would be a light beach read, but instead it is a thoughtful story of friendship and who we turn to in the time of tragedy. A coming of age story.

The Summer Pact delves into the relationship between four close friends and what happens after tragedy strikes. I am often frustrated that friendship isn't reflected in popular literature as it has been so foundational for me in my life. I enjoyed Giffin's most recent title and will be happy to handsell it this year.

While I thought this was a good book, it was not at all what I thought it was going to be about. The Summer pact refers to a friend Summer that the three main characters had, not summer the season. I guess if I’d read more about it instead of picking it up because Emily Giffin wrote it, I would’ve been more prepared. Either way, I am glad I read it. As a warning, there is a suicide in the book and it is prevalent through the entire story. I loved the friendship and love that the three friends, Tyson, Lainey, and Hannah, have together. They will truly do anything for each other and are always striving to make the best things happen for each other. Part of the story takes place in Capri and Emily Giffin’s descriptions are absolutely beautiful. While it wasn’t the beach read I thought I was getting into, it was a good book and I am glad I read it.

The Summer Pact by Emily Giffin is a novel that really is not a fun summer read. Rather, it deals with serious topics like suicide and rape. This book is very unlike previous books by the author. The book’s treatment of some of these topics made me uncomfortable. I think many people might find this book triggering and there is not a very satisfying ending. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. This book really fell flat for me and I wasn't interested in finishing it.

I always enjoy Emily Giffin, and the Summer Pact was no exception. A tale of friendship, promises made, and tests of who will really be there when the chips are down. Highly recommend.

I went back and forth on my rating for this book because I did greatly enjoy it, but I felt I had to take a star off as a UVA graduate for the many details that made it clear that Giffin was not a UVA undergrad herself (saying campus instead of Grounds, saying “walking up the lawn” instead of “walking the Lawn” etc) - otherwise it was a great, poignant read about self discovery and the evolution of friendships.

I was thinking this book would be an uplifting, light-hearted summery read, but i was very much mistaken. The Summer Pact, despite the title and cover, is actually a book with some very heavy themes, including suicide, infidelity, and alcoholism.

None of the characters are particularly likable. Hannah has just learned about her fiance cheating on her, Lainey is a hot mess, and Tyson is incredibly self-righteous. The book is labeled a romance, but the romance felt forced and came real quick at the end of the book.

All in all, not a terrible book, but just wasn't great, in my opinion.

Started this because I thought it was a summer read as evidenced by the title and cover but it was definitely intentionally misleading and I shelved it until later. But should have left it on the shelf. I wanted to read Emily Giffin but her newest book was not for me. The characters were unlikable, the plot was ridiculous, and the virtue signaling was heavy. I should have left it DNF!

this one unfortunately fell short for me. It definitely needed some trigger warnings... the cover does not do a good job of hinting at the heavy topics that this book covers, some right at the beginning (TW: suicide, alcoholism, family dynamics, death) I thought this book was overall an easy, quick read, but it just didn't ...do much? Idk how to explain it. The best part of the book was the random mention of Taylor Swift and the Eras Tour LOL

This is a fantastic easy read. I read it on vacation and could not put it down. Following the lives of 3 friends in the wake of their fourth friend's death and various personal trials, I ended up feeling very invested in the characters and their lives. Very much enjoyed this one.

I've never read a book by Emliy Giffin that I didn't enjoy and this is no exception. We are following a group of college friends who made a pact to always be there for each other in their time of need. Though this book wasn't as deep as some of her past books, I did enjoy the found family aspect of the story.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishing Company for this Advanced Readers Copy of The Summer Pact by Emily Griffin!