I am a fan of Emily Giffin so I was excited to read her newest novel. This was a story of a friendship pact starting in college between four freshman, three gals and one guy. A tragic incident happens and they lose one member. The other three have undying loyalty to one another. At the heart of this story is grief, love, understanding and acceptance. It’s an enjoyable summer read as the characters mature and find themselves and what truly matters to their individual lives. It feels a little predictable on spots but still held my interest. #TheSummerPact #EmilyGiffin #NetGalley
Thank you to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for an advanced eGalley.

This book was so cute. I loved the story of Tyson, Hannah, Lainey, and Summer’s friendship. I loved how they were always there for each other, and I loved following them along on their journeys to find happiness. This book made me laugh, made me sad, and the ending was so sweet. I highly recommend this for anyone looking for a book about friendship and finding happiness.

i listened to this on audio and tbh felt underwhelmed — it was a highly anticipated 2024 release for me but it was just okay and feels forgettable in a month or two.

something was missing and just felt off, but i can’t quite put my finger on it and that’s what’s bugging me!! to be fair, i am playing the comparison game though bc i loooooved MEANT TO BE and also enjoyed THE LIES THAT BIND / her older work.

i think what bugged me most is that i kept waiting for more—the plot to get deeper, a twist to come at the end, something to surprise me?? IDK!!! it was hard to get an emotional connection to any of the characters the way the author went about it (keeping spoiler free). the big event happens right away in the first 15 pages so then you’re left with nearly 350 pages post-big plot and i think executionally, she could have built on the friendship and time in college before diving right in.

i know it’s a litfic but it just felt like nothing happened (yet she crammed in so many tidbits and topics? like the eras tour and Travis Kelce? even as a Swiftie…i’m like, what?!?? 😂) and the characters seemed so immature for their ages. i also felt a little icky after the end… a major trigger warning was missed and it felt very random to the story.

i did the audiobook and while i enjoyed the 3 POVs, the narrators were just okay. not my faves ever and i wonder if i would have felt different by reading the physical copy, just a tip!

really interested to see what readers think when this comes out! thanks to PRH Audio for the gifted ALC and early copy

Emily Giffin is one of my favorite authors, so I will always pick up her new releases! This book covers some heavy topics, including but not limited to suicide and social injustices- so it is not the light "summer read" you might have been expecting when reading the title or looking at the cover. As they say, do not judge a book by its cover. Thankfully she provides a disclaimer at the start of the book for those who may be more sensitive to the topics covered. I personally really enjoy toggled POVs, so the three characters differing point of views, along with the described scenery, really pulled me in!
I enjoyed reading this book and although I did find myself looking forward to moments I could pick it up and keep reading, I had a few personal disappointments. The biggest issue I had was the fact that some of the heavier topics felt forced into conversation, to the point where the flow of conversation or the characters thoughts became choppy and diverted from the train of thought. If you follow Emily Giffin on social media you would know her passion and involvement for social justice topics, which is why I felt a little more relaxed in my judgement of the amount present in this book. Her social media has very heavily mentioned the passing of Stanford soccer player, Katie Meyer, so when I began reading this book I immediately noticed the similarities between her and the main character of this novel. I found that the racial injustice thoughts of one of the main characters was choppy and almost forced into the pages. I also unfortunately felt like the love connections were not as natural as some of her other novels and an LGBTQ+ romance was stuck in as another added social topic.
Each of these topics being extremely important social issues gave me an added a layer of respect for Emily Giffin for covering them, but I almost felt that each character covered too much and would have benefitted from either decreased repeated mentions or future book characters covering some of the topics.
I still really enjoyed reading the book and have recommended it to many friends, I love anything set on a romantic coast in Europe- I gladly imagined myself there while reading this book in the sweltering heatwave we had in Chicago.
Thank you to Emily Giffin and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced edition of The Summer Pact.

This was a bittersweet story about lasting friendship and the value of being there for each other when needed. Even though there are trigger warnings at the beginning, I guess I wasn’t prepared for the suicide that occurs in the first chapter. That and the immediate aftermath were hard to read.

Ten years later, the remaining friends each find themselves at a personal crossroads and come together for an “Under the Tuscan Sun” style adventure to rediscover themselves. Some of the situations and side characters were a bit hard to believe, but I liked the development of the three main characters and their story arcs. Also, I am currently booking my tickets to Italy…

This was an enjoyable and quick read. Not the best Emily Griffin I’ve read, but still good enough to bring along to the beach.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing – Ballantine for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A sweet story of last and true friendships.
Thanks to Netgalley and the author for the early release ARC.

When I started reading this story I thought it was going to be a summer romance, perfect for the beach. I was instead taken on a journey of friendship, love, mental health, and so much more. I loved seeing how these friends supported each other through the highs and lows. It was fun to see where they all ended up in their walks of life after college.

The Summer Pact ⛱️✈️☀️

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Author: Emily Giffin

“But I have come to learn that we can’t live our lives in a small fear-based way. We have to take risks. We have to love big. And we have to have faith in our friendships. They’ve gotten us this far.”

Hannah, Lainey, and Tyson make a pact after losing their best friend, Summer. They promise to be there for each other in their darkest times. When Hannah’s fiancé cheats on her, Lainey and Tyson immediately hop on a plane to be with her in Atlanta. The three friends decide to finally take the trip they never took after college graduation.

Well this one starts out with a bang! There is a major traumatic event that happens in the first chapter, so you definitely need to check your trigger warnings! While I enjoyed this book, it is very different from the other Emily Giffin books I have read.

If you are looking for a summer read with more depth, this book is for you! The summer travels and romance subplots are fun, but there are also themes of pressure from parents/society, systemic racism, self-discovery, loss, grief, suicide, alcoholism, and betrayal. This group of friends is beyond loyal, but they are all working through their issues in very different ways.

I love a book with a POV from each character. I felt like I got to know each character and their motivations more intimately through their personal chapters. I would have enjoyed a then/now POV to learn more about how their friendship started and about Summer, who is central to the plot.

Overall, I really liked this book and the characters. I would love for the author to write more books about these characters, their friendships, and romantic relationships.

Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. It will be released on July 9, 2024.

I've read a lot by Emily Giffin, so I was super excited to get this ARC. I enjoyed this read, but not quite as much as others. I appreciated the content/trigger warning at the beginning of the book because a suicide happens almost immediately. It is the single event that drives the plot between this group of friends.

My favorite aspect of the book is the friendship between Hannah, Tyson, and Lainey. The way they form the Summer Pact, named after their friend who passed, and support each other is good. It is well-developed throughout the novel. Now, some of the things they do and maybe the dialogue seem a bit stretched, but it was entertaining nonetheless. The settings are also very well described, and I found myself immersed in Italy.

Overall, I'd recommend this to others, but if it is their first Emily Giffin, I'd probably direct them to another title first to get feel for her writing.

Four friends Summer, Tyson, Lainey and Hannah meet in college and become a tight knit group until Summer commits suicide right before graduation; the other three make a pact that they will always be there for each other no matter what. Ten years later when Hannah ends her engagement after finding her fiancé in bed with someone else, the other two drop everything to be with her in her hour of need - but it turns out they all are at an hour of need and are at a point in their life where they need each other. The three stick to their pact and support each other for some interesting and life altering journeys.

This was my first book by the author and I will try another one because I know people love her, but this was just not a love match for me. I couldn't connect with most of the charters or unfortunately the story. Some of the novel kept me entertained but the middle of it was just too slow. I liked enough parts of the story that I felt bad I didn’t like the book as a whole, but there were enough elements that just didn’t work for me. I’m sure her fans will like it, but it shouldn’t have been my first of hers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine for the ARC

3.5

I felt the writing was not as eloquent as I imagined it should be. I thought the story had some good aspects and themes but it didn’t seem super well written to me. I hate that I have these thoughts but alas

This was such a fun book to read. It was romantic and full of fun humor and banter. I liked how close Anna and her sister Wendy were. Wendy was pregnant with triplets which made the story interesting and funny. I also enjoyed the suspense and how Owen came into Anna's life. They were opposites that definitely had sparks between them but it would never work because he didn't do long term or let women in and Anna always ran away to protect her heart. Add to all of that the mystery and suspense and it made for a fun book to read. I will miss these characters and their sense of humor. I received an advance copy of this book and I willingly chose to write an honest review.

The Summer Pact
by Emily Giffin

I love Emily Giffin novels and this one was great! However, parts of it were very heavy though so I would caution anyone who may be triggered by suicide, alcoholism, and infidelity though I thought the author approached them with grace. I love the complexity of the characters in this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the digital advanced readers copy!! Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. This novel will be published July 9, 2024! Add it to your TBR!!

This was such a heartfelt found-family read with fun and romance. The sparkling Italy travel paired with the heavy inner challenges each character was going through in multiple POVs made the book super engaging and the perfect poolside read.

There are heavy trigger warnings in this book and I appreciated the note at the start about the content—so wish more authors did this!

Thanks so much Ballantine Books for an ARC of this book & NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest thoughts!

I cannot get enough of Emily Giffin's story-telling and complex characters. IMO she has come leaps and bounds from shallow, selfish characters in previous books like Something Borrowed and Something Blue, even though I enjoyed both titles. Let me tell you about this one....

(there are some strong themes and trigger warnings, but I do not want to reveal what they are because I do not want to spoil the book)

This book has so angst from the 4 main protagonists that met in college and their later years. I had no idea what I was getting into when I read this book. I did not read a synopsis or spoiler before reading this book. Just requested it due to the author. It does not take long into the bok before there is an explosive event for everyone and the fallout, guilt and anguish that continues.

I could empathize with all the characters (Summer, Lainey, Tyson and Hannah) all in different ways. They each have their own setbacks, guilt and determination after this pact is made. Each reveal is well placed and adds layers to the plot. I could not put this book down once I started it.

Highly recommended! I look forward to Giffin's next book if it is as good as this one!

Thanks to Netgalley, Emily Giffin and Random House Publishing Group Ballatine Books for an ARC in exchnage for an honest review.

Available: 7/9/2024

Great read! Started out really strong for me. The ending was great too, just wasn’t 100% on with the hospital scene at the end. Would buy and recommend to friends!

I have really mixed thoughts on this one and unfortunately I think it was overall a miss for me. I found the story to be a bit boring and the writing style felt like the story was being told at me instead of something I can really lose myself in. Some parts were a bit predictable. I thought this would be a fun summer story but I think it’s important to note The Summer Pact is because of a character named Summer, not necessarily the season summer. It did have some summer travel moments but overall it just wasn’t what I was expecting. I appreciate the deeper and more meaningful parts of the story too, but I felt like they were kind of tossed in or glazed over. This was my first book by this author and I’ve heard great things so I’ll try some of her other books! Review posted on GoodReads 6/22 and Instagram 6/23
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6579760247
https://www.instagram.com/briellesbookshelves?igsh=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

I’m a huge fan of the author and this is probably my least favorite of all of her books but it’s still a 4 star for me, so take that as you will. It’s pretty depressing at times as it deals with some heavy subject matter so don’t let the pretty cover and lighthearted title fool you. The author did handled topics like suicide and addiction with care though but it was a bit of an odd balance between summer travels and emotional upheaval. I did like the travel aspect and the reasoning behind the whole thing. I also appreciated the connection between this group of friends and you hear from all of them in alternating POVs so I felt like I got a solid understanding of them by the end. If you want a read with some real depth and tragedy instead of a standard summer read, try this. It’s a great exploration of friendship and found family if you can handle some serious issues.

This was my first Emily Giffin book, and I... didn't like it. I did enjoy the idea of the story and the various settings — love a travel book for the summer — but the stereotypical and underdeveloped and frankly annoying characters were where things fell apart for me.

Firstly, the book practically starts with a pretty gruesome suicide, that I was not expecting or prepared for, and sadly, we never get real resolution as to why Summer ended her own life. Her three best friends are the POV characters in this book, Hannah, Lainey, and Tyson; Hannah very much came across to me as the "main" character, though the other two have their moments.

Lainey was the most egregious character in the "annoying as hell" category. I suppose she has her reasons, her dad being mostly absent from her life (due to the fact that her mom was his mistress and he has a whole family in another state) and her mom's relatively recent death contributing to her borderline alcoholism, but her main storyline of finding her half siblings went so off the rails. The way she confronts her half-sister in front of her mom and dad, instead of talking just to the dad — the one who actually did something wrong — was unhinged. Later finding out that her other half-sister, Olivia, is more-or-less estranged from the rest of the family because of politics/sexuality/lifestyle choices (I'm honestly unsure if this was actually unclear or if I've just already forgotten) felt like the stereotypical "black sheep" of the family, even if Lainey at first refuses to believe it or give her a chance.

The characters who weren't white women (like the author) came across very stereotypical, and it honestly made me uncomfortable to read her attempt at getting inside the head of a Black man and a queer woman. I was not surprised at all that the only guy in the friend group, Tyson, had romantic feelings/encounters with two out of the three girls (Summer before her death and Lainey at the time of the book, which is years later, so it's all above board) — truly the only shocker there was that something never happened with Hannah, too. And Tyson having kept secret his and Summer's romance for all these years, after she died, felt impossible and also pointless. His chapters felt the most uncomfortable with weirdly forced political things happening in the writing, presumably due to the white author's feeling like that's what she needed to do with her one Black main character. It just felt unnecessary and like I didn't really get to see who Tyson was for himself.

And finally, I was absolutely mindblown at the out-of-nowhere romance between Hannah and Olivia, whom she meets and starts making out with almost immediately (at least it feels that way). The entire premise of this book is that Hannah's friends convince her to go on this whole trip because she walked in on her male fiance having sex with another woman, and she admits that she's never had romantic feelings toward a woman before, yet suddenly here we were. Really? What? First of all, it's way too soon to be getting into any sort of relationship, much less one with your best friend's sister, who she has never met, and indeed is currently refusing to meet because of how poorly meeting the other part of the family went. What are you actually doing?? This is not friendship! I was baffled that it happened and even more baffled that the end of the book had them still together, like this was a happy ending. It was so out of the blue and really made my opinion of the book go down.

Truly, I was disappointed in this book. I've seen Emily Giffin's books for years and years and always thought I'd get around to reading them someday, and now I think... probably not.

The premise of The Summer Pact was promising and it started out strong but ultimately didn’t live up to my expectations. Maybe because I rated Emily Giffin’s “Meant to Be” 5 stars last year so I went into it blind, but I thought it would be at least a 4-star read for sure.

This book deals with some pretty heavy topics that I thought the author discussed well (suicide, alcoholism, infidelity, etc.) and there was “some” character development but I think I just wanted a bit more.

Italy
Multiple POV
Friendship
Secrets

Thank you Ballatine Books, @randomhouse and @netgalley for the eARC copy.