This book is vastly different than any of Emily Giffin's other works and there is a VERY big trigger warning right at the beginning, as an FYI!

That being said, I enjoyed this book. I wish it were a bit longer, as the ending felt pretty abrupt, even with the time jump. There was a lot (A LOT!!) of heavy stuff that felt glossed over that could have been explored a bit better/more.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Fantastic - could not put it down! Told in alternating viewpoints, this novel explores lifelong friendships, tragedy, and the ties that bind us (to quote another novel!). I found it introspective, funny, all while transported across the globe. This is a perfect beach read!

3.5 ⭐️


Diving back into Emily Giffin’s writing feels like nostalgia. I was quite surprised within the first two chapters…please look up trigger warnings beforehand for those who are sensitive to certain topics.

Overall, I think this story had charm and it truly embodied the importance of friendship. We know that life itself gets crazy and unexpected at times but if you have friends who will consistently show up for you in good times and in bad ones they are the real deal. Keep them around for as long as you can. The book had the trio travel to Capri and now I want to go back to Italy!! Also loved the Epilogue- nice way to end the book.

These opinions are all my own and I thank NetGalley for this ARC in return for an honest book review.

I was torn between rating this a 2.5 or 3 so I’ve rounded it up to a 3. I was so excited to read this one because I have loved some of Emily Giffin’s past books, but this one seemed a little underwhelming to me. The setting and descriptions of their time in Capri were probably my favorite part. Giffin touched on a lot of different topics: grief, suicide, cheating, alcoholism/addiction, sexuality, double standards when it comes to being a person of color. This definitely reads as a slightly heavier summer read with the themes.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

Thank you so much NetGalley, Random House, and Emily Giffin for the ARC

Release Date: July 9, 2024

TW: Suicide and coping with alcohol

I enjoyed this. It hit close to home and it was really powerful. I felt that it was a bit short and I wished the story didn’t end when it did. Emily’s writing is so good and the pace is set well. This one could definitely be a tear jerker.

I haven't read an Emily Giffin book in so long, and I loved the ones I did read way back in the day. When I saw this one, I really wanted to read it. A group of college friends who, after a tragedy, make a pact to always be there for each other during the hard times, no matter what. Ten years later, they are all going through their own hardships and decide to take some time to be together, travel, and support each other. This was definitely a light read while still covering some heavy topics, such as addiction and suicide. I enjoyed following the friends through their travels. You do get the POV from each of them, and I did enjoy that. This was a nice read about friendship and hardships. I do feel like there could have been more to it, but overall, an enjoyable summer read.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Though it didn't feel quite the same as Emily Giffin's earlier novels, this was still a quick and enjoyable read. It told the story of a group of college buddies who get together one summer to travel and support one another throughout difficult times. The story was full of self-discovery moments and even unexpected romance which I appreciated but it would have been better if the development had been spread out over more time. 

I liked how the friends' relationships changed as they matured and how their characters changed. I thought several of the storylines were just rushed too much. There was a little more development I would have hoped to see in those relationships.

I thought it was interesting to hear this story from multiple points of view; it helped me get a deeper understanding of the characters. But in the end, I thought this book's drama was a little too forced.

Still, it was a fun summer book that I would recommend to others, especially if you enjoy stories about friendship and self-discovery.

First let me say that Emily Giffin cannot write a bad book, she just is a natural story teller. I loved this book and I can’t wait for it to be released and for everyone to get to enjoy it. It is spot on Emily Giffin at her best!

The Summer Pact deals with a very tragic and timely subject, suicide. This story follows four best friends who meet in their early days of college, and whose lives will be irrevocably changed going forward. When one of the tight knit group commits suicide, the remaining three friends make a pact that they will be there for one another when things get tough, no matter what. They will not lose another friend. As the years go on, each of them find themselves needing the others more than they could ever know. Throw in some romance and lots of drama, and this is a great summer beach read you do not want to miss!

I loved the premise of the book however I feel like the story largely missed the mark. I felt like the storyline and character development could have been deeper given the ties that bind the threesome, or foursome in the end. The Olivia/Hannah story line felt rushed and out of left field. One take away that I loved was the strong connection and concept of friendship that carried through to the end.

2.5-3 stars! Once upon a time Emily Giffin was once an auto buy author for me I’m not sure if it’s her style that’s changed over the years or my taste. For a highly anticipated release for 2024 I felt as if The Summer Pact fell flat. Again, I’m not sure if it’s Giffins style or my taste. If there is anything I’ve learned through my reading adventures books are subjective whereas, I was underwhelmed does not me that you will. Overall I would say The Summer Pact is a maybe.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

The premise of the book had good promise, but I felt like it missed the mark and lacked depth. The voices from the characters all sounded the same. It was too messy and I did not buy the love stories. It seemed rushed and forced with the addition of Olivia.

(3.5 stars) extremely fast read! this will hook you and keep you entertained the entire time. ver dialog heavy, which i love! by the time i was finished, i was waiting for more, tbh and i do think this book would’ve benefited from being longer and spent more fleshing out the last third. with that being said, it was incredibly enjoyable. a perfect SUMMER read, & the ensemble of characters was great! the power of friendship shines in this book.

Good for the summer, a quick easy read. Nice story about friendships, but a bit too predictable for me.

I didn’t love it, but I didn’t hate it either. I knew about halfway through how things would end up, but the storyline was well thought out. The book is just lacking some kind of spark or “it factor” for me, and maybe it was because all of the characters had too many issues?

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC.

This was a good read - perfect for the beach or a lazy summer afternoon. The crux of the book centers around 4 young adults who bonded together during the first week of college - we get some backstory in bits and pieces as you read through the book and learn one of the 4 is no longer with them come graduation time - Each go their own way until a crisis in ones friends life reunites them and they wind up on an adventure while trying to figure out what it is they really want out of life.

I was captured by the story from the beginning. I loved stories that have the found family trope. A story about friends promising to always be together when tragedy strikes. After an unfortunate event happens then find themselves spending the summer together looking for answers in life. This was an ok read. I wasn’t expecting such heavy topics for a summer read. However it was a captivating story about friendship.

This book was fine. I thought it might’ve been a summer book but that wasn’t the case. I liked the premise. I’m not sure of the ending.

This is a nice story about friendship and life struggles. It’s like a coming of age story for young adults trying to figure out life. I like that it is told from different perspectives, from the group of friends that get together years later when things get derailed in their lives.

This book was okay. I would not really classify it as a romance as that isn't the main focus. It's more about friendship and the ties that bound us. The characters were interesting, but there didn't seem to be a lot of depth to their stories. It can be a bit heavy at times. Overall just okay for me.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for advanced copy, and I give my review freely