The Summer Pact

by Emily Giffin

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • In the wake of tragedy, a group of friends makes a pact that will cause them to reunite a decade later and embark upon a life-changing adventure together—from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Meant to Be.

“Juicy, page-turning escapism.”—The New York Times

Four freshmen arrive at college from completely different worlds: Lainey, a California party girl with a flair for drama; Tyson, a brilliant scholar and aspiring lawyer from Washington, D.C.; Summer, an ambitious, recruited athlete from the Midwest; and Hannah, a mild-mannered southerner who is content to quietly round out the circle of big personalities. Soon after arriving on campus, they strike up a conversation in their shared dorm, and the seeds of friendship are planted.

As their college years fly by, their bond intensifies and the four become inseparable. But as graduation nears, their lives are forever changed after a desperate act leads to tragic consequences. Stunned and heartbroken, they make a pact, promising to always be there for one another, no matter how separated they may become by circumstances or distance.

Ten years later, Hannah is anticipating what should be one of the happiest moments of her life when everything is suddenly turned upside down. Calling on her closest friends, it soon becomes clear that they are all facing their own crossroads. True to their promise, they agree to take a time out from lives headed in wrong directions and embark on a shared journey of self-discovery, forgiveness, and acceptance.

In this tender portrayal of grief, love, and hope, Emily Giffin asks: When things fall apart, who will be at our sides, helping us pick up the pieces?

Genres: Fiction, Beach Reads, Summer Reads, Summer, Romance, Audiobook

368 pages, Paperback

Published April 29, 2025

About the author

EMILY GIFFIN is a graduate of Wake Forest University and the University of Virginia School of Law. The #1 New York Times bestselling author of eleven novels, Something Borrowed, Something Blue, Baby Proof, Love the One You're With, Heart of the Matter, Where We Belong, The One & Only, First Comes Love, All We Ever Wanted, The Lies That Bind, and the recently released Meant to Be, she currently lives in Atlanta with her family.

Website: www.emilygiffin.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/EmilyGiffinFans

Twitter: https://twitter.com/emilygiffin

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/emilygiffina...

Reviews

[haya · Rating 1 out of 5]

my head is sore from the feeling of being whacked with a giant hammer. if there was a prize for heavy handedness or what book can cram the most clichés, this would be a winner!

[Andrea Everhart · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eh, this was so bland & forgettable. There was a lot going on this story that could have really drawn me in, but the characters had lukewarm personalities and I just didn't connect.

[Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh…skim read the last chapters…meh

[Ashlynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

alright this is going to be longer than most of my reviews bc i have so many thoughts and no one to say them to.

first this book was listed as a “fun summer read” on my libby app and based on the title i thought this was enough information to think this was going to be a fun summer read about a silly summer pact.

however that is not what this book is about. this book is about a group of college friends. one of which committed suicide right before graduation (this friend being named summer). the rest of the friends then make a pact that they will be there for each other at their lowest no matter what. you would think the rest of the book would explore each of the characters lowest points and how the others were there for them, but no that is not what happens.

instead the entire book is about how two friends dropped everything to be there for the other one at her lowest and it fall kind of flat then they try to shove in romantic relationships in the last quarter of the book.

i honestly think the concept of this book was there but it just fell flat.

other note i listened to this book and could only stand one of the three narrators by the end of the book. they made the characters seem so whiny and i was so close to not even finishing but i pushed through.

[Lora · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5⭐️
Started and ended great…everything between the first and last chapter was meh.

[Kyli · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’ve read every single one of Emily Giffin’s books and have such fond memories of devouring them in my early 20s. When The Summer Pact came out, I picked it up purely for nostalgia’s sake—expecting that same spark, warmth, and emotional pull I remembered. Sadly, this one fell completely flat for me, and I felt a relief when I finally forced myself to finish it.

The plot felt rushed (so much going on at such a fast speed), the writing almost lazy, and the characters had zero depth. No one felt real or layered—just paper-thin archetypes moving from scene to scene without any real emotional weight. I kept waiting for that moment when I’d feel invested, but it never came. It felt cliche and unrealistic from start to end.

I can’t tell if I’ve just outgrown her style, or if this book truly missed the mark, but either way, it was disappointing. I wish I had left it unread and kept my fond memories of her books intact.

[Peyton · Rating 1 out of 5]

This story felt very rushed and overall underwhelming.

I thought this was going to be a really deep book about friendship. And the prologue really made me think it would be. However, all the characters seemed very surface level and a little selfish in their own ways. Lainey and Tyson were back and forth so much it gave me whiplash and I felt there was no chemistry between them whatsoever. Their “spark” frankly came out of no where.

I didn’t connect with any of the characters and the whole plot was very lackluster and overall bland. The potential for the story was there about growth and self reflection for a group of friends who all went through something really traumatic and heartbreaking their last year of college. But sadly it was a let down that I can’t quite get past. 😪

[Naomi Kiel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cute book, but the plot line was completely underdeveloped. The happy ending was too happy. It was unreasonable and kind of came out of nowhere.

[Nini · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars! I listened to this on audio. The voice actors were SOOOO good. It is an emotional story and the actors brought it out. I did tear up a little bit in the beginning cus i was just so immersed in the voices and what was going on.

Read this if you want to read about a tight knit group of friends that will literally ride or die.

[Jill Neufeld · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐ certainly not the Giffin writing that I know and love... felt quite forced? Just didn't seem like her writing at all... I would sum it up as: fine but not a book I would recommend to a friend. Sad!

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this, and it was a super easy read. Sweet friendships. Some parts of the story line seemed rushed and the end and not as developed as I would e preferred, but I liked the idea of the book.

[Sarah Richman Burns]

for some reason i just didn’t really like hannah and couldn’t get over it after the first chapter

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really like Emily Giffin, and while I think she tried to explore a few important topics here I wouldn’t say this is a great reflection of her ability. A tad boring and unrealistic.

[Melissa · Rating 1 out of 5]

I did not enjoy this

[Beth Torres · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not what I thought it would be or wanted it to be

[Lydia Evon · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really liked the first half of the book but out of nowhere there was a shift. tyson and lainey were falling for each other after hannah had been going on and on about ‘can’t a girl have a guy friend without people thinking something’. as someone who has guy friends i was so excited to see just good friends together and have it not be sexualized, but as soon as they started doing stuff i kind of clocked out. it seemed out of character for both of them and just forced in the book.
this book had so much potential to a beautiful story about self growth and how important it is to have good friends by your side but ultimately fell short.
the only reason why it’s not 1 star is because hannah found love and found out she wasn’t straight. gays support gays.

[Morgan White · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was absolutely hooked on this book as soon as I picked it up. Not at all what I was expecting just from the front cover but absolutely amazing.

I really enjoyed that this was focused on this friend group who meets in college. I think it perfectly portrayed how we typically find our lifelong friends in the most random of scenarios but that they come into our lives right when we need them to!

While there are some sad parts with tough topics I 10/10 recommend this book to everyone!!

[Hillary J Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

when i picked up this book, I thought it would be a light summer read- boy was I wrong!
this book took a turn i wasn't expecting, but wow! it was good! it kept my attention the whole time, and I loved the bond the characters had. I honestly loved everything about it!

just know it could be a trigger to those that have dealt with a loved one and suicide. that part was totally unexpected, and to be honest, could easily be triggering to some.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good storyline and doesn't get triggered.

[Cherie Schmidt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book but dumb ending

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

For a light summer read, the author crammed in lots of relationship " heaviness" , in which 3 of the 4 college friendship group deal with, after conveniently each having a BIG life change, while the same family problems haven't changed for each but get addressed due to a decision to go on a trip together ..after the dozen or so years having past.
Friendship, mother daughter, father daughter, father son, family pressures, romance, loyalty, forgiveness, suicide, anger management, alcoholism, half siblings, job satisfaction, on and on.
Kind of a bummer of a book.. to envoke the 4th friend's ghost and replace " 4 again" them with another .. matching up as couples instead of strengthening the friendship bonds. Really found the pact change SO opposite of it's original intent and NOT due to friendship growth!
Life is tough and IMO friends ideally help you find the rays of sunshine. I guess I expected the story to highlight that, as it did at times go in that direction. The doorman was a great example of friendship actions, and obviously the huge sacrifice the two friends of the 4 made to honor the pact.

I hope others were reminded life is precious, let's try out best to be kind to ALL. Even a small gesture can possibly help someone's day have a ray of sunshine in it..may be your own even.

[Maggiendp · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the past I have rated Emily Giffin's books from 2 to 4 stars; this one is 2.5 for me. It was somewhat entertaining but lacked any emotional depth. As she frequently does, the author tells the stories from different POVs; in this case the 3 main characters who entered into a strong friendship in college. It felt like she called central casting and said "Send me 4 stock college student characters" and then she turned them into 4 "intensely" bonded friends. I'm not at all convinced these 3 (spoiler - one dies) would cross the street for each other after a few years out of college, let alone quit jobs and travel around the world. I have friends from college and I love them still; this did not ring true for me.

[Victoria Black · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my first Emily Giffin novel, and honestly, it was just okay for me. I did appreciate that the heart of the story focused on the bond between longtime friends—that’s something I value deeply in my own life, so I could really relate to the idea of leaning on your friends when everything feels like it’s falling apart.

That said, I struggled with the characters. Hannah came off as whiny, Laney felt immature and overly abrasive, and Tyson seemed too uptight for me to connect with. I pushed through because I have a hard time not finishing a book, but I’ll admit—it was a tough one to get through.

[Stephanie Joy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

I remember loving Emily Giffin’s books over a decade ago and this popped up on my Libby app. The play on words in the title was interesting and had me intrigued to follow the story in the book. I think there were good ideas for the plot but they just weren’t executed well. Things just felt kind of thrown together for the sake of it.

It did leave me wanting to watch First Wives Club from ages ago since the concept reminded me of the way the women in that movie came together following a friend’s tragedy. I think because I loved that movie so much this book was compared to that in my mind.

[Deffery · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really wanted to give this book 3 1/2 stars. I upped it to 4 because I felt 3 was not enough. This is a semi romantic book in my opinion. It’s mostly about 3 college best friends that make an effort to stay in touch.

Hannah, one of the friends, is so whiny 😫 and always apologetic after she meddles in Lainey’s family, while she couldn’t confront her own mother. It’s a wonder Tyson and Lainey wanted to stay friends with her. Hannah would do or say things and then ask for forgiveness. That really got on my reading nerves! 😬 😂.

I would tell my reading friends to read it, due to the fact they may like it more than I did.

[Kelsie Currie · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars! Not bad but also not good. Quick easy read but characters were mid and also not that nice to each other despite the book being about supposed “best friendship.” Lots of tropes crammed into one book that I think could have been pretty powerful if written better! I think the (sad part) of the book happens really quickly and readers are left with an emotional whiplash because it’s SO SAD, but you actually don’t know the characters that well yet and it doesn’t feel authentic. Was looking for an easy read after a heavier one and this was heavy but not at all deep or satisfying. Does anyone actually read these? It is nice to type it out.

[Kaitlyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutley devoured this book - reading it in just a few days despite having not much dedicated time to read. It was nothing as I expected. It was, however, fun and sweet and heartfelt and all the things. If I could I would give it 4.5 stars. I want to withold that last half star though because I think there was a little bit of grit or depth missing. It read a little easy breezy as the pacing was quite fast but I could've used a little more development of some of the more heavy storylines. On the other hand, I loved that it was so easy breezy because that is what made it such a fun and quick read. Still, it need a little more oomph in parts.

[Megan Rasp · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was…fine?

Okay. So, the first 2/3s of the book were alright. It wasn’t bad, it wasn’t great, but I was getting through it just peachy. However…the last like, 80-100 pages just went from 0-100 real fast and not in the fun way. I’ve read books with rushed endings plenty of times but I don’t even think that’s a fair description to the experience of the last 1/3 of the book. The ending flew in out of nowhere and it felt very akin to book whiplash.

All in all, not my favorite. I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone but I also wouldn’t tell someone who was already reading to stop 🤷🏼‍♀️

[Karen Anderson · Rating 2 out of 5]

spoilers ...

I thought it would be about friends supporting each other.
the bad:
randomly showing up at a stranger's house to confront them about their father's infidelity and lies and expect it to not go badly is wild.
having the male character be involved with one of the friends and then years later but suddenly in love with another, also then getting married after a year of which most of it has the woman going through rehab

[Emily Esser · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute themes of friendship, growth, and finding yourself.
There were a few plot-points that felt a little unrealistic and/or childish given then characters’ ages. I think i was willing to overlook some of it because I enjoyed the overarching message of: ‘it’s not too late to find yourself and make change in your life.’

Haven’t read a book that wasn’t romance centered or fantasy in a while, so this was a nice change of pace.

[Ashley Rambousek · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cheeeeesey. But then again, about on par with what you expect from Emily Griffin. Doesn’t dive too deep and doesn’t make you think too much.

So for one, I feel like she tried to hit a harder topic - alcoholism - and kinda missed. Another thing - I saw the Olivia story line coming from a mile away and it also just didn’t work. Tyson sounds like the buzz kill of the century. I think I would like a book about Grady and Berlin more.