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beckyrendon's review against another edition
4.0
A deal worth making
Everyone has heard of the plot friends promise once they hit the big 3-0 they'll get married if they aren't serious about anyone else.
It's always a fun story. This one is no exception. I really enjoyed it and you will too.
Plus Linden had a Scottish accent...just saying
Everyone has heard of the plot friends promise once they hit the big 3-0 they'll get married if they aren't serious about anyone else.
It's always a fun story. This one is no exception. I really enjoyed it and you will too.
Plus Linden had a Scottish accent...just saying
amym84's review against another edition
4.0
This was one of those books where I dropped whatever else I was reading and became completely immersed in this story. Finishing a book within one day is hard for me to do these days, but sometimes a book comes along and won't let me put it down. It helps that the pace was pretty quick with very few lulls throughout.
I won't say the book is perfect. There were a few moments where I just couldn't understand why a character would make the choices they did, but I kind of chalk that up to Karina Halle's writing and it actually making me care about the characters' actions. Plus, there were a lot more really good moments / scenes than bad / irritating ones so I can overlook the more negative aspects of the books. It also helped that, despite me not liking some decisions made by the characters, I actually liked the characters themselves overall.
I know that Karina Halle's writing is usually grittier and more heart wrenching so I really enjoyed this departure for her. Don't get me wrong, whenever the heart is involved things can get messy, but I think a "friends to lovers" storyline is perfect for showing the conflicting feelings that getting in a relationship can sometimes pose. Karina Halle perfectly shows how sometimes it's not just the couple that's effected in a relationship that moves from the friend stage to the lovers stage, sometimes others are caught in the crossfire too. It also helps that the "friends to lovers" trope is one of my favorites, so maybe I'm a little biased :)
I won't say the book is perfect. There were a few moments where I just couldn't understand why a character would make the choices they did, but I kind of chalk that up to Karina Halle's writing and it actually making me care about the characters' actions. Plus, there were a lot more really good moments / scenes than bad / irritating ones so I can overlook the more negative aspects of the books. It also helped that, despite me not liking some decisions made by the characters, I actually liked the characters themselves overall.
I know that Karina Halle's writing is usually grittier and more heart wrenching so I really enjoyed this departure for her. Don't get me wrong, whenever the heart is involved things can get messy, but I think a "friends to lovers" storyline is perfect for showing the conflicting feelings that getting in a relationship can sometimes pose. Karina Halle perfectly shows how sometimes it's not just the couple that's effected in a relationship that moves from the friend stage to the lovers stage, sometimes others are caught in the crossfire too. It also helps that the "friends to lovers" trope is one of my favorites, so maybe I'm a little biased :)
caseroo7's review against another edition
5.0
Review originally posted at Ramblings From This Chick
Let me just start off by saying I absolutely loved this book! This book gave me all the feels without leaving me a total emotional wreck. I have been a fan of Karina Halle's since the first book of hers I read, but after reading The Pact I absolutely cannot wait for more from her! Karina proved with this contemporary adult romance that she really can do it all. While I am a huge fan of her work, I will tell you to keep in mind that this book is very different from everything that she has done in the past so fans of hers should go into The Pact expecting for this to be unlike anything else she has written. I loved this book and pretty much devoured it, but that being said I can see how this book will bring out strong reactions on both sides. I think that some will really love this book like I did, but I also think that others will have a really tough time with this one.
Linden McGregor and Stephanie Robson have been best friends since they met through their mutual friend James when they all worked together at a bar. While Stephanie and James dated for awhile, she became close to Linden and they kept things platonic. After Stephanie and James broke up, both Stephanie and Linden dated others and tried to find the right person for them. When they are both 25, Linden suggested a pact to marry each other if they still were single or not serious at the age of 30. As the years pass and they both approach their 30th birthdays, many things change and they find themselves in a complicated situation where sex, friendships and relationships are all on the line.
I absolutely loved Linden! Seriously this guy is amazing, and by far one of my all time favorite book boyfriends ever. He was a dirty-talking, sexy helicopter pilot with a Scottish accent, and he really could not have been sweeter. He definitely made some mistakes and he should have been honest with Steph on more than one occasion, but he cared deeply for her and was such a great guy. He was supportive and encouraging, and always pushed her to make her dreams come true. Steph was great as well. She was smart and sweet, and I loved her friendship with Linden. They clicked so well, but you could tell that for her it took awhile for things to become more than just friendship for her. While Linden seemed to always be interested but unable to do anything about it, Stephanie was attracted to him but didn't see more than friendship until later on. I thought that she was a great friend to him though, and I really liked seeing her start to realize what a great guy she had right in front of her. These two definitely had chemistry between them, but I loved seeing it build. I was glad that it started off as a bit of tension that just kept growing rather than them jump into bed together before they were ready for each other. Because once they finally made it to that stage, you could tell just how perfect for one another they were.
Here is where I think that some people will have problems...the relationship between Stephanie and Linden takes awhile. For a good chunk of this book, they are not together and one or both of them are seeing others. This is a friends to lovers story, and it starts off with nine years of friendship. It honestly didn't bother me though, because I truly felt that while they were attracted to one another and were developing real feelings that they weren't ready for one another yet. They had some growing up to do as individuals and needed to figure some things out first. For me, this was completely natural and I enjoyed the progression of their relationship even with others involved. It wasn't always easy, and I hated most of the people they were with, but it felt real to me. Another thing that I think people will probably have some issues with is the fact that Linden was afraid to really pursue anything with Stephanie because of his friendship with James. He worried about how James felt and didn't want to destroy their friendship. While I didn't agree with his choices when it came to James, I do understand what he was thinking. He had never really had any close family relationships or love in his life, and he felt like James was almost a brother to him. So while it drove me crazy and broke my heart for him and Stephanie at times, I did get it even if I didn't like it.
Overall, I thought that this story was real and believable and I adored Linden. For me this book was fantastic and beautiful, even when it was breaking my heart or bringing on the tears. I loved Linden and Stephanie and had faith that they would find themselves together in the end, because a love like theirs really had no other option. Their connection was too strong, and I knew they would eventually figure things out and fight for each other. I honestly love Karina's writing style, and this book was everything that I have come to know and love from her but also so much more. I cannot wait for more from her in the future, and I can't wait to go back and read this story all over again.
Let me just start off by saying I absolutely loved this book! This book gave me all the feels without leaving me a total emotional wreck. I have been a fan of Karina Halle's since the first book of hers I read, but after reading The Pact I absolutely cannot wait for more from her! Karina proved with this contemporary adult romance that she really can do it all. While I am a huge fan of her work, I will tell you to keep in mind that this book is very different from everything that she has done in the past so fans of hers should go into The Pact expecting for this to be unlike anything else she has written. I loved this book and pretty much devoured it, but that being said I can see how this book will bring out strong reactions on both sides. I think that some will really love this book like I did, but I also think that others will have a really tough time with this one.
Linden McGregor and Stephanie Robson have been best friends since they met through their mutual friend James when they all worked together at a bar. While Stephanie and James dated for awhile, she became close to Linden and they kept things platonic. After Stephanie and James broke up, both Stephanie and Linden dated others and tried to find the right person for them. When they are both 25, Linden suggested a pact to marry each other if they still were single or not serious at the age of 30. As the years pass and they both approach their 30th birthdays, many things change and they find themselves in a complicated situation where sex, friendships and relationships are all on the line.
I absolutely loved Linden! Seriously this guy is amazing, and by far one of my all time favorite book boyfriends ever. He was a dirty-talking, sexy helicopter pilot with a Scottish accent, and he really could not have been sweeter. He definitely made some mistakes and he should have been honest with Steph on more than one occasion, but he cared deeply for her and was such a great guy. He was supportive and encouraging, and always pushed her to make her dreams come true. Steph was great as well. She was smart and sweet, and I loved her friendship with Linden. They clicked so well, but you could tell that for her it took awhile for things to become more than just friendship for her. While Linden seemed to always be interested but unable to do anything about it, Stephanie was attracted to him but didn't see more than friendship until later on. I thought that she was a great friend to him though, and I really liked seeing her start to realize what a great guy she had right in front of her. These two definitely had chemistry between them, but I loved seeing it build. I was glad that it started off as a bit of tension that just kept growing rather than them jump into bed together before they were ready for each other. Because once they finally made it to that stage, you could tell just how perfect for one another they were.
Here is where I think that some people will have problems...the relationship between Stephanie and Linden takes awhile. For a good chunk of this book, they are not together and one or both of them are seeing others. This is a friends to lovers story, and it starts off with nine years of friendship. It honestly didn't bother me though, because I truly felt that while they were attracted to one another and were developing real feelings that they weren't ready for one another yet. They had some growing up to do as individuals and needed to figure some things out first. For me, this was completely natural and I enjoyed the progression of their relationship even with others involved. It wasn't always easy, and I hated most of the people they were with, but it felt real to me. Another thing that I think people will probably have some issues with is the fact that Linden was afraid to really pursue anything with Stephanie because of his friendship with James. He worried about how James felt and didn't want to destroy their friendship. While I didn't agree with his choices when it came to James, I do understand what he was thinking. He had never really had any close family relationships or love in his life, and he felt like James was almost a brother to him. So while it drove me crazy and broke my heart for him and Stephanie at times, I did get it even if I didn't like it.
Overall, I thought that this story was real and believable and I adored Linden. For me this book was fantastic and beautiful, even when it was breaking my heart or bringing on the tears. I loved Linden and Stephanie and had faith that they would find themselves together in the end, because a love like theirs really had no other option. Their connection was too strong, and I knew they would eventually figure things out and fight for each other. I honestly love Karina's writing style, and this book was everything that I have come to know and love from her but also so much more. I cannot wait for more from her in the future, and I can't wait to go back and read this story all over again.
elisabeth_julia's review against another edition
2.0
I’m lowering my rating from 3 to 2 stars since I now finished all but one books in the series and this one is the weakest by far and simply pales in comparison.
“The pact” is still a book I enjoyed most of the time while reading it. I liked the San Francisco backdrop and the friendships and social dynamics in this. It kept me engrossed from beginning to end, which is great, but (and yes, it’s a big HUGE but!) I didn’t warm up to the romance in here and since the focus here is on the romance that’s a bit of a deal breaker, wouldn’t you agree?
Maybe it’s a matter of taste, but Linden is as far from the well-spoken, respectful and civilised men who I rather like to come cross in my romance novels as can be. I don’t want to quote Linden here, but let’s just say his vulgar and obscene and at times disrespectful talk isn’t a quality in his favour. Speaking of qualities in favour of Linden… oh wait there are none. Besides his good looks and huge you-know-what of course - and that’s just boring. I don’t really mind a flawed character but in this case I’m not sure if his flaws were meant to be actual flaws or just character traits. It doesn’t matter. It just didn’t work for me.
This is a friendship-to-romance novel but oh boy, did this trope annoy me! Linden and Steph have been friends for almost a decade although they clearly have feelings for each other. Everyone knows it but them. However, instead of at least attempting to sort it out, they keep living in denial. Consequently they start entertaining a string of different relationships with other people that are – naturally - all destined to fail and make matters worse. It was painful to read about how these two idiotic people were unable to own up to their feelings and didn’t realise how, because of that, they were hurting everyone around them and constantly creating a mess of things.
So although I did enjoy the reading experience in itself for the most part, the romance between the two main characters frustrated me to no end.
“The pact” is still a book I enjoyed most of the time while reading it. I liked the San Francisco backdrop and the friendships and social dynamics in this. It kept me engrossed from beginning to end, which is great, but (and yes, it’s a big HUGE but!) I didn’t warm up to the romance in here and since the focus here is on the romance that’s a bit of a deal breaker, wouldn’t you agree?
Maybe it’s a matter of taste, but Linden is as far from the well-spoken, respectful and civilised men who I rather like to come cross in my romance novels as can be. I don’t want to quote Linden here, but let’s just say his vulgar and obscene and at times disrespectful talk isn’t a quality in his favour. Speaking of qualities in favour of Linden… oh wait there are none. Besides his good looks and huge you-know-what of course - and that’s just boring. I don’t really mind a flawed character but in this case I’m not sure if his flaws were meant to be actual flaws or just character traits. It doesn’t matter. It just didn’t work for me.
This is a friendship-to-romance novel but oh boy, did this trope annoy me! Linden and Steph have been friends for almost a decade although they clearly have feelings for each other. Everyone knows it but them. However, instead of at least attempting to sort it out, they keep living in denial. Consequently they start entertaining a string of different relationships with other people that are – naturally - all destined to fail and make matters worse. It was painful to read about how these two idiotic people were unable to own up to their feelings and didn’t realise how, because of that, they were hurting everyone around them and constantly creating a mess of things.
So although I did enjoy the reading experience in itself for the most part, the romance between the two main characters frustrated me to no end.
readfrenzy's review against another edition
2.0
2.5 stars. I liked Stephanie and I enjoyed the chemistry between her and Linden. However, Linden was so immature and too concerned about his image. I just wanted to smack him throughout the entire book. And the bros before hos thing keeping them apart? It felt like they were trying to make something out of a whole lot of nothing. Why hide their relationship when they finally got together? They were 30, not 13!
ladiinay's review against another edition
5.0
Amazingly sexy !!
Karina Halle has created a story that gives new meaning to the term "friendzone" . I really loved this story . I started this December 30 . & ended it the next night . Really , what a way to end the year huh ?! :)
Stephanie , James , and Linden are best friends . And yes their friendship wasn't believable at first in the terms of best friends . Only thing I could think of is how difficult it could be to create a story of friends turning lovers but trying to still hold onto that "they were friends first" part of the story . Karina totally creates it here . It came off as a strong friendship so you can feel their bond towards each other later when the "lovers" part of the story approaches . & goodness , there certainly was a lot of loving !! :0 I couldn't get enough of reading about these two . Linden is so great !! Book boyfriend category material he definitely is !!
If you're looking for a quick , sexy , steamy story ?? you definitely won't be disappointed with this !!
Karina Halle has created a story that gives new meaning to the term "friendzone" . I really loved this story . I started this December 30 . & ended it the next night . Really , what a way to end the year huh ?! :)
Stephanie , James , and Linden are best friends . And yes their friendship wasn't believable at first in the terms of best friends . Only thing I could think of is how difficult it could be to create a story of friends turning lovers but trying to still hold onto that "they were friends first" part of the story . Karina totally creates it here . It came off as a strong friendship so you can feel their bond towards each other later when the "lovers" part of the story approaches . & goodness , there certainly was a lot of loving !! :0 I couldn't get enough of reading about these two . Linden is so great !! Book boyfriend category material he definitely is !!
If you're looking for a quick , sexy , steamy story ?? you definitely won't be disappointed with this !!
mistysbookspace's review against another edition
3.5
This is a friends to lovers romance and man the angst in the first half of this book. I actually preferred the first half of this book to the last half. In the first half we get the will they want they back and forth and I was loving that despite really wanting them to finally get together. The last half is where they finally get together and the way they went about it really didn't sit right with me and I really pretty much hated every single side character. I know you are meant to cheer for the hero and heroine but I hate when the authors make every other boyfriend/girlfriend horrible. Like why? I loved the characters together and I enjoyed reading this but it didn't fully work for me.
treparker73's review against another edition
3.0
Cute Read
This book was easy to get into and the characters were really likable. I will possibly continue series in the coming year.
This book was easy to get into and the characters were really likable. I will possibly continue series in the coming year.