4 stars

So I'll admit that this wasn't my favorite book by Karina Halle. In some ways it felt way to generic to be a KH book ... then again, most books with this type of storyline aren't nearly as well written. So, even though the overall story didn't sweep me off my feet, I did enjoy having a change of pace from one of my favorite authors.

So let's talk about the characters and their actions.

I know a lot of my GR friends were really unhappy with what these characters (specifically James and Linden) did ... I wasn't turned off by their actions ... I mean, let's be honest ... Which one of us hasn't at some point in life fucked something up. We all have moments of bad decision making or poor life skills that inevitably lead to mistakes of the fucked up variety. If you haven't been there yet then congratulations ... But also ...bullshit. You will most definitely be there at least once in life.
So these characters making all sorts of bad choices ... While I didn't like it & cringed at each page showcasing it .... Just seemed normal to me. In my opinion they did a good job redeeming themselves by owning up to their fuck ups. Most people in real life have a very hard time with admitting fault ... So in some ways I think these characters were actually better than the average fuck up.

What I really liked about this book ... Even when it was pushing cheesiness and angst right in your face ... There was some (tongue in cheek) style to it ... it made me feel like the whole thing was on a more down to earth level ... No perfect circumstances or poetic dialogue ... I appreciate that kind of honesty.

So, this won't make it to my favorites shelf or top books for the year. But, for me it was a nice easy read with some fun, sexy moments and a few angsty life lessons in the mix. I enjoyed it and recommend for anyone who likes contemporary romance and can overlook bad behaviour from their book boyfriends.

Fun, passionate, steamy. I love a good friends to lovers, and this one totally hit the spot. I couldn't put it down.

Nachdem ich My Life In Shambles von Karina Halle letztes Jahr gelesen und absolut geliebt habe, musste ich dieses Jahr natürlich unbedingt ihre Being With You-Reihe anfangen.

Ich habe ein bisschen gebraucht, bis ich in die Geschichte von The Pact reingekommen bin. Aber dann konnte ich das Buch nicht mehr aus der Hand legen.

I sound like a broken-record but when too much of the character development happens off-screen (i.e., in the characters' pasts), it can make it difficult to believe the relationships. That couldn't be more true here with James, the third "best friend" of the main characters. But why is he their best friend? He is a moody, selfish asshole. They don't seem to actually like each other. Yet Lachlan has all of this loyalty to him? It made no sense and limited my ability to like the story.

I feel like Karina asked a room of faddy New Adult readers what makes a male character hot and ticked them off in this book. Blonde and blue eyes - check. A pilot - check. An accent - check. And at random points, a musician (his being so was thrown in so pointlessly it was like an afterthough) - check.

Karina's books are gritty and honest with flawed characters and unpredictable plots. The Pact was none of those things. It could have been written by someone else.

I don't get it.

And more importantly, I cared diddly squat about their HEA.

You know this one was almost assuredly a 5 star review until Linden took a hard left into asshattery. He groveled well, but I'm not convinced it makes up for the aforementioned assholishness.

Loved this

This really is a lovely, heart warming story that has left me with massive smile on my face. I've been struggling to read sweet, lovely romances recently (currently preferring dark reads) but I didn't struggle at all with this book, in fact I was sucked into the story from page one and I honestly could not put it down. Was good to read a romance with characters the were real, so to speak. If you are looking for a book that is a real perfect romance then this is the book for you.

3.5 stars

DNF I didn't find myself likening the characters, especially James. I also got tired of reading about Linden and Steph dating other people. The book just seemed to drag.