Read the full review on Bookaholics Not-So-Anonymous.

Linden and Steph's love story is one that's a long time coming, because Linden's had feelings for Steph since they first met, but gave way when she became romantically involved with their other best friend James. The suggestion of a marriage pact could be seen as Linden's way of ensuring that he and Steph will got their shot to be together somewhere down the line, though of course, the possibility that one or both of them will be in a relationship before or by the time they turn thirty could have thrown a wrench into that plan. I do think, though, that they were both biding their time, waiting until the agreed upon age, even if it was unconsciously being done, and that the committed relationships they were in were just temporary.

I never really doubted Linden's feelings for Steph, but his decision later in the story had me scratching my head because it just didn't compute. He gave his reasons, but they made no sense whatsoever, and I'm sorry but any girl would want a guy to fight for her and for their relationship if he were really as in love and as invested as he claimed to be. Linden was a jackass when he did what he did and if he were an actual living and breathing guy, I would have smacked him silly. And James? Ugh. He was another smack-worthy male idiot. I pitied poor Steph because she was the one who got involved with both guys, and if anyone deserved a happily-ever-after, it was her. All in all, The Pact was a rather good four-starred romance read. ♥

"If I seem to recall, you had your tongue down some tiny chick's throat half the night."
"Tongue in the throat, cock in the c**t, it's all the same," he says.




You know, I really do like a lot of Halle's novels - especially [b:Sins & Needles|16029994|Sins & Needles (The Artists Trilogy, #1)|Karina Halle|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1347859611s/16029994.jpg|21799599], [b:Shooting Scars|17230559|Shooting Scars (The Artists Trilogy, #2)|Karina Halle|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1371224737s/17230559.jpg|23745834] and [b:Dirty Angels|18281528|Dirty Angels (Dirty Angels, #1)|Karina Halle|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1399833417s/18281528.jpg|25754456] - I like them because they're dark, gritty and push boundaries. I like the unlikable characters. And I especially admire Halle's talent for creating flawed female protagonists who get drunk, make mistakes and sleep with all the wrong guys.

But, in the end, this is a romance novel. The central plot is about getting Steph and Linden together and, therefore, my enjoyment of the novel kind of hangs on my ability to care about their relationship and whether they'll fall in love, have hot sex, or just drive each other crazy.

And I didn't. Care, that is.

To summarize, the book is about two best friends who have made a pact to marry one another if both are not in serious relationships by the time they reach thirty. When they made the promise, did they mean it? Only time will tell. I think it should be mentioned that I never got the sense that Linden and Steph had a remotely platonic relationship; Steph was drooling over Linden on the first page and Linden would have gladly slept with Steph, given the opportunity. It was never a "best friends turned lovers" thing for me, but a "two people who flirt with each other for a long time finally act upon it" kind of thing.

The book gets an extra star for Steph. Because like all the other female characters Halle creates, I liked her. Maybe "like" isn't even the word, but I was interested in her story and cared when bad stuff happened to her. I looked forward to her chapters way more than Linden's and I liked how insecure, imperfect but ultimately strong she could be.

But I pretty much hated Linden. And I think that's worse than not liking the female narrator for someone like me - an heterosexual female reading a romance novel. I'm supposed to LUST after him. But no. For one thing, he was a dick who made me nauseous with sentences like the one I quoted above. For another, was he any different than any other beautiful, smart, rich, arrogant asshole that appears in NA books?

Here's the description of him:

Linden McGregor is funny, kind, smart, handsome and ambitious. He's got a BA in business and is almost done getting his helicopter pilot's license. He's one hot package that any girl would be lucky to snatch up.
But he's also egotistical, cocky, arrogant and a player.

*yawn* I could go find myself a cardboard cutout that's more interesting.

I forced myself to finish just to get to the conclusion that I knew was inevitable. But I didn't give the slightest damn about Linden, nor did I find him attractive, so their relationship did nothing for me. Sucks.

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Predictable romance novel but isn’t that why we read them? Written well with likable characters. Some of the difficulties thrown their way were silly but again, that’s fine by me for a light beach read.

Dnf at 58%

These two deserve each other in the worst way.

Karina Hall is one of my favorite authors; I will 1-click anything she writes. I was ecstatic, to put it mildly when Karina Halle announced the excerpt and release for her new book. Her devoted fans will be pleasantly surprised at this new aspect of Karina Halle, and I have no doubt she will win over countless new ones with this book. It is simply outstanding.

The story follows Stephanie and Linden and their nine year friends to lovers relationship. Would they follow through on a pact made at age 25 to marry at 30? I loved seeing the growth of them individually and as a couple. Stephanie is not a young naive girl; she is intelligent, career oriented, funny, and beautiful. She is amazing and the kind of women I would love to have as a friend. Linden is just...wow! He is a sexy talking Scotsman, who is much more than the playboy he appears to be. He is helpless devoted to his friends and is so charming. Their banter and chemistry is mesmerizing. I couldn't stop reading and became their biggest cheerleader.

"Life leaves scars. Sometimes you don't see them until later. Sometimes you don't know where they come from. Sometimes they fade before your eyes. But the world leaves its make on us."

The buildup in this book is slow burning; don't expect love in the first chapter. I enjoyed watching these two slowly fall in love with one another. It's realistic and heart warming. While there is angst, it is bearable and and not over the top. The balance of sexiness, angst, and heart warming moments is perfect. I absolutely loved both of these characters! The supporting cast is also top notch. They play a significant role in the lives of Stephanie and Linden. While I was irritated with some of them at times, overall they are a great group of fun loving people. In the end, I adored them completely.

I am hopelessly optimistic Karina will write another book along these lines in the future. I loved seeing this fun and charismatic side of her writing. In my opinion, she only gets better with each book! This is hands down my favorite contemporary romance written by Karina Halle (and I've read every book she has written).

Very good

This is the best written book I have read in awhile. I mean the best! Loved it completely. Can't wait to read more of your books.