The Pact (THE MCGREGOR BROTHERS)

Yet another great read from Karina Halle.Two friends, the best of, and their lifelong pact to marry each other at 30.But, of course, there’s a lot more drama involved! Which I liked!Linden and Stephanie’s relationship is comedic and caring. You can tell the way they care for one another in the way Halle writes their scenes and dialogue. That’s always my favorite thing: when two characters actually SPEAK and KNOW each other. It feels that much more real.Both characters go through a lot of trials and tribulations in their personal relationships, separate from theirs, and they learn, love and lose so much. Until FINALLY, they see the light. They see each other. And it’s beautiful!

Karina Halle has become known for her darker, gritty, emotionally tolling story lines. The Pact is a refreshing shift from her MO, a lighter, sweeter, but no less evocative story, where two best friends arrange a pact that if they aren't in serious relationships at age 30, they'll marry each other. Sounds cliche, but it's anything but. While this storyline is much lighter than Halle's other stories, it's still heavy with all the feels. It's frustrating and gut-wrenching to see these two characters navigate their course. It's contemporary romance at it's very best, lighthearted and humorous, but still angst-ridden and sexy.At 25, Stephanie Robson is a manager at a clothing store with secret aspirations of owning her own boutique. Linden McGregor, a Scottish transplant, is a helicopter pilot and a known womanizer. The two, somewhat trivially, make a pact to marry if they aren't in a serious relationship when they both turn 30. Over the course of the next five years, their friendship evolves as they both carry on relationships with other people, as their career goals come to fruition, as they deal with their individual familial issues and drama in their personal lives. As the story unfolds, an undeniable chemistry between Linden and Stephanie is ever present, a palpable, growing thing. Told in alternating first person points of view, we're gleaned insight into all of the things both feel and never say, long for but never act upon. Wrought with angst and humor, The Pact is a story of friendship turned more, of love blooming from a solid foundation of friendship, but mucked up along the way."Isn’t that what everyone fears when they’ve fallen in love? That they’re about to keep falling, with no one to catch them this time? That they’ll drop and drop and drop forever?"One would think that a marriage pact contrived between two people who have secretly pined after each other for years would unfold like a piece of cake. But of course not. As Shakespeare said, the course of true love never did run smooth, and Karina Halle ensures that this road to happily ever after is a rocky one. Jealous lovers, career and familial expectations, the unsolicited opinions of their friends and their own self-doubt and fear all culminate to make for an unpredictable journey rife with uncertainty and silent longing. It's painful and beautiful, all of it.More than a romance, The Pact is a story of self-awareness, of how one grows and changes in their 30s, or rather the expectation that one should change as they hit 30. Age feels like a huge theme in this book, illuminating how, in many ways, it's just a number, in other ways it's a landmark, highlighting your successes and failures, whether or not you're where you thought you'd be at this invisible measurement in time. Halle's concentration on, not just Stephanie and Linden's age, but on all the characters, adds depth to this story. This dynamic she's created, diverse characters with diverse voices, layered with the poignancy of their ages... Aaron's immaturity at 27, Nadine's bitterness over where she thought she'd be at this point in her life, Penny's indifference, not allowing herself to be placed in a box despite her 33 years, all of it highlighting Linden and Stephanie's pact, and their internal struggles over what they really want, what obstacles inhibit them from taking it, and their discontent over it all at age 30.The timing and pacing in this story is perfect, the first several chapters revealing where Linden and Stephanie are each year on their birthdays leading up to the big 3-0. Each dating different people as the years unfold, each harboring secrets, their mutual friendship ever changing. The story shifts once they hit 30, their quiet attraction simmering and threatening to boil over, their state of affairs changing rapidly. Rapidly, beautifully but also brutally and painfully. External factors threaten both their friendship and any hope they have for a lasting relationship, as well as the friendships they hold dear with those around them. When things are great, they're beautiful, warming my heart, as a reader. When things are bad, sad, they cut deeply, tugging at my heartstrings, consuming me with the same longing the characters emit from the pages.There are so many moments in this story that made me laugh out loud. A few Full House and Cheers references and a game of truth or dare had me mentally high-fiving Karina Halle. The diverse characters and everything they bring to the proverbial table made me want to sink into this world and never come out. But more often, I was simmering with angst, wanting so desperately for Stephanie and Linden to get on the same page, say everything they've been hiding. And that longing, that yearning for this couple, made me want to high five Karina Halle even more. Because, while I'm a reader that loves a happy ending, I love the constant worry that I'm not going to get one. I love the hurt and the pain as much as, if not more than, I love the joy. I love to worry, and hurt, and grieve. I love to hate the Nadines and James' and Aarons of any good story, because they're perfectly placed obstacles that make me angry, make me sad, make me want. And I had everything I wanted here in The Pact.You can love an author's stories but not truly connect with their writing. Conversely, I've loved the writing of some authors but felt indifferent to some of their books. Karina Halle is the whole package for me, the real deal, the jackpot, pulling me in and captivating me with every single word, and consuming me with stories I never want to escape. The Pact felt like a serious shift from the darker, more somber, sometimes violent stories Halle has delivered. It's lighter, sweeter, funnier, but no less emotional and raw. And it cemented for me that she doesn't fit in a box, she can write anything and I'll gladly devour every delicious bit of it.

Linden McGregor and Stephanie Robson have been friends for ages. In their mid-twenties, while lots of their dates are more a miss than they are a hit, Linden offers Steph to make a pact: if by the time they hit thirty, and both of them are single, the two of them should marry.It all feels like fun and games when the two of them seal this pact with a pinky swear. It'd didn't mean anything. Expect it just meant about everything to Linden when he made the suggestion.What I loved about this book:Great characters and side-charactersAbsolutely loveable male heroinInteresting friends-to-lovers story with a bit of suspenseWhat I felt needed improvement:A rushed ending and too short of an epilogueThe realisation that the whole story was due to 1 single obstacle that could very well have been dodgedIt seems like Karina Halle is trying to get into a more mainstream type of writing (thus leaving the druglords and cartels behind), but still wanting to keep the less mainstream characters that make up for a more unique story - and I believe this new style suits her well. Her first attempt Love, In English wasn't exactly perfect, but I feel like Karina Halle has improved a lot with The Pact .The Pact has a very unsual but extremely interesting writing style. The reader will enjoy a ver well-crafted dual-POV 1st-person writing alternating between Linden and Steph. So intially, there are no secrets and the reader is quite aware of the fact that "the pact" was anything but fun banter between friends. There's no surprise here!But what will ultimately create suspense, is how the years go by as the chapters advance, and the reader grows more and more apprehensive of hitting the 30-years mark. Will the pact ever "happen"? Will the conditions be fulfilled by the time they hit thirty? Does it stay at the back of both Linden and Steph's mind at all?I loved dimension of how scary it can be to fall in love with your best friend when so much is at stake was very well explained here. Both Linden and Stephanie were wonderful characters that just so real in their struggle to deal with just that situation.And while it was a heavy, difficult one, the book still managed to be utterly hilarious, which gave it even more appeal! And the steamy scenes were very much to my liking! "It's the most gorgeous penis I've ever seen and it makes me wish I could paint because I could have a whole gallery devoted to the beauty of his dick and I would consistently sell out all of my paintings."Linden was definitely true to his feelings, and although he was made out to be a bit of a womanizer, he always treats women with respect, and especially Stephanie, who he puts on a pedestal. What's more, he is extremely mindful of the fact that he is treading on uncomfortable territory, given that Stephanie is in fact his best friend's ex-girlfriend - and that said best friend might still have feelings for her. And guess what? He'd rather be unhappy himself than to make his best friend James unhappy by making a move of Steph. That alone - his being considerate and a real gentleman - earned him huge plus points in my book. "I want her to realize we're both not with the people we should be. And if she already knows that, I want her to know it's not too late."And while Linden is perfectly aware of his feelings towards his best friend, Stephanie - who is quite busy with her clothing store - takes more time to realize her feelings toward Linden. But that's only because she is scared and would rather never know what it's like being romantically involved with him than to lose him completely, in case the feeling would not be mutual. And in the end, this book is all about explaining that sometimes love is worth the risk, and two soulmates are entitled to be together even if that means that some people won't agree with it! "Since when is it ever OK to want your best friend?" "If I tell Linden how I feel and he doesn't feel the same way that would ruin our friendship. It would ruin everything we have together."While The Pact was an extremely good book, I still felt that some things didn't work out. Linden, for instance, comes across as someone cocky and determined, yet he never really delt with James disapproval. James was well-aware of Linden and Steph's pact and was never supportive of it (while at the same time claiming he had no feelings for her anymore). In the end, James turned out to be the guy who made the s*** hit the fan all along, but no one really accused him of that.Also, the end was a bit rushed and too cliché, but I understood that the story had to wrap up at some point. Some readers didn't enjoy to fact that during almost half of the book, Steph and Linden where with other people, but I don't see that as a bad thing - au contraire, it made me very anxious to find out if The Pact would come to life.All in all, I really loved discovering this new side of Karina Halle, and enjoyed the heck out of The Pact , and definitely recommend it.

We do get a warning with this book about the sex. Though, they've all got it on the brain !! Pretty much every character and it does get a bit wearing, I have to say. I could probably have overlooked this, though, if it wasn't for the amount of mistakes peppered throughout as well. Coupled, it is too much for me, I wasn't enjoying it and gave up at 24%.I liked the idea of the story, although it's nothing too original, and the story itself I liked as well but the THINKING about sex all the time as well as doing it here, there and everywhere was way too much. I swear like the proverbial trooper as well myself but even so, found that was way over-the-top here, too !!The mistakes are way too plentiful and should have been picked up. Such as using tick and not tic, apostrophe mistakes-always an e-book staple and way too many words dropped from sentences, like bit/a/me, states needing capitalising, wagon spelt properly on one page and then as waggon on another, write visa versa and not vice, used on and not in and I got to "....my father adds and the produces the key"and I'd seen enough.

I bought this on the strength of my enjoyment of The Artists' s trilogy and Dirty Angels and the friends to lovers blurb that usually is a big hit for me, but this didn't really hit the mark.Linden and Steph meet and become bffs when they're 21. At 26 Linden suggests a pact - if they're still single at 30 they'll marry. She agrees, thinking he's joking because she's always (secretly) seen him as more. He is deadly serious because of course he's always (also secretly) seen her as more. Neither of them do anything about it for fear of upsetting their mutual third wheel bestie, James.That didn't make much sense to me, in spite of the explanations. To make matters worse, the story spans a five year timeline during which time both Steph and Linden are dating other people, fairly miserably, while the alternating fp narrative tells us how unhappy they are on the inside and how they long for the person they really want. I'm afraid my patience with this ran out very early on as the justification for not upsetting third-wheel James wore thinner and thinner. And because of the long timeline, a whole year could pass in one chapter, making it hard to get to know the characters or understand their connection at all - I know it's an overused phrase and I'm no FR Leavis but there was lots of tell not show in this.The smut was OK and Linden had a really dirty mouth which is always welcome, but because the chemistry wasn't quite there for me, I didn't get tingles in my belly, or indeed anywhere else.Overall it was a bit 'meh' for me, not the intense read I've enjoyed before from this author, but just ok.

I'm not going to re-hash the story for you - the synposis gives you enough. It is what the label says it is, a friends to lovers romance so you know what to expect and what you're going to get.That being said I just got to so much more than that - I freaking loved this story. I've read I don't know how many friends to lovers books and this really was one of the best of its type.I devoured this book from start to finish and couldn't wait to turn each page. It's a cracking story (one I could so picture as movie as I was reading) and I just loved the characters of Steph and Linden. Steph and Linden really could be your mates, they could be people you know. They were so relatable, particulary Steph.This just had everything that I want from a modern romance story - humor, great characters, great story, drama, tears (yes I cried like a baby), steamy sex and a HEA.This has just left me all warm and fuzzy -romantic fiction perfection!Karina notes in the acknowledgments that she hopes that people close the book and smile and have enjoyed the last 5 hours that was spent reading it - well I can tell you that is exactly what I'm doing right now!5 big massive stars from me.

The Pact is a stand alone adult contemporary romance by Karina Halle and although it's very different to the other books I've read by her I enjoyed every minute of it. It's strange because Karina Halle seems to have this ability to make me love her stories even when they have things that should irritate me. I should have been annoyed that it takes over 40% of the book for Linden and Stephanie to get together because they're too busy dating other people and I should have been irritated by the drama that pulls them apart towards the end of the book but I was having so much fun reading their story that I just didn't care about any of that.The story is written from dual points of view and the first half focuses on Stephanie and Linden's birthdays from the age of twenty-five when they first make their pact through to their early thirties when they finally act on it. Stephanie has been friends with Linden and James since she first started working with them both in James's bar, she dated James for a while but it didn't work out between them and the three of them have been inseparable friends ever since. Although Stephanie has always been attracted to Linden there has never been anything more between them, Linden is a player and she knows it would be far to easy to get her heart broken and she isn't willing to risk losing their friendship. Little does she know that Linden has been in love with her for years, he chose never to act on those feelings because James is his best friend and you don't date your friend's exes but he's finding it harder and harder not to tell her how he feels.At the end of a drunken night to celebrate Stephanie's twenty-fifth birthday Linden asks her to make a pact to be each other's back up so that if they are both still single by the time they are thirty then they'll get married. Stephanie thinks Linden is joking and goes along with him for fun but Linden has never been more serious about anything in his life and he's determined to follow through on his plan. I loved the way we get to know both of the main characters, we see them through major events in their lives and get to see just how important they are to each other. They are so obviously in love with each other and it seems like everyone around them can see it but they're both oblivious to it. I spent half of the book desperate for one of them to finally make a move and although it took a long time it was definitely worth the wait. They have fantastic chemistry but their relationship is about so much more than sex and they fit together perfectly.I had so much fun reading this story, the relationship between Stephanie and Linden was sweet, funny, sexy and so much more. Neither of the characters were perfect and they both make silly mistakes but they are always, always trying to put the other person first so it's hard to blame them for their choices. The Pact is full of sexual tension, angst and heartbreak but it's also romantic, cute and fun to read and I really hope Karina Halle decides to write more like it. If you love friends to lovers stories then this is one I'd definitely recommend!

Oh, fabulous story! I love friends-to-lovers stories and this one was terrific!"The thing is, I know Stephanie thinks the whole pact is a joke, something I made up for fun and would never actually follow through on........Actually, that's not true."Told from dual POVs of best friends, Stephanie and Linden. You can see pretty early on the lay of the land where their feelings are concerned. There's a third person in the mix - their mutual best friend, James, who is also Steph's ex and still harbours feelings for her. It makes for a complicated trio.The characters were clearly drawn and I absolutely loved Linden, who was cocky and strong but really quite insecure beneath the surface and womanising exterior.The story is well-told and has humour, great sex, a few tears, and some beautiful writing and empathy. It was my final Top Read of 2014!