Beach Read was a favorite from 2020!! So I had high expectations for this one. Unfortunately too high . I was bored and didn’t really feel the connection. Why would it take ten years for them to realize they like each other. Still cute, loved it when I read it but looking back I can’t remember much ..

After Beach Read was one of my favorites last year, I knew I needed to give this one a try too. And just like Beach Read, this one was pretty close to perfect. I loved the characters, the setting, and the way the story was written. Definitely what I wanted at the time.

Poppy and Alex are best friends. They have been taking a trip every summer for ten years. Until they don’t. Something happened and now they haven’t been on a trip in two years. Now Poppy has everything she could ever want, but she still feels like she’s in a rut. She wants to get back to when she was lastly truly happy… Which is the last time she was with Alex on their trip. So she does the only thing she can think of…. She invites him on another trip that he actually agrees to. Can they come back together and find the friendship (and maybe more) that went missing those years ago?

The characters in this were my favorite part of this. Poppy killed me. I legit laughed out loud with some of the things she was saying lol I can’t lie, me actually laughing out loud at books now is a rare occurrence, so finding one that actually makes me do it is like gold. Definitely made me want to just go back and listen to Poppy’s parts alone lol As for Alex, I loved the contrast he brought to Poppy. He was the sane to her crazy. (And there was a lot of it lol) The two of them together as friends and together was also interesting. I loved seeing how they transitioned to being together. Definitely the magic of reading a friends to lovers romance. There wasn’t a large jump and I enjoyed that.

The writing style was another reason I got sucked into this. I normally don’t like books that bounce back and forth from different times because they get confusing, but this one was pretty easy to follow. It went back in time and then came back to the present. I enjoyed seeing Poppy and Alex as their younger selves grow into just another version of the same person lol

The romance itself was also cute. I would have liked to see more of them together tho. Maybe it was the fact that they were friends and we got to see them together that way and the author thought that would suffice, but yeah no. lol Not for me anyway. I LIVE for the swoony moments. Whether its natural to the story or not lol (Don’t mind me I’m just being a pain in the ass) But overall, I loved that they were opposites and that this one had one of my favorite romance troupes, friends to lovers.

This book had some of everything that I like, so it’s no surprise that I fell for this one. I like the way Emily Henry writes her YA, but I have been having a BALL with her adult reads as well. I can’t wait to see what else she’s going to write for her adult crowd!

I always preface rom-com reviews with the reminder that I have no soul and usually hate them. Why do I continue to pick them up? So I can find ones that actually swoon me with the rom and crack me up with the com.

I swooned and I crack up y’all. After now enjoying not one, but TWO, romances by Emily Henry, I will automatically buy whatever she puts out. I have been trying to put my finger on what it is exactly that sets her apart as an author, and I think I found it.

Comedy in writing has to be HARD. You have no visual support like movies do. There’s no voices to even give tone or emphasis where the author hopes the reader puts it on their own. Their words have to paint a scene so perfectly in the reader’s mind, and the lines have to be crafted and delivered so perfectly, as to elicit a laugh before the next sentence is read 0.17 seconds later.

Emily Henry, you are a master joke writer and your timing is *chef’s kiss*. Thanks for making Grinches like me laugh.

Emily Henry is so great at writing great banter and conversation between her characters. That was easily my favorite part about People We Meet on Vacation. There were also some super sweet scenes between Poppy and Alex. However, I thought this book was interesting and I was eager to read to the end, but I am not a fan of the main miscommunication between them. I thought the buildup didn't have enough pay off in this one. It was ok, but not great.

My first serious contender for my favorite book of the year. I was so nervous to read Emily Henry's new book because I loved Beach Read so much last year and I was worried this book wouldn’t live up to that one. I couldn’t have been more wrong. In fact, I loved this one even more than BR. 🥰🥰I can’t say enough good things about People We Meet on Vacation. Oh my goodness, y’all! This book is the sweetest, most swoon-worthy story! I didn’t think I loved the friends to lovers trope, but Emily Henry proved me wrong. She is quickly becoming my newest author obsession. Read this. You won’t regret it.

Did anything happen in this book? I know I just finished it but I honestly could not tell you, This is an okay beach read - but I had troubles relating to the characters and the non-linear narrative didn’t add depth to the story

Y'all know friends to lovers is like catnip for me, especially when there's a good dose of unrequited feelings (or are they?) and pining. People We Meet on Vacation gave me all of this and more. Poppy and Alex captured my heart early on and still haven't let go. I don't suspect they will anytime soon either. Oh, the feels! I loved how the author alternated chapters between the past and the present. I don't need to know ALL the information going into a book like this and the flashbacks were a fun way to really get to know the characters over the span of their friendship. This was another "read in one sitting" book. It's a fairly light read, but my emotions caught up with me near the end and I ugly cried.

I really enjoyed Beach Read, but People We Meet on Vacation just hit me differently. My only complaint was one scene near the end that felt super unnecessary to me. Poppy and Alex (and readers!) had been through so much and I felt that was time we should've been relishing the forthcoming HEA instead of dealing with drama. I won't say more because I don't want to spoil it. Now, that said, I felt what happened immediately following soothed my ruffled feathers and made up for it. But I was big mad for a minute or two.

Beach Read was one of my top books of 2020, so I had HIGH hopes for People We Meet on Vacation. While it didn't quite meet those high hopes it was an engaging and heartfelt story about two people who have long been in love but took years to realize it. Think When Harry Met Sally meets 2021. Poppy and Alex are lovably flawed and fully fleshed out characters. The way Emily Henry takes us through their relationship is page turning. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

5 Stars!

LOVED IT!

This book is a perfect example of friends to lovers- 90’s romantic comedy vibes. If you like When Harry Met Sally/One Day/Before Sunrise with dual timelines, you will love this!

The story is of Poppy and Alex who have been best friends for the past 12 years. They first met when they were 18 yrs. old at The University of Chicago, and now at 30 they have been through a lot together. The two could not be more different- Alex is an introvert and bookworm. He is smart, logical, and responsible. Poppy is carefree and outgoing, she loves to travel and be spontaneous. Yet, opposites attract and from the beginning, they have an amazing connection. After college Poppy moves to New York City, while Alex goes home to Ohio, but every summer for 10 years they take a vacation together. Not only do they explore new cities and have adventures, but also they meet great people along the way.

So far I’ve loved everything Emily Henry has written! This story was witty and genuine; a perfect escape. It also had a little bit of mystery, you’re always wondering what really happened between them. I would have liked some chapters to be Alex’s point of view, but overall it was a fun read and would make a good movie!

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sending me a copy!

Wow I really enjoyed this book - a lot more than Emily Henry's first book. I loved Alex and Poppy and their dynamic. I loved "traveling" to different places throughout their years as friends. The only thing I didn't love was that I felt like Alex's character didn't have as much depth as he could have. Overall though it was a quick read and good romance with some deeper undertones.

I was not a big fan of Beach Read, but I generally try to give authors a second shot (especially romance authors because my likes and dislikes are pretty clear cut in that genre). I am soooooo happy to report that I had a completely different experience with People We Meet On Vacation than I did with its predecessor.

The story here is about Alex and Poppy who met a decade ago via a rideshare home from college and then became besties for the resties. Their friendship has survived moves, career changes, double dates and failed relationships – mainly because the two made it a point to take an annual vacation together. That is, until two years ago when something happened (and yes, the something is exactly what you are thinking – not sure why authors feel the need to beat around the bush about this stuff like it’s going to be some big reveal). At the advice of another friend, Poppy seeks to “re-find her happy” – and she knows 100% it was on those trips with Alex – so she sets up a throwback vacay on a budget to Palm Springs, crosses her fingers and hopes for the best.

I loved nearly everything about this book. The back and forthy timeline worked for me, quality banter always works for me, and when I get vibes of another favorite . . . . Well, that’s just a hat trick of win.

One note on the negative side of things: Eventually you authors are gonna have to realize there are way more women who DON’T enjoy Zooey Deschanel or “Jess” knock-offs than there are who do. No one wants to be friends with this person. I cringed every time her outfits and “quirk” were described, but other than that, this was a pretty okay way to spend a day.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!

Poppy and Alex are opposites in every way. In spite of that fact, they've been close friends since freshman year orientation at college. And each year they take a summer trip together.

It started out when they were both broke and couldn't afford grand trips. Poppy would blog about traveling on the cheap and they'd spend a few weeks each summer at a different location. But two years ago all of that changed. And Poppy and Alex haven't spoken since that last trip.

These days Poppy works for R&R, a magazine that focuses on luxe travel. Which means Poppy gets all the perks on her trips. It also means her blog about traveling on a budget has fallen by the wayside. But Poppy realizes those trips were the last time she really remembers being happy. And so she sets about to see if the friendship can be repaired. To see if things can go back to the way they used to be. To see if she can be happy again. And it's going to be the week of Alex's brother's destination wedding in Los Angeles.

Things start off rocky, but soon the two are in their usual mode. But the events of two years ago still loom large and Poppy isn't ready to face them. The question is, does she have to? Can they truly put it behind them? Because Poppy doesn't want to lose Alex.

Emily Henry's latest is pure entertainment! A sweet and charming read that will sweep you away in a time when pretty much none of us are traveling.

I loved People We Meet On Vacation, though I admit I didn't have the easiest start with it. This is a book that you really do want to just sink into for a long one-sitting reading binge and I spent my first day reading in bursts of just a couple of pages at a time. Boo!

But once I was able to really delve in and get lost in the book, I found I really was very invested in Poppy and Alex's friendship! I should note, I'm a total Alex in every way. I would be the person reading a book in a bar (and have been, quite often). I also want to hit every bookshop when I travel—it's a true highlight of a trip for me!

Poppy is bubbly and vivacious. Always ready for an adventure. The kind of person who really does make friends everywhere she goes. But she's holding on to so major insecurities.

Alex, on the other hand, is a definite introvert who likes the comforts of home. But Alex, too, has some big insecurities.

And it's the insecurities in both of them that bond them to one another and keep them both at arms' length from one another.

Like I said, People We Meet On Vacation is sweet and charming! Not overly so, but just the right amount. I adored it and I think every single fan of Henry's Beach Read will as well. And if you're new to her work, trust me, you're going to absolutely love it! Just be sure to carve out a balmy afternoon with no obligations so you can enjoy it to the max!

My favorite summer read so far this year!! It’s one not to be missed! It’s the perfect getaway read, and I loved traveling with Poppy and Alex to the places they vacationed on. It’s easy to get buried in; it’s a lighter, fun one that doesn’t demand much from readers but still has some depth to the story and characters.

People We Meet On Vacation has all that I needed for a perfect getaway read. It’s a funny, heartfelt, engaging read with banners and dialogue between the charters that felt fresh and exciting. I often find with rom- coms the banter can become tiring and old fast for me. Here it felt realistic, fun, and lively. Their connection felt genuine, and I enjoyed the dynamics between Poppy and Alex from start to finish.

What stood out the most for me was how Emily Henry nails those tropes like opposites attract, best friends to lovers, secretly in love with each other, and a more modern one friendship breakup. She adds a fresh, exciting modern twist while brilliantly weaves those tropes in by creating a history of friendship told across the vacations Poppy and Alex shared once a year. There is an interesting personal growth dimension that adds depth to the characters. We see this more with Poppy’s character, and Alex creates more depth for Poppy. Emily Henry has a little surprise in the end that stands on its own and pays homage to the golden age grand gesture and confession of love elements of a rom-com. That clinched the deal for me, and I loved how it all wrapped!! I highly recommend it!!

This is the perfect beach read with a name that just screams summer.

A tale of friends having one more summer to find romance is just one of those feel good themes that we all need right now. The writing is beautiful and is such that I found myself both speed reading, and then wanting to slow down and savor it - much like those warm, sultry, summer nights I love so dear.

For someone who is not usually a romance reader, I can’t give enough praise and recommends for this perfect, laying in the hammock next to the warm salt ocean air breeze, and being swept away in the waves of the story, rocking you to that blissful summer happy place we all crave.

This was a 4.5 star out of 5 stars read for me, and one I just keep recommending to people! This is one you will be so glad you took the chance on and read!

Thank you to #NetGalley, the publisher and author for the electronic ARC in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

I have seen so much buzz over this book I was so excited to dive in, however I was not impressed with the overall story, I think there was a bit of a missed opportunity with all of the time jumping I would have liked more details on their vacation adventures.

Disclaimer: I received a free digital ARC (Advanced Reading Copy) of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I truly adored this book!!

This fun and light read is perfect for a day at the beach or pool. It is an easy read with such a sweet story of friendship and love, and the story goes fast, so I finished it in one afternoon. 

I loved both Alex and Poppy's characters. When I first started the book, I was worried that the story would be more about Poppy's influencer and popular blogger status. Don't get me wrong, I love a good contemporary story, but I read books to escape real life. So, I was pleasantly surprised once I realized her job is just one part of a well-rounded character. Alex was also a perfect character in every way possible. I loved how his calm demeanor was such a great contrast with Poppy's over-the-top personality. They compliment each other so well and their respective personalities influence their friendship in so many ways.

The plot of the story was great. This is a friends-to-lovers trope but with unique storytelling involving traveling and their summer vacations. I must admit I'm a sucker for love stories like this, so I'd have liked it regardless. However, I appreciated the way the story is told. The story is told from Poppy's POV, and the chapters bounce from the present day to flashbacks of all of the yearly vacations Poppy and Alex had taken before Croatia. Every chapter reveals something that happened during each trip that strengthens Alex and Poppy's friendship. We are also introduced to secondary characters such as their love interests, parents, siblings, and other friends. These flashbacks provide great insight into how their friendship worked so well even though they couldn't be more different from each other.

And then, we get one of the sweetest love stories I've read in a while. Poppy and Alex both struggle to keep their feelings for each other under wraps, but they do it to keep their friendship intact. But a love that started from a friendship can endure anything, and Poppy and Alex are willing to make it work.

People We Meet on Vacation is a funny, charming, emotional, romantic, and multi-layered rom/com that I loved! I really enjoyed Emily Henry’s first book Beach Read and I enjoyed this one even more. It definitely lived up to all of the hype for me. The author makes wonderful use of the timeline, which added to the development of the characters and story. The timeline is used in a clever way that shows the past leading up to the present, and then the present day. The story shifts between the current and past summers. The flashbacks to their previous summer trips let the reader know how Poppy and Alex became friends and how their connection grew stronger over the years. The reader gets to intimately know Poppy and Alex both as individuals and as a couple.

I adored Poppy and Alex and their friendship. They are both wonderfully developed characters who are flawed, vulnerable, complex and totally relatable. I can’t imagine any reader not rooting for them. I particularly loved Alex and think a lot of women would love to have an “Alex” in their lives. The themes of opposites attract, and friends to lovers was predictable, yet had a lot of emotional complexity and depth. The romantic tension was palpable, and a slow burn. One of the author’s strengths was the dialogue with the witty, humorous banter between Poppy and Alex that was laugh out loud funny at times. This book has drawn comparisons with the movie “When Harry Met Sally”. After being transported to all of Poppy’s and Alex’s vacation destinations, you will be ready to start planning a trip. I didn’t want this warm, captivating, romantic and thought- provoking book to end. It is one of my favorite contemporary romances of 2021. Emily Henry is quickly establishing herself as a “master of romantic comedy”, and I will read anything that she writes. I highly recommend adding this book to your summer reading list!

4.5 stars I love this book!!!!I have a soft spot for friends to lovers :) that’s how I met my husband, and when Harry met Sally Is all time my favorite romcom, so I kept picking up on the vibes and at the end of the book when she talks about basing it off that I almost died! I love her writing and this is going down as one of my fave RomComs of the year ! I love traveling and I feel travel feels like home to me, and I loved watching their love grow and friendship grow, I wouldn’t honestly change a thing, I’ll be reccomending this to everyone and I even bought myself a hard copy also

4.5 Stars! Romantic, delightful, and a captivating page turner!

PEOPLE WE MEET ON VACATION by EMILY HENRY is a refreshing, thought-provoking, compelling, emotional, sweet, and fun rom-com that absolutely stole my heart. The friends to lovers trope here was done extremely well and not in your typical rom-com fashion. The author has this unique ability to tap into your deepest emotions as well as the characters' that are deeply affecting to you the reader. Right from the very beginning I found myself fully immersed in this tale.

EMILY HENRY delivers a multi-layered, engaging read here with great characters that I absolutely adored, totally immersing me in Poppy and Alex’s friendship as well as in every vacation that they took together. I loved their strong chemistry and the dynamics between these two. Poppy is so quirky with the best sense of humour ever to Alex’s reservedness. The author does an awesome job with totally investing us in their relationship and I was definitely rooting for a happily ever after ending for the both of them.

The teasing, humorous and witty banter between Poppy and Alex is what I absolutely loved and couldn’t get enough of. I kind of envied Poppy’s teasing and witty nature. I am more reserved like Alex so she had me thinking plenty of time how in the world do you come up with this stuff.

The only part that frustrated me a little bit was when the friends didn’t talk for a few years. The silence and miscommunication in a story normally bothers me though. We as readers can see what's happening so why can’t our characters?

The story is told from alternating timelines of This Summer, and their past Summer trips of the places that they vacationed. Their yearly vacation is where we really get to know Poppy and Alex as individuals and see the dynamics they share as friends and a couple. I think the title is a little more meaningful to who Poppy and Alex are as people rather than the people they actually meet on vacation.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing, and Emily Henry for my digital review copy. It was an absolute pleasure reading this lighthearted rom-com with substance. Some parts of this story really touched and moved me, either putting a huge smile on my face or making me a bit teary eyed. Would recommend it!

This book about traveling and discovering the world as you connect with people is strangely such a perfect story during these uncertain and isolating times. It would seem like salt in the wound when we have spent a year of isolation with little or no travel, but it actually felt like just what I needed right now. I was transported to Poppy and Alex's adventures, and as the story progressed from humor to introspection, from travel to finding a sense of belonging, and from friendship to love, I laughed and I sighed and I felt deeply for Alex and Poppy and felt deeply for the parts of myself that identified with parts of them. A wonderful book that I will be rereading.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.