I didn't think Emily Henry could top last's years "Beach Read", but oh my stars she has done it. A riff on "When Harry Met Sally", the friends to lovers trope really works well here. The dialogue is snappy, sparkling, and hilarious; the characters fleshed out and well rounded. 5 stars, well earned.

I laughed. I cried. I fell in love with this book. This became my favourite rom com I’ve ever read. I read this in on sitting and I will be reading this again.

Beach Read was a top read for me last year. It was so much more than an actual beach read as I found the author's tackling of grief heartfelt, nuanced, and beautiful. The love story was slow burn and wonderful too. It's pretty hard to beat. But People We Meet on Vacation does it, and all I can say is wow. Slow burn, friends to lovers, and so heartwarming, it's all you can really want in a romance. Highly recommend. Definitely one of the best, if not THE BEST romance I read all year.

While I loved "Beach Read" by Emily Henry, and enjoyed the banter between Poppy and Alex in "People We Meet on Vacation", I found the time jumps in the narrative confusing. As I was reading, I slipped into the mindset of the character during each summer and experienced a jolt when the perspective switched to an older/younger point of view that contradicted the previous one. I found that the use of present tense added to this sense of disconnect. This is a charming rom-com but there were technical elements that prevented me from getting lost in the story, the same way I had with "Beach Read".

4.5/5

People We Meet on Vacation is my very first Emily Henry novel, and I have no idea what I was waiting for!! This book literally tore my heart out and then meticulously put it back together again. I got all the feels and then some, and I would be so happy to see this as a movie. It is the perfect read to throw in your beach bag and/or bring with you on vacation, although I would probably pack some tissues as well! I ended up getting pretty teary at the end and I thought I was going to be very upset with Henry, but luckily, she redeemed herself. Both the friendship and chemistry between Poppy and Alex were fire, and I was so anxious for them to be together as a real couple. I also loved the format of the book and that Henry chose to switch back and forth between present time and past vacations the friends have been on. We get to know a lot about them this way and there is a lot of mystery surrounding why they hadn't been talking. I loved the way this is brought to light, and on the way, there were so many funny moments that had me giggling out loud.

I knew I was going to listen to the audiobook, but I had no idea who narrated it until I turned it on and heard Julia Whelan's voice coming through my headphones. I have probably said this about a million times already, but she is one of my favorite narrators, and she could probably make me love any book she narrates. She always adds more to the story and has a great way of doing voices and bringing characters to life, and this is exactly what she did for People We Meet on Vacation. If you like audiobooks, this is going to be a must-listen, and even if you don't know if you like them yet, I would still give it a shot. Whelan never disappoints and I have complete faith that she can turn anyone into an audiobook listener. This book has me wishing Henry had an even larger backlist than she does, but I will definitely be reading anything and everything she writes now.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

I loved this book so much. I loved Beach Read and this one was just as good. Emily Henry has this way with words that just make you feel everything. So poetic and beautifully well written.
I’ll read anything by this author.

2021 may only be halfway done, but I can already guarantee that this will remain at the top as my favorite book of the year. I've never been the hugest friends-to-lovers fan, but Alex and Poppy's chemistry leapt off of every single page and I have been completely converted and will never be the same. That, on top of the fact that Emily Henry has such a perfect knack for writing realistic characters with real flaws and traits made this a perfect 6-star book for me and I am just absolutely obsessed and cannot wait to read everything she will ever publish. My heart is so full!!!!!!

CW: death of a parent

This was a fun summertime read. I have warned other readers of the use of language, drugs, and open door romance, but I knew those elements would be in Henry's book, as they were in her previous book as well. Fun cover, great beach read.

Poppy and Alex have been the best of friends since they met the first year of college. Even after college and living in different places, they have always taken a summer vacation together. And they have always been best friends, until two years ago when everything went wrong. They haven’t spoken since. Now, Poppy realizes that the only thing that has ever made her truly happy is Alex and she’s determined to make things right. So, she sets out to convince him to take another trip with her. When he agrees, Poppy know this is her one chance to keep Alex in her life.

People We Meet on Vacation is book that is emotional and charming. It is written with the right touch of humor and the characters are sensitive and believable. The only observation I have is that there was a lot of bouncing back and forth between the present and past vacations. Obviously, this is necessary to tell the story, but it seemed a bit too lengthy and the story seemed to drag at times. For that reason, I would give Emily Henry’s latest book 3.5 stars, but will bump it up to 4.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book for review.

You guys, Emily Henry wrote 2021's bookish version of 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘏𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘺 𝘔𝘦𝘵 𝘚𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺. ⁣
⁣
Poppy is adventurous, bold, and quirky whereas Alex is quiet, thoughtful, and bookish. She's a blogger turned magazine travel writer who couldn't wait to escape her hometown, he's a teacher with a pet cat and no desire to move away. On the surface, they have nothing in common.⁣
⁣
And yet...they are friends who met in college and grew into adulthood together, and established a (very fun) habit of taking regular vacations together. One year, something happened, and it caused the two friends to stop talking indefinitely. It wasn't until Poppy turned down a trip to Greece for a trip to Palm Springs that the two friends started talking again.⁣
⁣
While the premise of the book reminds me of a movie, the details are fun and unexpected, which is why I loved it so much. I read this one cover to cover on Sunday, and I laughed out loud more than once at various conversations between Poppy and Alex. I can watch 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘏𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘺 𝘔𝘦𝘵 𝘚𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 over and over again because it's fun and makes me feel good, and I feel the same way about 𝙋𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙒𝙚 𝙈𝙚𝙚𝙩 𝙤𝙣 𝙑𝙖𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣. ⁣
⁣
Best paired with a glass of bubbly rose, and authentic chats with your girlfriends about travel, adventure, and life.

People We Meet on Vacation was a fun summer read! Alex and Poppy are best friends even though they are very different people. Poppy has her dream job of reviewing travel destinations and Alex is content living in their hometown. Each summer she and Alex take a vacation together until an argument causes them to not speak for a couple of years. Poppy reaches out to Alex to repair their friendship and they plan a vacation together that coordinates with Alex's brother's wedding. The vacation doesn't go as well as planned and Poppy worries that if she can't get it right then her friendship with Alex will be ruined forever.

Really cute book! I didn’t enjoy it quite as much as I enjoyed Beach Read, but I still liked it a lot. My biggest gripe is the back and forth timelines - at least these have a purpose, but I normally don’t enjoy time jumps!

I. AM. OBSESSED. People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry is a well-written, fast-paced romance that had me literally laughing out loud. I loved bouncing back and forth, reading through the evolving timeline to understand how Poppy and Alex ended up where they were. Their relationship was every bit of amazing that had my heart pumping, both with love and heartache. And don't even get me started on the ending because I might drop a spoiler if I do, but let's just say it was well worth the wait. Overall, a five-star read for me!

People We Meet On Vacation by Emily Henry
Rating 4.5/5 Stars
Published by Berkley Books
Published 11 May 2021

Two best friends. Ten summer trips. One last chance to fall in love.
What could go wrong?

How in the world do I describe how I feel about this book? When I finished it, I was just so sad about it because I wanted more of Poppy and Alex. I found their character development to be beautifully written. You could really feel Poppy’s emotions through her Point of View - especially when it came to her feelings for Alex. As for Alex, his feelings jumped off the page in his actions. Although these two are so opposite, they are so incredibly met for each other it is insane.

I adored how this book was written - going back and forth between the present summer vacation and all of the others they took in the past was really unique and I loved it. I am a huge fan of travel so I could kind of picture myself in these situations they were in (although I don’t have myself an Alex).

I also really enjoyed not fully knowing what happened in Croatia until later on. As I was reading this, I had so many theories about what could have been the catalyst for these two to not talk, originally I thought it was something similar to the actual situation, then I changed it over to fighting, then I even changed it again to include Sarah. I really did think the ending would follow a more traditional rom com - where the couple gets together and then you find out the truth about the one person’s home life (I thought Alex was still with Sarah), but I LOVED That Emily Henry found a way to make this beautiful rom com unique from all the others on the shelf.

Bonus points to Henry for bringing up the characters from Beach Read! Blink and you miss it!

If you have yet to read this book, get on it. You will not regret it.

Beach Read was the perfect enemies-to-lovers summer romance featuring rival authors. For her follow-up, Henry reverses all of that, but keeps the romance of summer: Best friends Poppy and Alex vacation together every year for a platonic week of fun--except for their last vacation two years ago, when they ruined everything. To save their friendship (or maybe nurse it into something more), they're going on one last week-long vacation, to see if they can recover what they lost.

The book moves seamlessly between the present and back over the prior decade-plus of vacations--just enough time spent on each trip to establish an aspect of Alex and Poppy's relationship, without getting too repetitive. It's a treat to watch a beloved tradition shared by two people transform over the years, from penny-pinching budgets post-graduation to enjoying the perks of Poppy's travel writer job. Each summer is a snapshot of where they are in their lives professionally and personally, as various relationships (or vacation hookups) intercede upon this pair's intimate dynamic.

Just as in Beach Read, the carefree summery setting belies deeper emotional issues at work, even beyond Poppy and Alex's shift in relationship. Henry perfectly captures the sheer letdown of a disappointing vacation that was supposed to be worth the entire year that preceded it, but balances those bleakly funny scenes with the real insecurities plaguing their non-vacation lives and the other emotional baggage they have unwittingly brought to paradise. With a book that spans so many years, it can be difficult to keep up the won't-they half of the romantic see-saw, and there are moments where the reader may get frustrated with Alex and Poppy holding themselves back from happiness. But if you commit to the bad vacations along with the good, the narrative scrapbook that emerges is nuanced enough to be worth the ride.

Why do I keep doing this to myself? I have an amazing, sweet book on my shelf for months. I put it off. And then I kick myself because it was so good. People We Meet on Vacation was of course no exception to my bad habit. I absolutely adored this one!

Poppy and Alex are the very definition of opposites attracting. When first they meet as college freshmen, she’s the go-getter who wants to travel the world and try new things. He’s the homebody who likes khakis, books, and the gym; without Poppy’s influence, he probably would not have been likely to try anything new.

From college and beyond, these two form an unlikely friendship that becomes much more complicated than expected. And as they embark on what Poppy thinks could be their last chance to mend things (after two years), both of these characters learn a lot about not just themselves, but each other.

"People We Meet on Vacation" is a beautifully written story following Alex and Poppy's friendship over 12 years. Henry explores how relationships change and how things that we experience and internalize as a youth can color every aspect of our lives. Henry's novel was fast paced and delightful to read. It made me wish to jump on a plane and explore new places with my husband! A wonderful summer read.

This book has officially solidified Emily Henry as the true queen of banter! I adored Beach Read, so I knew I had to pick this one up. Alex and Poppy had great chemistry in this slow burn, friends-to-lovers tale. And in a time when travel has been nearly impossible, this story provided such a great escape from the present reality of the pandemic. I love how Henry is able to bring so much humanity, care, and compassion to her characters, making them so real and relatable, yet enjoyable to spend time with. Alex was a swoonworthy leading man, but Poppy is also someone I could see myself being friends with in real life. While I didn't fall quite as hard for this one as I did Beach Read, I definitely would recommend it to any romance fans out there who want a sweet story with some steamy scenes, don't mind a slow-burn romance with major chemistry, and desperately want to go on a vacation (or two, or three).

Wow! This was such a great book. To be honest, I had to force myself to finish it because I didn’t want it to be over.

This is a story about a friendship that turns into two people being each other’s homes. I laughed. I smiled. I cried. I felt for the characters.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who knows what it’s like to want to find your home!!! Or anyone else who I could get to read it!

Thank you for allowing me this privilege of reading and reviewing this book!

This book was fantastic! I absolutely loved Beach Read, and I loved this one even more! Alex and Poppy's relationship is absolutely hilarious and swoon-worthy. I had so much fun reading this book and I am sad that it is over! This is definitely one of my favorite reads of the year so far! If you love romantic comedies, go get this book now! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐