This book has firmly nudged itself into my top three favorite romance books of all time, and I'm not mad about it. The People We Meet on Vacation is a romcom reminiscent of When Harry Met Sally following two best friends as they dance around each other for a decade, the timing never right. No matter how far life takes them apart, they always come back together for summer vacation, where they're allowed to be themselves together.

Their banter is deliciously charismatic from their very first /real/ interaction, and I could just tell from the very beginning that they were meant for each other. The witty writing reminded me strongly of Casey McQuiston's writing style, albeit containing a lot less pop culture references. Their interactions were a joy to read, and I desperately wanted to climb into the book and /become/ Poppy just so I could have what she was having.

Poppy and Alex's relationship generally was also a huge standout for me. Their relationship was charismatic, soft, sweet, heartbreaking, and so worth the suspense. I fell fullheartedly for them, and was rooting for them the whole time. The book did a fantastic job handling their communication errors, and the larger mental health problems they were both facing which were hinderances to their relationship, as roadblocks can often be.

Overall, this book was simply amazing. Loved it so so so SO much. This felt like the biggest hug, the most seen I've felt in a while, and generally just a delightful read. It only took me 5 hours to get through the entire thing, and now I'm going to go re-read it via audiobook because I can't get enough of it. PLEASE READ THIS!!

I read and loved Emily Henry's novel Beach Read and was excited to read her new book People We Meet on Vacation. I'm sorry to say this story fell a bit flat for me compared to her first book. Overall it was a somewhat enjoyable read but it just didn't hit home for me. I didn't enjoy the non-linear timeline format. It added to the build-up of the growth of the relationship but it's my least favorite format and I thought it didn't really add much to the story. 

Despite my lack of love for the format I did enjoy some of the characters and the locations. I enjoyed Alex's character. I saw someone post on Goodreads that they don't normally have book crushes but they did on Alex and I can see their point. He's so sweet and charming and such a good friend to her. I thought it was interesting that they never really pursued taking their friendship further in their decade long friendship prior to the events of the book. 

I enjoyed the travel aspect of the story and would recommend this to those looking for a wanderlust-inspired book to take you on a mental vacation or to find inspiration for your future travel plans.

4 stars! I really enjoyed Emily Henry's newest. This is my favorite of hers. There's just something about a good old friends-to-lovers story, especially when Alex is so incredible. He's the perfect balance to Poppy's eccentricity. They both have this underlying chemistry for each other, that only reveals itself in small doses when they spend their yearly vacation together in a new part of the world. There are some similarities to "The Road Trip" by Beth O'Leary, which I loved. I also enjoyed the anachronistic order of events, that has you dying to know what happened 2 summers ago when they went silent! I was itching for every small smile Alex would dole out to Poppy's huge one. Definitely a Good Read!

For the most part, I really enjoyed this book. I did however think it took quite a while for me to really get into it, and I’m generally not a huge fan of going back and forth in time (with flashbacks and backstory type narratives every other chapter). I often felt like I had to work hard to stay in the story and remember what timeline I was reading for some reason. By the second half I was much more into it and enjoyed it a lot though.

This book was such a fun summer read and I can't wait to recommend it. I have loved everything Emily Henry has written and I can't wait to read more by her. I'm hoping her next story is another rom com!

Loved this! It is my go to book for recommendations this month! I was not sure how Emily could top Beach Reads ... she did. I started this book, and could not put it down.

Fun book that made me laugh pretty hard sometimes and had some interesting and important life perspectives and lessons.

It surprised me as it spoke to me. If you were ever madly in love with a friend, whether you knew it or not at the time, this is a book you too should read. I read it on vacation, ‘cause vacation.

I LOVED THIS BOOK. So much so that I hugged it at the end, which is a wonderful way to finish a book. I had read and loved Beach Read, and somehow this was even better. The chemistry between Poppy and Alex was palpable, I loved being transported to different vacation destinations (especially during this time of no travel), and I could not put it down because I just HAD to know what was going to happen to them. The end was incredibly satisfying, I just wish I could spend more time with them. Emily Henry, a sequel perhaps? If you liked Beach Read (even if you didn't love it), pick this up. Also perfect for fans of Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren.

4.5 stars! I think the ending could’ve had a little more oomph, but overall, I liked this a lot (more than Beach Read, actually!), and I really enjoyed Alex and Poppy as characters. Definitely going to read more Emily Henry in the future.

"Two best friends. Ten summer trips. One last chance to fall in love."
Ugh, swoon! When I read this line, I was so excited - Emily Henry's "Beach Read" was awesome, and I really loved that she made me feel seen, as a millennial. with existential crises. "People We Meet on Vacation" hit me harder in the same way. Being in Poppy's head, feeling her burnout at work and the confusion and loneliness she feels was so relatable, and I love the way that Henry expresses that in her writing. That it's okay to feel that way, and you just have to keep on trucking through life.

This book is obviously a romance at its core, but it's also a book about finding yourself, and discovering what you love and what you need. It's sexy and fun and HILARIOUS, and so wholesome. The alternating past vacations with the present was wonderful, and perfect for lamenting the lack of travel during COVID. Reading about all of these places renewed my own love for travel, but it was also so fun to see the main characters interacting in different places, going on adventures and enjoying spending time together.

This book is an absolute delight, and I'm looking forward to the next story by Emily Henry!

This book!

Honestly? I wasn’t a huge fan of Beach Read (it was still good) but this one, WOW! I loved it and I am impressed. I already bought a copy and am recommending it to everyone. I love how it weaves between the past and present. I also love how we know something happened between Poppy and Alex but they didn’t tell us what it was until much later. Great job, Emily.

This is a slow burn friends to lovers book that I appreciate but it just isn’t for me. Poppy is a very likeable and relatable character that the author took time with character development. Alex- not quite so much. There is a lot of timeline back and forth which I usually enjoy, but I just couldn’t get into this book as well as others. The pace just wasn’t doing it for me.

Honestly I wasn’t a huge fan of Beach Read (not enough BEACH for me) but I decided to give this one a chance and I’m glad I did! It was adorable. I loved Alex and Poppy. They are total opposites, just like my husband and me. Normally I have mixed reviews of contemporary romance books. They always start out so promising with lots of witty banter, but then get kind of boring in the middle. But I loved how Emily Henry interspersed the current storyline with flashbacks to all the different trips that Poppy and Alex had taken. It kept things interesting for me and was perfectly paced.

I first got an ARC from @PRHGlobal/@prhinternational before deciding to listen to the book and...getting a physical copy!
So thank you for my free book @prhinternational!

“Like a good book or an incredible outfit, being on vacation transports you into another version of yourself.”

5 stars

That story is a personal journey. One you take with someone who becomes your best friend, as improbable as it seems because you don’t make sense together.



Poppy is small, feisty, outspoken, funny, adventurous and…hurt from her high school years. She has a loud family and parents who are real hoarder. They are brash, weird and warm.



Alex is dutiful, always in control, old fashioned and used to take care of his little brothers and his depressed father since their mom died when he was very young. He is quiet, loves to read and write. He wears khakis when Poppy looks like a boho.



Their first encounter was brief, when they visited college, two people who just talked because they happened to be next to each other. The conversation was forced and awkward.



When at the end of their first college year they share a car together, the conversation will become really interesting with Poppy unable to stay silent, taunting Alex, pulling him out of his shell and talking so much. And they’ll soon do things together on that summer, building an amazing friendship.



From that moment on, they’ll go every year on vacation together. On a budget first and then on Poppy’s employer’s credit card as she is working for a travel magazine.



We switch between their past vacations, how they build their friendship, how Poppy made “Naked Akex” rear his head while on vacation and how Alex made her feel safe and not lonely anymore.

And then there is “This Summer”.

Where Poppy is feeling adrift after having stopped talking to Alex for two years. We guess that something happened two years ago but we don’t know what.

Emily Henry is slowly building the tension up, coming closer to that summer that broke them.



This summer is a desperate chance for Poppy to mend her friendship with Alex.



I truly was engrossed in that story from the very first scene.

Poppy and Alex were both really loveable and relatable characters with multilayered complexity.

They made me want to know such girl/guy friendship.

I laughed at their antics and the banter was truly excellent.



But beneath the easy veneer of vacation hides past trauma.

Poppy has left Lindfield, her hometown where she’s been bullied and felt alone. She is running away from her childhood, running away from that past Poppy, desperate to be a new and better Poppy. To connect.

Alex has carried his family burden for years. He’s been the dad to his little brothers. Sensible and responsible Alex. Always in control except when he is with Poppy. Traumatized by his mother’s death he is afraid of being happy, of loving and then losing someone.



There is so much feelings, wisdom, joy, happiness and truths in that book! After two books I’d say this is Emily Henry’s signature. A mixed bag of levity, sadness, depth and joy.



If you loved Beach Read by the same author, you are going to enjoy this one so much!

Emily Henry's newest book was a 5 star read for me!

PWMOV is a friends to lovers romance, but that feels like way too simple of a description for this book. Poppy and Alex have such a beautiful, complex friendship. I love that through the vacation flashbacks we get to watch them grow up. They both had incredible character development, but Poppy's was my favorite.

This book had all the summer vibes, and is another great book to binge on a summer day. You'll get plenty of laughs from Poppy and Alex's banter! And if you're like me, plenty of sighs and swoons as their relationship evolves and the "what if" moments begin to escalate.

One of my favorite things about this book was the unfailing acceptance Poppy and Alex had for each other. They both had family things, fears, and other choices they were afraid to share with others but with each other they could be their whole selves. And they brought out the best in each other. ⁣

I devoured this book in less than a day. Excellent friends to more romance. Loved the pacing and characterization.

The Beach Read was all the rage, so I jumped on the chance to read The People You Meet on Vacation.

Following the typical Rom-Com, I felt slightly underwhelmed by the storyline between Alex & Poppy. They haven’t talked in a couple years and it wasn’t really an engaging reason. I think perhaps this is my own personal reading preferences and moods!

I will still read more novels by Emily Henry as her writing is very well done! It was me on this one for sure.

This is a the perfect summer/beach read! Grab a book, your favorite drink and get ready to be whisked away on vacation with Alex and Poppy!

Can we talk relationship goals?! That is exactly what Alex and Poppy have. There friendship is one we all can only hope for. I will say that it was a tad predictable towards the end but it’s ok. Not all books need to lea s you guessing. Having and ending like that just satisfies your soul.

This book was full of great characters, fun storyline and lots of laugh out loud moments. Definitely pick it up today!!

Thank you to NetGalley for this book in exchange for my honest review.

I truly enjoyed this friends to lovers romance. The dual narrative added insight and helped to build the emotional base of the story .

I absolutely loved this book! Both Alex and Poppy are absolutely precious and I just loved their characters. I really enjoyed all of the flashbacks to past trips and all of the different adventures they had. I felt like their connection was so genuine and sweet, while also just wanting to shake them and make them realize they were meant to be together haha. This book had me laughing out loud and smiling like an idiot while reading it.

Emily Henry did such a great job writing characters that you fell in love with immediately and setting so many beautiful travel scenes that left me wanting to travel even more than I already did. I actually enjoyed this one even more than Beach Read and I am not sure if it is because I read this one first or what, but it was just so good! I absolutely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading romance and rom-coms. I cannot wait to read more from Henry, as she is definitely becoming an auto-buy author for me after this one.