Another romance book just not for me. (I guess I'm not in the mood for romance lately!) There were a few too many of the typical romance book clichés - friends to lovers, second chances, opposites attract. I much preferred Alex as a character, Poppy was annoying and needy. And of course we know how it will end! But I guess the predictability is why so many people love romance. I do love to travel so I enjoyed reading the vacation scenes.

But I am definitely in the minority, as I know many loved this book!

Emily Henry does it again and even better with this light and lovable romance!

The pull of the characters toward and away from each other was the perfect amount of angst to keep me invested and not wanting to put down this summer read! Listing this as one of Lovely Books "Top 5 Summer Reads" our listeners loved hearing about this entertaining and charming read!

I loved People We Meet on Vacation perhaps even more than Beach Read—a tall order! Emily Henry does a beautiful job of making us fall in love with each character as they fall in love with each other, and the layering of deep, tender backstory and present-day sizzling chemistry work SO well. This is the When Harry Met Sally reimagining that I never knew I needed, and I'll be thinking about these characters and what they learn about love for a very long time.

I really enjoyed this book! I had read Emily Henry's Beach Read and found it enjoyable so snatched this one up as soon as I could. The characters were endearing, the plot interesting and captivating. I found the flashbacks easy to keep track of and felt the ending was perfect. Definitely recommend for an easy (but great) summer read!

I’m blown away by how much I’ve loved this book. It’s so much more than a romance. It’s about people. About friendships. About finding yourself and taking the next step.

I loved how different Alex and Poppy are. Their dynamic and chemistry were so unique and surprising. I haven’t rooted for a couple to get together as much as I have for Poppy and Alex in a really long time.

Alex melted my heart. I felt like I was constantly looking at his Sad Puppy Face while I read because I just wanted to cry for these two.

They felt like real people and I related to them on such a deep level, it honestly made me mad at times.

The way the story came together was refreshing and worked perfectly. Emily Henry built the mystery and suspense around the Croatia trip so well, I was scared to finally reach that part of the story.

Now the romance. This was honestly the slowest slow burn romance I’ve ever read. I felt the yearning and desperation they felt for each other in a way I didn’t think possible. It worked amazingly that it’s a friends-to-lovers romance. The fact that I loved the romance in this book so much, and it’s not an enemies to lovers, is saying something.

I enjoyed Beach Read when I read it last year, even if I was a bit disappointed by the lack of romance. However, I am in love with this book. It’ll hold a special place in my heart for how raw and honest it felt to read.

I highly, highly recommend it.

Poppy and Alex are best friends—solidified after the drive back home from freshman year of college. On vacation one year, something happens to jeopardize their friendship and we, the readers, are left wondering what happened.

WHAT HAPPENED?! Just. Tell. Me. That’s the question I kept asking throughout the novel. I adored Poppy and Alex— individually, I liked their personalities, but I particularly enjoyed their friendship and chemistry.

While this is a romance novel, I liked that Henry developed the characters’ backgrounds by diving into some more complex topics, like familial relationships and finding fulfillment in life personally and professionally.

I don’t want to give anything away, so please, just read this one.

My only highlight from this novel: “He tells me he hates seeing both flip-flops and displays of affection in public. “Feet should be private,” he insists.” Alex Nielsen, I felt seen. (I’m not that extreme— it’s okay to wear open-toed shoes around me. Just don’t shove them in my face, please and thank you.)

Here’s to you, Emily Henry, for being my first 5-star read in 2021.

I want to meet Alex and Poppy on vacation, because I can't stop think about them. These characters were everything. This book was everything. While I loved Beach Read, this book spoke to my soul so much more.

People We Meet on Vacation is about two best friends who spend only a week a year on vacation together, every year. I absolutely loved the back and forth POVs, from previous summer vacations and the current one, to give us a back story of their friendship/relationship as we get to know them. Alex and Poppy were polar opposites, but were the perfect mix of characters to keep me interested and intrigued to know how they would mix. Their banter and their humour really spoke to me, I giggled so much reading their dialogue.

These contemporary romance books are fairly predictable. Almost every time, you know what you're getting in to when you start these books, but that's what I have come to love (and expect) from them. While this book took the general path of contemporary romances, the build up and twisty roads to get there were absolute perfection. I felt all of the emotions through this book, either laughing or crying, or even sobbing and cheering. This will be a book of the year for me.

Emily Henry did it again!
I'm not the biggest fan of the friends to lovers trope but I loved it in this book. The author pulled it really well and it was such a comforting romantic read full of feels that goes perfectly with this warm weather.

I enjoyed Emily Henry's Beach Read last year so I decided to pick this up. The premise of friends Poppy and Alex taking one vacation together a year sounded promising too. Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy it nearly as much, and I had a hard time finishing it. The chapters alternate between the past vacations and the present, and I found it frustrating to go back to a past vacation, since they weren't nearly as compelling and I cared more about seeing the present state of their relationship. I eventually started skimming the past chapters. I also wasn't sold on their ability to maintain a "just friends" status for so long with the chemistry and how clear it was to the reader how much they meant to each other, even after taking a years long break from each other. I found the conclusion satisfying, though, and I will read Emily's next book.

A perfectly modern, beautifully written, achingly romantic reimagining of the class friends to lovers rom When Harry Met Sally. Without exaggeration, I'd say Emily Henry is cementing her new millennium Nora Ephron style reputation. In addition to the updates for time period, what I also like is that this is a more class conscious, working to middle class version of that classic, which is refreshing for a change. Poppy and Alex meet awkward the first day of orientation at the University of Chicago. They're opposites —he's buttoned up and khaki clad, while she wears neon—and neither one is too impressed with the other. The second time they meet, sharing a ride back to their small town in Ohio for break, however, their strange alchemy of opposites takes hold and they're wedded together in some almost entirely platonic form or fashion ever after. Through job changes and moves, and romantic others not withstanding, they have a long standing commitment to their friendship, the highlight of which is an annual vacation they take together. The most challenging thing about this story is how these two idiots keep their hands off each other for so long. But Emily Henry really makes the fear —fear of losing their friendship, fear of rejection, fear of an unrequited or asymmetrical love—as palpable as the attraction. If slow burn or friends to lovers is your jam, this is definitely your story.

My full review was published in BookPage.com

WOW. So good, my heart hurts. "People We Meet on Vacation" hooked me right away with the humor and then took hold of my heart as I followed Alex & Poppy's relationship through all its ups and downs.

Chapters swap back and forth between the current time and a chronology of each of the previous summer vacations Poppy & Alex took together after meeting in college. I'm not usually a fan of alternating timelines, but Emily Henry does a magical job of taking the reader back in these chapters to show us what happened instead of telling us about their past, all while building anticipation around discovering the whole picture of how they got to their current estrangement.

This book was absolutely heart wrenching at times, but so well balanced with love and humor. I especially appreciated the focus on Poppy and Alex figuring themselves out instead of relying on "love" to solve all their individual and relationship problems. Such a rewarding journey to see each of them grow over the years and then put in the work to be together. I have a whole collection of highlights I plan on returning to when I need my own little bit of romantic self care.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

All the friends-to-lovers feels. I love how this was told in alternating timelines. The way the vacations were remembered it felt a bit like a whirlwind road trip The characters were loveable. The angst was thick enough to cut with a knife. Just the way I like my romances.

I always bring a lot of books and my kindle, but I plan enough down time to get in some reading. While it seems like I haven't been on vacation in awhile, I have fond memories of reading on the beach that I hope to recreate in the near future.

What I loved about this book:

1. Even though friends to lovers isn't my favorite romance trope I'm obsessed with this book. I thought it was so well written with great characters that came together well without if feeling too cheesy. Poppy and Alex were opposites, but were obviously perfect for each other.

2. I liked that there were complex emotions in this book, but it still was a heartwarming read. Did I cry? Definitely, but there was also a lot of laughs that balances it all out.

3. Alex

4. This book touched on a topic you don't hear about often, but I think deserves more attention. Once a person achieves their long term goals they can become depressed. I've experienced this before and definitely agree it's about the journey. This is why it's important to have evolving goals and to enjoy the journey along the way.

Honestly I could continue to list a million reasons why I loved this book, but I'm not going to because you should just grab a copy and read it yourself. I promise you won't be disappointed.

The friends to lovers trope is usually a good one. People We Meet On Vacation took way too long for me to get through. I did like Poppy and Alex's friendship. The two of them were so clearly and hopelessly in love with each other. They went on summer vacations with each other for years and made countless memories.

The switch between the past and present was so tedious. I did not want a rundown of each year and then a switch back to the present. Poppy was hilarious but I was not a fan of her constant internal ramblings. It felt like this book went on and on. There literally wasn't anything of note that advanced the story until 70% in and I know this because I looked at my Kindle for the percentage it took for something to actually happen. By the time I got to the end of the book, I just wanted it to end and it took way too long to get to the end result. I usually don't read other reviews while reading a book but I needed to read how others felt. Clearly, I was in the minority because I saw a few four and 5 star reviews.

Thank you, NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

"How so much of love is about who you are with someone."

Emily Henry can do no wrong.

Crushed this book in an afternoon, as it was filled with so much sweetness and introspection on who we choose to love and what gets in the way of happiness (mostly ourselves). The banter is so incredible throughout the novel that it felt like I was unwrapping a gift with each page turn. This novel is both a breezy feel-good summer beach read while also holding weight and depth as it explores the complexities of humans searching for meaning in one another.

Shout out to Book of the Month for elevating our girl's stories. I know I'll continue to read whatever she puts out

This book spoke to me. Like I am infatuated with this story. I need to own a physical copy now so that I can hug it every once in a while. It's amazing.

This book is a friends to lovers trope, and I'm gonna be super honest here. I hate that trope. I have always been a firm believer that once you hit the friend zone, you can't hit that romance space. I know that's not true, but I've just never found a story where I've been convinced of the romance...UNTIL NOW.

I have fallen in love with Poppy and Alex. They are beautiful together. I enjoyed every single interaction between them. The story takes us on vacation with these two in the current timeline, and then takes us back in time to understand their previous 12 years of vacations and relationships. Reading the story of how these two met and how their friendship blossomed made this story amazing. The way the author chose to reveal things (and when) elevated this from a good to an absolutely outstanding story.

My favorite thing throughout this story was the banter that Alex and Poppy have. They made me laugh out loud over and over. And then my family is like, what's funny. And I just can't explain it because it's an inside joke between Alex and Poppy (and me).

There is this amazing character journey for both characters really, and it really brought tears to my eyes as everything falls into place. I just cannot say enough good things about this book. It's a must read!

I was provided a gifted copy of this book for free. I am leaving my review voluntarily.

I am such a fan of Emily Henry! I loved Beach Read and this book was no different. This is the perfect book to read during these summery months. The characters are lovely with amazing depth and character arcs. I can’t recommend this book enough.

This was such a feel good summer read! It follows the story of Poppy and Alex through their twelve-year-long friendship. The pair has such a perfect unconventional, opposites attract kind of friendship perfect for anyone who loves the film When Harry Met Sally. Alex is a very particular, strait-laced kind of guy, while Poppy is more wild and free. Throughout their friendship, they meet so many unique and fun people during their summer vacations, hence the name. Filled with moments of genuinely laugh out loud humor as well as moments that had me tearing up, this is the perfect book to crack open anytime you're in need of a little love and friendship.

Based on the writing style of this book, I’m convinced Emily Henry and I could be best friends. The dry wit, humor, sarcasm, teasing, one liners- those are my love language. This book had me shaking with laughter to the point of needing to catch my breath the entire way through. That’s not to say it was all light, fun and games. There was some family drama and angst built in as well. This particular story reminded me of the fast paced dialogue of Newsroom, and I’m a 💯 here for that. (You’ve heard me bemoan my ability to get into books described as ‘slow and lyrical’ it’s a character flaw I can’t seem to overcome) Whilst Poppy did exhibit some truly irritating millennial tendencies, I couldn’t help but fall in love with her. It’s very much a classic friends to lovers story, where it seems everyone but Poppy and Alex can tell they’re meant to be together, but the setting felt fresh to me and gave me a bit of wanderlust (my milleni-old) is showing with that. Did I also mention there’s only one bed? Also- as always Julia Whelan as the narrator was A+. I could honestly probably listen to her read the phone book.

As an aside, this story unfolds in a forwards/backwards converging timeline which is generally speaking very much not my favorite. So the fact that I love it, and wasn’t *that* bothered by it speaks volumes.

I think this officially cements Emily Henry as a new autobuy author for me.

Another excellent rom-com from Emily Henry!!!

Things you will find in People We Meet on Vacation:
• The friends-to-lovers trope
• Alternating time periods (past and present)
• A ~not-your-average~ male love interest (in the best way possible)
• Excellent banter, as expected

While reading, I realized this book is made up of two things I rank low on my "enjoyment" list. 1) The friends-to-lovers trope, which I don't tend to like because I cannot imagine not being emotionally attached to someone I get close to, and 2) switching between the past and present, because I always prefer one over the other. But with PWMOV, it worked out—and unsurprisingly so because I love Emily Henry's stories, no matter how they're written.

Told from Poppy's perspective, we follow her and Alex as they meet up every summer in a new vacation location. They became best friends in college but since then, Alex moved back to their shared hometown in Ohio, while Poppy works in New York as the travel editor for a magazine. (This is why they're able to go on bougie trips.) Quite a mismatched pair—Poppy is spontaneous and a quirky go-getter, while Alex is reserved and quite particular about many things—but it's worked out well for them, at least up until two summers ago. They haven't spoken since, but Poppy is willing to do whatever it takes to mend their friendship, so she invites Alex on one last "job-sponsored" vacation.

Alex was such an interesting love interest. Very different from what we normally get in romance novels (aka, "overly confident and sexy"). Alex is quiet and would probably blend in among a crowd of people, but that's precisely why I liked him so much. I do have to say, it was a weird reading experience for me because I know two different people named Alex and it was hard not to imagine them as this character BUT I DIDN'T WANT TO 😂 I do feel like that impacted my experience, but that's a personal problem lol. If he was named anything else, I 100% would've fallen in love with him!!!

Like in Emily Henry's first adult rom-com, Beach Read, she delivers on the banter and laugh-out-loud moments. A little different this time with less flirty moments, since Alex and Poppy are friends (or adamantly working on it), but I still loved their conversations and how they dealt with all the unfortunate circumstances (i.e., staying in a Palm Springs rental with no AC 😭) There isn't as many sexy times compared to Beach Read (which I was completely fine with!) but it is just as emotional. Even me, with my cold heart, teared up at the ending 🥲

My only complaint (a small one) is how the story is reliant on the fact that Poppy and Alex hold back on expressing how they feel about each other. There are a couple of "oh, he probably doesn't feel the same way for me so I should let him go" moments from Poppy, but it didn't bother me that much because the reasons they avoided addressing it are explained well.