I fell for this one even though I thought the "When Harry Met Sally" gimmick wouldn't play right. I was wrong! In fact, I think this built up the romance far better.

After "Beach Read" I wanted another affecting yet believable romance, and this one reliably set up a past for the two leads Poppy and Alex. It's a classic friends-become-lovers, opposites attract situation, and to see it unfold over 12 years while shuttling back and forth in time made it all feel worth it.

Also, just for me - bonus Vietnamese characters have a tiny appearance at the end. Not much, so I'd like to demand a spinoff with one of them.

I REALLY loved this book. It was tender, full of witty banter, and had such a slow burning romance that the tension had me blushing and vibrating in anticipation. I loved Emily Henry’s other book – Beach Read – which similarly looks like a, well, “beach read” but actually has surprising depth to it, and this one was no different.

This follows Poppy and Alex, two best friends from college who travel together every summer until one particularly ill-fated trip creates a rift in their friendship. After two years of not speaking, they agree to meet up for another vacation in an attempt to salvage their relationship.

YES, this is a fun book about vacations, but REALLY at its core it’s about finding home in another person. I’ve seen other reviews mention that the characters felt a little too similar to Beach Read, but I personally didn’t find this to be the case. I loved the journey these two take over the course of the book, the destinations they travel to, and the wanderlust that consumed me while reading. I loved Alex and Poppy. I loved the writing. I loved the way the story seamlessly switches between past and present. It’s safe to say that Emily Henry has become a new auto-buy author for me!

This book speaks to me :)

Star rating: 4.5 ⭐️ (May round up to 5 later, still thinking on it!)

Thank you to @netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing an advance copy of this book for review purposes.

From the first paragraph, I knew this book would be a good one. I immersed myself into the book from the first chapter and I cannot say enough good things about this book! Honestly amazing! The writing is incredible and the plot is just one to die for. I am absolutely obsessed with this book. My favorite part would have to be the character development throughout the book. Character development is something I look forward to and this book did not disappoint.

I want to tell everyone I know about how much I love this book!

I LOVED Emily Henry's Beach Read so much last year, I didn't think a follow-up could possibly compare. If it was possible to give this book more than five stars, I would. When I finished it, I spent about 20 minutes in a post-book glow in which my husband kept trying to talk to me and I had no idea what he was doing or saying.

The romance in this book was fun, but the writing was absolutely delightful. I LOVED all the travel - painful but joyful to read during COVID, of course - but the book was just SO happy. I didn't want it to end!

It was almost physically painful to read this during COVID. The travel, the romance, the bustling cities- everything made me just want to jump out of this world and into the book’s world.

The book opens with a simultaneously hilarious and awkward scene between Alex and Poppy, so I was pretty immediately hooked. The timeline jumps around between the present and some past vacations between Alex and Poppy. I normally really love POV and timeline changes but in this case, I don’t know, I just wasn’t really feeling it. I enjoyed seeing Poppy and Alex’s relationship evolve throughout the years but it always felt like something was missing from these scenes. Or maybe it was the awkward tension between them in the present that reflected poorly on the past scenes. Things just felt like they jumped around a lot at times and I think that threw me off. Regardless, I wasn’t as in love with this structure as I usually am.

Poppy wasn’t my favorite main character but I do like her character arc. I enjoyed her energy and her strong-willed nature. Alex was pretty adorable and I love how he was a really attractive guy with crazy high social anxiety- way to flip that script and not have the hot guy be obnoxiously arrogant confident! Alex seemed to have character and I felt more emotions from him than many other romantic male leads, so that was refreshing. There are times as a reader that I will get irritated with how characters have really obvious communication flaws, and there are definitely communication flaws between Poppy and Alex, but I understand where it comes from in their present relationship. This understanding made it less aggravating for sure and helped me enjoy their character flaws without screaming “Oh my God just have a simple conversation!!” at the book.

The dynamic between Poppy and Alex fluctuated a lot thought out the book, partially due to the alternating timelines and partially due to their less-than-stellar Palm Springs trip. There were some times where I wished we could have had more dialogue and communication between them instead of being stuck in Poppy’s head, but overall their dynamic was entertaining and ever-changing.

There wasn’t a lot to the plot besides Alex and Poppy reconnecting and Poppy working on self-development, but that didn’t stop me from being engaged with the book. A lot of the side conflicts take place in the past scenes- the family drama, relationship drama, schooling, finding careers, growing up, etc. This did make me feel a little distanced from the story as a whole, since it seemed like a lot of those categories weren’t really addressed in the present-tense; instead, it focused a lot more on their relationship. It felt like I would get involved with one smaller conflict and then the chapter would end, bring us back to the present, and then the next past-tense chapter would be in a different timeframe. It felt a bit disjointed at times. Despite this, I was still interested in seeing the characters grow individually as well as seeing their relationship with each other change so much.

The book was wrapped up quickly by the end but was pretty cute. This was a wonderful read for the beginning of summer (even if it was kinda painful during COVID) and I would recommend reading it! It’s one of those books that maybe doesn’t have a lot of in-your-face substance but gives you a fuzzy feeling inside and a stupid smile on the outside. I’m definitely glad that my friend let it slip that this was being published this month!

Two best friends, who want totally different things from life, find that they are actually a perfect match. Over a decade of summer vacations, Poppy and Alex travel from place to place, becoming the very best of friends. Then, something changes on one of those trips, and they don't speak for two years. We pick up in the present, when Poppy arranges a vacation for the two of them to reconnect - and everything goes wrong. A surprisingly sophisticated view of relationships, with adult conversations and no "big misunderstandings" to be found. A delightful opposites-attract, friends-to-lovers romance, with a mature view of what makes a relationship a success.

4.5stars

I absolutely loved Emily Henry’s novel Beach Read last year and I couldn’t wait to see what she came up with next. With any big hit, there is always pressure to recreate the magic and produce an even better second novel so while I had high expectations, I also tried not to get too excited as Beach Read was fantastic and topping that would be a tall order.

Normally I am not a huge fan of the friends to lovers troupe, I generally prefer enemies to lovers but in some cases the friends to lovers troupe works out well. Beach Read was more enemies to lovers where as People We Meet on Vacation is more friends to lovers. I was eager to see how Henry would portray Alex and Poppy in this book.

If you haven’t read anything by Henry before, I would say both of her more well known novels, this one and Beach Read, are probably your best bet. Personally I preferred Beach Read over this one, but this one was still wonderful and funny not to mention a quick read that will leave you satisfied and wanting to read more books by this author, not to mention ready for your next vacation!

Summary
Two best friends. Ten summer trips. One last chance to fall in love.

Poppy and Alex. Alex and Poppy. They have nothing in common. She’s a wild child; he wears khakis. She has insatiable wanderlust; he prefers to stay home with a book. And somehow, ever since a fateful car share home from college many years ago, they are the very best of friends. For most of the year they live far apart—she’s in New York City, and he’s in their small hometown—but every summer, for a decade, they have taken one glorious week of vacation together.

Until two years ago, when they ruined everything. They haven’t spoken since.

Poppy has everything she should want, but she’s stuck in a rut. When someone asks when she was last truly happy, she knows, without a doubt, it was on that ill-fated, final trip with Alex. And so, she decides to convince her best friend to take one more vacation together—lay everything on the table, make it all right. Miraculously, he agrees.

Now she has a week to fix everything. If only she can get around the one big truth that has always stood quietly in the middle of their seemingly perfect relationship. What could possibly go wrong?

From the New York Times bestselling author of Beach Read, a sparkling new novel that will leave you with the warm, hazy afterglow usually reserved for the best vacations. (summary from Goodreads)

Review
If there is one thing that Henry is known for, it’s her ability to write snappy and funny dialogue. The banter between Alex and Poppy was exactly what I needed right now. I have been reading some heavier books and this book was a much needed break from that and it also made the story flow well making it feel like a fast read. Since I read Beach Read first, it holds a special place in my heart, but this book was equally as entertaining with characters you will fall in love with. Poppy and Alex were seemingly so mismatched and I enjoyed watching them come together as a couple.

Henry is known for creating great chemistry between her two characters and Alex and Poppy had that in spades for this book. They were so opposite but that’s what made their chemistry so great and intense. I loved it and I couldn’t get enough of their romance. Henry made the friends to lovers trope sexy and full of tension. I adored their story. Poppy was a great character with such sharp wit where as Alex was able to match her so perfectly and had all the romantic hero qualities that will leave readers swooning!

What set this one apart from some of Henry’s other books is that the story takes place over the course of a decade (give or take). I thought this was an interesting choice on her part. It really gave the reader a sense of history between the two characters. I don’t know that it fully worked for me but the characters and fierce dialogue was so great that I didn’t mind that their story was told over a longer stretch of time. If you are looking for the perfect rom-com to escape with this summer then you can stop your hunting now. This is the book to read this summer and you don’t want to miss it. I loved it and can’t wait for more books from Emily Henry!

Book Info and Rating
Format384 pages, Paperback

Expected publication May 11, 2021 by Berkley Books

ISBN9781984806758 (ISBN10: 1984806750)

Free review copy provided by publisher, Berkley Books, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and in no way influenced.

Rating: 4.5 stars

Genre: romance

Though I actually own two of Henry's earlier novels, this one is my first actual experience with her writing and I absolutely loved it! It's funny - I giggled out loud a few times and found the whole book to be genuinely entertaining! It's easy to get swept into the story of Poppy and Alex - their longstanding friendship, their vacations each summer - and the simmering attraction and fun bantering along the way. I really couldn't put this one down at all! I just loved reading it! I laughed, I teared up and it made me feel a bit like I got to go on vacation, too! I really had a lot of fun reading - the characters all sprang right off the page for me. I loved main character, Poppy, and her relationship with Alex. I can see why some other early reviews compared this to When Harry Met Sally - it definitely makes me want to re-watch that movie now!

This is a lot of fun and I absolutely can't wait to go back to my own TBR and dig out her earlier titles (as well as keep an eye out for anything new in the future!), Vivid writing, fun humor and depth to all of the characters really combined to make this such a genuine pleasure to read!

Poppy has her dream job, working at one of the top travel magazines. She has a nice apartment and a good friend in New York. But she's not happy. She knows clearly when she last was: two years ago, on a trip with Alex Nilsen. Poppy and Alex have been best friends since college. This despite the fact that they are very different and spend most of the year apart. She works in New York City. He teaches in their small hometown. But every summer, they reunite for one amazing week-long vacation. Until two years ago, when they ruined everything and stopped speaking. Poppy knows she needs to get back to that happiness she shared with Alex. So she plans one more trip. She has one week to repair her friendship with Alex and to make everything right. No big deal, right?

"On vacation, you can be anyone you want. Like a good book or an incredible outfit, being on vacation transports you into another version of yourself."

Like most people, I adored Emily Henry's book BEACH READ and was quite excited to read PEOPLE WE MEET ON VACATION. She's back with another unique romance. I'm not sure I enjoyed this one quite as much as BEACH READ, but I still loved it. This book is intense and emotional yet hilarious at times. A section on Poppy helping Alex rework his Tinder profile had me actually laughing out loud.

"I know right away when when I was last truly happy. Two years ago, in Croatia, with Alex Nilsen. But there's no finding my way back to that, because we haven't spoken since."

VACATION has a small cast of characters, which means the spotlight is focused on Alex and Poppy throughout. It's incredibly easy to get swept up in their story. I flew through this book in a day (on vacation, ironically). It goes back and forth in time, with some chapters revolving around "this summer," which tells us about Poppy's trip and her attempt to save her friendship with Alex. Past chapters look at other summers and their other trips. We know something happened on their Croatia vacation, but don't find out until we get to that chapter. That melodrama was a bit much for the actual "big" reveal, but that was my only major issue with the book.

This is a slow burn, with Poppy and Alex's story unfurling in bits and pieces, thanks to the back-in time-format. However, it was incredibly effortless to become lost in the plot and become part of this book. Henry is an amazing storyteller, and I felt like I was a piece of Alex and Poppy's journey and their trips. I was invested in their friendship from the start. Henry's romances are different, but the lust, passion, and intensity just ooze from the pages nonetheless.

Overall, this is a different and intense story. Our main characters are complete opposites, and it's fun being a part of their journey.

Gigantic thanks to Penguin Group, Berkley Books and Emily Henry for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. Also, for allowing me to be part of the BLOG TOUR for this fantastic novel! I love Emily Henry's writing, especially her Beach Read novel, so when I got my hand on this, I jumped into it right away.

This story follows Poppy as she plans a California vacation to reconnect with her college best friend Alex. I had such a fun time reading this. The writing is amazing. The romance is swoon-worthy, wholesome and fulfilling. The characters are loveable, and their dynamic is addictive. The atmosphere is enchanting and nostalgic. This is exactly the book you need for your summer reading list.

Overall, I gave this book 4.5 stars. I read this book in one sitting and couldn't get anything else done until I finished it. Put this book on your summer reading list or your TBR for a future read. You won't be disappointed!

A great read! The relationship between Alex and Poppy is so realistic, and their interactions are so meaningful that you can't help but hope they get together and become more than friends. Their banter is often laugh-out-loud funny and it really comes through that that these two people fit together. I adored reading this book and I can see myself revisiting it in the future; I plan to buy the hard copy so I can keep this book on my bookshelf. Definitely recommend.

This was so sweet and cute! I liked Poppy but I adored Alex. This was a pretty slow burn for me. Not a real page turner but I did like the story and I loved the banter and jokes. Definitely a feel good book :)

Thank you to Berkley and netgalley for the arc!!

This was my first novel by Henry and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It took me a little while to get the flow of the timeline, but once I grasped it, I loved the back and forth of the story between the past and present. Poppy and Alex are both loveable characters. I loved the transition from friends to lovers with miscommunication thrown in. One of my favorite rom-coms and I can't wait to read more by Henry!

This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year, and it did not disappoint. In some ways, this is a love letter to the movie When Harry Met Sally, so if you are a fan of the movie, this book will probably be for you.

Poppy and Alex meet their first week of their freshman year at University of Chicago. They seem to be complete opposites and go their separate ways. Fast forward to the next summer and Alex is giving Poppy a ride home to their shared hometown (they went to different high schools so didn’t know each other pre-college). And, this time, they do hit it off and strike up a friendship.... one that has them traveling together one glorious week every summer. Alex is Poppy’s best friend. Until something happens that ruins everything.

Part of the story is figuring out what happened. The book is told from Poppy’s point of view and alternates between past vacations and current times and really chronicles both their lives, their trips, and their friendship.

I loved seeing the story of Poppy and Alex’s friendship as well as experiencing Poppy’s internal monologues and reflections. Will she be able to fix what went wrong? Is it worth the risk? The book felt really real- I would love to meet and travel with Alex and Poppy- and was so glad to read their story. I could relate to and loved how hard it was for Poppy to be honest and vulnerable. It was worth the wait!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Absolutely loved this book by Emily Henry! Both of the characters are interesting, compelling and likable, and I was completely sold on both their romance as well as their difficulties finding their way to each other. Beach Read was a very very good romance novel and this one absolutely followed in that book's footsteps. I look forward to recommending this book this summer.

I really enjoyed People We Meet on Vacation! It was different than I was expecting, but in a good way. I thought it would all take place on a vacation, but the alternating timelines and alternating locations were great. I loved Poppy and Alex's friendship and their commitment to traveling together. The slow build up of finding out what happened in Croatia and ending were satisfying. They had great banter and even better chemistry together. I would love to see a sequel to this book!

Emily Henry became an instant favorite author of mine with her adult debut, Beach Read, last year. Naturally, when I got the opportunity to read an early copy of her sophomore adult romance, People We Meet On Vacation, I jumped on it. I was a little worried about whether it would live up to the standard set by Beach Read, but she managed to raise the bar.

Emily Henry excels at world building and creating immersive settings - Poppy and Alex went to a wide range of vacation settings - and after reading this book I felt like I had visited each of them. She’s also excellent at pacing and balancing her plots - even though People We Meet on Vacation takes place across the present day and each of the past summer vacations that Poppy and Alex took together, the plot was well paced and flowed exceptionally well. I didn’t find the time jumps as distracting as I was expecting them to be.

Also - small fangirl moment - Poppy and Alex’s first vacation was to Vancouver Island - where I’m from! I loved reading about exploring Tofino and Coombs (if you’re ever in Coombs, go check out the goats on the roof market and buy some of the best cheese bread of your life).

I loved the relationship between Poppy and Alex. I’m a total sucker for hot, shy nerds, and that is exactly what Alex is. Poppy, on the other hand, is a burnt out career oriented woman, looking to rekindle her friendship with Alex. The two were friends for over a decade - a period in which they took summer vacations together yearly. I loved reading about them redefining their dynamic and rekindling their friendship in the present - it balanced really well with the character definition that happened during their past vacations. Their chemistry was palpable and it was impossible not to root for them as their sparks flew.

If you’re looking for a great friends to lovers romance novel, People We Meet on Vacation is an amazing bet. It’ll give you travel inspo and will definitely make you want to head out on vacation with your bestie after the pandemic is over. I can’t wait for Emily Henry’s next book, whether it’s romance or not. 5/5

Alright friends, this is one of the reading highlights of the year for me. I put it down and took a break from reading (for like a day--I'm not crazy) because I needed to marinate in the perfection of this book. In much the same way that You Deserve Each Other by Sarah Hogle had excellent writing and slowly convinced me that these characters were meant to be together, I looooved watching Poppy and Alex reveal their love to each other. Seeing their past happy times juxtaposed with a difficult and messy present was the perfect way to show how complicated and layered their history and relationship is. GOD, I just want to be reading this book forever. It really is one of those books. READ IT.

Really loved this friends to lovers romance. I really felt for Poppy's struggles to figure out her life and what is going to make her happy and Alex was such and sweet hero and you could definitely feel his love for Poppy right away. The story takes place in present day and a series of past vacations that Poppy and Alex go on together and I think the author did a really nice job of including this in a very natural way. I also really appreciated that this had a HEA but that it wasn't a clear path for either of them. It felt a lot more realistic.

If you enjoy friends to lovers romances or When Harry Met Sally I think you would really enjoy this. The author's writing if very easy to read and evocative. I highly recommend this one!

A delight, through and through! Perhaps the strongest praise I can give is that I picked it up on a day when I was feeling sick and unfocused, and then read the whole thing in a single sitting.