People We Meet On Vacation by my new favorite author, @emilyhenrywrites is the quintessential rom com. It is the heartwarming story of Alex and Poppy - best friends from college who were total opposites and lived in separate cities with separate lives all year but they took a vacation every summer. A couple years ago, things went awry so Poppy used a vacation this current summer to reconcile. Calling it right now, one of my favorite books of the year. I LOVED THIS BOOK! It is hilarious and goofy and sweet and tearjerking all at once. The witty banter is absolute perfection. The tension and angst is palpable. These characters jumped from the page in their realness and their depth of emotions and struggles. And it is so clever in that the entire relationship is told through annual vacations. I hugged this book, I cried, I did a weird dorky clap, I didn’t want it to end and I got a serious book hangover. All the love and all the stars for this book.

This is really a cute book.
Two best friends, Poppy and Alex. Alex and Poppy. They have nothing in common, they are totally different. But they somehow make it work. For the past ten years they have vacationed together for one week every Summer that is until two years ago when they messed everything up and haven't spoken since. She convinces him to give it another shot and they'll lay it all on the table.
Miraculously he agrees. I love the dialogue between the two of them in this friends to lovers book.
It's not awkward and stilted like the beginning of some relationships. Since they know each other there is a comfort level between them and an assured way of speaking with each other.
Perfect beach read.
#PeopleWeMeetOnVacation #NetGalley

Pub Date 11 May 2021
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. Thank you.
All opinions expressed are my own.

Thank you to Berkley and Netgalley for my advanced copy of PEOPLE WE MEET ON VACATION in exchange for my honest review.

PEOPLE WE MEET ON VACATION was one of my favourite books of this year and dare I say, I enjoyed it more than BEACH READ?😱 I absolutely loved the friendship between the two main characters and honestly couldn’t put this book down, but I also didn’t want it to end. It was fun to “travel” with Poppy and Alex from my couch and see how their friendship grew. I laughed out loud several times and I CANNOT RECOMMEND THIS ONE ENOUGH TYSM

People We Meet On Vacation is a fun, fresh, and witty romantic comedy! To be honest...I DNFed the authors previous book {Beach Read}. The romance and dialogue just didn’t work for me in that book and I wasn’t invested. THIS book though....I absolutely LOVED.

Best friends Poppy and Alex take an epic vacation every summer. The thought of this vacation gets them through college, new jobs, breakups, and so much more over the course of ten years. That one week of vacation is the bright spot and something they look forward to every year. Until one vacation that didn’t go as planned. Now it’s been 2 years and they haven’t spoken since the night that changed everything. Can Poppy convince Alex to give their summer vacation a go again and rekindle their friendship?

These characters were so dang likable and I was rooting for them from the beginning! Their banter is witty and fun, leaving me laughing out loud multiple times. The stories of their vacations are fun and make for a nice literary vacay! The story of their friendship was adorable and and made my heart so happy. This book was utterly charming and I loved it! Full heart. Ear to ear grin. Warm fuzzies. Five full stars.

Thank you @berkleypub for the advance reader in exchange for my honest review!

4.5 / 5 stars.

I really enjoyed Beach Read last year, and People We Meet On Vacation is another perfect summer read from Emily Henry. I know this is one that I'll enjoy reading again.

Poppy and Alex are opposite in so many ways, but they've been best friends for years and, no matter how far apart they live or what's going on in their personal lives, they always make time to take a summer trip together. Except for the past two years, when their vacation ended and they stopped speaking. After two years of not speaking, Poppy proposes they take one more vacation together, and this is her chance to set everything right.

I loved how relatable Poppy and Alex were from the start to their friendship to the trips that they take and the banter between them. The angst-filled journey from friends to lovers had me rooting for them from the start, and the only reason it wasn't a full 5 stars was that, at times, the story felt like it was a little too much slow burn. All in all though, I loved the alternating chapters that gave us the glimpses into their friendships and previous summer trips while intermingling with the current day story.

Other Things I Loved:
- The travel/travel locations
- The supporting characters, particularly Poppy's best friend in New York, Poppy's parents, and Alex's family
- The relatable vacation moments when everything isn't perfect or things just can't seem to go right
- Alex's personality... it was so nice to see a leading man who's introverted, somewhat nerdy, and completely adorable.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the digital copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

A 5% 'what-if' is sometimes all a girl needs to start seeing a friend-zoned guy in a different and confusing way. Poppy and Alex's friendship over the years secures an annual trip together that further seals their bond and I was ALL IN for it. Totally relatable and an absolutely perfect relationship between these two that you can't help but hope that they finally give up and give in. Their long and surprising journey is frustrating at times and yet totally entertaining while getting a hit of travel (even the epic fails), for those of us in serious withdrawal. Falling in love with this quirky duo is so easy and you'll find yourself being their biggest cheerleader. Having read Beach Read Emily Henry has worked her way onto my favourites list and has open spot reserved in my ereader. Can't wait for more!!!
I received an advanced copy of this book from Netgalley for my honest review.

People We Meet On Vacation is a friends to lovers romance about long time friends that always go on a summer vacation together each year. It will have you laughing so hard your stomach hurts. I just loved how silly Poppy & Alex are together and you can tell that they are each other’s “person”. I loved how it went back and forth through their past vacations & their present vacation. I felt like I was traveling along with them. I would definitely classify this as more of a romcom than a serious romance but it did have some moments of sadness. Poppy & Alex both have their issues a lot of which are stemmed from past trauma. Overall it was a light read that’ll be perfect for reading at the beach or pool side!

"I don’t know how to love someone as much as I love you.”

Stop what you’re doing and grab this book!!! You’ll love it! Our hearts are overflowing with love –we could sit and re-read this book all over again. It was beautiful, magical, funny, sincere, and written to perfection! People We Meet on Vacation is, without a doubt, one of the best friends to lovers romances we’ve ever read. Not only that, it’s one of our top reads this year. Absolutely bloody brilliant! A funny and heartfelt emotion fest. You’ll need tissues!

“You won’t lose me.” He says. “As long as you want me, I’m here.”

Responsible for one of our favourites last year with Beach Read, Emily Henry has solidified herself as a 1Click author to us. In fact, we’re already stalking her to see what she’s up to next!

‘I want him to remember. I want every moment to matter as much to him as it has to me.’

From start to finish, this book wowed us. We never wavered in our love for the characters and the story. The banter was on point – we were constantly giggling and grinning like fools. Alex’s sense of humour was so dry – half the time he was witty without even realising it. Poppy, his snarky funny as hell bestie, kept us on our toes and in fits with her sharp humour.

The chemistry, the characters, the joy, the sadness, and the ever-flowing emotions hit every part of our hearts. We loved it all! Everything about this story worked on every level. When done right, the friends to lovers’ trope is all-consuming. When you experience the undercurrent of feelings between two people teetering on the brink of taking a chance at love or remaining friends, you are taken through a gamut of emotions, and Emily Henry nailed it magnificently!

“…sometimes, when you lose your happiness, it’s best to look for it the same way you’d look for anything else.”

Told over twelve years, we are there as a friendship develops between the sweet and stoic Alex Nilsen and the forthright and flighty Poppy Wright. Despite the odds, and with not a lot in common, Alex and Poppy become best friends. We then spend every summer with them as they navigate their lives through many ups and downs. Broken hearts, insecurities – all their highlights and lowlights were laid bare. We laughed, we cried, and we fell completely in love with their friendship.

‘He is tall, quiet, and eager to see the library. I’m short, loud, and hoping someone comes by and invites us to a real party.’

Alex was a contradiction who completely stole our hearts. A character such as Alex is quite difficult to write – there is a fine line between making him a pushover against Poppy’s strong personality or a little belligerent, but Emily Henry wrote him to perfection! Just wait until you meet Alex! He’s definitely on the list of top book boyfriends!

‘Years of undying love, occasional jealousy, missed opportunities, bad timing, other relationships, building sexual tension, a fight and the silence afterward, and the pain of living life without him.’

Somewhere along the lines, their friendship fell apart two years previously whilst on a vacation in Croatia. What happened to put such a strain on their friendship that they would go nearly two years without communicating? We switch from past to present as the story builds to that moment.

“I don’t think I knew I was lonely until I met you.”

Just how do we tell you how special this book is? It’s complex and layered – it’s everything you could ask for in a romance. All we can do is tell you to grab this book and find out for yourself. We’re confident your heart will be bursting with love and it will become a favourite for you too!

This one gave me allll the When Harry Met Sally and Love and Other Words vibes (if you know me, you know this is the highest of high compliments!). I loved this one even more than Emily’s first novel, Beach Read, which I didn’t think was possible. Turns out I’m just a sucker for the friends-for-10-years-to-lovers trope. If you are too, you’re going to love this one.

The story time hops between past summer vacations and the present. The dual timeline can be iffy, but Emily executes it flawlessly and without confusing the reader. I loved watching Alex and Poppy grow and change and learn who they are both separately and together. Seeing their relationship develop over the course of ten summers, while simultaneously understanding where they’ve ended up, is so rewarding. Speaking of Poppy and Alex, these two are fun and relatable but also aspirational characters. Who doesn’t love fast friends who are nothing alike but still manage to love (and like) each other!

I HIGHLY recommend People We Meet on Vacation to all romance/beach read lovers, but it’s a MUST READ for people who like the friends-to-lovers trope, When Harry Met Sally, and/or Love and Other Words.

*Thank you to @berkleypub for my gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

After Emily Henry’s debut novel, ‘Beach Read’ hit our summer tote bags with love and praise, she follows it up with an even better book, ‘People We Meet on Vacation.’ Two clueless people who meet at college orientation, most often destined to never see each other again, beat all odds and throw that proverbial fate to the winds, and meet again as they share a ride to the same, small town in Ohio for holiday break. Polly is the quirky, dare I say, kooky, that crazy word from the early sixties, who’s extroverted, funny and wears colorful retro clothes from the seventies. Alex is none of these things. Alex is cautious, prepared, routine, and introverted, but finds Polly fascinating if not frightening.

Naturally, they become best friends, as opposites often do. Alex is the way he is because his mother died when he was young. His father was so grief-stricken that Alex took over as the head-of-household, taking care of is younger brother and his father. This gave Alex responsibilities he wasn’t ready for and a fear of taking chances. Polly grew up with two loving parents as quirky as she was, who saved everything, supported whatever she claimed she wanted as a career, while her mother constantly baked cookies and cakes. Exactly, totally opposite households.

Alex and Poppy just clicked, even though Alex stayed in their hometown and taught English at their local high school. Poppy, ever the adventurer, moved to NYC to work at a high-end travel magazine, as a travel journalist. This job led to their ‘summer trip’ which started out ‘on the cheap’ but eventually led to, all expenses paid, resort locations around the world. They traveled for ten years, a decade, while an under-current of simmering love evaded them both! How could this happen you ask? Well, I’ll try to explain, but you’ll still have to read the book, which of course, you’ll want to.

So, on their last trip to Croatia something happened, we don’t know what, and now they haven’t spoken to each other in two years. Two years, except for birthday texts, once a year. Polly has everything she ever wanted as far as her career but she’s miserable. She’s determined to convince Alex to take one more trip with her, one last vacation together so she can make everything good again. Really, what could go wrong? Does she do it? I’m not talking, you have to read this wonderful book to find that answer for yourself. You’ll be happy you did!

Thank you Netgalley, Berkley and Penguin Random House, and the awesome, Emily Henry.

Beach Read was one of my favorite books last year and this one didn’t disappoint!

Poppy and Alex are polar opposites. Poppy is gregarious and wants to travel the world, and Alex is quiet and is perfectly happy in his small town. They became best of friends many years ago in college during a road trip home.

Poppy and Alex remain friends throughout the years. They live in separate cities, but each summer they spend a week vacationing together.

Two summers ago, while vacationing in Croatia, everything was ruined and Poppy and Alex haven’t spoken since. Now in present day, Poppy travels for a living but she hasn’t been happy. She decides to reach out to Alex to see if she can rekindle their friendship and hopefully take a summer trip with her this year. Unexpectedly he agrees. Will they be able to fix their friendship, or will this be their last vacation together ever?

I loved everything about this book! Poppy has a fun personality, and I loved her banter and how she teases Alex about his “boring” lifestyle. The chapters alternate between present time/their current vacation and vacations they have taken in the past 10 years. I loved reading about Poppy and Alex’s dynamic relationship and how it blossomed though the years. It was also fun to read about all the different vacations they have taken in the past. This is the perfect feel good book with the friends to lovers trope.

A huge that you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry really struck a cord with me. I’m one of a zillion people who obviously loved this book and I can totally see why. The characters are funny and relatable. The story is fast paced and fresh. I really loved how the author assigned each chapter to a different summer in their 12 year friendship and how she kept coming back to the present so that the reader could understand their slow build romance and how deeply everything is felt, how much they could risk, and how scary change can be.

Alex and Poppy meet during some college orientation event and although that was a very brief meet cute it had a lasting impact. The entire story is told from Poppy’s POV so you are totally in her head about everything and that slow build of anxiety when she has no idea what Alex is thinking is so fun. At the end of their first year in college, they road trip back home to Ohio together which is where they really begin to get to know one another. My absolute favorite movie is When Harry Met Sally so my rom-com loving radar went off immediately and then I started picking up all the amazing callbacks to the movie that I adore so much. Some of the callbacks were barely noticeable and others were hilariously epically in your face. In the book, Poppy is the more chaotic “Harry” type character and Alex is the more controlled, and goal oriented “Sally” character. So although there are a lot of these awesome callbacks this story is entirely it’s own, and completely different but the awesome vibe is there. The point is if you love that movie, you will love this book and if you haven’t seen that movie, this is the time to do that.

So, I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves best friends to lovers, slow burn romance, big feelings, and When Harry Met Sally. Also if you just want to swoon over every epic vacation Alex and Poppy ever took.

Poppy and Alex are total opposites—she’s a New York-based travel blogger and he’s a high school teacher in Ohio, dreaming of a more conventional future with marriage and children. Poppy and Alex are also best friends since college, who reunite each summer for vacation in a new destination. Until a trip to Croatia two summers ago, when the friendship soured and they stopped speaking. Now Poppy wants to make things right, and convinces Alex to take a trip with her once more, hoping to restore the friendship to its glory days.⁣
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There was so much that I really enjoyed in this book. The vicarious travel was such a treat— reading about vacation really is the next best thing to being on one yourself. And the “When Harry Met Sally” vibes were really fun. Poppy and Alex bond while road-tripping home from college— such a great callback to the movie. I’m not always a fan of alternating timelines, but it worked well here and allowed the reader to see events from slightly different perspectives.⁣
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I love Emily Henry’s sense of humor and the banter and sweet moments she writes. It’s always a good sign when a rom com actually makes you laugh. “Beach Read” was one of my favorite books of 2020 (and an all-time favorite romance), and this book cements Henry as an auto-read author for me. I didn’t like “People We Meet on Vacation” quite as much as “Beach Read,” but I think it will make a wonderful summer read, whether that’s by the pool lounging in the sun, or in your living room during a rainy week like for me!⁣

It’s here! It’s here! It’s release day for #peoplewemeetonvacation by @emilyhenrywrites (big thank you to @berkleypub for my preview!!) I reviewed this book earlier this year and did not hesitate to give this one 5 out of 5⭐️.

In this story we meet Alex and Poppy when they are on vacation, and we see through a series of time-hops, how their relationship unfolds and why they have not spoken for 2 years. Poppy has one last shot to make things right on their present day vacation.

I loved loved loved the banter Alex and Poppy had with each other, how they would support each other and how their vacations went. So basically, I loved it all. I also lived vicariously through all of their travels, as I tend to be a homebody and don’t leave my state much.

If you were a fan of Beach Read, then I think you will really like this one! Go pick it up, and let me know what you think!

Oh, boy. The range of emotions and range of ratings I felt/considered while reading this... it was quite a rollercoaster, to say the least. 🤯⁣
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For roughly the first 30% of this book, I was addicted. I didn’t want to put it down, I thought it was on its way to being my favorite romance of the year thus far, and I just knew I was going to finish it and need more.⁣
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Then, and I hope none of you consider this to be a spoiler 😬, the AC stopped working...in the book 𝘈𝘕𝘋 in my apartment, and it kinda felt like the author gave up and 𝘗𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘞𝘦 𝘔𝘦𝘦𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘝𝘢𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 became a book about being miserable in the heat while I, myself, was also miserable in the heat. I was ready to 𝐃𝐍𝐅, to be quite frank. 🥵⁣
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It thankfully did get better around 80% (I’m reading a digital 𝐀𝐑𝐂, forgive my talking in percentages), but it certainly lost some pizazz for me. 🤷🏻‍♀️ Overall, I had some of the same thoughts that I had when it came to 𝘉𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥, also by 𝐄𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐇𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐲. The romance holds so much potential, but the slow, sometimes quite literally dragging its feet, pacing can really kill the reader’s investment in the couple and story.⁣
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I really loved 𝐀𝐥𝐞𝐱 and 𝐏𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐲 and all of the travel aspects of this story. It most definitely has given me a little bit of a 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘭𝘶𝘴𝘵 bug. ✈️⁣

This is the absolute perfect summer read. Emily Henry has delivered a fantastic follow up to Beach Read that somehow (in my opinion) surpasses her debut novel.

People We Meet on Vacation is told entirely in first person from Poppy’s point of view. Poppy has convinced her long-time best friend, Alex, to go on summer vacatoin with her to try to repair their relationship. They used to go on summer vacation together every year, until two years ago, when something happened, and they haven’t spoken since. The story alternates between the present day timeline and the summers leading up to their big friendship breakup. We’re treated to the moment they first meet. They seem to be incredibly incompatible–polar opposites. But each summer, it becomes more and more obvious that they were made for each other…


Both Poppy and Alex are incredibly dynamic and three-dimensional characters. The witty repartee between these two is quite possibly the best I’ve ever read. Henry writes in a wry, conversational tone, and there is so much humour injected in every single sentence. Poppy and Alex have so many inside jokes that crop up during their travels, ones that come back from summer to summer, making the book that much more of a hilarious read. While the entire book is from Poppy’s point of view, it becomes clear that Alex shares her sense of humour, even if they’re seemingly opposites. He’s grumpy and she’s an eternally shining beam of sunlight. He says he dislikes most things, and she loves almost everything (though they can agree that they both hate when people call boats a “she”). He’s reserved and likes things to be done a certain way, and she’s carefree and wild. He wants to set down roots in his hometown, and she doesn’t want to be tethered to any one place.

While this book is hilarious and entertaining and the slow burn romance is to die for, there’s also quite a bit of substance. In middle school, Poppy was bullied for being herself, and she’s never quite come back from that. Alex’s mother died when he was young, and he has a hard time getting close to people and letting himself be happy. Their character arcs are compelling and well drawn, especially considering we follow their beautiful friendship over the span of twelve years through the flashbacks.

This book also has a strong sense of setting, as each summer they vacation somewhere different. We get a taste of the tourist attractions as well as some of the things that the locals like to do, which Poppy loves exploring. These settings complement the plotline perfectly, and make this into a perfect romance read for summer vacation. While I love this past timeline and how it gradually goes through each of the summer vacations they shared, it does mean that it takes a very long time to find out just what happened between them two years ago in Croatia. While it becomes somewhat easy to read between the lines during Poppy’s present day internal monologue, I would have liked to have known the facts a little sooner. I kept guessing and second-guessing myself, which pulled me out of the story a little bit.

This is a beautiful romance with an endless stream of hilarious moments, recommended to anyone looking for a friends-to-lovers romantic comedy with a strong travel focus that’s perfect for summer vacation.

Wow! Love, love, love this novel by Emily Henry! What a fun romantic comedy- perfect as summer approaches!! Enjoyed the humor between Poppy and Alex. They have been the best of friends since their college days, but something happened and they haven’t really talked in two years! Poppy ditches a dream trip as a traveler writer; gets time off approved and invites Alex to go on a low budget trip to see if they can fix their relationship. What could possibly go wrong??


Thank you to Netgalley, and Berkley Publishing, and author Emily Henry for this digital advance review copy for me to read and enjoy!! As always, my opinions are my own!

#berkleywritesstrongwomen #bookstagram #berkleybuddyreads #arc #books #emilyhenry #romance #romcom

4.5 stars

I have no doubt we will see Emily Henry books on the big screen. Last year we were all completely swept away by Beach Read. If you enjoyed Beach Read, well you are going to just fall head over heels for this one.

You know I love a good banter between characters, and this one brings it. The dry humor and inside jokes had me laughing out loud. I loved these two flawed humans who sought comfort in their friendship with each other. This slow burn will take you on a journey with two friends who travel together, and will have you smiling ear to ear by the end. Go meet Poppy and Alex on vacation.

5⭐️ REVIEW: People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry
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SUMMARY: Every summer, travel writer Poppy drags her best friend Alex on a wild summer trip where they can unwind and reconnect after a year spent apart. But an awkward experience two years ago resulted in a major rift between the pair—will a wedding trip to Palm Springs be enough to remind them of what they’ve been missing?
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So. Good. But also so much pining! Ugh. These two are nuts for each other. Despite the years, relationships and miles that separate them, they clearly mean so much to one another. I felt my chest low-key aching for them to just tell one another how they felt, but the writing was so good I could not stop reading.
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I loved Beach Read, and I think this is another book that elevates a romantic story to literary fiction. Their backstories made them who they are, and I loved how their needs changed as they grew from college kids to young adults. Great story! 10/10 would recommend.
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Things I loved:
⛱ Friends to lovers romance
⛱ Complex backstories and family dynamics
⛱ Wacky travel adventures
⛱ Realizing you need and accepting help

How do I express my love of this book?

Poppy and Alex have been friends since college. They take a summer vacation together every year. They’ve seen each other through over a decade of life changes, heartbreaks, and family holidays.

Henry has really done it again. Alex and Poppy are wonderfully imperfect characters. They are well-rounded and fleshed out and for the first time-while reading a romance-I wondered if they would or even should wind up together. I fell completely in love with all of the characters. If you are traveling this summer, or even if you aren’t, pickup a copy of this book and thank me later. The writing is heartfelt, but not syrup-y. The characters are endearing but imperfect. It all just adds up to a story about the people we love and how our happiness is not wholly reliant on them.

Recommended for fans of The Bromance Book Club, The Rosie Effect, and Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine.