I loved A Million Junes and Beach Read by Emily Henry so much and this did NOT disappoint! When Harry Met Sally is one of my favorite movies and this is the perfect book match for it! I love Henry’s characters and she does a great job of mixing cute, heartwarming, and steamy. I loved this so much it may have just bumped itself up to my favorite read of the year so far!

This is my favorite romance of the year thus far!! The characters felt so real to me, people I’ve met before and their romance blossomed perfectly from friends to lovers. I will definitely want to revisit this story again!

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Let me start off by saying, if you haven’t read a book written by Emily Henry, do so right away! I am absolutely obsessed with her writing and had very high expectations for her newest book. People We Meet on Vacation exceeded my expectations and I absolutely loved it! ⁣
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Poppy and Alex have been best friends since college and they literally couldn’t be more different. Poppy is fun, loves to travel, and has no problem stepping out of her comfort zone. Alex, on the other hand, would prefer to stay in and read a book. Every year they have always done a summer trip together, but after their last trip, they haven’t spoken in a couple years. ⁣
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When Poppy reevaluates her happiness, she realizes that Alex is what really makes her happy. She takes a chance and decides to ask Alex to go on a trip with her. Unfortunately, things don’t go as planned and things are just going awkward. She starts to realize that maybe what they had before, may never be the same.⁣
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This was the perfect summer romcom, especially if you are going on a trip! I found myself relating so much to both characters. Emily’s writing is so witty and entertaining that it is easy to devour her books in a day! I highly recommend! 5 💫’s. ⁣
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Cute but boring storyline. I wouldn’t recommend to my fellow patrons. Not even a beach read. I guess I expected way to much.

Emily Henry is maybe one of my all time favorite authors. I first stumbled across her with BEACH READ last summer, and it was my favorite read of the whole summer--PEOPLE WE MEET ON VACATION is an incredible follow-up.

Poppy and Alex were long-time best friends, vacationing together every year. Until something happened, and everything changed. It's two years later, and they're finally coming together again for another trip, that of course, will not go as planned. Can these two reclaim their friendship--and maybe more? This book is written in the author's signature style, with plenty of wit and humor, while also not shying away from the more serious side of personal relationships. Highly recommend!

I loved everything about this book and this is the second time I've picked up a book by Emily Henry and haven't wanted to put it down until I finished.

Not only are the characters in this story real and likable, but their story is one that had me turning the pages to see what was going to happen for them. I'm probably going to be purposely vague only because you shouldn't read it all here - you should definitely go grab the book!

Poppy and Alex met their freshman year of college and despite a bumpy start, their friendship became something they both depended on. It's clear they are very much opposites of each other but that's what makes things work and I loved their banter and the way their relationship evolved.

Every year they plan a week long summer trip and they had a really good run no matter where they were in their lives but when something happens during their trip to Croatia 2 years ago, things change for both Alex and Poppy and they don't really have a plan for coming back together. Until...Poppy reaches out again to reconnect and plan a getaway.

It is such a relatable story - everyone has that friend (or friends) that could be something more but the question on the table is what are you willing to risk to find out? It was clear to me that both Poppy and Alex had feelings for each other but they always seemed to be too afraid to take a chance. When Poppy finally realizes that the last time she was really happy was when they were last together, she takes a chance to reconnect and although they don't pick up exactly where they left off, there is still some of that old relationship there. Add to this the fact that they are in a rough situation travel wise (crappy car, horrible apartment, Alex's back) and they finally push each other and confront what has been in front of them the whole time. Let's just say...the last day in Nikolai's apartment was fantastic!

As their vacation wraps up, they both have to face some truths and really truly figure out what they want/need. It's not all perfect but I'm happy to say I loved the ending and how they were both able to realize not only what they needed for themselves but also what that meant to the other.

I highly recommend picking this one up. The characters are great and the story is engaging and realistic. I can't ask for anything more for a contemporary romance. Emily Henry has officially made it onto my auto-buy list and I can't wait to read what she writes next!

There are books that come along that provide so much delight and joy that’s it difficult not to shout it from the rooftops. Emily Henry’s ‘People We Meet on Vacation’ is one of those books. It’s an excellent piece of fiction that has a wonderfully universal appeal.

From their very first time meeting, Poppy and Alex are polar opposites. She’s a colorfully clad free spirit, and he’s most comfortable with his combination of khakis and conformity. Their unlikely friendship begins an annual tradition of a summer vacation, and over the span of ten years, their bond is strengthened and tested in ways neither could have predicted.

First off, I have to say that Henry completely delivers her signature wit, humor, and brilliant writing in this novel. The fact that she used ‘When Harry Met Sally’ as part of her inspiration is just icing on the cake. The way that that narrative is constructed is so deft; anticipation slowly builds as we as readers are given more and more context regarding the nature of Poppy and Alex’s relationship. It’s a delicious unraveling that I didn’t want to end. It’ll be a novel I revisit time and time again.

If you loved ‘Beach Read,’ you’ll love ‘People We Meet on Vacation.’ (And if you haven’t read ‘Beach Read’ yet, you need to remedy that situation immediately.) I already know it’s going to be in my top ten reads of the year.

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for generously providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The first page instantly filled me with happiness--at the fact we finally got another chicklit from Emily Henry and for my instant love for a fictional man who preferred to read a book at a bar than talk to strangers. Henry has a way of making you instantly fall in love with her characters, which is no small feat. Switching from present day "This Summer" to snapshots of past summer trips, the story starts to build and the reader gets to know both Poppy and Alex as individuals and as a friendship.

Poppy and Alex used to vacation with each other every summer despite having little in common. Their friendship was unlikely, yet inevitable after a road trip back to their hometown forced them in close proximity with nothing to do but talk. I loved how Henry built up their characters while also showing the reader why they were such good friends. While I usually prefer the enemies-to-lovers trope (thank you, Beach Read), People We Meet on Vacation was the very best of friends-to-lovers. Their history and pure love for each other made me swoon at times, and misty eyed at other times.

If you're a fan of When Harry Met Sally, the friends-to-lovers trope, or books about traveling, this is the book for you! Also, if you haven't yet read Beach Read, it's absolutely essential that you do.

"Alex," I say, "if I can't love you at Times Square, then I don't deserve you in a Used Bookstore."

Unfortunately, this book missed the mark for me. It felt boring and I did not believe or feel any connection between the characters. I ended up not finishing it at 60%. Friends to lovers is my favorite troupe so I am disappointed. However, this has been getting great reviews from others, so while it wasn't for me, it might be for you!

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Romance for providing me an eARC of this book!

I loved this so much. I loved it even more than Beach Read.

The banter in this book had me literally laughing out loud. I got so many weird looks but I couldn't help it, Alex and Poppy are literally so hilarious. I related to this book so much because Alex I would guess is an enneagram 1 which usually shows as wanting to do the absolute right thing, organized, needs to see the logic, etc. and that is exactly who I am. and 1s when in health go to 7 (spontaneous, love adventure, doesn't like to talk about their feelings) and that is what I felt Poppy was. So I felt myself in both of these characters.

There are not a lot of best friends to lovers stories out there that make me feel this warm and happy. I am just as much of an enemies to lovers as the next bookbird, but there is very little good representation of friends to lovers in my opinion and this one hit that spot so well!

My only complaint is I got lost sometimes on where we were in the flashbacks, but not enough for me to not enjoy this book to its fullest. If you are looking for a heart-warming romantic comedy, this is the one for you. It has a little steam in it!

Oh, my heart. I stayed up WAY too late reading this, but man, was it worth it. "Beach Read" is a romance I recommend to everyone, and I know this will be added to that list.

Emily Henry is a master at the slow burn romance. I felt the love and sexual tension between Poppy and Alex simmering beneath the surface of every interaction and it was hard to not root for them, not only together, but individually.

Emily Henry knows how to write layered characters that even when they make a mistake, you can't help but to still see the best in them. I happened to love the small "Beach Read" reference! Follow-ups can be disappointing, but this was anything but. I just loved this book so much.

When I found out Emily Henry was coming out with a new book, I knew I HAD to read it immediately. BEACH READ was one of my favs of 2020, so I had high high hopes for this one.

What I loved
-The mix of tropes
*she satisfied thoes who enjoy friends to lovers AND enemies to lovers IN THE SAME BOOK, WITH THE SAME COUPLE--I'm impressed
-The ending was so flippin sweet

What I would have changed
-I wish we would have gotten the story told from Alex's side a bit more
-There were parts of the story that I felt were a bit drawn out

I still recommend this one, because I mean, it's an Emily Henry book, but overall Beach Read has my heart
*and tbh, it's probably not fair to compare author's books to each other since they're completely different stories buttttt I can't help it

I love, love, loved this book. It brought up so much nostalgia for me. I too have a best friend that I travel with as much as possible, and while we never were romantically attracted to each other, we’re both irreplaceable parts of each other’s lives. We also met in college but have lived on opposite sides of the country since then. I was recently one of his groomspeople in his wedding, and we have plans for our unborn children to marry each other. That’s not weird, right?
We even have gone to many of the same places as Poppy and Alex together--Croatia, Palm Springs, New Orleans, Colorado, and Norway are the ones we have in common! I kept texting him throughout the book saying “Now they’re in New Orleans!”, etc since so many places were ones we’ve been to. I’m definitely the Alex in our friendship though, and Shane is the Poppy.

Now if only I could get paid to travel by a company like R&R…

I thought PWMOV was the perfect rom-com. As someone with many close male friends, I don’t usually find friends-to-lovers realistic, but in this case it totally worked. It’s a classic case of right place, wrong time, as fear and other romances have kept Poppy and Alex apart for years.

I loved both Poppy and Alex. Both of them were funny, goofy, and relatable, and I loved how closed-off Alex would open up around Poppy. I laughed with them and cried with them, and I was so sad when their story ended. Sequel, anyone?

This is definitely one to add to your summer TBR pile. It will be out on May 11th, just in time!

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow. Emily Henry does it again. People We Meet on Vacation was a lovely romance, perfect for the wanderlusts out there. I loved the friends-to-lovers trope, and the chemistry between the two main characters.

Emily Henry knows how to write an addicting story that reads like one of your favorite romantic comedies, while adding realistic and deep life twists in between.

I highly recommend this one. Definitely one of my new favorite books.

Friends to lover. You get to see Poppy and Alex as their relationship grows. I like how it was written (from years back to present time).

How do I even begin to explain how deep this story buried itself into my soul? Emily Henry is a league of her own. PEOPLE WE MEET ON VACATION is a friends-to-lovers/opposites attract story with a big dose of unrequited love that is full of yearning and unspoken feelings. You know when you just want to lock the characters up in a room and tell them to not come out until they resolved their issues? Yeah, that's what happens here in the best possible way.

Poppy and Alex haven't spoken in two years and the author leaves you pretty much in the dark about the reason only sprinkling vague hints here and there. You wonder all along why would a solid friendship like this break. After two years without Alex Poppy still feels the rejection of him going silent on her, replying to her texts with one-syllable answers or meaningless small talk. Feeling a little stuck where she is in life, missing her best friend, she gets over herself and reaches out to him to ask him if he wants to revive their annual tradition to take a summer trip. To her surprise Alex agrees and Poppy wants to finally find out why he cut her out of his life so efficiently.

Before Alex, my family was the only place I belonged, but even with them, I was something of a loose part, that baffling extra bolt IKEA packs with your bookcase, just to make you sweat.

The flashbacks to their previous summer trips tell the story how they became friends and how their connection grew stronger and stronger over the years. There was nothing they couldn't talk about. Except about their feelings that went beyond friendship. Boy, that pining, the slow-burn, it was INTENSE. Poppy and Alex had such strong chemistry. Where Poppy was colorful and quirky, Alex was solemn, quiet and steady. They took care of one another in the most loving and tender way. I loved every single thing about them but my favorite thing was their sense of humor, the ease with which they teased one another. It felt so natural. Alex and Poppy knew one another on every level. Even when things fell apart he made sure to let Poppy know that she'd always have him.

“My point is, no one really knew me before you, Poppy. And even if . . . things change between us, you’ll never be alone, okay? I’ll always love you.”

I felt a strong connection to both Alex and Poppy, the way they communicated, how they finally addressed their mutual feelings, it spoke to me. Each of them had issues to deal with and to solve but there was no doubt that they'd make it, ultimately.

Even if we never kissed, never said the words outright, we were keeping whole parts of our hearts for each other only.

BEACH READ was one of my favorite books last year and PEOPLE WE MEET ON VACATION is just as amazing. Emily Henry's writing is so full of emotions, I inhaled this book which doesn't happen very often these days. This book made me happy, there were some teary eyes and I laughed. I don't think I can do this book justice with my review but I hope I can convey how much it meant to me.

I love him so much. I love him more than I did yesterday, and I already know tomorrow I’ll love him even more, because every piece of him he gives me is another to fall in love with.

This title is a hot item on our shelves. We have a holds list started before it's even published! Absolutely loved the character development and the cover is incredibly appealing.

First of all, thank you to Berkley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Poppy and Alex were the best of friends until two years ago. They met at college when she was the wild child, he the quiet writer. Every summer they traveled together to somewhere new. But over twelve years of friendship they grew apart as she lived her luxurious dreams in New York as a travel writer, and he studying and teaching in their hometown. Until two fateful summers ago when something happened in Croatia and they haven’t spoken since.

Poppy decides to reach out and ask Alex to go on a trip, but instead they go off to Palm Springs for his brother’s wedding, where they can hopefully rekindle the friendship they have lost.

Not only did I love the premise, I loooooved the flashbacks! I’m always here for well done flashbacks, and I believe this was done wonderfully. I love seeing their friendship blossom and grow, especially into something more. It was spicy, full of sexual tension, and on top of it all, I loved all the travel.

Highly recommend! The perfect late Spring/Summer read.

I really loved Beach Read, so I was super excited to get my hands on People We Meet on Vacation! I loved both of the characters, how the timeline of the book worked, and all aspects of the romance. It’s a fluffier romance read, but one I highly recommend!

I’m trying to think of what to say but my mind keeps coming up blank. I truly do not have words for how much I loved this book. But let me try.

Emily Henry's sophomore adult novel is, in my opinion, leagues better than her adult debut. While I enjoyed Beach Read for what it was, People We Meet on Vacation is simply on another level. Well-plotted character arcs, excellent banter, realistic relationships (both the main characters with each other and the main characters with their own people), and chemistry that crackles off the page--all of these made reading the book so enjoyable.

I especially loved the way the stories were told, alternating between present-day Alex and Poppy and the Alex and Poppy in summer vacations throughout the past decade. Henry used these snapshots of summer to establish the main characters and their relationship with each other so well. With every passing summer, I got to see them fall in love and tuck that feeling away. And you can see it reflected in how much tension there is in their present-day reunion. Similarly, as the flashbacks neared that fateful trip that broke their friendship, you can also see their present relationship show cracks. This is well-done storytelling.

For fans of slow-burn, friends-to-lovers romance, I'm happy to report that Emily Henry served us with the most delicious story in People We Meet on Vacation. And we thank her for that.