Like many of you I loved Beach Read last year and was so excited to jump into Emily Henry’s latest.

I don’t usually love friends to lovers tropes but in this case I have become a convert. In this case the friendship was the highlight and driving force of this love story. Throw in some close proximity shenanigans, slow burn, missed close calls and the incredible intimacy of really knowing someone through and through.

Alex and Poppy are one of my fave pairings. Their oppositeness was what made them so endearing, they nudged one another, without being overbearing, out of their own comfort zones. Alex made Poppy more grounded well she gave him the freedom to let go and lose a bit of self control.

This book also takes you on an adventure to some new places and whether you are well traveled or not it’s fun to step outside of ourselves for a little while and this book delivers.

This is a slow burn, that jumps time lines and draws us deep into a friendship that inevitably had to burst at the seems, I loved seeing Alex and Poppy fall apart and then fall together.

Synopsis:

“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.
...”
Review:
A very cute and very relatable take on the friends to lovers trope !
I need to confess right from the start that I absolutely loved Beach Read last year and was excited to read this one now.
I liked the structure of this books a lot, going through the past summer trips the two main characters Poppy and Alex had spent together interspersed with bits of the current summer to see how the characters have grown up from college freshmen to 30year olds and the difficulties both had to overcome and their own shortcomings and the adjusting of visions that had to happen for them to have a chance as a couple. The emotional development and growing self awareness of the main characters was so well written!
I loved being along for the ride and I loved visiting (by book) all the different vacation spots mentioned, especially since real travel has been so limited. This is a fun and quick read that I definitely recommend !
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for providing me with an ARC in exchange fir an honest review.

Thank you to @berkleyromance for a copy of the book. Wow!! I am pretty sure this will be one of my favorite books of 2021!! Emily Henry is so masterful at story telling. I love watching Poppy and Alex grow from awkward college students to who they have become. This was such a great friends to lovers, opposite attracts story. I was hooked from the first page and love the slow burn of the story. I love how the backstory really leads you to the present and are just waiting for it all to come together.

*ARC provided by NetGalley

This is the perfect beach read. Alex and Poppy are unlikely friends who over the years and many summer trips turn into best friends until 2 years ago when they stop talking. Now they are about to take another summer trip. You can't help but feel like you know the characters and are rooting for them the whole time.

I picked up People We Meet on Vacation thinking I would read a few chapters before bed and was so thoroughly pulled into Alex and Poppy's story that I didn't put it down until I was finished (in the wee hours of the morning). It was absolutely worth it though and I am still stunned by how utterly captivating and incredible this book is.

People We Meet on Vacation was such a beautiful and heartfelt opposites attract, friends to lovers, second chance-ish, slooooooow burn romance all rolled into one. It was so well written and the banter and dialogue was phenomenal. The story is told from Poppy's POV and it unfolded in such an organic way, alternating between the past and present, to form this beautiful patchwork quilt of friendship and love. A quilt that is so well loved and worn that it's threadbare in places, and yet wonderfully thick and full of all the memories and comforts of home. The buildup between Alex and Poppy was both a sweet torture and exactly right. Emily Henry captured that ebb and flow so well and balanced all the emotions, highs, and lows, perfectly. A fantastic 5 star read from start to finish. You don't want to miss this one!

CW: death of parent (childbirth related), bullying, grief, marijuana use

*I voluntarily read an advance review copy of this book*

People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry is an entertaining and sweet romance about two best friends.

I personally found it so refreshing that People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry shows life pre-pandemic—one full of travel and exploration. As we are hopefully rounding a corner and life becomes back to normal, it’s a good reminder of the joy of travel. Overall, this is such a refreshing and fun read.

You know that this is a love story so you have an idea of how it ends but the joy of these stories is reading how they eventually come together.

This story is as refreshing as fresh margarita on the beach. I highly recommend you add this one to your list, especially if you’ve been reading more heavy type stories.

Beach Read was one of my favorite books of last year, and I was SO excited to dive into this one and have more Emily Henry in my life. I went in with zero expectations and was immediately surprised to see it was a friends to lovers trope -- I tend to prefer enemies to lovers (a la Beach Read and The Ex Talk). I ended up liking this book a lot more than I was expecting to. With all romance, you expect the couple to get together in the end, but this book is so much more nuanced than that and went a lot deeper! This book is first and foremost about self discovery and self love. We don’t have the capacity to love others in the way they deserve if we’re not sure what we want and who we are first. This book really pulled on the heart strings in a way I wasn’t expecting and I definitely recommend it.

Things I loved:
- POPPY! I immediately loved Poppy as the main character - she’s just got so much personality! She’s wildly funny, spunky, lovable, self deprecating, smart, driven, and lost. I laughed out loud so many times.
- Poppy and Alex’s relationship! They are so cute together (and his backstory is so heartwrenching!).
- Swapna: Okay, I ended up really loving Poppy’s boss and thought some of the lessons she taught her were awesome! I’m not allowed to quote since this is an ARC, but there’s one point where Poppy apologizes for being sick and the way handles that situation and empowers Poppy was so wonderful, I think I shouted “YES!” out loud.
- Strong Themes: Some themes I really connected with and appreciated as I was reading include: the complicated feelings you have about your family (how you can be embarrassed by them and also fiercely protective at the same time), achieving your goals (what happens after you achieve them?), loneliness and how even seemingly confident and extroverted people can be very lonely (I loved Alex and Poppy feeling the same kind of weird, it melted my heart), and conformity (Poppy is so confidently herself on the outside but on the inside is full of doubt and wonders if it would have been easier all these years to just blend in and not make herself a target).

Things I didn’t love:
- The reason I took off one star is that it didn’t shift gears and make you realize it’s more than the romance until about 70% of the way through, and I just wasn’t really sure where it was going until then.
- Also, the time hopping is a little annoying at times - some of the backstory is nice, but other times I just wanted to be in the present.

Overall, I definitely recommend this one and can't wait to see what everyone thinks!

Clearly, Emily Henry has some serious talent in the romance writer category. She knows how to make me fall in love with the characters and their stories. I'm really impressed with her writing style overall. It's captivating and easy.

Although the story is about the relationship between Alex and Poppy, I saw Alex as a supporting character to Poppy. She was delightful and relatable in every way, but I fell in love with the way Alex embraced her. Their level of trust and acceptance was inspiring. 

This plotline is the epitome of the friends to lovers trope. The tension is clear and the excitement from the time it finally breaks is so satisfying. I really appreciated the playful banter and humor between these two friends.

Much like Beach Read, don't be deceived by the title. There is so much to this story and it's not just a fluff read. There is a lot of emotion and deep conversation throughout the book. 

Definitely give this one a chance if you're looking for a romance book that will also let you travel the world.

Another fun one from Emily Henry - friends-to-lovers, happily-ever-after, reconciling some past insecurities.

Look, I'm a sucker for a good friends-to-lovers romance, but sometimes a book just tackles this trope so damn well, I'm left a little breathless.

People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry left me a little breathless.

There were times when Poppy and Alex were so insanely idiotic, I just wanted to reach into the pages and shake them a little and then smoosh their faces together, because if they'd just talked, their lives together could have started so much sooner.

But idiocy aside, I loved their relationship, their deep history (revealed to us in wonderful flashback chapters of their previous summer vacations), and the way they can fall so easily back into their rhythm once reunited, despite the awkwardness of how they left things.

Plus, the slow reveals of all that Alex and Poppy have shared, and the many ways he has been showing his love for her over the years together, even when she didn't let herself see it for what it really was. I don't want to spoil anything, but gah, some of those gestures -- a very big one in particular -- just gutted me, in the best way possible.

This book had it all for me: a sweeping romance, steamy chemistry, and the escapism of a travel-centric story.

What can I say that hasn't been said about Emily Henry?

This book y'all. This book.

I remember finding booksta a little after Beach Read came out. I judged it hard, because I was a pretentious book reader at the time, but I did end up reading it. And I fell deeply in love with it. I was so excited for this, to see what else Emily Henry could do after Beach Read and shit. She did it.

People We Meet On Vacation follows best friends Poppy and Alex as the try to navigate back a friendship that fell apart 2 years ago, after a decade of friendship and best friend trips together. They go on one last vacation to try to salvage their friendship, and I think we know where the rest leads us.

This book. This book. It's deep, swoony, not really steamy outside of a page and it packs a punch. If you fell hard for Gus in Beach Read, Alex takes over the place in your heart where Gus left off. Alex's quirks and ultimate declaration of love was pure perfection and I went back and reread it multiple times.

I'm usually not a fan of friends to lovers, but this book did it. I'm also usually not a fan of really slow burns and admittedly I got to about 50% and needed more. But when it happened, it happened and I totally forgot about the slow burn.

My only complaint? I wish I had more Alex and Poppy!

Ok. So i loved Beach Read from Emily Henry, and I also love all of her YA stuff as well. I didn't think I could like this author more but I can. People we meet on vacation is and amazing, heartbreaking story with characters that i just fell so hard for! In a time where I can't travel, I loved living vicariously through Alex and Poppy’s summer trips. This is a great friends to lovers story that will be the perfect summer read!!

Alex and Poppy are best friends, even though they couldn't be more different. Alex is a high school teacher who still lives in their hometown and he likes order and things just so, while, Poppy is a travel writer who loves new experiences, new people, and surprises. However, they make it work and go on a vacation together every summer...that is until a summer trip two year ago ruined everything.

Fast forward two years of not speaking, Poppy has hit a rut. She's where she wants to be professionally...but something is missing. At the suggestion of a friend, Poppy tries to think of the last time she was happy and her mind flits back to that last summer with Alex. So, what does she do? She takes a chance. He says yes. And, well the rest? You'll have a to read and see.

What could have been better?
This was a little slow to me at times, and I feel like some of the past perspectives could have been shortened. However, the slowness I felt may just be particular to the friendship to lovers trope and the complications that go with it.

What I loved?

I loved Alex and Poppy. They were two amazing characters that were developed beautifully. I would want to be friends with them.

I loved their whole relationship (friendship and romance). The two of them and their relationship to each other was so flushed out that when they got together I think I may have been just excited, if not more excited than they were. They were so sweet with each other, but their banter and quick wit was also on point, and them together just made me smile.

I loved Alex. Alex needs a line all to myself because he is SO swoon-worthy and I loved every last part of him, quirks and all.

I loved how much this book made my heart happy. Sometimes, you just need a book to make you smile and this was one of those reads.

If you want a book that's a slow-burn friends to lovers novel? A book that will make you laugh? A book that will make you swoon and add another "book boyfriend" to your ever growing list? I'd definitely add this one to your list.

Thank you Netgalley and Berkley Publishing for this E-Arc in exchange for an honest review.

I loved everything about this book. I’m a big fan of Emily Henry and friends to lovers romances. When Harry Met Sally is actually my favorite movie and this book gave me so much of the feeling I get when I watched Harry and Sally interact. I loved reading about every trip Alex and Poppy took together, every person they met on vacation was colorful, every mishap completely charming. Absolutely the perfect book for me.

Poppy reminds me of Harry, spontaneous and fun, with Alex taking up the role of Sally, responsible and realistic. They balanced each other out so well. The love story really consumed me. I reread so many passages, I’ve committed them to memory. Every interaction between Poppy and Alex, wondering if he was feeling the same, and there were always tiny clues that I believe told me he did - even if it was just my wanting so badly for everything to mean something. I'm not sure how much I would have liked it if I wasn't convinced the pining was mutual.

The way Emily Henry weaves Alex and Poppy's past Summer Trips in with the present trip was so beautiful. I was eager to know what happened, when and where things shifted, why their friendship waned as they settled more into adulthood and other people. A lot of things about Alex and Poppy's friendship just made sense to me, their personalities were so different but deep down where it really mattered they were so similar. Incredible story that I'll read again.

I was a fan of Emily Henry after reading Beach Read earlier this year. So when I saw she had another book, I was eager to read it. I loved everything about this book. I am a very character driven reader, and both Poppy and Alex felt fully formed as characters with realistic motivations and storylines. Their relationship was incredibly immersive, and I found myself wanting to know more. The way Henry alternates between present time and past events provides a much deeper insight into how their relationship functions, so the reader can clearly see how, over time, their feelings developed organically.

Overall, I felt that it was another fantastic book by Henry and will definitely become a reread in the future.

Emily Henry is an auto-buy author for me. I fell in love with her writing when I read Beach Read last year. I’m sure you can imagine how excited I was when I was sent an arc of People We Meet On Vacation to read and review.

People We Meet On Vacation has one of the sweetest friends to lovers romances I’ve ever read. Poppy and Alex’s friendship is unlike any I’ve read. They’re both able to be their true selves around each other without the fear of being judged or rejected--which is an incredible feat considering they’re exact opposites. Their love for each other is so incredibly pure and unconditional. Emily Henry couldn’t have written a more beautiful, heartwarming friendship if she tried. Poppy and Alex are everything and more. Their relationship was a breath of fresh air to read about.

This book is about friendship, figuring out what you want in life, facing your fears, and allowing love into your life. Prepare to feel all of the emotions while you read this book. You’ll laugh (a lot) and cry while reading this book. I hope you pick it up and enjoy it as much as I did!

Popply and Alex have been constants in each others lives since they first met at college. She's quirky and sarcastic, he's shy and a bit on the quiet side. But they understand each other and are the best of friends.

An annual tradition for them is to take The Summer Trip. A trip that they've been taking since after they met in college. They didn't always stay at fancy or luxurious places. But now that Poppy works for a travel magazine - the options for travel are limitless. In between relationships and break ups, Poppy and Alex have always made time for their Summer Trip. That is until two years ago when their relationship started to fall apart. Poppy misses Alex and decides to see if he's up for another summer trip. Will they be able to mend their friendship?

People We Meet on Vacation is the story of how the lives of Poppy and Alex have always been intertwined. Told from Poppy's point of view, the book alternates between the current summer trip and trips of summer past. I really don't know how to put into words how much I loved this book. The longing, the angst, the sweetness of their relationship - really everything in this book was perfect.

I've highlighted so many passages and am looking forward to going back to re-read People We Meet on Vacation. Definitely add this book to your TBR list and pre-order before it releases in May!

Emily Henry does it again. I felt all the feels within the span of this book. The blossoming friendship between Alex and Poppy was beautiful and I truly could have read about them for forever. I loved this a whole heck of a lot and I can't wait to recommend this to everyone at my library!

PEOPLE WE MEET ON VACATION by Emily Henry will take up residence between my ribs for a long time to come. It is dazzling in its tenderness and care. I loved this book so much.

This story is about Poppy and Alex, who have a long history together since they met in college. They are nothing alike but are indescribably drawn to one another and create a tight friendship. Post-college, they no longer live near one another with Poppy in New York City and Alex in their small hometown that Poppy couldn't wait to get away from. Despite their distance, they always take a one-week vacation together. However, after a devastating falling out during what would be their last vacation together, the two best friends went their separate ways and haven't spoken for two years. When Poppy comes to the conclusion that she is unhappy with her current life and realizes that the last time she was truly happy, she was on vacation with Alex, she convinces him to take one last trip together where they can air out everything that has happened between them... and possibly find the courage to face the truths that they have been avoiding all along.

Poppy and Alex are fantastic characters that felt real--they ended up feeling like my own friends. They are dynamic and messy and funny and you root for them so hard. Their friendship felt palpable and created a sizzling tension between them as the years and vacations went on. I felt that their entire dynamic was very realistic and I empathized with them both so much.

I loved the format of this book. Emily Henry is so good at this part. While reading, you get two timelines. One detailing the forming of their friendship and each vacation they've been on since meeting, and the present timeline where they are no longer close but going on one last vacation together. All the puzzle pieces click into place and you end up with a full picture of their lives together and how they ended up at this place where they no longer talk. It's entertaining to say the least! But more than that, it really pulled on my heartstrings. I was emotional by the end of their story. Saying goodbye to Poppy and Alex wasn't easy, but Emily Henry wrapped up their beautiful love story so well. I highly recommend this book. It made me feel all the emotions a person can have! And I'd do it again without hesitation!

5 stars without a doubt.

Thank you, NetGalley.

This title was great! It was a romantic-comedy, but brought tears to my eyes more than a few times. Then it had me laughing out loud too. The main characters, Poppy and Alex were so easy to follow and love. Their journeys were quite the adventures and finding themselves added so much to the story. Understanding their backgrounds put the story into perspective and definitely added that much more to the ending.

Great book!