Thank you to Berkley, Netgalley and Emily Henry for letting me read this book early. This one will be published on May 11.

This book could not have come into my life at a more perfect time. After over a year of no traveling Emily Henry took me to so many places in this book! People We Meet on Vacation is such a perfect escape. Not only did this book give me warm fuzzy memories of places I've been lucky enough to travel to, it also made me laugh out loud and reading about people falling in love is the ultimate getaway.

I don’t read a lot of rom com type books but I adored Beach Read and this new book satisfied almost the same way. There was a lot of set up and this story felt a little torturous with the length of time and mishaps involved. The flashbacks and long descriptions were interesting but sometimes felt like they were unnecessary. However, these characters are complex and likable which made it all so worth it. I will miss them!

This book started slow for me. There was a lot of angst and tension in the beginning and I didn't enjoy it until about half way through when improbable best friends Alex and Poppy go to Palm Springs and nothing seems to go right with the vacation but they discover that place doesn't matter, people do. At this point, I couldn't wait to see what happened and I raced to the end. I'm glad I stuck with this story and very much enjoyed it in the end. I give it 4 1/2 stars.

Oh my goodness I adored this book! I loved it just as much as Beach Read, which was one of my favorites last year. Everything about it, from the beautiful writing to the believable characters--ah! Perfection.

This is one of those stories that is jam packed with emotion. I usually don't give recaps in my reviews, but Poppy and Alex are such a unique take on best friends to lovers with so many of my favorite tropes (there's only one bed, grump + sunshine, etc). Though I wouldn't really call Alex a grump. He's just a soft, quiet boy. Better yet, I loved being able to go on all of their past vacations with them alongside the present. The way the story was told reminded me a little bit of Love and Other Words - one of my all time favorite romances, where we don't find out why the main couple stopped being friends until the very end.

I loved how much personality Poppy had, and how even though Alex was the quieter sort, he never shamed her or made her feel bad for her exuberance. I think I kept expecting him to guilt her or decide that she's too much, but he never did. He loved her fiercely throughout the whole book, and I never questioned his feelings for her aside from the very beginning. It was actually really refreshing how gentle and loving he was.

Anyway, this is an easy five out of five stars, and I definitely recommend it to anyone who is looking for not only a pleasant, feel good escape, but with plenty of feels and depth to go alongside of it!

Do you ever read a book and feel this crushing, awful joy because you got to experience it and yet you'll never be as good a writer as its author? That's how I feel whenever I read Emily Henry. People We Meet on Vacation is a slow burn — like a decade's long slow burn — and I often felt impatient for Poppy and Alex to just shut up and kiss. I don't know that I needed to hear about every vacation they'd ever taken together during their friendship. But what a delightful pair, and what a wonderful payoff. When these two did finally collide (during a rainstorm!! Emily Henry how could you do this to me??) I swooned out loud. Henry builds tension, attraction and character growth with the finesse of a true master.

I loved Emily Henry’s, Beach Read. Unfortunately, this one just fell short. I even put it down for a few weeks & tried again. It was a light-hearted read & will definitely give you some major vacation fever. However, the entire book was the same story over & over again about their friendship/relationship; no good subplots or characters. Also, it seemed more YA than a story about 30 somethings!

I loved this book. The ending got me. When a character to can cut themselves open and share every single of their flaws and weaknesses... that's going to make me feel ALL.THE.EMOTIONS.

"You can't outrun yourself. Not your history, no your fears, not the part of yourself you're worried are wrong". HITS ME IN MY SOUL, friends.

What makes this "People We Meet On Vacation" is that it has all my favorite tropes in one book:
-- Lifelong pining
-- Opposites Attract
-- Only One Bed
-- Slow Burn
-- Top Notch Banter
-- Friends to Lovers

When reading this story, please be patient. Give grace to Henry as she spins a tale of friendship, growth, loss and reconciliation. It's a story I think so many can relate to when you are in love with your best friend. Logically, Alex and Poppy should never work. But on paper, they imperfectly perfect for each other.

Review set to go live on release date:


After reading last year’s release by this author, Beach Read, I couldn’t wait to find out if her sophomore effort in the genre would live up to my extremely high expectations. Spoiler alert: it did.

People We Meet on Vacation is kind of an ode to the tropey best friends to lovers romantic comedy movie. In her afterward, this author lists When Harry Met Sally as an inspiration and I can tell you that I didn’t even have to have her mention that because I got that sense almost immediately when Poppy and Alex first meet and definitely after their first road trip together. But don’t worry, there are other beloved tropes mixed in… opposites attract, slow burn, and “there’s only one bed, whatever shall we do?”.

Almost immediately I fell in love with each of these characters in all their weird, charming, confused glory. They had the kind of chemistry right from the start that as a romance reader you desperately desire in a love story. They meet in their freshman year in college and are so different that they don’t feel that spark of friendship, that is until after an arranged road trip back home where they connect.


"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.

By the time we part ways, I’m fairly confident we’ll never speak again."


This book is told by alternating chapters of the current summer vacation with those of vacations past so that readers really get that feel of why they share such a deep and abiding friendship. And why they are so afraid to let that friendship turn into more for fear of losing each other. Poppy is free-spirited, restless, and hasn’t had any desire to settle down. She loves meeting new people and has made a career of traveling around the world. A career that started by taking trips with her best friend on the shoe-string budget of two college students.

Alex is her exact opposite, a literature student who became a school teacher that lives near his family in the same small town where he and Poppy grew up. He is delightfully beta and at first, comes off as kind of repressed and up-tight. But with Poppy, he is what she calls “naked Alex”, funny and quirky and eager to roll right along with his best friend experiencing all the things. Their snarky back and forth and inside jokes were amazing and had me laughing out loud so many times.


"When we were together, though, the game didn’t even exist. The rest of the world dissolved until I believed this was how things truly were. Like I’d never been that girl who’d felt entirely alone, misunderstood, and I’d always been this one: known, loved, wholly accepted by Alex Nilsen."


These two made my heart melt. Literally, melt. As someone who married her best friend, I could 100% relate to their fear of losing their person if it didn’t work out. This book takes its readers on a journey from 12 years ago when they first meet, then all through the ups and downs of their friendship and up to the present day where they are at a breaking point and need to make a decision about what they are going to do about their complicated feelings for each other. Stay apart, maybe settle down with someone else but miss their true other half, or admit their feelings and go all-in on a once-in-a-lifetime love. The fact that Poppy and Alex love each other desperately is palpable throughout the book. You could practically feel their devotion radiating from the pages. But my favorite thing is that they feel safe and protected with each other.

The ending was beautiful and I am so thankful that this author included an epilogue. I NEEDED to see this couple making it work, and all the ups and downs and in-betweens. I also wouldn’t mind meeting them again in a future book.

I predict People We Meet on Vacation will be on my best of list at the end of the year. Emily Henry has this gorgeous, lyrical way of writing that gets to me. Once I start reading I just can’t stop, and then I get to the end want to start all over again.

Final grade- A

The best word I can use to describe this novel is "perfect." No joke, I cannot think of anything the author could have done differently to make me love this book more. The friendship between Alex and Poppy was stunning and the pining was delicious. The burn was so slow that I was DYING. But then the payoff was worth it times 1000. People We Met On Vacation had everything: humorous situations, engaging settings, witty banter, character development, intense chemistry, believable conflict and stakes, and a delectable happy ever after. Normally, I skip over long sex scenes, but the steam in this one was so emotionally charged that I read every word. I got so lost in this book that time went away from me. I both wanted to finish it in one sitting and prolong it indefinitely! It joins The Hating Game in my favorite romcoms of all time and one of the few I will read more than once.

I absolutely loved Emily Henry's last novel, Beach Read, and have been excitedly awaiting this new release! Alex and Poppy are best friends, though things have always remained purely platonic. After meeting in college, they start taking an annual trip together, always on the cheap and spontaneous.

These two couldn't be more different; Poppy, a free spirit, determined to see the world and never settle down, and Alex, who is as routined as routine can be. I enjoyed the timeline of the book- starting us off knowing that something went awry a few years ago, putting an end to their annual trips, and then taking us back one year at a time to each of their vacations.

As clues start dropping that both may have wished for their relationship to take a different turn all along, the fear of losing their friendship is all too real. I so appreciated that Poppy and Alex were both wonderfully complex, with their own vulnerabilities and imperfections which made this story so much more layered as a whole. This is a wonderful take on the best friends to lovers trope and I just enjoyed it so much. I highly recommend adding it to your summer reading list and know this will be one of my favorite contemporary romances of 2021!

Thank you to Berkley Publishing for my gifted copy.

This book is absolutely adorable. I love a story with good banter, and the plot weaves through twelve years of summer vacations, which is lots of fun. I loved Emily Henry's last book, Beach Read, and this book was just as enjoyable.

Poppy and Alex met at freshman orientation and had nothing in common, apart from their hometown. Poppy doesn’t expect to see Alex again, but when they end up sharing a ride home together, they start a friendship that spans years. Poppy loves to travel, and every summer she and Alex take the “summer trip,” at least until two years ago. They haven’t spoken since, but Poppy plans a new trip in hopes of reconciliation, and she and Alex embark on a new adventure and try to move past the silence of the last two years. Written in Poppy’s perspective with each chapter alternating between the present summer and each past summer trip, readers get to watch the friendship build as Poppy and Alex connect with quirky characters on their travels. Henry has written another encapsulating romance with a fun cast of characters that readers will fall in love with; this is a must read for fans of her other books.

The first 60% of this book is blah. Friends from college travel together. he is super nice to her, but she is clueless. The story is told only from her perspective and since she just thinks of him as a friend, there is no chemistry, no heat. Something happened on their last trip together that caused them to not speak for two years. Around the 50% mark we get an idea that maybe there was a little heat on their last trip. The scene where they finally get together is rewarding, but prior to that is a scene stolen from The Hating Game that took things too far and too gross (peeing in bed is not sexy...or maybe this book was just not for me).

3.5 stars. Twelve years ago, Alex and Poppy met awkward in freshman year at university, but somehow their friendship has lasted, built around their annual Summer Trips. Two years ago, something happened in Croatia and they haven’t spoken since, but now they’re having a few days together in Palm Springs before Alex’s brother’s wedding.

OK, so we know where the end destination is going to be, but what’s the journey like? I really enjoyed the interspersed chapters about their various trips, including Vancouver Island, New Orleans, and Tuscany. Ms Henry has an easy flowing and entertaining style, and these chapters bubble along with plenty to see and enjoy along the way.

I found the present day Palm Springs chapters less interesting, particularly towards the end where they get, unnecessarily in my view, very talky and wordy as emotions and motives are thrashed through, and resolutions are reached.

Poppy and Alex are typical romantic novel opposites-attract protagonists: Poppy flunked out of college, started writing a travel on the cheap blog, and now works for an online magazine able to take expensive and exotic trips for a living. She lives in New York, wears wacky clothes, doesn’t want to be tied down and the idea of living in somewhere as staid as her hometown, Linfield, Ohio, horrifies her. Alex, meanwhile, graduated, took a masters degree, and now teaches in his hometown, Linfield Ohio. He likes khakis, stability, small town life, and predictability. Though they have great chemistry and amusing banter, tbh, I’m not sure, even with the resolution that’s reached, that this couple is really going to work outside the pages of a book.

Of course, nobody (including me) reads a romcom for realism or authenticity, so these are moot points. Did I have a warm cozy feeling while reading and did I find myself a paragraph into the next chapter despite telling myself I’d stop at the end of the previous one? Yes I did on both counts, so a success in that case.

Thanks to Berkley Books and Netgalley for the digital review copy.

A fun but different rom-com. I liked this one better than her last. I wasn't sure about either character at first, neither seemed super likable but they grew on me. 4-4.5 stars, rom-com fans will enjoy.

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for my copy of People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry. All opinions are my own.


I fell in love with Emily Henry’s writing when I read Beach Read and her follow-up, People We Meet on Vacation, did not disappoint. While this one felt like it dragged on a little more, it was a sweet, hilarious romcom. I found myself laughing out loud and actually crying. Henry has a real talent of creating characters that you feel like you’ve known your whole life.

4.5! This was a great take on a slow burn friends to lovers romance. Best friends Alex and Poppy could not be more different but despite this they have a friendship like no other. Each summer they go on a vacation together and as the book progresses we get flashbacks from each of these trips. Inspired by the movie When Harry met Sally, Emily Henry does an amazing job exploring the complexities of falling in love with your best friend but being too scared to risk the friendship for a chance at a happily ever after. I fell in love with Poppy and Alex and couldn’t put this book down wanting to discover what happened to cause a rift in their friendship and whether they were going to get the happy ending they deserved. This book packs an emotional punch - right up there with Abby Jimenez as my favourite emotionally draining gut-punch romance writers. I enjoyed Beach Read a lot last year but I think this book was even better. I really related to Poppy’s feelings of professional burnout and yearning for purpose in her life and I was envious of her super supportive boss! This was a perfect escape read while we are all in lockdown and can’t travel places. Highly recommend this book for your summer TBR - I will be rushing to but a copy when it comes out May 11th!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for my advanced e-ARC copy!!

**Review will be published May 6th**

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.

LOVED THIS.

I can break down this review really simply.

I have a hard time loving these tropes: friends to lovers, second chance, and books with flashback chapters.

People We Meet on Vacation made me love them ALL. It was written so beautifully and magnetically that I devoured this in a day. I didn’t want to put it down, I needed to know what happened. The story was a journey and gave me plenty of wanderlust about traveling.

I LOVE Alex and Poppy. Goodness gracious. Their chemistry leaped off the page into fireworks. From the get-go I knew I was in for this book. I love the opposites attract vibes and watching their love story play out over the flashbacks. It was expertly accomplished. I can’t say enough good things about how this story. I wish I could read it fresh again.

Need I mention some tropes I do love that were also included? ONE BED, slow burn and tension for days. The angst here was real. Alex was such a cinnamon roll. Poppy was vibrant and larger than life. I just love them. LOVE THEM. I found myself smiling and laughing at the banter and antics. How things were going utterly wrong in one way and perfectly right in another.

I like to mention in romances if that conflict we all know is coming took away from the story. This time? It didn’t take away at all. It fit into everything I learned about the characters over the book. It allowed for growth from both characters and learning what they truly wanted and needed from their own lives as their’s collided.

What a book. I love Emily Henry’s romances!

Overall audience notes:
- Contemporary romance
- Language: some
- Romance: kisses to brief open door
- Trigger/Content Warnings: depicitons of anxiety, loss of a parent, bullying

I was immediately struck by how detailed the characters are in People We Meet on Vacation. While the book is very much Poppy's story, my favorite character ended up being Alex. If you ever loved "Love Rosie" or "One Day", you have to read this! It has this same vibes of friends to maybe lovers? Slow burning and tension. Yearning, SO MUCH YEARNING. The romance People We Meet on Vacation had me swooning. I had to keep reading so my heart didn't explode.

Thank you to Berkley Romance and Netgalley for a gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I saw my friend Chloe L review this one as a cross between Normal People and Josh & Hazel's Guide to Not Dating and now I can't unsee it! It's a perfect description for the plot and characters.

What I liked:
- The alternating timelines for providing the backstory to Poppy and Alex's friendship.
- Friends to lovers trope. And it's also opposites attract. Poppy definitely reminded me of Hazel!
- The destinations mentioned - this book allowed me to travel without leaving my home!
- Fun banter - I loved the chemistry, angst and funny lines between Poppy and Alex. There were several laugh out loud moments!

What I didn't like:
- The big secret - I don't like it when authors dangle a big secret in front of you to string you along for 75% of the book until the big reveal

Overall, I enjoyed it and can see the hype but it's still not quite a 5 star read for me yet!

Half way through reading this book, I muttered to myself “I am obsessed.”

Now, I’ve finished the book, so it’s time to just go ahead and shout it from the rooftops:

“I AM OBSESSED!!!!”

People We Meet on Vacation is everything I needed right now. It completely transported me into the friendship of Alex and Poppy (the cutest needs-to-be couple, ever). I loved how the story flashed back and forth from the current moment to the past history of all their cherished summer vacation memories.

Poppy and Alex are total opposites, but perfectly compliment one another. Their relationship was pure and sweet and their banter and sexual tension kept me giggling and smiling throughout the book.

This is a story about finding that soul mate who just gets you. - someone who sees your flaws and differences, and loves you all the more for it. Someone who you can be weird, and free with. (When you find this person, make sure you tell them and never let them go)

People We Meet on Vacation gets all the stars, all the heart eyes, and I already want to read it again just so that I can keep this dopey grin on my face a little longer. It really elevated my mood and I’m grateful to have read it.

If you’re looking for a fun friends to lovers romance, THIS IS THE BOOK. It will make the perfect summer vacation read.