Beach Read was one of my favorite reads of 2020 and I didn't know if People We Meet on Vacation could top it, but I'm so happy to say that it did and I can read this book over and over again! Emily Henry writes books that make you feel every emotion and I was laughing throughout the book and also wiping away a lot of tears towards the end.

I loved Poppy and Alex so much and wish I could be a third wheel on their vacations. Their friendship was so genuine, I loved that no matter where they were for most of their friendship, they were always there for each other no questions asked. There were a few points where I actually got mad at Alex's character because I wish he would've expressed things to Poppy. But at the same time, I also liked who he was around Poppy, instead of being the quiet and reserved man that he usually is, he would match her personality or do things he normally would not do. Poppy's personal and professional journey throughout the book was so powerful and at times relatable.

After reading two books by Henry, I love that while they are romance books, there is also so much more depth to them. Her books make you think and even after finishing People We Meet on Vacation, I'm still thinking about it and I know I will be for a long time.

Absolutely enjoyed People We Meet on Vacation! It was so refreshing! I didn't enjoy Emily Henry's last book so I was very skeptical going into this one. I loved the characters and the story development. My only critique is I think it would have been a tad bit stronger if there was a dash of alternating POV with Alex, but that's just my preference! I would absolutely recommend.

This was a fun, funny, sweet, and at times heartbreaking friends-to-lovers story. It's about Poppy, a woman who loves to travel the world, and Alex, her best friend who is a school teacher still living in the same hometown that hurt Poppy so deeply as a child. Every summer the two take a vacation together, and the story goes back and forth between past trips and the present as their adventures unfold. Highly recommend this book!

𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰: ⁣

𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: ⁣Emily Henry
𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: People We Meet On Vacation
𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: ⁣4 ⭐️
⁣
𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐬: ⁣
•The humor!! It’s absolutely flawless. I was struggling not to burst into laughter every few pages both from the banter, the sarcasm, the outright weirdness. Ugh, it is so good. I also love Poppy and the weird things she says so much. I would be friends with Poppy in real life 100% and I just really related to her (specifically past traumas)
•This was half open door, half closed door smut but I found I didn’t necessarily *need* the smut to get me through this book. I thought it was written well and had the perfect amount for this storyline.
•Despite this also being part of my con, I really did love the chapters of the past and it leading up to present day.
•I appreciated that while this was a cute, lighthearted romance, it did bring up some heavier topics and I loved how Emily Henry handled it!

𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬: ⁣
•I really like when stories go between the past and present so while I enjoyed parts of it, other parts were confusing. This broke out the past in one chapter and then present in the next chapter but sometimes past was mixed into the present chapter which ended up being confusing at times.
•This book made me realize I’m not a huge fan of the friends to lovers trope.

𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬:
I really enjoyed this book and would recommend this to all my contemporary romance lovers! While I can’t say I loved it more ⁣than Beach Read, it was still a really great second novel and I can’t wait to read any and all future works by Emily Henry.


𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐆𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐲, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐢𝐧 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧 𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰.

Emily Henry is an amazing writer. Her prose brings me into a story. Right from the first page, I know I will enjoy the book and want to get to know the characters.

I always love friends to lovers romances, and this is a unique take on that. Poppy and Alex have been close friends for more than a decade, but something tore them apart two years ago. The timeline varies as we weave between the current summer and previous annual Summer Trips, piecing together their relationship and history. At times, I was frustrated by the discontinuous timeline, but it served to make me unable to put the book down, as I wanted to know what happened next in each time.

I love Alex and Poppy's shared history and deep trust and understanding and yet the layers of misunderstanding. Both characters were so complex and real. Their banter and teasing was fun, and the way they slipped into characters or themes for each different Summer Trip was endearing. I really want to join them on their annual vacations, as they wander through their travels, learning and exploring each new destination.

This is a wonderful character-driven romance with beautiful description and amazing destinations. I will eagerly anticipate Emily Henry's next book.

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for this eARC.

I loved every single thing about this book and about Alex and Poppy. It’s wanderlust meets When Harry Met Sally and I never wanted it to end.

As someone who adored Beach Read, I was nervous that I had hyped up this book too much and that it couldn’t possibly live up to what I anticipated it to be. That fear was in the back of my head for about 20% of the book, affecting how I consumed it however, those fears were quickly dispelled.

I quickly found that Poppy and Alex were occupying a cozy place in my heart and I was fully invested in them both. I’m not typically a *huge* friends to lovers fan but this book was a rare exception. It was delightful, heartbreaking, and laugh out loud funny all at the same time.

Emily Henry’s "Beach Read" was one of my favorite books of 2020, so I was very excited to get my hands on the follow-up, "People We Meet On Vacation." It is a super-slow-burn romance about Poppy and Alex, two platonic friends who meet in college and go on vacation together every year. Poppy is a New York-based travel writer who writes about glamorous destinations for a living, while Alex teaches high school in the southern Ohio town where they both grew up (and which Poppy couldn’t wait to leave).

The obvious question is why Poppy and Alex aren’t a couple, since they love spending time together and, except for the whole long distance thing, seem so perfectly suited to one another. I need to throw in a bit of personal history here: I have had very close platonic friendships with guys since I was in high school—I’ve even vacationed with them—and Poppy and Alex’s relationship just didn’t ring true to me. As she proved in "Beach Read," however, Henry is very good at presenting fully realized back stories for her characters; you get the sense that she really knows and understands them. Rationalizing why Poppy and Alex aren’t a romantic couple sometimes requires her to work pretty hard: Alex’s mother died when he was young, and he simultaneously wants to find someone “who can help him build the life that he lost when he was six years old” and is afraid of getting too close because if he allows himself to love someone, he might lose them. Poppy is ambitious and competent, but she was bullied throughout her childhood and always felt like the odd one out in her family (“I was something of a loose part, that baffling extra bolt IKEA packs with your bookcase, just to make you sweat”).

Both Alex and Poppy are very likable and I really appreciated the fact that they both wound up going to therapy to deal with their respective childhood traumas. Perhaps I would have enjoyed it more if it was the first Emily Henry book I had read; my expectations were probably too high after "Beach Read," and the follow-up is good-but-not-great, in my opinion.

This book is everything I needed. I'm not usually a fan of friends to more, but this books is perfect. I loved that it was set in many different countries (my travel heart was very excited for this). It also changed from present to past very easily. It was great getting to know their background as friends as you learned more about each character and how they now interact with one another. It was a fun and light read, exactly what you need when on vacation, or if you're like me at home wanting a vacation super bad!
I don't have anything bad to say, I loved it. It was just the book I needed. I am surprised by how much I loved it considering I'm not always a huge fan of contemporary romance, but maybe I need to read more of them.

Emily Henry's sophomore novel is spectacular. A beautiful love story as well as a novel about navigating adulthood.

So loved this ending! Unique and fun.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I had a lot of fun reading this one and I’m sure the author truly enjoyed developing these two quirky characters. They are opposite in so many ways yet blended beautifully together.

Best friends for many years, this book is written in a method that brings us two parts of the story; the past leading up to the present, and then present day.

But not all was well with the world.

Oh, I was getting frustrated with wondering what happened! Why the break? Ack! It seemed I had to read faster to find out what was going on. And the countdown from the past to the present seriously messed with my head.

Henry has mastered the subtleties of love. Those demure inklings of Maybe. Flutterings in your belly. The slooowww burn that keeps you awake at night. Not just a love of a best friend but those strings of "could this really be what I feel?" Plus the fear of trying to explore anything for years because it’s just in your head. BFFs forever, right?

Written with wacky wit and a quirkiness that endears you to Poppy and Alex, whose weirdness unites; a deep insight into an everlasting friendship; warm feelings of love; and a connection that lasts a lifetime. We can only hope that we experience a connection like this in our lifetime. A heartwarming friends to lovers story that gives you all the feels! And that ending? SIGHHH

Another fantastic read by Emily Henry. The classic best friends to lovers trope. My only complaint is that a little communication would have gone a long way...

Oh my gosh, this book. THIS BOOK! If I could give it more than 5 stars, I would. I can't tell you how much I adored this friends-to-lovers, summer romance, adventure around the world! If I wasn't a new mom who valued sleep above all else, I'm 100% positive I would have stayed up all night to finish this in one sitting. Addicting!

The timeline bounces from the present to the past, jumping through twelve years of summer vacations between two best friends. Poppy and Alex were written with such perfection. Their banter made me laugh, and their story made my heart smile. By the end of the book, they'll feel like people you know and don't want to say goodbye to. I wish I could go on a summer trip with them!

If you love contemporary romance, you will LOVE this! I highly highly recommend you pre-order a copy now! Even though I got this one on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review, I'm pre-ordering a paperback for my bookshelf because I just loved it. :)

Review posted on blog: https://books-are-a-girls-best-friend.com/

My Favorite Rom-Com of the Year! Cue ALL THE FEELS!

Fun, Light, Refreshing, Witty, and of course Romantic! “People We Meet on Vacation” by Emily Henry has it all.

Poppy and Alex meet in College at Freshman Orientation where it is immediately clear that they have absolutely nothing in common. Going their separate ways, they make it a point not to see each other for the rest of the year. Then the two share a fateful car ride home at the end of their Freshman year and the rest is history.

Every summer for an entire decade after University, seeing as they live in different cities, the two decide to go on vacation together, and then it stops, just like that.

Almost like a break-up, except how could that be. right? Alex and Poppy are just friends, aren’t they?

Now two years have passed with nary a word. Poppy, however, has decided to make things right. To get Alex back.

Plan a vacation with her best friend to set things straight. Her life and her happiness depend on it. As it turns out, so does his.

Hilarity, Hijinks, and yes, Romance Ensue. Oh, and did I mention Sparks? Yes, those too.

Sweetness, a whole lot of sweetness, funny text messages, lots and lots of laughter, hilarious, witty banter galore, this friends turned lovers rom-com stole my heart. It’s the kind of romance I think we all dream about and the storyline here is sheer perfection. I adored both Poppy and Alex and cheered for them the entire time. For fans of women’s fiction and lighter romance novels, there were no steamy moments in this fabulous rom-com which made this reader extremely happy.

I will admit that I was originally hesitant to read “People We Meet on Vacation” simply because I read Ms. Henry’s prior novel, “Beach Read” and didn’t quite love it - while I liked the main characters in that book (Augustus and January) and enjoyed their romance, there were elements of that novel that I don’t think quite fit which led to my not enjoying the novel as much as I’d hope to. That said, I’m glad to say that all of my fears were immediately allayed here, as I loved everything about “People We Meet on Vacation” and can’t recommend it highly enough. In case it isn't obvious, this will of course appear on my Goodreads Best-of-List for 2021!

This was a great buddy read with Kaceey!

Thank you to Elisha at Berkley Publishing Group (and NetGalley) for the arc.

Published on Goodreads, Twitter, and Instagram.

Now that’s how it’s done! The perfect Rom-Com! Deserves all the stars!

Poppy and Alex have been friends since University. Every summer they go on their annual summer vacation. Something they both look forward to each year. In the early days, it was on a shoestring budget. But in recent years, they have had the perks provided through her work.

Only two summers ago ‘something’ happened and the two have not spoken until now.

An opportunity has presented itself to bring the two friends back together. Can they mend their friendship? Can they both find their happiness?

I had a smile on my face from the first page all the way to the end, where suddenly I found myself with tears rolling down my cheeks.

I just loved both of these characters. Poppy is so quirky with the best sense of humor that brings out a whole different side of Alex.

Alex is reserved. A school teacher. Yet when Poppy is around his defenses go down and he throws caution to the wind!

This is the second book I’ve read by Emily Henry. Her last book Beach Read just fell short for me. This latest release is completely different. It has everything you are looking for in a rom-com. Characters you love, good strong chemistry, and the angst of wanting a HEA ending.

Highly recommend!

A rom-com weekend buddy read with Susanne that we both absolutely loved!❤️

Posted to: https://books-are-a-girls-best-friend...

Thank you to Elisha at Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review.

If I could give six stars to this book, I would.

Once again, Emily Henry has hit it out of the park. There's a reason she's one of my favorite authors. I would seriously read and rave about her grocery list.

Emily has a way with words that is just incredible, saying even the simplest things in the most beautiful way. And don't get me started on her banter—she could teach a master class.

When I read digital copies, I tend to highlight lines that stand out to me. And in this book, there are several pages that are covered in yellow. The only reason I didn't finish reading all in one weekend is that I wanted it to last. When I turned the last page late last night, I was genuinely sad that it was over.

I am so excited for this book to come out in a few months, and can't wait to talk to more people about Alex and Poppy and how wonderful this book is. Do yourself a favor and pre-order it today and read it as soon as humanly possible.

Twelve years ago, Poppy met Alex at college - the two were obvious opposites: Alex was a khaki wearing homebody while Poppy was more of a free-spirited wild child. But a friendship formed on a ride to their hometown from college. They started taking an annual summer vacation, and it was something both friends looked forward to all year. That is until two years ago when something happened on their summer trip... and they haven’t spoken since. After realizing the last time she was truly happy was on that last trip, Poppy reaches out to Alex and he agrees to go on a summer vacation - this time to his brother’s wedding. Can Poppy somehow salvage their friendship and feelings of possibly more?

This was a fun story told by Poppy, alternating between present and past summer vacations. Emily Henry writes great characters and dialogue and I look forward to reading anything she writes next.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

Emily Henry has done it again. She's taken a story that I thought would be cliche and trite and turned it into a book that I couldn't put down. I fell in love with the characters from the very beginning, and although I knew how it would end up, reading it didn't feel boring or disinteresting. Quite the opposite in fact.

She is brilliant at telling stories so that you find a little bit of yourself in each of the characters. She did it in Beach Read, and she did it again in People We Meet on Vacation.

This is a book I'll recommend everyone put on their summer reading list. It's fun, a quick read, and yet at the same time leaves you thinking on things for days after you've finished it.

4 flirty + amusing + wanderlust stars to this latest read from Emily Henry. Y’all this book was just pure FUN! The perfect bookish escape we all need right now. Poppy and Alex have been best friends since college- even though they are complete opposite personalities. The two have maintained their friendship over the years and through various jobs, moves and relationships by taking an annual summer vacation together. The book tells the story of their past vacations over the decade along with their current summer trip. These characters have crazy chemistry and I loved reading this slowwwww burn romance. It was interesting to see their friendship and love grow over the years as well as read about the amazing trips they took. Emily is a talented writer and her vivid descriptions made me crave a vacation!

The perfect poolside read- this book is out into the world on May 11th! Emily Henry continues her reign as queen of summer reads. Pre-order your copy now. Thank you so much to Berkeley and Netgalley for this advance reader copy.

Writing this review is hard, on one hand Emily Henry's writing is absolutely beautiful, on the other hand, by the end if the book I didn’t find the characters romantic, instead I found them codependent, they could only be happy with the other. While at the start of the book I found Poppy and Alex charming and I enjoyed their banter, by they end they were toxic to each other and other people.

At some point Poppy went from a quirky character to someone who is too over the top and can’t function without Alex and realized she can only be happy if he is next to her.
And I am still not sure who is Alex as a character, his personality seemed to change through the book, by the end I wasn’t sure who he was anymore, just someone who hated things but it was fine if he did them with Poppy.

Again, Emily's writing style is beautiful, but I couldn’t connect with characters who were ready to give up everything just for a person they have an unhealthy obessesion with.
There were a few other parts that annoyed me, Poppy and Alex drank a lot during their trips, like, a lot and yet there was never a hangover or blackouts or feeling sick, they woke up perfectly fine and ready to go on. And Rachel is supposed to be Poppy’s friend but she felt more like a prop than a friend (why does she refuse to leave NYC even for a trip?) and the fact her mom is supposed to be Poppy’s therapist is just unprofessional all along.

Emily Henry’s writing is absolutely powerful but sadly this book wasn’t for me.