People We Meet on Vacation is a friends to lovers romance story. It follows Poppy and Alex through their friendship journey, their friendship breakup, and finally their romance beginning.

Unfortunately, I did not really connect with the main character Poppy, and because of that I was not invested in her success. Her best friend Alex seemed to put up with a lot of her antic even though it was not something he really enjoyed, that made her annoying to me rather than endearing. I really loved Alex’s character, probably because I was able to connect with him and he is more like me. Selfishly I wish this had been from his perspective. Overall, this was a good romance with a nice slow burn. However, it was not my favorite trope, setting, or character so it made it hard to love completely.

Thank you to Berkley Pub, NetGalley, and Emily Henry for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

People We Meet on Vacation tells the story of Alex and Poppy. Despite the fact that they are polar opposites- Poppy is boisterous, loud, and colorful while Alex is a conservative and quiet bookworm- the two become fast friends after a road trip home from their first year of college. Their close friendship endures through college and beyond even though they live in different cities- Poppy in NYC where she is a travel journalist for a prestigious magazine, and Alex in his hometown of Linfield, OH, where he is a high school literature teacher. For the past ten years, the two have come together for their 'Summer Trip'- a week-long vacation that takes place in a different destination each year- until something pushes them apart from each other. After two years of near-radio silence, Poppy resurrects the Summer Trip in a desperate attempt to breathe life back into their friendship.

GUYS. I fell head-over-heels in love with Beach Read last year, so I knew that I had to request this one as soon as I saw it pop-up on NetGalley. Similarly to Beach Read, People We Meet on Vacation completely charmed me within the first few pages. By the end, it was love. There is something about the way that Henry writes her characters that make them feel so authentic and real to me. This isn't some fluffy romance book where all of the main characters are too perfect in both looks and personality. Poppy and Alex are both so beautifully-written, flaws and quirks and eccentricities intact. My favorite part of this book is the dynamic that exists between Poppy and Alex. Their banter is witty and fun, and it truthfully makes me want to be part of their friendship. A few of their exchanges actually had me laughing out loud while I read.

The plot unfolds in a nonlinear fashion- this summer's trip alternates with all of the ones that have come before it. I really enjoyed this flow, as the reader is able to follow along with where Poppy and Alex are in the relationship in the present and gradually learn how they came to be that way. There's even a small 'twist' at the end, which made things interested right as I thought that everything was resolving itself. I sped through this in a day because I couldn't put it down. I felt like I was able to do a lot of armchair traveling too (and experienced a commensurate amount of travel envy). I'm so happy I read it, but I'm also really sad that it's over.

In short, READ THIS! It's sweet and fun and filled with beautiful travel destinations that will excite you in these COVID-ridden times. I will definitely be buying a physical copy to add to my shelves alongside Beach Read.

Alex and Poppy have been friends since freshman year of college. They are completely opposite in almost every way, except their shared love of the summer vacation. Somehow their differences work for them instead of against them and they form a deep bond and friendship. They take a "summer trip" every year together ranging from locally roughing it to, to international cushy travel. Until the summer that everything changes. Now it's been years since they've spoken and Poppy is desperately trying to renew their friendship and save what was lost.

Let me just say that Emily Henry is the queen of playful banter - the way that her characters interact with each other makes me laugh out loud. She is so funny! I fell in love with her writing style while reading Beach Read (Gus and January - swoon!) and was so pleased to find that People We Meet on Vacation brought me right back to what I loved. (*so great to see the shoutout to Augustus Everett, the author, in this book!*)

The chapters switch from past summer to present day, but Henry makes the changes seamlessly and easy to follow. I devoured this book in one day - I couldn't wait to find out what happened *that* fateful summer. Emily Henry begins PWMoV letting the reader know that THE summer in question happened two years prior to present day, then she begins the retelling of Alex and Poppy's friendship from 10 summers ago and moving forward. I was 100% committed to reading through these summer adventures with the anticipation of reaching the one in question. It was the perfect amount of tension to keep me interested, yet the story was so good I didn't mind the wait.

People We Meet on Vacation is a funny, heartbreaking, insightful look at who we are, who we want to be, and the people who help us get there. I loved Beach Read and have been anxiously awaiting Emily Henry's People We Meet on Vacation....and now they're both officially two of my favorite books.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is going to be a controversial opinion but I just didn't love this one nearly as much as Beach Read. The witching between timelines felt less suspenseful for me and me frustrating as I was always waiting for the story to start. I also just didn't enjoy Poppy as a main character.

Phenomenal writing, hilarious and snarky dialogue, wonderful pacing, slow burn romance, best friends to lovers... this book is a recipe for success. And luckily, it didn’t disappoint one bit. It’s such a perfect blend of witty banter and romance with just the right amount of emotional depth, I found myself enamored from page one.

I completely love both Poppy and Alex as separate characters, but their chemistry was just *chef’s kiss*. Alex is an adorable and reserved guy and Poppy just lives to embarrass him. I was immediately sad when the book ended because I wanted more of them.

Plus, there is so much TRAVEL, and wow do I miss that. Oh anddddd there’s only ONE BED. Beach Read was one of my favorite books of 2020 and I’m happy to say I loved this one too!

5 amazing stars ⭐️ the best contemporary romance of the year!

This is the story of Alex and Poppy, two people who are the polar opposite in every way. Circumstances force them on a road trip where they become friends, regardless of those differences. Even though they live far apart and have relationships with other people, they still manage to vacation together once a year, until something happens. The vacations stop. After 2 years Poppy misses her best friend and feels like something is missing so she plans a vacation and Alex agrees to go. The story unravels between the current, awkward trip and visits some of the past trips, highlighting the friendship that has developed over the past 12 years. Is there more to this friendship? How can they possibly have a relationship when they both want different things out of life?
Let’s face it most romance books are pretty formulated. It is rare that one surprises you and actually lets you feel what the characters are going through. Emily Henry tells this story in such a refreshing way that is funny, romantic and heartfelt. The dialogue and banter between Poppy and Alex is written so well, I love their relationship so much, I am sad that it is over.
Thanks to NetGalley for the Arc and thank you Emily Henry for writing this story!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
ALL THE STARS! What can I say? I absolutely adored PEOPLE WE MEET ON VACATION by @EmilyHenryWrites Poppy and Alex are total opposites -- she's the wild, adventurous one and he's the type of guy who reads at a night club and likes to wrap up his taxes by mid-February at the latest. Naturally, they are besties. Every year for a decade they went on vacation together, until one year when they screwed everything up so badly they stopped speaking. I'll leave it to you to figure out what happened. After some self-reflection, Poppy realizes she was at her happiest on vacation with Alex, and decides to convince him to take one last trip together. He agrees, which is where things get pretty interesting.
Emily Henry is an amazing writer, and this book was definitely one of those where you read it and then immediately wish you had the opportunity to read it all over again for the very first time. (But this time, you'd do it better -- slowly, savoring every page instead of rushing through it to see what happens next.) I always adore a good friends-to-lovers story, and Poppy and Alex's chemistry was palpable. This book is charming, swoony, and incredibly heartfelt.
PEOPLE WE MEET ON VACATION will be released May 11, 2021 from @penguinrandomhouse

This book gave me serious heart eyes. I love a slow burn best friend to lover story and Emily Henry did not disappoint. The banter was witty. The travel was vivid. I loved reading it so much, that I wish I could read it again for the first time.

Honestly, I am writing this review quite a while after finishing the book, so it won’t be as detailed (or rambling lol) as my usual reviews – but a good thing for me, I wrote down my immediate thoughts in the notes app right after I finished! I will share said thoughts in bullet point format:

- This book made me ACHE and YEARN (and yes, I did indeed capitalize these words to really bring the point across that this book made my heart physically HURT)
- Friends to lovers but in the most wonderful and also painful way possible
- Like if “When Harry Met Sally” and “Normal People” were mashed up into the most perfect book of all time lol (sidenote: it includes the opposites-attract deliciousness of Harry and Sally – the two friends in this book, Poppy and Alex, have that same banter/ sizzle)

In sum, please read this book – Emily Henry is so so so good at writing heartbreakingly-amazingly-wonderfully complex characters and relationships. Friends-to-lovers is one of my favorite tropes, and I think this book may be the best example of it I have ever read.

Well, folx, Emily Henry has done it again. People We Meet on Vacation is the captivating story of Poppy and Alex, two friends who meet in their first year of college. Though very different, the two bond over yearly summer adventures across the globe. The book itself flips between the present and past vacations as the two grapple with what it means to belong and find happiness. Expert character development is woven with beautiful descriptions of travel adventures - perfect if you’re hoping to travel vicariously through your books during these pandemic times!

If you read and loved Beach Read, you’ll love this book (on sale on 5/11). If you haven’t read Beach Read, grab a copy while you wait!

Thank you, @berkleypub and @netgalley, for an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

My favorite part of this romance is the dialogue—the funny banter between Alex and Poppy makes it easy to see how these long-time friends belong together despite their many differences.

Poppy and Alex met at the University of Chicago. They’re both from the same small town in Ohio, though they went to different high schools and had completely different experiences growing up. Alex’s mother died when he was young and his ultra-religious father withdrew from life, leaving Alex to raise his younger brothers, but he was an athlete who got along with everyone. Poppy comes from a quirky family, and that, and other things, left her ostracized, friendless, and lonely. She grew up and moved away and kept on the move by traveling and then turning her travels into a career. Alex, however, stayed in Linfield except for the once yearly trips he took with Poppy. For twelve years they remain friends who take a trip together once a year, but this year, their trip leads them to take a new look at their relationship.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this novel, which RELEASES MAY 11, 2021.

I'm officially a fan for life of Emily Henry. This book had it all - friendship, love, angst, steam... you name it! But most importantly for me, it really portrayed the characters as people. While there was comedy in this, we focused on their personal growth and journey of self-discovery rather than just having funny things happen to them. I related so hard to Poppy as she realized that she was in love with her best friend, because that happened to me.

This book is a vacation from the pandemic and a delectable treat. I'd recommend this to anyone who needs a little bit of spice in their life.

I love Emily Henry's writing style - she takes typical romance storylines and puts a unique spin on them.

In People We Meet on Vacation - I love the friends to romance concept used, with the interesting approach of alternating between current summer and what has happened between the 2 main characters over the past 11 summers. You know enough to know that these friends have had some type of incident that has made them both feel awkward around each other, but by seeing their relationship in current times as well as how it progressed over 11 summers of trips was really fun. Just like with Beach Read, I felt like I was getting all the things a reader wants in a romcom, but with enough uniqueness that it didn't feel already played out.

I truly don't know how she does it. In another author's hands, the flashbacks within flashbacks structure of a novel like this would have driven me crazy. Instead, I just enjoyed spending time with Poppy and Alex, aching for the moment when they finally stopped putting obstacles in the way of their obvious love for each other. Henry's writing is warm and funny, with banter that goes beyond being witty, landing with layers of meaning that build the story of a powerful connection. Henry also has a knack for dropping a hell of a metaphor into the middle of an otherwise upbeat scene and letting that metaphor settle into a reader without hammering it home. A boy with wings. A quippy catch phrase about what speaks to someone. An inherited house. A clever title. She knows how to stir an ache in the heart. Then she mends it with a kind of joy that's big and celebratory but never simple. It's her ability to allow for complexities that makes her characters feel real. With so many romances revolving around instant and intense physical attractions, I find Henry's conflicted characters and slow burn connections deeply refreshing. The central romance has the euphoric adoration of a full-blown fantasy, but it's centered within a deep exploration of how we craft the people we become. Even if we have to meet many iterations of ourselves along the way. I loved it.

Why did I go into a second Emily Henry book thinking it would be a romcom? I learned my lesson when I read Beach Read, and now again with People We Meet On Vacation. Her previous book, to me, was a second chance at romance. This book is hundreds of missed chances over 12 years of friendship. A rare friendship where there are absolutely no walls up except the wall so closest to your heart. Poppy and Alex are wonderful. They are so different and also the same where it truly matters. They lived different lives, had different values growing up, went to different highschools ultimately to meet up at the same college to find out they were from opposite sides of the same town. See? So different, yet the same. This was a 12 year journey in the making from Poppy’s point of view. I was so sad, happy, mad, and felt all the emotions with her, and often that was in the same chapter. If you loved Beach Read for the romantic story it was with depth and character growth you will find the same thing here. 12 years worth of emotions and learning that how you felt in highschool doesn’t define the person you grow into.

Okay, so this was such a good book! I don't know that I've ever read anything quite so relatable. Poppy and Alex feel like such real people and I wish I could know and be friends with them in real life.

I liked the slow build of their relationship over the course of 12 years. I liked that this was true friends to lovers with just a hint of tension that made it so obvious they were supposed to be together. I liked that they didn't rush into anything and instead started working on their own individual problems before venturing into a relationship. I liked the resolution and the epilogue. I just thought this book was great.

The only thing that bothered me was that from the beginning, I kinda just wished the characters would TALK to each other. In the present day chapters, all the tension probably could've resolved sooner if they just had a real conversation.

Beyond that, I was so pleased with this book and I know it'll stick with me for a really long time. I can't wait to read whatever Emily Henry puts out next!

Poppy and Alex couldn't be more different but that won't stop these two from being best friends. They take a trip together every summer and have a blast but something happens on their last trip that changes everything. After 2 years of not speaking, Poppy decides to turn things right side up again and plans one last summer trip in hope of winning back her best friend.

I read Beach Read last year and was so excited to see Emily Henry coming out with new book. I was a little worried it wouldn't live up to Beach Read and as it turns out there was no need for concern. I enjoyed this book just as much as the last.

If you a. loved Beach Read b. love quirky characters c. love friends to lovers, slowburn, or there's only one bed tropes. Definitely give this one a try.

I loved Emily Henry's, Beach Read, last year and was anxiously awaiting her next book. Once I finally had access to her next story, I devoured it!

I absolutely fell head over heels for this adorable romcom. Henry's homage to "When Harry Met Sally" was beautifully executed and was an enjoyable ride from start to finish.

People We Meet on Vacation tells the story of a 12 year friendship between Poppy and Alex. Polar opposites in every way yet they become a fiercely loyal duo. Their friendship is real and masterfully told. I felt true connection to both characters. Henry really shines when it comes to her character development. I loved both Poppy and Alex which is a breath of fresh air with authors gravitating towards unlikeable characters lately. I laughed and cried throughout this beautiful story. People We Meet on Vacation is told through flashbacks and current day, weaving the 12 years of their lives together. One of the best books of 2021 - calling it now! Highly recommend.

This was such a fun read. Full of wit and banter and delicious tension -- it had it all! I'm not usually one for romance stories but the description on this one had me hooked and I'm so glad I gave it a shot. (Honestly, if a book can make me laugh out loud multiple times then it definitely deserves 5 stars.) The friendship felt layered and the characters were vulnerable and hilarious, and the perfect blend for each other. If we can't go on any vacations ourselves right now, then at least we have this book. A light, big-hearted, and thoroughly charming read.

Did I read a friends-to-lovers romance and love it as much as any enemies-to-lovers romances? Yes!!

When I saw that Emily Henry, author of Beach Read (my favorite book in June 2020) was coming out with a new book about two best friends who travel around the world together I knew I had to check it out. This book exceeded my expectations by so much! I loved Beach Read but People We Meet on Vacation was out of this world! I’m not usually prone to pick up a friends-to-lovers because sometimes the banter and tension isn’t there but boy am I glad I took a chance on this!

In this novel, we follow Poppy and Alex over the course of twelve years, dating back to when they first met in college, to present day. Each chapter alternated between the present day trip they were on and a trip they took in years past. At the beginning of the book, you find out that they’ve barely spoken in two years after a trip to Croatia and throughout the novel, it all leads up to the summer in Croatia that ruined their friendship. That was one of my favorite parts about the book because I loved seeing the different stages of their friendship over the course of all their summer trips. Another thing I loved about the book was the main characters, Alex and Poppy. They are polar opposites, Poppy being extremely outgoing and very open to change, and Alex being introverted and always wanting to stick to a plan. I loved seeing their friendship progress throughout the book and they shared so many tender moments that just warmed my heart. There were a few times I even teared up! Emily Henry does an amazing job of making you feel like you are right there beside the characters, experiencing what they are and feeling their emotions with them. Although this wasn’t a hate to love, it had the best banter! Poppy and Alex’s banter back and forth made me laugh out loud so many times! This book also had the most amazing slow burn to it with the best payoff!

Overall I highly recommend this book if you are looking for a lighthearted summer romance with a tender but tension filled romance that will make you swoon and laugh out loud on the same page! Perfect for fans of Josh + Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating and My Favorite Half Night Stand!