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!

This book = my vacation! Poppy and Alex took me on grand adventures to ALL THE PLACES and I love them for it. People We Meet On Vacation was one of most anticipated reads this year and I definitely did a happy dance when the NetGalley approval arrived. I am so glad I did not delay temptation! Emily Henry, you are a friends to lovers, banter, and romantic tension genius. There. I said it. This book is for you if you love:
being transported to beautiful locations, strong female protagonists and friendships, supportive, feminist men, personal growth and self-awareness, multiple timelines, and revelatory romance.

Should I be surprised that Emily Henry wrote another book that's a new all-time favorite? Probably not, but I'm still reeling from how much I loved People We Meet on Vacation. It's so different from 2020's Beach Read (another all-time favorite book), but it still has all the things I love about Emily Henry's writing-- her witty dialogue, her A+ banter between love interests, her descriptions of falling and being in love, and her excellence at describing the all-too-common millennial experience of just feeling lost and alone and like everyone but you has it all figured out. Poppy and Alex felt like friends by the end of this story; I could honestly imagine knowing any of the characters in this book in my own life. Also, I have to mention that the descriptions of travel made me both ridiculously jealous and ridiculously excited for all the post-pandemic trips I've spent the past year of quarantine planning. All in all, People We Meet on Vacation is smart, charming, compulsively readable, and if you're a Pisces like me, will probably make you cry a tiny bit (but in the best way). I can't wait to thrust it into the hands of all my friends and family upon its release this May.

People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry

“Maybe things can always get better between people who want to do a good job loving each other. Maybe that’s all it takes.”
.....

Poppy and Alex meet during a college orientation and they couldn’t be more different. Poppy is full of life and her vintage clothing speak volumes about her personality. Alex is reserved and likes things just so. Against all odds, Poppy and Alex become best friends and even when life pulls them in different directions as the years pass they make time to see one another every year for a summer trip. And each year it gets harder to deny their feelings for one another.

This upcoming (May 11) title by Emily Henry is just as good if not better that her previous novel, Beach Read. If you love rom coms that aren’t just fluff, then this book is for you. For fans of Kerry Winfrey and Rainbow Rowell.

WOW in my 25 years of life - I have never had a better time reading a book. It was the sweetest, most tender, kindhearted, funny, delightful experience. Each book Emily Henry crafts sings with love and beauty and realism. It's the perfect romantic comedy - it's Nora Ephron for 2021. I loved this book endlessly and then some.

This book was everything I wanted it to be, and so much more. I read "Beach Read" from Emily Henry last year and fell in love with Henry's writing style. Her dialogue, her characters, her settings; it all feels so effortless. I came away from "Beach Read" thinking, wow. She's just such a good writer. Like "Beach Read," "People We Meet on Vacation" lives up to the hype. The book follows Poppy and Alex, an unlikely pairing who meet in college and become best friends. Even when they're in different states, living completely different lives, they stay in touch. And they always reconnect for their annual Summer Trip... until something happens and they stop talking. The details of the incident aren't revealed until close to the end of the story, which is told from Poppy's POV in chapters from different summers. While curiosity about what happened between them kept me turning the pages, I was fully invested in every part of their story (and the escape to different vacation locales didn't hurt either, reading this amid the pandemic). The main characters felt so real to me, their banter and their inside jokes so natural and funny. Poppy's love for Alex jumped off the page, and while his felt quieter, I could feel it in every word. From the clever way Henry introduces Poppy and Alex's relationship in the very first chapter, I was hooked. I'd follow these friends anywhere. And I did. Henry traces their story from past to present and back to the past, but it never feels disorienting. The way her writing draws you in and keeps you reading and reading until the end, at which point you almost wish you could unread it, just so you can enjoy every brand new, gorgeous detail all over again is something not many authors can do. There were heartbreaking parts, too, of course, which were just as realistic and relatable as the good stuff. And yes, Henry can - and does - pen a steamy makeout scene like the best of them. But more than anything, this book made me feel so warm and fuzzy and content. All of the relationships, from Poppy and Alex, to Poppy and her boss, Poppy's family, her closest female friend, Alex and his brothers, and yes, the people they meet on vacation, felt so real and believable. I'll be thinking about this book for a long time, and I already cannot wait to read the next one Emily Henry writes.

I received a free ebook via NetGalley via Berkley Penguin Random House. All my thoughts are my own.

Everything about it was just so good. I think a good romance novel becomes great when the author cares more about the people than the love story. It makes the love story better because you're rooting for the love and the life success of the characters. The friendships Poppy has and how she views her own value being more important in the beginning than setting up for cheesy tropes (that definitely appeared later that I definitely loved) made the whole arc of the story so much more meaningful.

Speaking of which, the honesty Poppy has with herself is admirable and realistic. At times I wished we also got Alex's perspective on events, but by the end I much preferred Poppy as the sole narrator because you got to know her so intimately as she found herself throughout the book. I especially loved how she was upfront about her privilege while having valid complaints about her life and how she felt stuck. The character development was done with a lot of care about what millennial culture is and isn't as well as one person's experience with it.

Back to Poppy's friendship with her best friend, I LOVED the social media influencer side plot. It wasn't overwhelming, and again, it was so honest while still considering the fact that it was one person's individual experience. No one was being shoved into a mold or stereotype. And the lady boss??? Promoting good work culture while still having expectations of your employees??? Obsessed.

And the romance!! So much love for this book and I haven't even gotten to the actual love. Poppy felt such raw emotions and held them out for all to see. She reacted to them but still cared for those around her. She read people and reacted off of their vibes and sometimes she was wrong or selfish in her choices but she worked to be thoughtful and it was all just so human. I think it's also what made their banter so perfect. It was the perfect blend of adorable and snarky, with (again!!!) kindness and thoughtfulness towards the other. And neither of them were perfect! Poppy got a little mean and Alex was a little uptight but they wanted to get along because there was so much respect there.

Plus, all the best tropes were there, in one way or another. Friends to lovers, pining, pretend relationship, shared bed, too damn hot, grand gesture.

And finally, my main man Alex. I usually love the male lead in romance novels, but Alex really went above and beyond. I could feel the puppy dog face every time it came up, and I was just as defenseless as Poppy. It's much more common to have a grumpy character who doesn't want to engage in the situation they're stuck with. So to have someone so grumpy, yet so willing to exist in these vacation worlds Poppy has cultivated, was an absolutely lovely time. And he wanted self improvement for the sake of self improvement!!! Incredible.

In short, this is both the perfect and worst book to read when your boyfriend is a state away during a worldwide pandemic in the month of both your anniversary and Valentine's Day.

After three or four Emily Henry books I've realized that her books are not for me and that is not a criticism of her and her writing! It is very much just an author who is not for me. But would still happily recommend to the public at work.

This was a delightful read full of witty banter! Friends to more than friends- think When Harry Met Sally but better. There were points during the book that I screenshot the banter dialogue and sent to my best friend (also a book lover) because I just couldn't NOT share! And now she can't wait to get her hands on it as well. Will be ordering in for our bookstore, this is an easy one to recommend that many of our customers will love!

Emily Henry is the master of creating fully real, complicated, big-hearted characters, and she's done it again with PEOPLE WE MEET ON VACATION. I loved following Poppy and Alex as they waded through history and heartbreak and all the confusion of your twenties to find their way to their happy ending. Also a perfect novel for the times -- since we can't really indulge in our wanderlust at the moment, traveling along with Poppy was the next best thing.

Emily Henry's newest smash-hit 'People We Meet on Vacation' follows the unlikely best-friendship of Alex and Poppy. The two meet one night early freshman year in Chicago, only to put a full-stop on any type of friendship as the only thing they had in common was hailing from rural sister-towns. Fast forward to over a decade later, and Alex and Poppy's relationship remains mostly the same: full-stop. What we come to find out throughout the book is how these two travel buddies became the best of friends and then too scared to pursue something more. That is, until Poppy gets the duo back together for a friendship-saving trip to Palm Springs. Can they mend their years apart? Can they find a future together? Only vacation will tell!

Spoiler Alert: I love this book. It is part of a highly venerated club of books that I have stayed up past 3 a.m. to finish because my sleep rested (pun-intended) on knowing how the story ends! This book had it all: bloggers, flash-backs and flash-forwards, a tense and fulfilling love story, bad Air BnB reviews, inside jokes, and a wedding! Who could ask for anything more?!

In terms of her development of characters, Emily Henry is in a league of her own! I've joked to my partner before that I need to take off my Apple Watch before reading Emily Henry because my heart skips a beat multiple times throughout each book! In reading People We Meet on Vacation, you feel the weight and gravity of each character and their relationships! You want to jump up and celebrate with them and you want to sink down onto the parking lot pavement with them. Also, I loved how Emily Henry was able to weave in a narrative of responsible personal spending. I feel like so many female-driven narratives involve credit card debt, overspending, splurging in order to impress others, and so having the plot be set by a need to travel on a budget seemed like a breath of fresh air!

This book is coming at the perfect time for those still mostly at-home. The flash-back vacation scenes were incredible! This book was not just a love story between friends, but it was also a love letter to wanderlust! Just as when you read about a love that makes you grateful for an ex, this book will fill your heart and mind with memories of your own travels!

If you liked: This Time Next Year by Sophie Cousens, Crazy Stupid Bromance by Lyssa Kay Adams, 99 Percent Mine by Sally Thorne, In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren and The Twelve Dates of Christmas by Jenny Bayliss - you will absolutely adore People We Meet on Vacation!

PS. This book made me believe in romance again. Not just lust. Romance!

This is a true gem of a book. I loved getting to know Poppy and Alex, and their friendship felt very layered and cozy, building to a sweet, satisfying romance.