Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for granting me this book!

This story was uplifting even though at times I thought I was going to cry my eyes out, I loved the relationship that was portrayed and the way in which it was written within the different summers. everything about this book was more than enjoyable and wow, what I would do to read it for the first time again.

Would recommend this book to everyone.

OMG I loved it. I am a huuuuge fan of the friends-to-lovers trope and this book is full of it. Poppy and Alex are so perfect for each other and so cute too. It was the first book I read from this author and I know I will definitely read other things written by her.

Friends with nothing in common but strangely it works. Every year they go on vacation until 2 years ago when it all went wrong. Have they been ignoring what is totally obvious. A great summer read to while away a hot sunny day. Well worth reading.

People We Meet on Vacation feels like Emily Henry read my mind and plucked out the perfect story – best friends to estranged acquaintances to lovers excellence and even with the romance aside, it’s just such a great book. There is a lot I loved about this book as you can already probably tell but seriously guys, it’s like this story came into my life right when I needed it most. I don’t know how this always happens but when it does, it feels glorious. I feel like much like Beach Read, readers will go in expecting one thing and coming out with so much more.

It’s about life simply put, about finding yourself and the pursuit of contentment, and sometimes realising what we’ve always longed for has been right there all along. With the expected dose of diversions, misunderstandings and oh so delicious pining of course!

The story follows Poppy and Alex, flashing back and forth in time from their first meeting to their past vacations which they affectionately dub ‘The Summer Trip’ and right up till present day. I loved the use of flashbacks in this book, it was utilised so incredibly well to build up their friendship and made it all so much more believable. If you’re familiar with Love, Rosie or One Day, this book is definitely reminiscent of those two stories and since I loved those two, this couldn’t have been more up my street. I expect that this book will definitely make it into the ‘best friends to lovers’ hall of fame.

I really liked both Poppy and Alex and how despite being complete opposites in the obvious ways; Poppy is extroverted and zany, Alex is more introverted and bookish but at their core, they just click and I think that’s so true to life and real relationships. Not everyone you love and connect with is the same as you on paper but there’s something intangible, a sort of magic almost when you meet that person you can fully be yourself around and I loved how Emily Henry was able to really capture how beautiful and fulfilling this can be. Even aside from any romantic feelings they share, Poppy and Alex are truly best friends first which I adored.

As with Beach Read, I expected this to be a rom-com kind of deal and it is that for sure but there’s also a strong sense of finding yourself, especially as Poppy and Alex each move into adulthood. These parts of the novel were so painfully relatable, especially when it came to Poppy’s journey, figuring out what she wants in life and trying to find contentment. I especially connected to Poppy because just like her one of my biggest ambitions in life is to travel the world and I literally felt like I was reading my own thoughts at times which was both creepy and validating haha.

I feel like Emily Henry has this ability to connect with the deeper, human parts of us all through her writing and she can do both the lighter moments as well as the more intense ones such justice. This book is like a love letter to friendship, the true, bone deep type which can weather any storm and provides a safe space to be yourself and I just really appreciated this.

In short, after this long review – I can’t recommend People We Meet on Vacation enough, especially if you’re into romance and adult contemporaries. I’m looking forward to reading whatever Emily Henry writes next because I’m most definitely a fan.

So when I first saw the cover to this book I loved it, I see however that is has since had a name and cover change since I first downloaded a copy....slightly confusing!

I loved the synopsis of the book, second chance love, friends who become lovers is usually a subject right up my alley. I liked this book but I didn't love it. having said that is was a quick read and would make a great beach read, I found it a little bit drawn out towards the end.

Poppy and Alex have been friends since college, they are polar opposites but you know what they say....opposites attract. Due to living in different states the pair only meet up once a year for their annual vacation. The story is told from Poppy's POV and we join her as she remembers all the times they have spent together over the 12 years of their plutonic relationship. It's a fun read, the couple obviously have off the charts chemistry with each other which leads me to wonder why did it take so long to see the light!

Thank you to Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for a review.

When Alex met Poppy.....
A friends to lovers book? Poppy and Alex have been friends for years, although never romantically involved with each other. He stays in their small home town to become a teacher whilst she ends up in New York as a travel writer. They have a tradition of going away on vacation together once a year, travelling further afield when her magazine starts paying for these. When the book starts there has something had obviously happened as they had hardly talked to each other for nearly two years. The story develops through a series of flashbacks to their previous vacations as well as one they are finally having in the present. The reason for the breakup isn't clear, but they both have their reasons for the struggle that they are having.
There are moments of humour, interspersed with more serious notes, plus some steamy scenes. I did feel for both the characters and it does raise the serious question of whether men and women can be good friends without romance becoming involved, plus the effect it can have on their other relationships.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley, however this did not influence my review of the book.

A super cute friends to lovers story, that makes for some light summer reading.

Poppy and Alex have quite the unique friendship, although they live in the same town they don't meet until they both go to the same university. On the ride back home for the summer holidays they form a bond that will forever lead to them spending their summers vacationing together. That is up until their disastrous Croatia trip.

In a story that unfolds through varying summer trips, the reader learns what they get up to each year. I found the friendship between Poppy and Alex to be very endearing and fluffy, they are average everyday characters that made them relatable, even with Poppy being entitled at times. But does it really take 12 years of vacations to figure out your feelings for each other? Yikes, such a slow burn.

This book will definitely make you want to book your next holiday.

Thank you to Penguin General UK for the ARC to review.

Oh my Gosh.

This was one of my most anticipated books of the year, ever since I read (well, actually, listened to) Beach Read by Emily Henry last year, became obsessed with it and learned that she had another book out middle of 2021. And for me, this absolutely lived up to my expectations for it and I freaking loved this book.

Poppy and Alex met briefly at university – they’re both from opposite sides of the same town in Ohio and went to the same university in Chicago. They didn’t exactly hit it off but a year later a mutual friend arranges for them to share a ride back to their hometown for break and what starts off awkward ends up being the beginning of an amazing friendship. From there, they’re pretty much inseparable and save every summer for a holiday with each other, firstly doing things cheap and cheerful and later, after Poppy gets a dream job for a travel publication, with someone else’s budget. They are best friends, no matter what else is going on, who else they might be seeing, even if Poppy acknowledges deep down, it’s 95% best friends, 5% “what if”.

The book is told back and forth in time – in the present day, Poppy is experiencing some burnout. She worked so hard to get her present job but after a few years doing it, it doesn’t bring the same ‘zing’ anymore. She can’t understand it. Her friend tells her to go back to a time when she was genuinely happy and work from there and for Poppy it’s before everything “went wrong” with Alex, some two years ago on their last vacation in Croatia. She decides to reach out to Alex and try and fix their friendship. She proposes another summer vacation together so part of the book explores their reconnection and it also goes back in time to showcase their meeting, the car ride home together and various other moments from their summer vacations to different places.

I loved both Poppy and Alex. When we meet them, we know it all went wrong – that this really wonderful friendship has petered out to a couple of “Happy birthday” and “thanks” texts a year. Poppy knows that she still thinks about Alex all the time, that she still mourns what they’ve become but she’s not sure if Alex feels the same. She can’t prevent herself from reaching out though, and Alex responds. What we don’t know, is how and why everything went wrong and it takes a while for everything to come out, because things are told in a way that fleshes out the friendship before it begins to show how it broke down. I sort of guessed what had happened and I think most people will as well. Alex and Poppy have this undertone and it ebbs and flows a bit, depending what is going on but both of them are hesitant about it (or Poppy is – the narrative is all hers, we have to just guess at Alex’s feelings and intentions). I knew I was going to love this after I’d read less than 20 pages – it had me laughing and as I got into it, some scenes made my heart hurt as well.

I thought that Alex and Poppy had awesome chemistry and that the slow burn was really well done – by the time the sexual tension was ready to break, I was soooo ready for it! I love a slow burn and I think that the book excelled at it and I just felt like the flashbacks established their friendship so well – the 95% and the 5% (although sometimes these values fluctuated, depending on what was happening and how Poppy was feeling at any given time, such as the chapter where she’s unwell and the chapter where they’re in Croatia). I was so invested in them, for the first part I was also frustrated at Poppy because I’m like why can’t you see what is happening here, why this is how you are feeling, why this happened, why you’re doing this/saying this/etc but I realised she did see, she just didn’t want to for various reasons. And those reasons were explained and I feel as though both character’s backgrounds were a strong reason in why certain things were an issue for them, in terms of why none of them pulled the trigger earlier. There were also some misunderstandings, where both of them were desperate to preserve the friendship that they gave off the wrong impression, and this is a good example of how those misunderstandings can spiral out of control until they effect the friendship in an entirely different way.

This is so much my jam. A total keeper, think I need the audiobook version as well now. I really love listening to books I’ve already read and loved and I enjoyed the audio of Beach Read so much that I think I’ll definitely love this one too.

And now my wait for the next Emily Henry begins.

9/10

You And Me On Vacation is such a perfect summer read. It’s full of romance, sunny trips, love and friendship. It’s goes back and forth between ‘this summer’ and the summer trips of the past and between the two you slowly see how they have ended up where they are.

It’s easy to tell that Alex and Poppy not only care a lot for each other but are made to be together. A best friends to lover trope, this was a fairly predictable plot but still a great summery romance with lovely characters and one of definitely recommend taking on your holidays.

After reading and loving Beach Read last year I was really looking forward to this one. You and Me on Vacation is a great, fun rom-com with some brilliant characters. Perfect for summer reading. Looking forward to reading more from this author. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Slow burn, will-they-wont-they friends-to-lovers romance perfect for that light summer reading.

I liked this book but it didn't really manage to really get to me. The romance was cute, the structure with flashbacks was interesting and I could see why these two people should end up together. But I just didn't feel the romance or chemistry between them. A part of this is perhaps because we only got the story from Poppy's POV and in a story like this I am all about the mutual pining, so I needed Alex's POV.

I also felt it was slightly too long, and the things that kept them from getting together was always just not communicating with each other which got a little old.

It's a light and breezy read though, and I mean that in the best way possible, and I can see it being a summer favourite for many!

I received this ARC from @netgalley in exchange for na honest review.

You and Me On Vacation - Emily Henry

I wish my kindle wasn't black and white because the cover is just so colourful I love it! It speaks to me

Another great book from Netgalley especially when the weather outside is far from summer vacation. Its quick paced and I loved the characters, the tension and their friendship even more so.

12 summers ago Poppy meets Alex. They part ways thinking they will never have to speak again. Yet a year later they're forced to share a car on the journey home from college. Cementing their friendship by the time they reach home.

They make a pact to go on vacation with each other every year. And year after year they travel the world together. Until they don't. So after two years pass Poppy hatches a plan to win back her best friend. One last summer vacation together like the good old days. A vacation that will be perfect.

I am so glad I got to read this. I loved it from the start. And I loved poppy and Alex together and seeing how they came to be friends. The perfect summer rom-com!

So if you loved beach read definitely recommend this

So I previously read Beach read by this author which I adored and became a firm favourite. This book was great but I didn’t feel as connected to the characters. The plot follows 2 friends who have been going on holiday with each other for years. After a few years of not talking they get the chance to travel together again. I loved the dialogue and the setting for this and that we got to see the previous trips the friends went on and how their friendship dynamic changed over the years. Definitely worth the read but if you don’t enjoy this one give Beach read by this author a go.

I have decided not to feel guilty about enjoying a good romance read. This is a romance, a comedy, a story of friendship and I loved it. There is travel, great stories of holidays in all sorts of places, full of adventure (and on a budget - just my style) and such an easy relationship between two friends. How Poppy and Alex have remained just friends for twelve years is a mystery to the reader looking in who can see the sparks between them woven all through the stories. What happened in Croatia two years previously that meant they haven't spoken since? We don't find that out until late in the book. This is a tender story, a funny story and a real one. Oh, and there's steamy scenes!!! I loved it. #netgalley #youandmeonvacation

Let me start saying I wasn’t the biggest fan of Beach Read so, even though the premise of You and me on vacation sounded really cute and fun, I came into it with some reserves. I was WRONG! It was cute, fun and much more!

Poppy and Alex have been friends since their college days and each year they go on a summer vacation as a way to not lose touch with each other, but a couple of years back something happened that ended their friendship. Will they be able to rekindle it with a new trip?

I loved both characters but I gotta confess that Alex took a while to grow up on me. After his first scenes I could only think “oh god, what a boring man!”, but with Poppy’s help he soon started coming out of his shell and he became a much more attractive character.

I’m not usually a big fan of the friends to lovers trope but here it was cute and well developed until the end. I found the last part dragged along a little bit. Why do people like to unnecessarily complicate their lives? If she loves you and you love her why keep trying to find fault in your/her feelings and keep denying yourself happiness?

It was nice to take so many vacations in just one book, especially when I don’t know when I’ll be able to take a real one, but all that back and forth between past and present made me lose track sometimes of what point their relationship was at. All the build towards the reason behind their estrangement was a bit disappointing as I was expecting something truly earth shattering.

All in all a really nice rom-com that will be the perfect beach read (pun intended) this summer.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

They say opposites attract and in the case of Poppy and Alex that is definitely true!

When Poppy and Alex meet at college their disdain for each other turns, over the years, into a wonderful friendship. They totally get each other even if their personalities couldn’t be different.

Every summer for the past years Poppy and Alex go on vacation together, but their last vacation was 2 summers ago when everything falls apart. They haven’t seen each other since and now Poppy hatches one last plan: a vacation to fix their relationship...

The story is told from Poppy’s POV and switching between present days and flashback to their vacations together gives a peek into the friendship she shares with Alex.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book with Poppy and Alex being very relatable characters. Very well written, it had me hooked from the beginning. You and Me on Vacation is the feel good summer read for 2021!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin UK for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Alex and Poppy. Two best friends who have nothing in common. Ten summer trips. For most of the year they live far apart, but every year they go on vacation together. Until two years ago, when they ruined everything and haven’t spoken since. Determined to fix things, Poppy convinces Alex to go on one more vacation together. What could possibly go wrong?

I loved this book! I couldn’t put it down while reading the last third of the book, because it was so addicting. I liked Poppy and Alex immediately, and they both have my heart. You and Me on Vacation made me smile, laugh, gasp and tear up. Most importantly, it made me forget everything around me while I was reading. I think I enjoyed this even more than Beach Read!

I read a certain chapter with my hand covering my mouth, because it was TOO MUCH TO HANDLE! :D I love it when books make me feel things, because that’s when I know they’re great. I also enjoyed the split timeline because it made me understand Alex and Poppy’s history, but I have to say I looked forward to the chapters set in the present more. Mainly, because I wanted things to happen. :D

I would recommend You And Me On Vacation to romance lovers and to everyone who’s looking for a book to take with them on vacation. I could totally picture myself reading this at the beach! Overall, I’m giving this book five stars because it made me happy and it made me tear up, which always shows me that I’m very attached to the characters. This book just gave me the five-star feeling.

TW: dead parent

The story just doesn`t flow easy for me, going from present to past frequently, would have liked it much better in order.
Loved the banter between Poppy and Alex very laugh out loud, you just know what is going to happen and eager for the story to flow forward which was difficult with it going back all the time.

Thanks to Netgalley for the Arc

Thank you so much to the publishers for providing me with an arc in exchange for my honest review.


"Love," he says, "I'm guessing love."

"Yeah," I nod, "Me too."


From the author of Beach Read, Emily Henry has done it again writing a novel perfect for summer!

Poppy and Alex have been friends since college, however, life has drifted them apart. Before this, they used to go on vacation at least once per year. And now, Poppy is reaching out to Alex to go on one last trip together. But how will it end?

This was a really enjoyable read that flows from past and present interactions between Alex and Poppy. I was very excited to receive an eArc of this book after loving Beach Read! Henry's writing is wonderful. and I love the characters and relationships that she builds throughout.

Henry's books are always the perfect read no matter the time of year but especially wonderful during summer! I cannot wait to see what she writes next!

Wow what a fun book!! I really enjoyed this one and loved both Poppy and Alex. I thought the narrative style was great and actually really liked how it jumped back and forth throughout their story and friendship. The time jumps were made really clear and it helped add an element of intrigue about how they had got to where they were today. The romance was so sweet and I loved the slow burn! I also love friends to lovers and this was really well done.

This book was so entertaining as well. It was so funny and kept me laughing and smiling. I really loved the final part of the book. It was flirty, cute and moving! Such a feel good read and one I really liked.

Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin UK for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.