Received an Advanced Reader’s Copy from the author/publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

A few weeks ago, perhaps early February my best friend asked me to recommend a good read for her. I suggested Book Lovers by Emily Henry even though I hadn’t read it because of how much I’d heard about this book.

She read BL and moved on to read You and Me on Vacation and told me this was a book I should read. I was intrigued she suggested I read YaMoV when BL is the story that everyone talks about. I dove into my ARC of YaMoV immediately and I barely surfaced to take a breath once I started.

YaMoV is the kind of book that makes you feel like you have someone special waiting at home for you. I fell in love with this book the way the characters fall in love with one another: each word at a time. Every single page in the book has been highlighted and adored and I need to share that love. So, this review is going to be peppered with quotes everywhere because why not?

From the very first page of the book, I was chuckling. The introduction to the characters was so..new. The book was a breath of fresh air, the characters so vividly crafted and now etched into my heart.

Poppy and Alex are unlikely friends that really work. Do you ever meet someone you don’t think for the life of you you’d ever have anything in common with? You’re right.. but you’re also wrong. They’re so different from you and you from them, that the relationship somehow works.

Poppy is loud. Perhaps not with her voice but quite a bit in her personality. She’s tries to live loud, she dresses loud, she tries to make loud choices. Whereas Alex is quiet. He lives quietly, he dresses quietly and he certainly loves quietly. The story is about these two finding space in one another’s lives as friends… and maybe more?

The book jumps back and forth and initially I worried I needed to keep track of the whens and the whats but I found I just needed to watch the flow of the book and not keep a check on it. That worked so much better and I suggest you read the same way if you’re choosing to pick it up.

Every line in this book had some poignant effect on me. I’m not sure there’s a more precious and warm feeling in my heart than the one I have when I think of this book.

The book is filled with so very many events and experiences and happenings and happiness and loneliness and pain. They’re all there, neither outweighing the other, and somehow work. Usually a book with so much in it can be overwhelming, but Emily makes it work somehow. I can’t tell if it’s her writing that makes it all worth it, or her characters, or her vision? Or just all of that together.

The only place I felt the book stutters a littttttttle is the climax. It felt a little like the tune of the book lost key for a minute before it settled again. But honestly I don’t mind even a little about that, given the experience of the rest of the book. I also of sorts understood why that may have happened. Facing your demons and taking the chance to live your dream which is somehow entwined with your worst nightmare is the hardest most important decision in your life. I’m sure you’re allowed a minute to decide. Heck, even more.

Either way, I’ve never been more prouder for having requested for this ARC. Proof I make fantastic decisions even with little to no input. A billion heartfelt starts. Highly highly highly recommend. Check trigger warnings as always!

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This was my first Emily Henry book and although I can understand what the hype is about there was also some issues that I had with it. The dual perspective was great, and the travel aspects of the books were fun to read about. It is a friend to lovers with whit and close near misses with the protagonists and where there relationship lies at the end of it all.

“I still have a lot to figure out, but the one thing I know is, wherever you are, that’s where I belong. I’ll never belong anywhere like I belong with you.”

You and Me on Vacation follows Poppy and Alex. Twelve years ago, they met, and they hate each other convinced that they will never speak again and after eleven after he offers her a lift home forming a long friendship. Then two years ago everything goes wrong. This year Poppy offers Alex one last vacation to try and fix everything they do wrong. Showing their relationship as it develops throughout the years and the highs and lows of friendship, family and love.

My favourite part of this book was definitely the dual timeline. It was so interesting seeing different snippets of their lives. It left you wondering the whole way through the book about what happened with Poppy and Alex and how it all led to this point. Although they’re complete opposites with Poppy being a complete extrovert whilst Alex loves spending time alone as with every classic rom com, they soon overcome their differences and find that friendship. So, seeing these two come together was really interesting to read about. I love the opposite attracts trope, so this was really fun.

“Sometimes it feels like I didn't even exist before that. Like you invented me.”

I loved reading about the vacations as well. From Tuscany to San Francisco as well as New Orleans I loved travelling through the pages of a book. The settings of the book are described so beautifully and made me feel as though I was actually there. Emily Henry has such a way with words and the settings as well as the side stories along the way filled me with a warm feeling as though I was on holiday myself.

The only issue I had with this book was the miscommunication. Miscommunication is my least favourite trope All the conflict in this book could have been solved with a simple phone call or conversation. The big lead up to the reveal left me wondering why this issue was not solved years before it was and was not as bad as I expected it to be.

Overall, this book was a perfect summer read and I recommend it for anyone looking for something to read on this beach this summer. The characters were fun to read about and even if you are not going on holiday, you feel like you’re on one. I am looking forward to getting to Emily Henry’s other works eventually.

This was a really enjoyable "friends to lovers" romance. The relationship between the main characters, Poppy and Alex was great and I really enjoyed the travel aspect of the book.

Would be a perfect summer holiday read.

Another great book from Emily Henry. I’ve read other books by this author this one was just as good as those. I really enjoyed the story and the characters were well thought out.

It would be an understatement to say that Poppy is a traveller at heart. She yearns to see the world and for the last 10 summers, she has been able to branch out and explore more and more of it. Mostly with her best friend Alex, who is not a traveller. While Poppy wants the freedom of the open road, Alex wants the white picket fence and the steady job. But somehow, their friendship works and every summer, they travel together and discover somewhere new.

Told across various time periods, all based around that summer holiday, we see Poppy and Alex’s friendship in college blossom and span different jobs, financial situations and romantic partners, all the way to the present where they have some serious soul-searching to do.

It is a total “opposites attract” type of love story, because on paper, Poppy and Alex do not work together at all. But in reality, they just… get each other, in a way no one else in their lives do. It is also an adorable take on the friends to lovers trope, as they circle each other, wary of crossing that invisible line that would potentially ruin things forever.

With the world being what it is right now, I lived vicariously through Poppy’s travelling – imagine being able to travel? Leave the country, just because? Imagine being in a bar?! Anyway, the settings, the tension, the weird tourist traps, just all of it was so good and I fell head over heels for Poppy and Alex.

Thank you netgalley for the arc for you and me on vacation by Emily Henry in return for an honest review. This was a first for me by this author and I've already got some more on my Wishlist thank you

I would rate this book 4.25 out of 5 stars.

I thoroughly enjoyed this romance! Great characters and an enjoyable romance!

Two friends, two trips. When Poppy and Alex met 12 years ago, they didn’t really like each other. 11 years ago, a friendship was formed. The book covers the rest of the friendship years and the reader delves deeper into their lives.
This year, Poppy invites Alex on another trip but will this be their final one?
The story follows their exciting adventures together to different countries, the different time periods help you understand more about their valued friendship.
I did find the story disappointing in parts as they were unable to admit how they both felt and this went on for such a long time.
A funny yet romantic story which would be the perfect beach read.

Laugh out loud and feel good! Perfect read during the gloomy winter weather! You get to escape to different countries and places and fall in love with the characters! Great book!

This was a cute friends to lovers romance which spans over 12 summers incorporating the present day with flashbacks to previous trips. A nice quick, easy read and a great summer or holiday book too. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of the book.

Seriously one of my top reads of the year I’m obsessed with everything emily Henry write and this was no exception. I loved poppy and Alex so much and I hope emily write a novella with short stories of where all her characters are now!

I absolutely loved this book.

A beautiful friends to lovers storyline, I was totally invested in Poppy and Alex’s friendship and super jealous of all the amazing trips they took together! 😂

A cute, summer read, perfect for reading on holiday by the pool! Much preferred this to Beach Read and Emily Henry has fast become one of my go to authors!
Can’t wait to read more from her.

4.5⭐️ Yet another amazing book from Emily Henry!! She is just such a good storyteller and firmly one of my favourite writers 😊 I loved Poppy and Alex’s characters and was super invested in the outcome of their relationship and was so jealous of all the amazing trips they took 😂 A definite must read for those who haven’t picked this one up yet

Another very charming read by Emily Henry. I can always count on this author to create interesting characters with a fun plot. I loved the main characters and read this through in one sitting. A great read if you're looking for a pick me up, or a book to help you reach that Goodreads goal!

I devoured You and Me on Vacation in one sitting. Emily Henry hit the nail on the head with gorgeous friends-to-lovers chemistry, and Poppy and Alex’s connection jumped off the page. I have recommended this title to all of my friends, and will be buying it for lots of Christmas gifts.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin UK for allowing me to read and review this ARC.

Beach Read was my favourite book last year and You & Me On Vacation is already my favourite book of 2021.

I loved that it was inspired by When Harry Met Sally. The story of all their previous holidays intercut with the present day was really well done. Alex and Poppy felt so real to me and I found Poppy very relatable. I have struggled with feeling lonely too and hating where I live.

Poppy and Alex met at college, 12 years ago and at first were complete opposites but quickly became best friends. As the story begins, Poppy and Alex have fallen out on their holiday to Croatia 2 summers ago. Will they make up?, is the question.

I loved this book and I wish I could read more books about them.

Emily Henry can do no wrong. The perfect mix of sexy, funny and heart warming. Great characters and some laugh out loud moments

I ended up purchasing a finalised paperback copy and read in this format.

This was such a joy to read. I absolutely loved the strange friendship of Poppy and Alex and It was so much fun getting to know them better with the alternate chapters of their first holidays in the lead up to their big falling out and the present day tension.

Alex absolutely has my heart. Clearly such a sensitive soul that doesn't let his emotions out in order to make sure everyone else is okay - a proper big brother character.

I loved all the inside jokes between Alex and Poppy and how their friendship adapted over time, especially whenever they got in new relationships... You could see how they had an emotional relationship going on at least, even if they didn't want to admit it.

I'd actually love a short story from the pov of Alex's on-again-off-again girlfriend Sarah, because the jealousy and dislike she had towards Poppy seems plausible and would be nice to see how she viewed this tight friendship, before it was anything more than that.

By the end, I was feeling pretty sappy and content. It was a wonderful, realistic story on love.

If I was to compare with Henry's Beach Read, I think I preferred that one just a little bit more, but they're both up there for me, for the very limited amount of contemporary romance that I read. This is one I recommend for sure.

Lovely feel good book to read. It was a joy to read. Lovely characters. Great plot. The book was charming. Very well written. I’d definitely recommend this book

Somewhat mixed feelings on this one.
On the on hand, I felt as though I enjoyed myself at times, and it definitely gave me the travel bug this summer. But on the other hand, I was so bored of their antics by 60% that I contemplated giving up. There was absolutely no need for it to drag out like that - and I'm mad that a certain aspect/thing that occured in the past, was exaggerated and hinted at for soo long (basically the entire book) only for.. nothing to have really happened?? Like? It truly was not as big of a deal as it was built up to be.

In terms of positives though, I will say that the friends to lovers aspect was done extremely well and you could truly see the friendship between the main couple - outside of their romantic relationship. Despite how I harped on about being bored, there were certain moments here and there and got me, and all in all I liked it. But it's probably my least favourite book from Emily Henry so far..

Rating: 3/5
Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publishers for providing the eARC in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.