The layout of this book was perfection, we flick between now and each summer over a 12 year period. Poppy and Alex met in college and hate each other instantly. Lucky for the pair of them they never have to see one another again.

Well that’s until the next summer when Poppy fiends herself in Alex’s car on a shared trip home go their small towns. They bond over things they like and don’t like and make a pact to vacation together every summer.

Poppy ends up dropping out of college to pursue her blogger/influencer career in New York and Alex stays in his home town and finishes his teaching masters and writes in his downtime. The two have spend the best times of their lives together, both never feeling alone when they are together. Until one vacation changes everything and their friendships over.

In an attempt to save their friendship Poppy reaches out an olive branch and they take one last trip that will hopefully save their friendship. The second they are back together their spark is reignited and the flirting quickly becomes sexual tension! They have finally got each other back in their lives are they willing to risk it all and their hearts?

This book was incredible, from the moment I picked it up I couldn’t put it down. This story is original and raw, but incredibly relatable at the same time. I thourrly enjoyed travelling all over the world with Alex and Poppy. You're in for a treat with this one!

This book has 'One Day' vibes for me, with reliving the different vacations Alex and Poppy have been on in years gone by. At first I was a little disappointed not to hear the story from Alex's perspective but in the end I'm glad that there was that intrigue and mystery with the will-they-won't-they storyline. I really invested in this book and them as a potential couple. I love their friendship and connection. Thank you @netgalley for the ARC of this novel in return for an honest review.

A beautiful, well written about lasting friendship and how opposites attract I loved this book I cant wait for this authors next book.

Alex and Poppy have been friends a long time. Each summer they take a trip together - no matter if they are in a relaxing or not.
The book flips between this summer and other summers. I was swept along with the story and hoped that it would have a happy ending.
The only thing I found annoying was the authors use of couple instead of couple of which always irritates me.
However I would recommend this as a nice easy read

A very sweet story which I liked but didn't really get into straight away. The fact that it kept jumping back and forth was a bit distracting but it was obviously needed to explain the history of the friendship between Poppy and Alex. So as I got more information about them I became more engrossed in the story!!.
I think it's well worth a read if you can come to terms with the fact that you'll be time jumping for most of the chapters!!!
Thanks to Netgalley for the free Arc book for an honest review.

Two best-friends, Alex and Poppy are polar opposites. She is quirky, regularly updates her blog and shares pictures of herself with her social media followers, and dresses too colorfully especially in comparison with Alex who thinks khakis are the perfect fashion-wear.
Poppy lives in New York, and Alex in their small hometown.
She works as a travel writer, and he works as a teacher.

The main thing they have in common is their yearly summer trips together, which started when they were in college together. This trip together was usually the highlight of their year. But Alex and Poppy had a falling-out after their last trip, and they no longer speak to each other.

Now two years later, Poppy realizes that the last time she was happy was during her last trip with Alex. She can no longer focus on work, or find pleasure in the things that used to make her happy. In order to get her life back the way it was, she decides to plan and invite him to the perfect trip to Palm Springs in attempt to rekindle their friendship.

But of course Palm Springs ends up being unbearably hot, and their AC isn't working in the AirBnB, making their trip feel like literal hell at times.

You and Me on Vacation will take you through many of Poppy and Alex's vacations, from their very first vacation to their current one.

You can trust Emily Henry to write about friends falling in love.

This is a really cute book. The story revolves around the two main characters who are Poppy and Alex. These characters meet in college and go on to form a lifelong friendship. Because they live in different places they arrange an annual holiday so that they can catch up. As is often the case with male female friendships the relationship isn’t straightforward and we see this play out through the books on a dual timeline between now and their previous holidays. I really enjoyed this book. The relationship between the two was really sweet and I especially enjoyed Poppy as a character as she was funny and very likeable. The book is not without flaws. Their communication or lack thereof is extremely annoying. And all through the book there is an incident in Croatia that is alluded to and we aren’t told about that until towards the end and it is a bit of a non-event. There is also a scene where they drink a pitcher of jalapeño margaritas and then drive home which really bothers me and took me out of the story. I really enjoy Emily Henry‘s books And I think this one is even better than Beach Read. In fact this is the perfect beach read!

Thank you to Penguin UK and Netgalley for an advanced copy of You and Me on Vacation!

I can't say enough how much I've loved this book!

Emily Henry's witty banter is back in Alex and Poppy and this friends to lovers is told in the present day and in the past as we see their 12 year friendship.

This hits so many tropes with slightly enemies, friends to lovers, single bed, opposites attract, super slow burn and in the most wonderful story. I started this on a Saturday night and read until 1am because I couldn't put this book down.

The characters are real, they are vulnerable and they are authentic.

READ THIS!

Such a cute story that nicely tells both past and present back and forth. Both main characters have issues from past that keep them from realizing their true feelings, but the adventures that are told are fun and you keep rooting for them to figure it out!

I loved this, the ideal book for those craving travel because it ignites the wanderlust.
Alex and Poppy commited to spending every vacation together and then something happens to cause a rift between the two. A beautiful narrative about friendship, love and everything in between.

I was in the right mood for a romantic and amusing book when I saw “You and Me On Vacation” by Emily Henry. This title lived up to expectations, however, I feel it was a little long and as I was reading this in grey lockdown I became a little fed up with all the travelling and sunshine. This aside, the idea of the book, told in two different time frames, one the holiday in hot Palm Springs happening now interspersed with previous vacations explaining Alex and Poppy’s relationship was good and intriguing. The ending was satisfactory.

The blurb says You and Me on Vacation is a love story for fans of When Harry Met Sally and One Day. As a massive fan of both I needed no more persuasion. I was not disappointed.

Barring a brief meeting during what we in the UK call “Freshers’ Week” at uni, the beginning of Poppy and Alex’s relationship is just like that of Harry and Sally – sharing a ride home at the end of the academic year and getting off on the wrong foot. They soon become friends, however, and their story is told through Poppy’s eyes, with the action switching between the present day and 10 years of annual holidays together.

They each easily fall in with the other’s daft banter and ‘in jokes’. They are completely on the same wave-length – or are they? We come to realise Poppy is in love with Alex long before she acknowledges it, but what can she do? She doesn’t want to put their friendship in jeopardy and he just doesn’t feel the same, does he? Does he???

I loved both characters and enjoyed every minute I spent in their company.

This is the second book I’ve read from Emily Henry, the first being last year’s Beach Read, which I really enjoyed.
Firstly and slightly confusingly - there are two titles for this book - “The people we meet on vacation” which is the US title, and “You and Me on Vacation”, which looks like the UK one. I think because I follow Emily on Instagram and she’s been talking about this book, with the US title, I thought about it as called both titles!

Poppy is an adult who lives on her own in NYC and has a great career as a travel writer. She gets paid to go to cool places (or really hot ones) and they even pay for her trip AS WELL. Her dream job. She has good friends and is a success at her life, her long left behind small town Mid-West upbringing nothing more than a tiny, dusty dot. Except for her best friend Alex, who has moved home and settled there with his on/off again girlfriend.

Although they don’t see each other much, they do make the time to do a Summer Trip, every year since college when they car pooled home for the summer. The structure of the narrative is interesting - going back in time to recount each one of their summer trips from the first to the last - the current one in present day. A couple of years earlier they’d had a summer trip which had ended badly, something that Poppy alludes to in the earlier chapters. Usually, that kind of ‘and then THE BAD THING happened’ annoys me, but the story moves along at such a nice pace there’s no time to get irritated.

On the surface, this is a story that had the potential to be tired and cliche. In the acknowledgements, Henry talks about being inspired by When Harry Met Sally, which I always think is a sign of a great writer - you are influenced by the books you read, the films you watch and the music you listen to - whether you know it or not. So, although that risk is there, it’s taken somewhere new with well developed and likeable characters. They have a genuine set of reasons not to be together - ones which I have discussed and heard from friends and family in real life. Sometimes it just doesn’t work out, no matter how much you like or love each other.

There is also a character arc for both of them, which was good to follow along with. I ended the book hoping they’d take me in as a kind of third wheel best friend… That for me is a sign of a good book - when you finish it wanting to know more about their world and how it carries on, and wondering what karaoke trip-let you’d sing together. Probably All Saints, if you were curious.

Thanks so much to Netgalley and Penguin for the Digital Review Copy. This is out on 8th July this year so perfect for a bit of sunshine - pre-order it from wherever you’d normally buy books.

You and Me on Vacation

Emily Henry has done it again! 2020 had me falling in love with Beach Read and You and Me on Vacation is nothing different. From the beginning this book has hooked me, Poppy and Alex seem to have the perfect friendship so what could go wrong?

We start by being dropped into one of Poppy and Alex’s holidays, which even despite the rain desperately makes me want to go on holiday. But this book takes you backwards and forwards throughout their 12 year friendship, the beginning of their friendship being so fragile and cherished. Emily Henry manages to make you aware how important Alex is to Poppy and makes you question what happened to disintegrate that relationship from the get go. Honestly, this book got me so worked up in the best way trying to figure out what happened and what was going to happen.

I loved the portrayal of freedom and happiness and how we often link these so closely to our relationships. Poppy needs people around her to bring her to life, or more specifically she needs Alex.

The only grumble I have about this book is that it wasn’t long enough and I NEED more of Poppy and Alex. If you love the opposites attract / friends to lovers trope dripping with witty banter, this book is for you!

Wow. I'm so in love with this book.
I knew Emily Henry had written something special when I came across Beach Read almost a year ago. It then turned out to be for so many one of the best romances of 2020. I can now say that You and Me on Vacation (Or People Your Meet on Vacation -US Title) will probably have the same success. This is the ultimate friends to lovers romance. But, true to her style it's a lot more than that. There's something special about her writing and how her characters feel so real.

Poppy and Alex met during orientation week and are complete opposites. Based on their first conversation they would never think a friendship could bloom between them. But, when Poppy needs a ride home to her hometown and Alex happens to be her ride they discover that all their differences can actually be a very good thing. With each other, they can be who they truly are, weird and complicated, and not really care what the other one thinks.

As their friendship grows, they make a pact to spend all Summer Vacations together. Poppy has a travel blog and is getting big on social media writing about all sorts of adventures. As the years go by things get more intense and complicated between them, and eventually, Poppy is hired to write for a fancy travel magazine, elevating their budget-friendly trips to five-star hotel extravaganzas. Things are changing, but moving on from friendship to romance can be the scariest one of all.

Multiple locations serve as the backdrop for their trips, and the clever writing jumps from their previous summers while intercalating with the current timeline. Present-day Poppy and Alex are summering in Palm Springs and the writing is so immersive you can practically feel the arid air and see the neon pink flamingos popping from the page.

Things that make You and Me on Vacation so special:
The Mutual Pining is Blissful
Opposites Attract/ Sunshine and Grumpy
There. Is. Only. One. Bed
Slow Burn
THE BANTER IS EVERYTHING
It makes you feel things

This is one of those books that I'll keep going back to when I need something beautiful and romantic to read. It's the first chilling sensation of jumping in the pool on a hot summer day, it's the drip of melting ice cream on your fingers, waiting on your porch for your first boyfriend to pick you up, swiping the card for your hotel room on the first day of vacation, opening your first paycheck, sipping champagne for the first time and feeling the tingling sensation of bubbles in the back of your tongue...

I could go on and on. This will definitely be sharing the same space as some of my other favorite romances like The Hating Game and Red, White, & Royal Blue.

Ps: there's a lovely little Easter Egg that shows You and Me on Vacation and Beach Read are part of the same universe and I stan that.

Is it too early to declare this my favourite rom-com of 2021?
You and Me on Vacation is the story of Alex and Poppy, best friends who take a vacation together every year... until everything went wrong two summers ago and they don't talk anymore. Poppy invites Alex for one last holiday to try and bring them back together. This is a story of true friendship, love and adventure.

The chemistry and banter between Alex and Poppy is amazing. I fell in love with them in the very first scene. Their friendship is so beautiful and fun I couldn't help but smile during their interactions.

These characters feel so real. Emily Henry writes them in a way that all their interactions with eachother and other people feel so natural and REAL. I want them to be my friends.

The writing is gorgeous as the story jumps through time, from present day and recounting past holidays Alex and Poppy have gone on together. Emily Henry builds up this anticipation as we wait to find out what went wrong and if they can fix it. My heart is still feeling fragile after the brilliant book.

There's a real feeling of both the 'opposites attract' and 'friends to lovers' dynamic and it was all done so well. I was smiling and laughing in some scenes and practically crying in others because of how authentic Alex and Poppy feel. Truly an amazing read and something I will be recommending to anyone who enjoys a good love story!

This is my first book by Emily Henry and I will be reading more of this authors. I LOVED her storytelling and writing style. I normally read thrillers and wanted a change and I am so glad that I did.

The story follows the main characters Alex and Poppy as they meet as friends and eventually start to have a relationship. This is the perfect example of opposite attraction, they could not be any different. Poppy is loud, bubbly and Alex is quiet and slightly reserved. For me I felt like this book would make an amazing movie.. I never realised this genre of book was missing from my life and I am hooked.

I laughed and cried during this book and never done this before so READ this book ladies and gents, its a really good one and perfect for the upcoming summer.

Thanks so much for an advanced copy of this book to Emily Henry and Netgalley. I will be reading Emily Henry's other books as soon as is possible.

Thank you once again Emily Henry for writing what I didn't know I needed to read.
Let's start from the beginning though, Poppy and Alex are best friends despite being very different people (or maybe because of that) and their Summer Trips are an institution in their friendship, so we see them traveling through the years as their relationship strengthens and/or gets more complicated.
I do like rom-coms but don't usually get very emotional reading them, enter Emily Henry.
I loved this book not only because the characters are very well written and relatable but also because I feel like got to travel the world through their trips and in a time when even leaving town is very complicated that brought a little respite.
So my advice is to pick up this book and enjoy the journey! (Both literal and emotional)

This was a feel good read that had me smiling. It had lots of ups and downs and I found myself rooting for the characters. A really fun, enjoyable read.

A sweet, emotional friends-to-lovers tale, which made me smile, cry and laugh!

So you've probably read friends-to-lovers and enemies-to-lovers right? Well ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce you to friends-to-lovers, to almost strangers, then back to friends-to-lovers!😂

I adored Beach Read last year, and from the first few pages of You and Me on Vacation, I knew that I would love this too. I tried so hard not to devour it in one sitting! It certainly took me on an emotional roller-coaster, and although I'm sad its over, I was left with all the warm, fuzzy feels!

I mean, what's not to love?
✈Opposites attract,
✈Reading beautiful descriptions of Poppy and Alex holidaying around the world, whilst in my pjs during lockdown,
✈Banter and sarcasm,
✈Slow burn with glorious tension,
✈One bed (yep that ol' chestnut!)

You and Me on Vacation was full of yearning, and it made my heart hurt! Told from Poppy's POV, we switch back and forth between the present day, and into the past as we gradually see Poppy and Alex's friendship develop each year. The writing was witty, and full of fun and laughter. One minute I would be smiling at something heart-warming, the next I would have tears rolling down my cheeks. Emily Henry made me feel as if I had known Poppy and Alex for years. Sometimes friends-to-lovers can fall flat for me, but this book had me utterly invested in their friendship, so I could understand why they hesitated to risk that friendship! They just had such a good relationship, knew everything about each other, and could really be themselves together!

Poppy was so great! I could imagine being friends with her. Fun and hilarious, she was full of energy, and was extroverted and adventurous. I enjoyed seeing her grow, both professionally, and personally. Poppy stood out the most because we only got her POV, but also because she was so relatable. She wasn't perfect, she was quite flawed, her childhood impacting her adult decisions massively, but this just made her feel more realistic to me.
Alex, the introverted, reserved cutie! He couldn't have been more different to Poppy on paper, but I loved how he came out his shell every time he was with her! Alex loved order and routine, as a result of his childhood trauma. This book highlighted for me, the effect that childhood, and how we are brought up, has on our adult lives and choices. Whereas Poppy stormed her way into my affections, Alex crept into my heart with his sweet, genuine, loveable nature. I totally fell in love with them both, with their complex relationship, and just loved how they started to be more vulnerable with each other!

This romance wasn't overly steamy, but you got to have a little glimpse! Usually I do like a bit more 🔥, but this time I didn't care, it was just such a sweet romance, and their chemistry was hot enough without showing too much if that makes sense?

At this point, I would read Emily Henry's shopping list, but will settle for waiting for her next book!

If you want sweetness, friendship, angst, tension, laughs and so much love, give this one a shot!