People We Meet on Vacation

📖 People We Meet on Vacation ✍🏽 Emily Henry 🎶 Robyn • Hang With Me I will never understand how a woman who has made two avid readers and who reads frequently to my niece is not a reader herself. I’m talking about my mom. She says she’s too busy, but with a little incentive (saying I’ll wait to watch the movie with her) and a buddy read, I've finally convinced my mother to finish a book in less than a month. Now I’m going to trick her into reading even more! My review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I think I might be Alex and Poppy’s child? I thoroughly enjoyed this book; it was lighthearted, witty, sweet, and just what I needed. Was it predictable? Yes, but aren’t all romcoms? That’s what’s so warm and satisfying about them. Alex and Poppy's best-friendship to lovers felt like a slow burn, but otherwise it wouldn’t have felt as real. The author showcases each of the main characters' flaws while also highlighting how complementary they were to one another. The characters were relatable, the setting(s) were fun (I mean, TRAVEL!), amazing banter, great character development, and beautiful, descriptive writing. Definitely When Harry Met Sally vibes. What can I say? I’m a sucker for friends-to-lovers. Mom’s review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (She does voice-to-text, so it’s not as cohesive) It gave me great insight into the characters. Made me like both of them even though such opposites. Very well described personalities, both were sweet and likable!!! I liked the travel ideas. How they did it on a budget and made it fun, and how their friendship survived even though they were very different people, they tolerated their differences, even though they had separate ideas and passions, and maintained their friendship. Also, it was very funny!!!! It made me root for them to get together throughout the story I really liked it!!!

I know some serious literary writers and readers don’t take Emily Henry very seriously since she’s a romance writer, but on a technical level, her writing is damn good. Here’s a few examples. She uses metaphors well. This one is simple, but very fitting for the character’s personality—“Alex’s shoulders life, like he’s a turtle retracting into his shell.” Other times, we get short but deep character observations that could totally be in a literary novel. “I should’ve guessed what a cautious driver he’d be. Then again, sometimes when you guess about people, you end up very wrong.” There are also so many brilliant bits of humor in this book that Henry uses. There’s a running joke between the two main characters about the terrible, old Honda Aspire they borrow, about how it aspires to have working air conditioning, aspires to live long enough to see the end of human suffering, though it probably won’t live long enough to see the of the Star Wars franchise. Henry’s funny characters are actually funny to read about and it makes the novel a very fun journey. I also think Henry is very smart about how she involves side characters in her books. She knows her audience and she doesn’t waste too much time on supporting characters, so she comes up with clever ways to have minor characters that need to exist for plot logic to add to the tension of the story. For example, the two other people they’re sharing an Uber with are honeymooners in bedazzled visors that say WIFEY and HUBBY who are “so tanned already they look something like Alex’s shoes.” It’s simple, but so effective. A silly detail like the cringey visors tells us exactly who these two strangers are and what kind of people they are in a comical way. It’s a romcom with romcom hijinks, but Henry really does a beautiful job of exploring Millennial ennui and the emotional complexities of travel, with all its highs and lows. She also digs into career satisfaction in a very interesting and wise way. Spark notes; I have a soft spot for romcoms and Emily Henry is the real deal with her craft.

I giggled through the first third of People We Meet on Vacation. This “friends to lovers” theme is a perfect summer read that includes relationship substance and romance. The unusual relationship between Poppy and Alex drew me in and kept my attention. Introduced in college, these polar opposite personalities were less than impressed by what they saw during that initial meeting. Fate threw them together later when Poppy needed a ride home from college and Alex (and his car) provided transportation to her small town in Ohio. A friendship developed during the ride, which blossomed into a rich alliance that spans thousands of miles and years of time. As adults, Poppy lives in New York City, and Alex teaches in Poppy’s home town. They initially vacationed together on penny-pinching getaways. When Poppy becomes a writer for a high-end travel magazine, she invites Alex to accompany her on a yearly trip to an exquisite vacation destination. Exploring the mysteries of their relationship was intriguing. People We Meet on Vacation has a non-linear timeline, taking the reader back and forth to various events and locations. Although I felt the flipping a bit overdone, alternating between the present and the past of these characters works well to keep a reader guessing. The characters repeatedly refer to a time “two years ago” that caused the friendship to explode. This hint teases the readers for nearly half the book before divulging the reasons for the split. Both characters have emotional baggage they bring to the relationship. Poppy brims with personality, humor, and a carefree spirit. But that makes her flighty and unpredictable. Alex is the problem solver, the person who can handle any situation. He is also bookish, set in his ways, and sometimes a spoilsport. The emotional tug-of-war between the two characters is realistic. Poppy and Alex have traits the other is lacking, provide needed support for one another, and complement the other in various ways. Their chemistry is interesting but not perfect, like real life. The final third of the book was predictable, but satisfying. The author, Emily Henry, has held the number one position on the New York Times and Sunday Times bestseller list for this work, as well as others. She pens a good romantic story and keeps the storyline realistic. Although I enjoyed it, this book should appeal to young adults more than an older reader, as it contained more expletives and sexual situations than I’d prefer. However, don’t let this diminish your curiosity about this rom-com. People We Meet on Vacation reminds us to take a chance on love.

Poppy Wright and Alex Nilsen met in college and, despite all odds, became best friends. Except the town they come from, they have nothing in common and it shows, but during the last decade, they have taken a summer trip together and, until a few years ago, all was going well. Now Poppy confronts the fact that the on thing that will make her truly happy is rekindling her friendship with him and will get him to take one last vacation that will prove to be the ultimate challenge. This is my first read by the author and it’s a tremendously fun story with a lot of heart and core feelings that I like in my rom-com reads, but I didn’t love it the way I expected given the hype around Ms. Henry’s work. I liked the way the book is written and they way it goes back to the previous trips as well as the fact that Alex has always known he’s in love while Poppy has taken a little longer to get there. In a nutshell, it’s definitely a good book, but maybe not the right choice for my first read. I’ll give Ms. Henry’s work another try before deciding whether or not we are not a good fit. 3 starts

I first read this book three years ago, and it was my first Emily Henry book. I enjoyed this one so I wanted to reread it prior to watching the Netflix movie, and decided to do the audio this time. I love the alternating timelines where you get to see Poppy and Alex meet, and what led to them not speaking and then the current timeline where they reconnect. Just like the first time, the characters did annoy me a bit at times. Like hello!! You’re in love with each other — just be together! This is very much a slow burn where you’re waiting most of the book for them to get together. And part of the end was a little frustrating, but I enjoyed this for what it was — a light, summer read with the friends to lovers trope. Narrated by Julia Whelan who, as always, does a great job with audio. I always enjoy her as a narrator and the variety of emotions she conveys throughout the story. Read if you enjoy: ✔️Friends to lovers ✔️Alternating timelines ✔️Opposites attract ✔️Slow burn ✔️Second chance/reunion

What makes it special is how naturally the relationship between Poppy and Alex evolves, starting as opposites, growing into best friends, and slowly realizing there’s something deeper there. The “friends-to-lovers” journey feels earned, not rushed, which makes every moment more meaningful. I loved how the story jumps between past trips and present tension, it builds this emotional payoff where you want them to figure it out. It’s funny, a little messy, and very real about how people grow and change over time. If you’re into slow-burn romance with strong friendship at its core, this one really delivers.

I absolutely adored this book—it was pure fun from start to finish. The chemistry between Alex and Poppy was incredible, and it easily ranks as one of my all-time favorites by this author. It’s a sweet, lighthearted rom-com with just the right amount of romance (not too spicy), and I loved both main characters. Poppy is hilarious and relatable, Alex is completely swoon-worthy, and the story is told mostly from Poppy’s point of view, which made it even more engaging. I am head over heels for Alex Nielsen. I couldn’t put this book down, and I was genuinely sad when it ended. The banter was fantastic, their connection felt so real, and I even found myself tearing up at the end. Poppy and Alex are perfect on their own—and absolutely magical together. I’m officially obsessed.

I had wanted to read this book for a while, and then it took me a while to get thru, and I don’t know if it was because I was in a reading slump or I just couldn’t get into it. I was looking forward to this book for so long. This was a light-hearted, quick read romance. Poppy and Alex both grew up in Ohio and started taking a vacation a year together to all different places, meeting new people - always an adventure. Poppy left Ohio and moved to NY and Alex stayed. They went on a couple's trip to Croatia where things changed and they didn’t speak for 2 years. Until Poppy wanted a new adventure because she felt stuck in her life, so she called Alex and they in Cali for a hellish ride that ends back in Ohio. The genre was romance, but I wish there was more romance. The places described are all places on my list to go. Because also I love an adventure. The friendship love story was good.

Great book ! I think it is a lot better than the movie ! Funny and interesting characters, a beautiful friendship that becomes something else !

My favorite Emily Henry book! The yearning had me screaming, crying and blushing.

I reread this after a long time because a series is coming out and I wanted to refresh my memory. This was the first book by Henry that I ever read, and the one that convinced me to follow her in all her future publications. I love her writing style, the way she builds her stories, and her characters. She never disappoints!

وصل بحاله جداً جيدة و فقط ضرر خفيف عند الحواف. الغلاف جميل والكتاب مرن اما الروايه نفسها قيمتها ١٠ من ١٠ ، جداً حبيتها بدايتي مع هالكتاب ما كانت من احسن البدايات ، و حتى اني نوعاً ما كرهت أول فصلين بسبب كثرة حديث النفس. مع تقدمي مع احداث الكتاب اكثر شيء جذبني هو الكيمياء و الصداقه بين اليكس و بوبي "حرفياً من افضل الصداقات اللي قرأت عنها! " ارتباطي العميق بالشخصيات هو اللي سبب لي كل الألم و المشاعر اللي حسيت فيها خلال قرائتي للأحداث . و شيء ثاني ساعدني في اني احب هالروايه و هو اني وقعت بالحب مع اليكس و دائماً ما كنت اتسائل عن وجهة نظرة خلال وقوع الأحداث. الروايه مو من النوع اللي تحصل فيها أحداث قوية أو يملأها الحماس و الإثارة لكن اللي يعوض هالجانب هو طريقة كتابة الشخصيات و الديناميكا بينهم و اللي اشوفها من اكبر نقاط قوة الكتاب. فيه أحداث كان مفترض انها تكون "غامضه" و "مثيره للتساؤل" في أي رواية أخرى لكن في هالروايه كانت مكتوبة بطريقة سهله التوقع لكن هالشيء ما يسلب شيء من متعة الكتاب وعشن كذا اشوف هالكاتبه عبقريه في الشيء اللي هي تسويه. مثلاً كان سهل التوقع انه بوبي و اليكس يحبوا بعضهم لكن مستحيل كنت راح اخمن مشاعرهم و افكارهم و كيف انها راح تأثر فيني رغم اني أعرف نتيجة كل هالأحداث ، و مثل اللي صار قبل سنتين كان مفترض يكون اكبر شيء غامض بالكتاب لكني توقعته بسهوله من البداية و مع كذا الحدث أثر فيني بشكل كبير. اكثر شيء كان يخلي العقدة في هالكتاب صعبة الحل هو الطبقات العميقه في علاقتهم ، العبء الكبير للماضي و العواقب اللي ممكن يحملها المستقبل من بعد انهاء صداقة ١٢ سنه. حبيت كيف انه الكتاب يوضح انه العلاقات الحميميه ما تعتمد على الحب و بس و انها تأثر على جوانب اخرى مثل الأحلام و الأهداف المستقبليه ، الزواج و العائلة ، الوظيفة و مكان المعيشة. حبيت كيف انه العقدة كانت صعبة الحل علي كقارئة رغم انها تبان بسيطة سطحياً ، وهالشيء نادراً يصير معي في الكتب من هذا التصنيف. حركة جميلة من الكاتبة انها وضعت سؤال في جزء النقاش نهاية الكتاب كان بمعنى انه " هل بوبي و اليكس ستستمر علاقتهم ؟ " و بالرغم من اني كنت حابه اشوفهم يتزوجوا في النهاية و يعيشوا بسعادة و سبات ونبات زي كل القصص الخيالية الا اني برضو حبيت انها حطت مجال للنقاش عن مصير علاقتهم بدال ما تسوي المعروف والشائع بكل الكتب. جداً حركة عبقرية من كاتب لما يجعل قصته موضوع مثير للأهتمام للنقاش و التأمل. قرأت جزء كبير من الكتاب وانا حاسه بألم في صدري وضيقه من كثر ما اني مرتبطه بالشخصيات عاطفياً و هاذي من العلامات اللي تخلي اي كتاب تقييمه عالي بالنسبه. طريقة السرد مو مثاليه "حسيت بالملل احياناً" لكني استمتعت بأغلب الروايه حرفياً من اكثر الكتب اللي سمعت عليها اراء سلبيه لدرجة انها نفّرتني منها لفترة طويله ، لكن سعيدة بأني اعطيتها فرصه لأني استمتعت فيها كثير و متحمسه اقرأ اعمال اخرى للكاتبة

Este livro é fenomenal e foi uma delícia lê-lo durante as férias! O Alex e a Poppy são perfeitos um para o outro! O anseio, o desejo e a paixão, as piadas internas e a química incrível entre eles fizeram eu me apaixonar por eles desde o primeiro capítulo. A forma como eles conheciam e entendiam um ao outro foi de tirar o fôlego! Um romance lindo que encheu meu coração de alegria!