I cannot get enough of Emily Henry. I would read her post-it reminder notes. Poppy and Alex hit so close to home for me, friends for so long before they considered more. They were great characters and the pace of the book was excellent. Read this book!

Emily Henry can not, not write a great novel. all of her characters are so likeable, her stories are so cute and airy and fun, every single time. i have read several of her books and they have all been fantastic.these are the best types of beach reads during the summer months for me i hope that she continues hitting the mark every time.

Not my trope ~shrug~ I (like everyone) have become a big Emily Henry fan but it took me YEARS to finish this book. I finally realized that friends to lovers is not my trope and I didn't find the plot or writing strong enough to get me over that hump. Especially with an unlikable protagonist.

This was a really cute book, and a very easy read. Emily Henry is a very enjoyable author to read, and her characters are sparky and very easy to connect to. It was light but also delved into good topics for relationships. I would recommend this for any romance book read.

I’ve read all of Emily Henry’s romance titles at this point and I have to say, this one wasn’t for me. I just didn’t like the way the relationship unfolded, but I do think it’s because I’m not a fan of friends to lovers in general. The writing was still fantastic and I did enjoy the male main character. I’d recommend it for a beach read!

What better book to enjoy the fresh air and the approaching summer than this? From the author of the uber-popular Beach Read, this novel is the perfect escape; swoon-worthy and smart, charming and fun.

Absolutely fantastic. Loved this book. Sad it took me so long to get around to reading it.

Review based on ARC.

I am a huge Emily Henry fan, but for some reason I didn't gel with this book. I found the plot predictable and the characters unlikable (which I normally do not, I loved the protagonists of Beach Read and Book Lovers). Maybe I can chalk it up to the pacing, this book wasn't paced the way the other two were imo and it hurt the overall plot.

This copy was kindly given to me by the publisher and Netgalley for review. All opinions are my own .

Emily Henry has done it again. I think she might be becoming a new reliable author. I really enjoy her books even if I don't love them. I am not sure why I waited so long to read this one because I felt like once I started I just couldn't put it down. There is something about her writing style that speaks to the lost person in my soul, her books leave me feeling seen.
I loved our MC's career, was a little frustrated that they could just talk out their problems (miscommunication is my least fav trope besides pregnancy, but not communicating could be up there too).

Overall, I really enjoyed and highly recommend Emily Henry's books. I can't wait to read her next book

Like Emily Henry’s Beach Read, the title doesn’t really match the story. I enjoyed the story and how it jumped around to the 12 years of vacations that Alex and Poppy have taken. I knew how the story would end, but I liked the journey Poppy and Alex took to get there.

Emily Henry has done it again. A light, witty romance that I found difficult to put down. Just a lot of fun to read. Recommended for light vacation fare.

I really enjoyed this book. The characters were really well drawn and I think the main relationship was very well developed.

This is one of Emily Henry's best books. I fell in love with Alex and Poppy's friendship and was rooting for them from the beginning to get together. Recommend for anyone who loves romance books and loves a friends to lovers trope.

"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."

I think I am an Emily Henry girlie.

This is going to be another review alongside lyrics because "Anywhere With You" by Maggie Rogers is LITERALLY POPPY AND ALEX AND I WILL NEVER HEAR THE SONG THE SAME AGAIN.

TW: burnout, past bullying, mentioned death of a cat, past death of a parent (childbirth), past parent with depression, past death of a grandparent

I genuinely can't think of a book that nails the friends to lovers trope better than this one? I quickly became infatuated with Poppy and Alex. Poppy is a travel blogger suffering from professional burnout and desperately missing her best friend, Alex. But the two haven't talked since a disastrous trip to Croatia, the reason for which you can probably guess but is naturally revealed at the very end of the book.

"I wanna lose my mind in a hotel room with you / Anywhere would do"

Alex is a schoolteacher living in their hometown, a place Poppy refuses to return to. He tags along on Poppy's summer trips and has for the last ten years, so when she suggests one last trip before his brother's wedding he accepts.

It's the worst trip ever.

As an avid traveler myself the vacation parts of the book were definitely the most fun. And I've been to Palm Springs—Poppy was naive thinking off-season in Palm Springs was still nice 💀 made for a memorable story though! Emily Henry knows what she's doing.

"Pack up all your shit and put it in the back / Maybe the miles can make up for the things you lack / I'll go anywhere, anywhere with you"

I literally watched When Harry Met Sally... a week before reading this and got to the end of the author's note to learn that movie was an impression for this book. So now I have declared myself in the friends to lovers era.

If you're looking for positive therapy portrayal, multiple settings (bc they travel), only one bed with broken AC, kisses in the rain, sexual tension so thick not even the sharpest jawline could cut it, and light to moderate feels, bump this up on your TBR.

"Cruising 95 like we got nothing to lose / I'm praying to the headlights like I prayеd to you / Before I found you / Roll the windows down, kill thе radio"

Other than the TWO (!!) nursing back to health scenes, my favorite bits of the book were the flashbacks to other trips. One of the chapters dragged a bit, but I felt like the pacing dragged a bit more in the present day for the last 1/3. It took me one day to read the first 80% and a week to read the last 20%, hence the dropped star. But the nursing back to health trope!! My fav!

"Would you tell me if I ever started holding you back? / Would you talk me off the guard rail of my panic attack? / Look me straight in my center and tell me from the heart / Are you ready to start? Are you ready to start?"

Is this book overhyped? Is it a basic BookTok bitch book? Yes and yes. BUT IS IT INCREDIBLE?? YES.

I'm a cynic when it comes to relationships and don't read romance novels to fill a gap a man should be occupying (in a metaphorical sense, get your head out of Tinder), but I read this book and NEEDED a significant other. Not necessarily Alex. But someone who make me feel like a best version of myself, a comfort human, a person who has seen every inch of my soul and stays anyway. Someone to love me in every sense of the word. And PoppyAlex define that type of relationship.

"You tell me that forever couldn't come too soon / If I'm gonna lose my mind, I'm gonna lose it with you / You tell me you want everything, you want it fast / But all I've ever wanted is to make something fucking last / I'll go anywhere, I'll go anywhere / I'll go anywhere with you"

We could have the conversation about autistic-coded love interests that are not canonically autistic (see also Charlie in The Charm Offensive) in this review, or we could just nod and smile and know that Alex is autistic and Poppy has ADHD and we love two neurodivergent simps.

LASTLY I want to talk about the third act conflict (er, the present day timeline one, not the Croatia one). It was a genuine adult conflict! And it wasn't easily solved by a grand gesture! Or by ONE of the characters caving/compromising and then we have to expect it's happily ever after! I don't love the stress that Real Life can cause, but I love realistic conflicts and I love seeing characters making it work because they'd rather die than not have the other in their life <3

PoppyAlex forever.

"Everywhere I went, he’d be there too, and so I’d always feel like myself."

Thank you to Berkley for the arc like three years ago. Sorry I'm a mood reader and it took me so long.

I'm not a rom-com lover, but this was a much needed palate cleanser after a few dark thrillers. I did enjoy the second chance, friends to lovers storyline and will be reading more by Emily Henry as soon as I can.

Alex and Poppy are the best! They are best friends who go on vacation together every year. Until 2 years ago. Now Poppy asked for one more vacation. This slow burn friends to lovers is everything you would want in a romance. Don’t miss out!

I enjoyed PEOPLE WE MEET ON VACATION even more than BEACH READ, which is saying something! Writing a romance involving best friends can be tricky, but I fell for both Poppy and Alex as individuals before I ever rooted for them as a couple. Henry keeps the reader guessing enough and takes you on Poppy's journey — both global and personal. It's smart, funny, heart-rending and escapist in all the best ways.

Unlike Beach Reads, I started this book with low expectations, and apparently it was the best decision, because I really enjoyed it.
I loved the slow burn romance, the friends to lovers trope, how she connected with the characters, and the theme behind the story: find that people that feel like home.

Such a great love story. This was a perfect beach read. Love prevails. Highly recommend ❤️ It was fun watching the characters develop and their love grow as they realized how much they really did need each other

okay first off, did i hate this book? no. but did i find really any sort of entertainment in this book? also no.

mostly my problems lie in the characters in this book since there is not a lot of plot going on. the plot mainly consists of flashbacks that we get of the two "best friends", poppy and alex, of all their vacations for the past 10 years interspersed with the current vacation they are on. they had a falling out before this current vacation which put them on pause, and we get a big lead-up to what caused it.

so basically most of this book was hella boring and nothing happened. i have a problem with a lot of romance books today because i feel like they want to be fun and light but also have a little bit of depth too but it just ends of disjointed. if you want to be emotional. GO THERE. if you want to be funny. GO THERE. you can definitely achieve both of those in the same book too but unfortunately, i think ms. henry half assed both aspects instead of putting her emdussy into both.

the big falling out was basically pointless to me personally and this is coming from a very sensitive person who also is petty. while there was some legitimate reasons behind the falling out that i do understand but for grown adults it seemed a bit immature to not talk for that long. this is something i could look past a bit because ya know things get awkward but i think these 2 could use some good communication advice in therapy. as a 19 year old i feel like i have more self aware about communication than both of them combined tbh.

now moving onto my real problems.

poppy is the most pick me, wannabe quirky, white girl i've EVER seen.

alex has the personality of a saltine cracker.

so poppy literally is giving an insecure woman who wants to be different so bad that it simply becomes annoying. to me a lot of her personality and traits resembled that of a 15 year old trying to find themself while experiencing puberty. i'm not saying you don't have identity crises and still aren't finding yourself later in life but it feels as if she's stuck in that stage. again even though i'm 19, i feel like freshman year of high school me related to poppy more than i do currently. and when i tell you i was the most annoying creature to touch this earth then, that says a lot about poppy.

next up, alex. this man literally was unseasoned chicken breast rinsed off after cooking. he had no personality besides being uptight and ya know what i feel like he actually is a realistic late 20s/early 30s white man but i personally do not find that desirable. i need a little spice. a lil zest. and he was giving dry wonder bread. i actually don't blame alex much for this because i think he does have a lil somethin somethin buried in there but this whole book was told from poppy's perspective so we never see anything at all.

i didn't hate these characters together or anything of the sort. i didn't feel like they had no chemistry whatsoever either. i did think that since we didn't have alex's perspective, it was hard for me to truly see how he cared about poppy in a romantic sense.

the writing wasn't bad either but it was unmemoriable. i literally forgot that i read this book and had to put a rating/review.

this is just the most boring romance with some of the blandest millennial characters that i've ever read. i can see it being relatable for some but as a gen z, mixed, black, bisexual, woman this was not giving what it was suppose to. it lacked spice and that's that.

thank you to berkley publishing, emily henry, and netgalley for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review