I know that Beach Read was received with mixed reviews. Some, like myself, enjoyed it. Others adored it. And still others are of the belief that it isn't technically a romance novel. I'm not here to debate the author's previous work, however, I just want it acknowledged that I found Beach Read to be enjoyable (though not quite dirty enough for my liking.)

I was absolutely astounded by how much I adored People We Met On Vacation. I fell in love with it from the very first word, cried a little bit in the middle, and mourned when my eyes scrawled across the end of the last page. It was an emotional rollercoaster and I loved every up and down, even as my heart got ripped out of my chest, stomped on, and revived a handful of times until I was clutching the book with white knuckles and muttering under my breath.

People We Meet On Vacation doesn't just flip back and forth between two timelines... it flips back and forth between like seven. Normally I hate flashbacks because my mind prefers to experience the relationship firmly in the present, but I cannot imagine this book written in any other way. It was an absolute gift that we were able to see the relationship between Poppy and Alex develop from the moment they meet, to the moment they realize they can be friends, to each of their annual trips and the present timeline. Henry's writing talent is evident in the way she manages to not only write it in such a way that the reader doesn't struggle to keep things straight and also in the way the character's relationship so clearly develops over the various timelines.

Poppy is a delightfully quirky heroine without being manic-pixie-dream-girl about it which was such a relief. You could tell that Henry just had a picture of her character in her mind and was writing it as she was seeing it rather than trying to stuff Poppy into society's vision of a not-like-other-girls heroine (which I know we are all so sick of). Alex is the uptight, stuffy hero that we all live for as romance readers. Though Alex isn't a total Grumpy McGrumpster, I'd still place this book in the grumpy/sunshine trope because no one is a better grump than our adorable, sick-cat-loving, high school teacher who had to grow up too fast too soon following the death of his mother.

You don't have to fabricate any chemistry between Alex and Poppy. It truly leaps off the page. I believed they were meant to be together from the very first interaction and I held on to that belief as the pages turned and the angst doubled down. It's a slow burn--you don't even get any action at all until about 70% of the way through--but god, as much as I dislike slow burns, the pain of the wait was soooo worth it. And I loved every step to their finally coming together. It was like a beautifully choreographed dance.

If you thought Beach Read was heart-wrenching you better grab some tissues and clear your schedule because you're going to be water work central. I clutched this book to my chest at the end and then immediately flipped back and reread my favorite scene. One of the reviews I read mentioned that this was the book that broke their reading slump and I cannot agree with that statement more. I was feeling a little blah about my TBR lately, but after reading People We Meet On Vacation I ended up flying to my bookshelf and reading a number of books that had been long awaiting my attention.

Stayed up til 6am to finish this book and I regret NOTHING.

Alex & Poppy have been best friends for 10yrs, always vacationing together. From the moment they first met, they just clicked. Alex is reserved and your typical nerdy guy, while Poppy is loud and has all these dream travel itineraries. No matter how completely opposite the two of them are, their friendship works and is something they've kept and valued for years and years...until their trip to Croatia, where everything started to change.

They haven't seen each other in two years; have lost all forms of communication. But Poppy is desperate to bring the old them back and salvage whatever is left of their friendship, so she invites Alex for one last trip together...

Friends to lovers is one of my favorite tropes. Not all the time are they done well, though. But this, this was chef's kiss. I loved that Alex & Poppy were so fun to read. So many times I just wanted them to kiss already. The tension was THICK. And the alternating past and present chapters helped build up their chemistry and learn more about their history and how they fell apart. I found myself tearing up at the vulnerable parts, where they both were so exposed to each other, all their truths bared.

This book has the YEARNING I so love. The relatable inner struggles and monologues. Choices we're offered in life and individual differences. Look out for this one next year! Thank you Netgalley and Berkley for the earc! ❤

This is just what I needed right now. Sometimes you just need an adorable romcom to make you smile. The characters were likeable, and from the beginning I was rooting for them.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was equal parts excited and scared to read this novel because Beach Read was my favorite novel of 2020 and quite honestly my favorite book I've read in a really long time. But this really just proved how great of an author Henry is. I'm not sure how, but she writes characters that are so incredibly raw and relatable and I quite honestly never related to characters more than I do in her novels. This was just so lovely to read and I can't wait for it to come out so I can sell it like crazy to anyone who will take it.

Emily Henry has done it again and made a truly magical, swoon-worthy romance. I loved Poppy and Alex and watching how they fell in love across summer vacations juxtaposed with the vacation that just can't go right. The "will they finally or won't they" was breaking me in the best way possible. There's a magic that Emily Henry puts in her romances that is addicting and heartbreaking in all the best ways. Pick this one up and you won't regret it at all.

This book is an absolute delight. Poppy and Alex are so wonderful together and the way the story is told pulls you into their world and relationship in such a completely immersive way you can't help but root for them to get together and stay together.

I loved this book every bit as much as BEACH READ. Highly recommend

Not since Sally Thorne's The Hating Game, have I enjoyed a book more. The characters are funny, smart, and relatable. I wanted to be friends with both of them by the end of the novel and I was rooting for them to end up together from their first awkward meeting. This book was an all around delight and pleasure to read. Emily Henry managed to create two polar opposite characters that are somehow perfect for each other. I highly recommend this title to anyone who enjoys funny, steamy, and heartwarming stories.

People We Meet on Vacation is especially fun to read when no one is going on trips right now. It made me happy to remember vacations. The two main characters were frustrating in that rom-com way where you know they're perfect for each other but for whatever reason they stubbornly remain blind to the facts for a super long time. Like, these two people met in college and a full ten years later are still playing themselves and refuse to see what's in front of them. How often is this truly happening in real life?!

The idea to play off of being different people on vacations together so that neither one knows if their real relationship is *enough* for the other one was mildly intriguing but nothing groundbreaking is happening here. This won't rock anyone world, but it is a nice read for thinking about places other than the five mile radius that most people have been confined to this year and rooting for the inevitable romantic ending that's a balm to our withered souls.

Emily Henry's first book, Beach Read, caught me a bit off-guard. From the title, I was expecting something a little lighter but was pleasantly surprised by the somewhat heftier tone. So I went into People We Meet on Vacation with high expectations, which were exceeded! Henry continues to write well-written romances with compelling, complicated characters. I loved spending time with the central character here; I loved the friends-to-lovers trope but also enjoyed how Henry upended it with a flashback-heavy structure. The most perfect romance I read in 2020!

I really enjoyed this book! I could not put it down. I love the main character Poppy, and seeing her go through both the past and the present of her life and relationships. The humor in this is one of the best ive read in a long time. This was the perfect read for relaxing and enjoying the rain/snow. I highly recommend this book.

I love the way Emily Henry writes and tells a story. She adds a lot of layers and background to each character that makes them feel more real and relatable. I loved the relationship between Poppy and Alex, and the vacations and the adventures the two of them had made me incredibly sad that we are in quarantine!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this one early!

Poppy and Alex meet at college orientation and have little in common except being from the same small town. They don't see each other until the end of the year when they carpool home. Despite how different they are, they slowly become best friends and spend the next year in college inseparable. As they grow up and move away from each other, they take a summer vacation each year until 2 years ago when something happened and they haven't spoken since. In alternating chapters, we learn about their summer trips and what Poppy's life is currently like. She has everything she dreamed of, a job traveling and writing for a magazine and an apartment in New York City but realizes she isn't happy without Alex. Can one last trip save their friendship? And could there be more to that friendship?

Fans of Henry's novel Beach Read will enjoy this one, too. The characters are funny, engaging, and human. I was rooting for the pair of obvious soulmates from the beginning, and I enjoyed the way the story played out.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy! People We Meet On Vacation is a friendship story between Poppy and Alex who promise each other a vacation once a year during Alex's summer break. Chapters jump back and forth from their previous vacations and past memories to the vacation they are currently on. I love their friendship above anything else - it's very sweet and personable and I was smiling all the way through! If you enjoyed her latest novel, Beach Read, I definitely recommend this one!

After reading and loving Beach Read, I knew I had to get my hands on Emily Henry’s next book! This book is just as entertaining to read. Poppy and Alex are relatable, fun, and made me wish I’d been on those trips too! I’ve been to a few of those destinations, and have to give the author kudos for getting the details and nuances of those places just right. Emily Henry has become one of my new favourite writers.

Probably more like a 4.5 star book, but I have no qualms about rounding up. I find Emily Henry's writing style so tremendously engaging. I love how she writes yearning! She writes so much in so few words! I particularly enjoyed this because of what a slog my last read was, but I think I just really love her writing! The characters were fun and I think she writes a bottled up midwestern man really well. As with Beach Read, the last chapter felt a little on the nose, but I liked that it was a little less perfect and a little more real (while also remaining very idealized). Her dialogue is so sharp and the internal life of the main character feels very real and relatable. Definitely for fans of yearning! I love yearning!!!

I loved how Emily Henry told this story of Poppy and Alex and their friendship over the years. Romance stories typically follow a familiar structure so I was pleased that this story still had a lot of surprises and drama. Henry is a master at writing emotions. She captures and puts into words feelings that so many have. I really enjoyed this book!

People We Meet on Vacation was perfection. As a travel enthusiast myself, the whole concept of this book just really resonated with me.

The main characters, Poppy and Alex, read like very real and flawed people. They were both very likable people with distinct personalities. And they had off the charts chemistry. Since they’re longtime friends, their relationship never had that instalove quality or seemed to come out of nowhere. The dual timelines of present day and past vacations really worked. It really showed how their relationship developed overtime into something more, and I found myself racing to find out what happened on that unspeakable Croatia trip that was mentioned so often.

Overall, I loved this book. And I highly recommend this one. Emily Henry has cemented her place as an auto buy for me.

I finished this one a week ago, and for the life of me, I'm having trouble recalling enough of it to give a thorough review. Though, I suppose that that is telling in and of itself. This story spanned the space of 12 years with a present timeline, and it looked back at each preceding year that led to where the two characters are now. I think that Beach Read was one of the best books I'd read last year, so I was really surprised when this one just didn't land for me. It spent too much time focusing on the minutiae of the passing of time on the many travels of the main characters and not nearly enough time on the present timeline. At best, I would say it was 50/50, though that's generous. Halfway through I went back to make sure that it was a "romance" and not travel fiction. I felt like this book didn't really know what it wanted to be, or it wanted to be too many things in too small of a space. Either way, it wasn't the best I've seem from this author, but I'm holding out for more from her because again, Beach Read was incredible.

I read this book in 5 hours. I thought I'd pick it up for a bit of light reading for an hour or so and had to finish it before I went to bed. It was so delightful - I related to both main characters and the whole concept of "millenial ennui" - this was just a great read that I will recommend to anyone who wants a book to distract from anything political or virus related.