You and Me on Vacation by Emily Henry is the story of Poppy and Alex, who have gone on holiday for every year for 11 years, except two years ago, when something happened.  Poppy wants to get back to the way things were with her best friend, and so invites Alex on holiday again this summer.

This is full of awkward pauses, uncomfortable moments, and a lot of heat, but the last one is to be expected from Palm Springs in the height of summer!  Reading about how Poppy and Alex try to work out what they are now was really good.  The tension and awkwardness was really apparent!

If you would like to get away with Poppy and Alex, you'll enjoy the flashbacks to the years of their friendships and the other holidays they've been together, and partake in the mystery that is: what happened two years ago to mess with this friendship? 

You and Me on Vacation was published on 8th July 2021 and is available from Amazon, Waterstones and Bookshop.org.

You can follow Emily Henry on  Instagram  and on her  website. 

  I have also read  Beach Read  by Emily Henry, and loved it!

I was given this book in exchange for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and to  Penguin .

Phew, this took me ages to get through, not gonna lie. I absolutely adored Beach Read and couldn't wait to get my hands on Henry's newest release, but this book kind of dragged for me. I love the best-friends-to-lovers trope but it took me a long time to actually feel like there was chemistry between Poppy and Alex. Though I loved their cute interactions, I didn't really feel invested in their romance even after they got together.
Still, Henry's writing is as engaging and beautiful as ever and though the pages didn't quite fly by, I still can't wait to read anything Henry writes in the future!

You and Me on Vacation - Emily Henry

I really liked Emily Henrys writing style but unfortunately I did find it a little drawn out, more so than I thought it needed to be. I think I would have liked more of Alex's point of view during the book. I really miss the feeling you get just after booking your next holiday, and this has just reminded me of this.

Read and reviewed in exchange for a free copy from NetGalley. Although it took me awhile to get into this book, it was an enjoyable read. I enjoyed the flipping between past and present, and was invested in the characters' relationship.

So, You and Me on Vacation is about Poppy and Alex, two best friends who spent their 20s going on summer trips across the US and world together. Told through flashbacks, we explore each summer trip and what happened on their penultimate trip for them not to speak for two years. When they reconnect, they decide to do one more summer trip to Palm Springs, where ALL the things happen!

So, this book spoke to me on many levels. Henry has this masterful way of creating such relatable and authentic characters, which I adore. In this instance, I found myself resonating with Poppy on several occasions - her passion for travel, the fact we both write blogs and her fragile relationship with her hometown (I spent my 20s basically running away from mine). On the other hand, Alex was Poppy's opposite, but his vulnerability makes him almost instantly loveable. Together, this pair has undeniable chemistry and expert banter.

Here are just a couple of quotes I highlighted because it was like Henry is in my head:
"This is what I want for the rest of my life. To see new places. To meet new people. To try new things. I don't feel lost or out of place here...I'm anchored only in this moment."
"It's the very fact that it's finite that makes travelling special. You could move to any one of these destinations you loved in small doses, and it wouldn't be the spellbinding, life-altering seven days you spent there as a guest, letting a place into your heart, fully, letting it change you."

You and Me on Vacation is not only a fantastic romance novel. It's the perfect book to escape into this year.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Penguin Books UK for the ARC in exchange for this honest review.

🌿BOOK REVIEW🌿

You and Me on Vacation by Emily Henry

Poppy and Alex met 12 years ago and the interaction didn’t go very well… the pair hated each other and were convinced they would never see each other again. Then, the following year they were forced to carpool home from college together and everything changed. In this long journey they decided they would take one holiday together every year.

I can be quite picky with my lighthearted reads as sometimes I feel they fall a tad flat BUT this book is fab! It is one of those books that should be on everyone’s summer reading list, especially if you can’t get on holiday this year you can live through Poppy and Alex!

The ‘trying to ignore feelings’ trope was done so well here, and I loved both of the main characters. It really did feel like you went on a journey with them as you peel back their layers. Although it is a good summer read, there are some heavier moments and that’s what gave this book substance!

This is such a great friends to lovers story, with the added trope of the quiet man and more dominant woman. I loved the slow burn pacing and the flashbacks to previous holidays, allowing information to be given to us in little tidbits. The tension was palpable and had a very good pay off (and quite a realistic one, actually) and the whole time I just kept daydreaming of being on holiday myself!

This is top tier romantic fiction, a joy from start to finish 🏖

"On vacation, you can be anyone you want. Like a good book or an incredible outfit, being on vacation transports you into another version of yourself. In your day-to-day life, maybe you can’t even bob your head to the radio without being embarrassed, but on the right twinkly-light-strung patio, with the right steel drum band, you’ll find yourself whirling and twirling with the best of them.”

Poppy and Alex met 12 summers ago on orientation day at university and did not hit it off. Next summer, they ended up sharing a car ride home and made a pact - to spend one vacation together every year.
Two summers ago, it all went wrong.

This summer, Poppy has asked Alex to join her on one last trip.
Two friends. Ten summer trips. Their last chance to fall in love?

Let me begin by saying: I love, love, love this book. It was just the summer romance novel I’d been waiting for. Having dropped right in my lap and surpassing all expectations, this one has already reserved a spot on my 2021 list of favourites.

Emily Henry knows exactly how to rope in her reader with a captivating story, sparkling prose, and sizzling chemistry. The banter between her characters in Beach Read was one of the reasons I loved her debut and she makes it the highpoint of her storytelling yet again.

Packed with crazy summer adventures, uninhibited friendships, and burning angst, this is the most irresistible summer read you’ll find this year. Emily Henry is now a must-read author on my reading list.

This ARC courtesy of NetGalley and Penguin Random House UK.

You and Me On Vacation by Emily Henry ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Oh my goodness I loved this book so much!

Now it’s summer I’ve been getting back into some nice light hearted rom coms and this one certainly didn’t disappoint 😊

Poppy and Alex have been friends for years and throughout the book we flashback to all the previous summer vacations they’ve taken together, until a recent trip to Croatia results in them not talking for two years.

I just loved their witty banter and how they bounced off each other, Poppy is hilarious and Alex completely adorable so you’re really rooting for them.

This was such a fun buddy read with @blue @coffee and @mumwith and we had to show so much restraint in not rushing to the end to find out if they end up together 😆

Thanks very much to netgalley for the digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

This is such a cute, fun read. Perfect beach read. It is a tad predictable and at Poppy was, well, in all honesty a bit annoying. But it had the desired outcome: a bit of escapism, a touch of drama and lots of romance. If you like a friends to lovers type storyline this is for you.

Well I’m a bit of an emotional wreck! This is an absolutely beautiful whirlwind of a book and I was entranced from the first page to the last.

I’m not typically a romance genre lover but that has started to change lately and I’m finding that I actually really enjoy reading realistic romance novels - where sometimes things don’t work out, the guy doesn’t always get the girl and vice versa. I was reminded of both Colleen Hoover and Paige Toon’s writing style (both authors I adore) in that the characters are so genuine and it took hardly any imagination for me to picture every detail that was provided. Alex and Poppy’s relationship is complicated and messy but also so powerful and their connection literally burst through the pages. While there were the expected romantic elements to this story, the whole plot isn’t focused on that, there’s so much more that gets unravelled and this is a perfect example of the kind of ‘romance’ book that I’m becoming sold on. Definitely bumping Beach Read to the top of my pile!

Huge thanks to Netgalley and Penguin General UK for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this coming of age story about two friends. Polly and Adam have nothing in common but can be completely themselves with each other, best friends from college to realising their caree goals. The story is told through their annual holiday vacations, Polly a travel journalist and Adam a teacher, they only manage to meet up regularly for their holiday. With many of us unable to travel at the moment I really enjoyed the descriptions of their budget and as they get older more luxurious holidays. The book is a real homage to 'When Harry Met Sally' but with much more likebale characters. It was a fun summer read, dealing really well with themes of love, friendship and career unfulfillment. Funny and very moving at times, I felt really invested in Polly and Adam's relationship.
Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced read of this novel in exchnage for an honest and fair review.

Every year, since they first met at college, Poppy and Alex have gone on a summer vacation together. Until Croatia, two years ago, and they haven’t spoken to each other since. Can Poppy persuade Alex to rekindle their friendship and to go one another holiday together?

You and Me on Vacation is a humorous tale, focussing almost completely on vacations, with chapters flitting between this Summer and the past twelve. Gradually, through the telling of each vacation, the relationship between Poppy and Alex is revealed, but the reason for their falling out is not clear until late in the book.

An enjoyable read, although a little slow reading at times. Because the focus is so much on their past holidays, much of the action can seem irrelevant. Worth persevering with, though, as overall it’s a sweet story.

Best friend since they met at college Poppy and Alex are opposites who totally get each other. Living in separate parts of the country they meet annually on their summer vacation. That was until they fell out 2 years ago and haven’t spoken since.
This year Poppy wants to fix things and they meet again
This is a classic summer, beach read with a side of possible romance. Will they, won’t they?
I enjoyed this read, it was light hearted, fun and makes me want a holiday
This was my 1st read from this author but I recommend and will be poking forward to reading more
Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

Updated - 22/7/21

First, I just want to start by saying that if you’re outside the UK you’ll know this book by the title (and cover) of People We Meet on Vacation.

I was so confused to begin with as they have the exact same synopsis, but nowhere said ‘may be known as X in X country’ so I emailed the publisher who confirmed that they were the same, just different titles for different regions.

With that out the way, You and Me on Vacation, follows Poppy and Alex over a 12-year friendship, in particular during their annual summer trips. It flashes back to these trips whilst also following the two in the present day on their one last hurrah to see if they can save their friendship.

This was a lovely read and I really liked both Poppy and Alex. I enjoyed watching the friendship develop and how they tried to navigate these changes. I have seen this book being adored everywhere, therefore I don’t know if I was experiencing book hype because I just didn’t love it the way I was expecting to. Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoyed it and wished I was lying on a sun lounger by the beach with this in hand, but I didn’t carve out time to read it every day the way I have with other books.

I would have loved to have seen some of this from Alex’s point of view. We only hear from Poppy, and as they have such a long and intwined friendship it would have been nice to have heard some of his thoughts throughout the years.

The more I think about it though, the more I find this book to be such a true and honest depiction of what friendships go through over time, when we are in relationships, advancing our careers, having family issues and just changing and developing as people. It shows the ebbs and flows of a long term friendship in such an honest way, regardless of it was a same-sex or opposite sex friendship, regardless if it was platonic or sometimes blurred the lines.

I would definitely recommend this for a lovely, light, sweet summer read and I look forward to picking up Beach Read at some point too.

This book ws so good, i loved Poppy and Alex, loved the way they were, the quirkiness, the way they made me laugh and relax. This book was so good to read, to relax and just ahve a feel good book to read.

Really charming romantic comedy, that made me reconsider the friends-to-lovers trope. I loved the way it was structured, hopping between the now and then - building year on year to when the event happened that changed everything. Really hope my own Alex is out there, he's such a supportive, caring and loving dreamboat. I really cared for Poppy, she felt such a believable romance protagonist. I burned through this book, desperate to find out what was going to happen. Just like Beach Read, this is a perfect summer read!

You and Me on Vacation is the perfect summer read, Poppy and Alex are instantly likeable and you are hooked in to the friendship between these two mismatched people. Following their friendship from University until two years ago when something happened to upset the balance between them in Croatia and their present day reconciliation is funny and touching.

Highly recommended.

I was given a copy of You and Me on Vacation by NetGalley and the publishers in return for an unbiased review.

Poppy and Alex have been taking summer vacations together for 10 years. They love each other dearly,but will their love ever turn into something more - their last trip together will decide? Wonderful, and not as predictable as you might expect.

I think I want to give million hugs to author right now! I fell so hard for her latest book Beach Read which is still my favorite romance book of last year!

I thought nothing she may write could be better than this lyrical/ dreamy/ feel good- tear jerker love story . But after reading this freaking heartbreaking amazing book I’m taking all back: this book is the best thing I’ve read for so long! And I can honestly say this is is going to be not this year’s best romance read for me but it also will take its space at my all time favorite and at least three times must read list! It’s freaking good!

It is unbelievably amazing mash up of When Harry Met Sally- Love, Rosie- One Day with combinations of 90’s best Meg Ryan romcoms vibes!