I am somewhat ashamed to admit that I still haven’t read Beach Read – which was huge last year. In the immortal words of Ron Weasley, I need to sort out my priorities. The fact that I’ve not yet gotten to Beach Read didn’t dissuade me from requesting Emily Henry’s follow up and I finally started reading it over the early May Bank Holiday. Which my fellow Brits can confirm was an incredibly stormy day. Perfect for reading about people going on vacation clearly.

TWO FRIENDS
TEN SUMMER TRIPS
THEIR LAST CHANCE TO FALL IN LOVE
12 SUMMERS AGO: Poppy and Alex meet. They hate each other, and are pretty confident they’ll never speak again.
11 SUMMERS AGO: They’re forced to share a ride home from college and by the end of it a friendship is formed. And a pact: every year, one vacation together.
10 SUMMERS AGO: Alex discovers his fear of flying on the way to Vancouver.
Poppy holds his hand the whole way.
7 SUMMERS AGO: They get far too drunk and narrowly avoid getting matching tattoos in New Orleans.
2 SUMMERS AGO: It all goes wrong.
THIS SUMMER: Poppy asks Alex to join her on one last trip. A trip that will determine the rest of their lives.
You and Me on Vacation is a love story for fans of When Harry Met Sally and One Day. Get ready to travel the world, snort with laughter and – most of all – lose your heart to Poppy and Alex.

Ok, so I think this might be a contender for Book of the Year, I gave it five stars and made sure to eek it out as long as possible. It was the exact comforting read I needed during a stormy week stuck in the UK. I feel much better about not being able to travel when I can live vicariously through Alex and Poppy. These guys are honestly one of my favourite rom com couples I’ve ever read about! Whether we’re following their vacations as best friends or when they start to cross that line, they plucked my heart strings.

These guys just had such an incredible relationship, you know me, I am a sucker for brilliant family and friend dynamics. I am also a sucker for sassy couples who have amazing bants and good naturedly rib each other.

Another thing I adore in my romances are stories with substance, something this had in spades. If you’re looking for a fun, heart warming, travel novel that will make you feel fuzzy inside, this is perfect for you.

Oh and by the way, this is also known as People We Meet on Vacation – having read it I can see why, but I prefer the original title!

I loved Emily Henry's previous book and this one was no different. The story of Poppy and Alex is so heartfelt and wholesome. There's a line in the book where Poppy and Alex makes fun about things and kept on saying to each other how certain things speaks to them and just like that - "This book spoke to me". I felt attached to both Poppy and Alex and cared for them so much. It was fun to see how there relationship evolved over the years. There's always this one person with whom you can be just "you" and Poppy and Alex where that special person in each other's life. I loved it!!

This book was funny, romantic and made me immensely happy!!

Loved this story. A nice lighthearted read that I thoroughly enjoyed. Fantastic plot and characters
Would reccomend this book.

Poppy and Alex have been best friends since high school, and have for years been hiding their romantic feelings from each other. I just there was a lack of chemistry between them. A nice story but I just didn't connect with the characters. It moved back and forth between previous holidays and present day. There were a lot of flashbacks and for this reason I didn't warm to it as I felt I was missing out on the present. It was a well written book and well narrated in the audiobook. I accessed the audio and book and moved between the two.
It was a quick light hearted read and enjoyable if you are looking for a beach, holiday read with romance and travel involved.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for an ARC.

This was one of my most anticipated releases for this year because I loved Beach read so much and it did not disappoint! Emily Henry has a talent for making us feel the raw connection between characters and I completely believed in Alex and Poppy's friendship. We could feel their history, their private jokes and they felt like real people. It was sweet and emotional to witness them falling in love through the pages. Would absolutely recommend this adorable best friends to lovers romance.

This is a book that I was so excited about. The ARC has, admittedly, sat in my TBR for a little longer than I’d like. Then I saw the opportunity to request the audiobook as an ARC as well as the e-ARC? You know I requested that as well. And I’m so glad that I did. This book would have been super easy to read anyway, but as I’ve been in a bit of a slump, I wanted to make it as easy on myself as possible. And it was a great choice. I really enjoyed listening to this book, and I would highly recommend the audiobook.

Backing up a little, I should actually tell you what the book is about. Meet Poppy and Alex; two best friends who take a summer trip together as often as possible. They didn’t get off to a great start in college, but after travelling home together one summer, they became great friends. And the tradition of a summer trip was born. 12 years later, and Poppy and Alex have been out of touch. After a mistake in Croatia, this could be Poppy’s last chance to make things work with Alex and keep him in her life. She’s determined to make this trip perfect, but things are definitely not going to be smooth sailing.

It’s a fairly simple plot. And if you can’t tell, this book does keep switching between flashbacks and the present. This is something that usually would annoy me. But I went into this book expecting that, and I actually enjoyed getting snapshots into their past. I liked seeing both Poppy and Alex grow, as well as the way their relationship changed. Not to mention it was fun to see all the places mentioned, even if some of them were just US locations. The skipping back and forth meant that you could get a grounded understanding of the events in their past. And enjoy knowing what happened. But there could still be a focus on the present. If this had been separated out into sections of holidays, it probably would have been a lot longer book. And I don’t think it would have worked as well.

I’m not sure what to describe this book as genre-wise. I’ve classed it as romance on my spreadsheet, but it also very much has a chick-lit feel. Poppy wants Alex back in her life, as she’s trying to figure out why she’s feeling low. You get hints into her friends and family’s lives, and the book is solely in her POV. There isn’t as an in-depth look into the characters lives that there might have been if it was a chick-lit novel. But it did feel like so much of this story is centred on growth. Even if the other half is romance. I did really enjoy that aspect, I did in Beach Read as well, so I think that’s what makes Emily Henry a standout romance novelist to me.

I did enjoy the romance. The authors note in the back said that Henry wanted to write a novel where the romance was unexpected. Two totally different characters who seem like they shouldn’t work. But something about each other changes them for the better. And you’re rooting for them anyway. I love that so much. I think it’s partly why I tend to like enemies to lovers in other books because of the idea that a couple shouldn’t work but does? There’s just something so sweet about that. I didn’t see why Poppy and Alex shouldn’t work, but I think that’s part of the strength of their relationship. They are such different characters, but their friendship and later romance just works. I loved the banter, it was funny and cute, and I wanted more of it. The pain they felt when they were struggling, I did too, and I nearly teared up a few times.

This book was just so good, and I think it’s actually one of my new favourite books. It’s well worth the read.

So if you’re looking for a fun and flirty romp that’ll make you wish you were on vacation? Check this out.

Alex and Poppy have been in each other’s lives for over a decade, meeting up annually for ‘The Summer Trip’ they’ become a huge part of each other’s lives, until a holiday ends and so does their friendship.

2 years on, feeling deflated and fed up with life, Poppy takes the plunge and invites Alex on another holiday, he accepts and they soon meet up in Palm Springs, with a sticky temperature and even stickier atmosphere between them to thaw out.

I really enjoyed this book, the going back on previous holidays, watching them come close together and ping apart again like an elastic band in the modern day story had me frustrated (but in the best way!)

Great character development, back stories and plenty of moments to make me smile.

If you can’t go abroad this year, read this and imagine you’re with Poppy and Alex!

there's something about second chance relationships that is just so heartwarming, and the author does such an amazing job in capturing that! the constant flicker between a past vacation of poppy and alex, then one to their current one - was actually something i enjoyed in this book (which others may not like). to me, having those flashbacks really help the readers to understand not only their friendship, but also sympathise with poppy's emotions and desires to revert their relationship back to how it was.

all in all, this was such a fun read that i devoured within a few hours. thank you emily henry for writing such a magnetic piece!

Omg I absolutely adored this story!
You and Me on Vacation follows 2 very unlikely friends as they spend their holidays together leading up to present day when they are trying to piece their friendship back together. I loved the back and forth over the previous and present holidays it added to the overall build up of the story. You can feel the chemistry and the tension building and burning between them untill it explodes. Gah I have no words to describe how much I enjoyed this book.
I listened to the audio along side reading it and I adored the narrator she did and amazing job of bringing Poppy and Alex to life. I nearly spat my drink out several times whilst listening to it as I was laughing so hard. I will definitely be reading more by Emily Henry (I definitely need to read Beach Read) and will be looking out for more audios narrated by Julia Whelan.

You & Me On Vacation
Emily Henry

Twelve years is a long time to love someone and not realise it. But when the person-sized hole is left behind after an argument in Croatia two summers ago, it begins to seem a little obvious. That's the case for Poppy, a girl who feels she's never quite fit in, except with her male best friend, Alex.
Each year they take a new destination by storm, their flirtatious and hilarious banter being the music of their trip. The two experience the highs and lows of travel, all the while sporting a smile; they watch as the other may dance with someone else, hiding how they truly feel. While I love that they orbit other people, they call each other when in need, and they fall together like two pieces of the same puzzle.

Emily writes a truly beautiful story of friendship and love. It's clearly the beginning of a romance both can't envision living without, neither want to admit it. Its magnitude so large they both fear it will swallow them. Beginning as less-than-friends, to friends who both want something more. Alex and Poppy are two different people, their personalities widely different, and yet they match. It gives me strong 'Love, Rosie' vibes, which is one of my favourite films.

Where Alex is reserved and cautious, Poppy is adventurous and colourful. The two bring out the best of one another and are there for the other when pieces fall.

As we go from the now you the past, we learn how they first meet and the memories they make. We learn of the loves that aren't quite up to scratch and the ruin left behind by a friendship both were too fearful to admit was anything more.

Poppy knows Alex is her person, and it terrifies her. She runs from everything in her life, hoping to anchor her down, so she puts distance between her and the only man she ever truly lets in. Alex hasn't ever learned how to be selfish; he's always looked after others, constantly feeling he's going to be a bore.

Both of these characters are relatable, funny, kind and wonderful. You root for them throughout, even when they make minor mistakes that cause tiny bruises. I'm glad Emily chose not to erupt them in the usual rom-com way, where there are lies and deceit. But instead gives them time to grow, learn, and be happy with the faces they see in the mirror.

I love romcoms, and because of that, I find it hard to rate them. For me, this is five stars. I'd give it more if I could. It's perfectly paced, balanced and throughout. It's emotional, and it hurts but in a way, you know you'll be rewarded for.

Their arguments are understandable, the friction and tension felt, and the same way it fades for the characters, it carefully fades for us too.

This is honestly my fave read so far in 2021, having read it in two days flat. I thought about it when I didn't read it; I keep thinking of rereading it now I've read it.

I loved it. I don't think there's anything more I can say other than I hope Emily writes more beautiful books such as this. I loved Beach Read, I love this book, but I also just think I've just fallen in love with Emily Henry.

Thank you so much to the publishers and NetGalley for allowing me to read an ARC of this book. I can't wait for it to come out so I can thrust a physical copy at everyone I love.

What a totally wonderful book for the summer!! Poppy and Alex have been best friends for life and this story switches back and forth between current day and past holidays. I loved seeing their relationship unfold, and how you get to know both characters so well. There were times this made me laugh out loud - the bit on the Golden Gate Bridge earned me some funny looks as I listened when out walking the dog.
It’s light and perfect for summer, but a great story line that keeps you entertained.
Thanks so much for this arc.

I’d like to thank NetGalley and Penguin Random House for approving me for an ARC of this book. After read Beach Read last year and putting it in my top 10 reads of 2020, to say I was excited to listen to this one was an understatement.

Whilst I was excited to start this one there were some nerves too. What if this didn’t live up to the expectations I had after Beach Read? What if I hated it and felt that deep pitted disappointment us readers get when all the hype wasn’t worth it? Thankfully I don’t have any of those feelings instead I am grinning from ear to ear because Emily Henry has done it again! She has written another knockout, romance read packed with charismatic characters and a plot line that I was addicted to.

The story switches back and forth between present Poppy and Alex to their past holidays. During the chapters where we flip back we learn how the budding friendship began and it is in these stories that my love for both characters grows. Poppy is loud, fierce and fun but under the surface she has deep insecurities about her future and what she wants. Alex is quiet, reserved and sensible, the complete opposite of Poppy. Nothing about Alex and Poppy should work but they have this way of bringing the best out of each other. Their chemistry is undeniable and the banter between them is second to none.

It was pretty clear from the start where this was heading and whilst some may call it predictable I couldn’t think of a better way to end it. I was rooting for Alex and Poppy as individuals and from their first meeting I was willing them to admit their feelings for one another. Emily Henry has written the perfect romance complete with all the tension and intensity us readers love. By the end I was grinning from ear to ear wanting to start the read all over again.

Emily Henry’s writing is so easy to read. The ups and downs of this tale made me both love and hate the heroine at times in this story. I had both the ebook and the audioversion and switched between both. The family relationships felt real, the self doubts and worries were on point and the back and forth timeline made a really quick read. Highly enjoyable

Emily Henry's debut "Beach Reads" was hands down the best book I read last year, so I was hugely impatient to get my hands on "You and me on Vacation", and even more so when I read it was a cross between "When Harry Met Sally" and "One Day".

There's nothing I didn't love about this book. It was a complete joy to read from beginning to end, frustrating me in a way only a "friends to lovers" plot can, making me laugh and cry with the characters and leaving me with a very fuzzy warm feeling when it was all over.

Emily Henry writes modern love stories in a way that's second to none. The relationship in this book is real, believable, recognisable, but also retains that level of heady romance you're looking for when you pick up a rom com. I just know I'll come back to this book again and again when I'm after a fun, romantic, feel good story to delve into.

I've been reading for a week now and am 40% done and I am struggling with it, from the very beginning. There is actually really nothing happening, the main character is too childish, too obnoxious, too hard - trying to be funny, too whinge-y and not likeable. The storyline is not moving, the "adventures" the character have on their trips are boring and I am not curious what has actually happened 2 summers ago. I tried, I really tried, the author's debut novel was not so bad and I was hoping for a light - hearted, summery read with "You and Me on Vacation", but it's not worth my time. I'm sorry, maybe next time.

I loved this so much, so beautifully written and I just fell in love with the characters. It made me laugh and it made me cry but most beautifully of all, it allowed me to travel which, in COVID times, is not to be sniffed at! Amazing.

I finished a few days ago but i had to take a few days to recover lol. This was the perfect contemporary romance to me and I have read quite a few.

I really enjoyed this whole story and loved that the characters actually felt real and had real world problems

We get the whole story here from how they met and became friends to the vacations they took together throughout the years right up to the now when they are on their one last vacation for old times sake.

This book took me on a complete rollercoaster ride of emotions its funny, sad heartbreaking... it is so well written and so immersive.I just want more!!

Last year, I read and really enjoyed Beach Read by Emily Henry (despite me feeling like it was not truly a romance), so I was really excited to read Henry’s next release. People We Meet on Vacation (or Me and You on Vacation, as it is being released in the UK, for some bizarre reason) has a great friends-to-lovers romance, but it’s NOT a great friends-to-lovers romance book. Let’s discuss.

First of all, I think that the actual romance between Poppy and Alex is amazing, and there’s a lot of great tension there. Poppy and Alex were best friends, but they got in a fight, and are now on a trip together to try and patch up their relationship. This is a fantastic setup for excruciating angst and Henry does deliver on that part. Unfortunately, the author also decided to bog down the romance and bury it deep under unnecessary and dull stuff.

I hate to inform you that Poppy is a travel blogger, and not only do I personally find travel bloggers annoying and borderline offensive, I just think that it was a particularly poor execution. The story is so overburdened with descriptions of travels and places, but one that reads like it was largely inspired by Wikipedia. It is so vapid and devoid of any sort of real exploration of the place, and it feel very much like the stereotypical tourist trying to be CULTURED by going to PARIS. There’s always a note of privilege to it that I just find irritating. I think Poppy’s wanderlust and general descriptions of travel read so disingenuously. Moreover, while I do enjoy the stoic, bookworm, introverted guy meets quirky, FUN girl trope, I just think that it’s a slippery slope to writing a terribly frustrating character archetypes, which is exactly what happened here. Poppy is supposed to be this different, free-spirited, spunky gal, but we never really get to see that, we just keep getting told that’s how she is. There’s also a scene that read so “stuck in 2010s” where Poppy is feeling insecure about “other girls” on social media and Alex says to her something along the lines of they’re not real, but you are. It was also framed as this MOMENT, when in fact it was just stupid.

One other thing that I think was a huge detriment to the story is that we do not know exactly why they got into a fight until the very end. This made the pace of the novel too slow, and it was detrimental to actual emotional connection to the story because it was so dragged out. Instead of catching the reader up, we had to suffer through terrible descriptions of their past travels, that were maybe 20 percent their interactions (which were GREAT!! that’s so frustrating!!) and 80 percent vapid descriptions of travel that were uncandid and boring.

To Sum Up
Overall, a great romance buried under piles of NO THANK YOU for me. I do see people enjoying this one, but I am not one of those people and I think there are much better friends to lovers romances out there (but they are not traditionally published and packaged into some sort of women’s fiction thing but that’s neither here nor there).

*I received both an ebook and audio copy of this book and this is a review duplicated from the feedback I submitted from the audio version.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House UK Audio for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Emily Henry strikes again with another fantastic contemporary romance read following the success of her debut adult novel 'Beach Read' which absolutely soared through the book community in 2020, receiving numerous rave reviews.

I honestly have to say, in my opinion 'You and Me on Vacation' eclipsed 'Beach Read' by a mile. I loved the characters of Poppy and Alex and it was lovely to see these characters develop. Something that Emily Henry does so well is blending two different timelines to see the past and present of the relationships between the two characters.

I really liked that not everything was 100% fluffy and romantic in this book, we saw negatives to the characters, mistakes they'd made and also their hardships which made the whole novel feel 1000000x more real and believable as a whole.

Julia Whelan was the perfect narrator for this book, making the whole experience more immersive and enjoyable which really compliments how talented of a writer Emily Henry is and I'll be keen to see what she does next.

I really enjoyed this book, it was light and easy with the classic romance you'd love to read by the pool somewhere sunny. The characters are well built, and the structure of the book allows you to really understand the decisions they make and why - excellent character development.

I'd recommend this to anyone looking for their next holiday read!