Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 Stars ⭐️

I read and loved Beach Read by this author last year and so I was thrilled to read this book early and I really enjoyed this one as well. Me and You on Vacation follows best friends Poppy and Alex who are complete opposites and yet have great chemistry and are always there for one another. They start going on vacations together, having the best time, until something happens on one of their trips that leaves them on no speaking terms for two years. Poppy misses Alex and wants to reconnect and somehow they end up on another vacation before Alex’s brothers wedding. We switch between two different timelines - present day and back when Alex and Poppy first meet and start going on trips together.

This is your classic friends to lovers trope and I want to say that Alex and Poppy alone are a full five stars. Their connection felt real and believable and their relationship is so complicated but I was rooting for them both the entire time. I feel like they are characters and a couple that I won’t forget anytime soon.

The reason I didn’t give this book a full five stars was because of tue dual timelines. Whilst I think this was absolutely necessary to really get to know these characters and their history, one minute I am reading a scene from the present and I was never quite ready to switch back to the past scene and then I would get invested in that scene and then we would switch again. Overall I loved this book and would highly recommend.

A well written book about two people friend-zoning each other even thought it’s clear from page one where this is going. Very weak plot. I do enjoyed Emily Henry’s sense of humour, I just wish she came up with something more sophisticated.

Honestly, too predictable.

Appreciate that some more important topics were touched upon: family trauma, millennial burnout (even if rather briefly).

Also, correct me if I’m wrong, but did Poppy mentions that she only showers 3-4 times a week? (And it was not one of the jokes!)

I read Beach Read last year and loved it so I was very excited for this new story. And it absolutely did not disappoint. This book featured some of my favourite tropes - friends to 'enemies' to lovers, there's only one bed, mutual pining - plus there's some rom-com worthy banter. Poppy and Alex's relationship is what makes this book. They are both so sweet with each other and I loved the exploration of their individual issues and how they together resolved them. I also liked the jumping between the present and past; it made it a lot harder to put down. Overall, a fantastic read and one I'm sure I will re-vist in the future.

I was very excited to read this after having loved Beach Read by Emily Henry, and I was not at all disappointed by this book. It was a perfect friends-to-lovers romance, with elements of ‘When Harry Met Sally’, but it’s so much more than that too.

Henry has such a talent for describing emotions in a beautiful way which makes you truly feel like you’re feeling them as the characters do. I was utterly absorbed in this book from the very first page and I feel so deeply invested in the relationship between Poppy and Alex, I think in part because the characters are flawed and frustrating and funny and smart and lovable and this multifaceted nature makes them feel so real. In some romance novels I feel like we get the point that the main character is ‘sassy’ shoved down our throats, but in this book Poppy *is* sassy but convincingly so, and it is one of many traits which make up her personality.

The chemistry between Poppy and Alex was wonderful, and honestly it’s all I could ever wish for in a relationship. If you like love stories which feel like having your heart broken and then gently put back together, then read this book.

My heart is so full and I loved every minute of reading this book. This is the story of Poppy and Alex and the author draws you completely into their relationship from the very first chapter. Alternating between their current summer vacation and the vacations of their past we go on the journey of these two characters and how they connect and embrace the weird in each other. The whole book is funny, engaging, painful, heartbreaking and achingly beautiful. A truly excellent read.

I adored this book. I loved the mixed timeline and thought it gave a really great image of poppy and Alex’s relationship. I think they’re both so different but well suited and felt like Henry had created such vivid and 3D characters who I loved reading.

The chemistry and banter between Poppy and Alex is brilliantly written. At some points you really just laugh out loud. I especially love Poppy’s character. She’s outspoken, adventurous and energetic in comparison to Alex’s reserved and routined nature.

I really like that this was written in a non linear narrative. The chapters alternate between this summer and flashbacks to previous summer trips they have taken together. We go on a journey with Poppy and Alex and see how their friendship develops over the years, alongside how previous trips have influenced their feelings towards each other in the present. There’s also a bit of mystery as to what happened on that infamous Croatia trip to keep you wanting more!

I can't really fault this addictive and heartfelt read, I just loved it! I loved traveling around the world with Alex and Poppy, especially seeing as no-one’s been able to do much travelling recently! It's definitely the perfect summer read!

Not at all what I expected - howeve an interesting read. Poppy is a travel writer and has been friends with Alex for some considerable time. This book takes you on a journey together with the couple to various destinations and builds a picture of their relationship. I wasn't keen on the format of the book and sadly it didn't keep me engrossed. I think that was more my problem than the books, as other readers seem to have loved it.

Wow wow wow

I’m serious when I say that if I would give this 10 stars out of 5, I could. I usually wait until release day to post NetGalley reviews but i couldn’t wait for July.

I finished Beach Read this week and had already planned to buddy read You and Me on Vacation.

Since I enjoyed Beach Read so much, we got straight into it the next day. We planned to read 40 pages a day over 10 days but neither of us could put it down and we ended up reading it in about 24 hours!

The book is told from the perspective of Poppy and Alex who are polar opposites. Poppy is a risk taker, energetic and bubbly. Alex is bookish, reserved and calm.

The story spans 12 summers and 10 vacations. The time line jumps from one summer to another really nicely. Then something goes wrong on a trip to Croatia and Poppy is left missing her friend. I loved that we didn’t find out what happened in Croatia for such a long time. We had many theories!

This summer, Poppy asks Alex on one last trip which may determine their future. Will they still be friends? Can they be more than that? Has she ruined everything?

I love how Emily builds her stories so slowly and intentionally without them feeling slow paced. She beautifully mixes hurt, love and sarcasm to the point where you don’t know whether to cry or laugh or both! We just wanted to give them a hug!

I also loved how Emily doesn’t tell us until the very last pages what happens to Poppy and Alex. The build up in detail really keeps you on the edge of your seat. At times, we had to stop reading and mentally prepare ourselves with a cup of tea as we knew it would tear our hearts out.

It differed from Beach Read in that it’s characters start out as enemies so anything more than that would be nice but with this book, they’re are already such solid friends that they have so much to lose if it doesn’t work out.

I absolutely adored this and honestly I recommend you check it out on NetGalley AND buy it on release day. I definitely will be.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin for this copy!!

I’m honestly struggling with what to say other than I absolutely loved this book. I loved Alex and Poppy, their friendship, relationship and all of the trips. I loved Rachel and her friendship with Poppy, I loved their families and the complicated dynamics. I read the entire book in one sitting and it was such a great time.

This is the third book with a “right person, wrong time” element to it and I just really enjoy this trope. It feels really realistic (even if at times I want to force them together and talk honestly because it happens so often and also because people are often bad at communication.

It was also really interesting to see how their family dynamics impacted future relationships. Furthermore, it was even more brilliant to see Poppy work through what she really wants and to see both characters get therapy and help themselves develop and heal. Honestly, I wholeheartedly recommend this book and I will definitely be ordering a physical copy when it’s out as well as picking up some more of Emily Henry’s work.

Oh my goodness, I just adored Poppy's & Alex friendship and the way the book was written to present holiday and built up from all the previous holidays they had together. Such a gorgeous love story all told from Poppy's point of view. I think we can all relate to that one person who was our dearest friend and who you may have shared 'moments' with in the past, This is what the story captures, the strong friendship that has the potential to be so much more.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this advanced copy in exchange for a honest review.

So...I loved this book! I also absolutely loved Beach Read and I was so excited that I got to read this one as it was high up on my reading wish list. It did not let me down. The story hooked me straight away and this was another case of me staying up way past my bedtime because I just did not want to stop reading! I adored the two main characters and their story of how their friendship grew/changed throughout. The timeline (past vacations & present day) was written really well and I found it flowed perfectly making this an enjoyable read. Well done Emily Henry, you are definitely on my authors auto-buy list! Thanks so much for such a lovely book!

This book speaks to me.

I adored this book! I wasn’t prepared to love this book as much as I did. It’s like a Nora Ephron movie...but better?! Is that blasphemy?

I read Beach Read last summer and thought it was okay. I enjoyed reading it but I didn’t get the hype and wondered what I was missing. This book deserves all the hype and more. I wasn’t sure what to expect because of how I felt about Beach Read, but this book blew me away.

Poppy and Alex will forever live in my heart. This book broke me then put me back together. I want everyone to read it this summer and go on this amazing journey with Poppy and Alex. I want to remember this story forever.

I enjoyed this book so much I was sad to see it end. Poppy & Alex, holiday together in different places once a year and live in separate cities the rest of the time. The holidays are platonic but there’s an underlying something’ there which remains — underlying.
They come from the same town in Ohio, have totally different personalities and families but. Somehow remain each other’s best friend by text and email between trips.
They both have several romances along the the way, but we hope that they’ll end up together one day. There’s humour, heartbreak, friends and family all intermingled in this story Which was a treat to read.

I don’t really know where to start with this review because I loved everything about ‘ You And Me On Vacation’.
I loved the two MC’s Poppy and Alex. Their chemistry from the first chapter was very clear to see. You could tell they were in love with each other but were both scared about losing their friendship. I enjoyed all of the chapters looking back and felt their connection and love ( both platonic and romantic ) in every single one. I’ve never wanted to jump into a book and hug a character more than I did with this. Amazing, brilliant, laugh out loud funny and totally gorgeous. My favourite book of the year so far. You have a fan in me for life, Emily Henry.

So... I'm still kind of speechless if I'm being very honest. No spoilers today, though if you want to not know a lot about this book, then I'd read with caution.

Also, take a shot every time I say different in this review because I'm a terrible person...

I guess I'll preface by saying that this book is VERY different from Beach Read. So don't go in expecting the same kind of vibes because they're very unalike. This book is more about finding what makes you happy and who you feel happy with, rather than, well, dealing with grief and finding love. The two books feel very different and I will admit, it really threw me off.

You know how Emily Henry is great at banter? Well, this book definitely does not disappoint in that department. It's even more quick and witty because our two main characters are best friends and are constantly poking at each other for laughs. Tis a great time. <3

Poppy is also a travel writer and I LOVED that aspect of her character, as she is often taking pictures for her blog and eventually gets provided with vacations by big companies.

However, the writing is not like Emily Henry's usual style. Which is not a bad thing, maybe it just didn't quite suit this book. But the whimsy of EH's writing that we're used to isn't as apparent here. It's also told in dual timelines, so we get flashbacks to these vacations Poppy and Alex have gone on in between the present-day chapters. And though I understand the intent behind that, I personally much prefer books told in a linear timeline. Only because at first it can be disorientating to go back and forth the whole time when we're trying to establish a relationship. You're kind of just sitting around waiting for the characters to meet in current time and not paying much attention to the past timeline. Or maybe that's just me? Not entirely a fault of the book, but a personal preference.

Now let's chat characters. I firstly just wanted to mention that I LOVE their names. Poppy and Alex? Iconic. Maybe not the most iconic ship name - Palex? - but iconic none the less. I feel like this book is a lot more playful than Beach Read was. We're sort of flung into their lives as they're trying to figure out to do with themselves and it just feels... honestly I can't think of the word lmao. It's just quite a slow development, and it takes quite a while to get to know them, but I think they're super well-written and complex characters. Lots of angst though.

The side characters were also super fun. We don't get to know all that many of them apart from Poppy 2nd best-friend, Rachel, and her parents mostly. They were great.

Speaking of angst, I guess the main attraction (HA) is the romance. Which, you guessed it, there's also a lot of angst. If you didn't know, this is a best-friends to lovers romance and !!!! It's one of those instances where you just want to throttle them through the page and yell JUST ADMIT IT, YOU LIKE THEM. So one the one hand, I LOVED them together but on the other, it was also very frustrating. But still great. Poppy and Alex had a great dynamic and I loved them together, though I still want to run into a wall. Psst, there's also the sharing a bed trope and maybe *cough* mild-spoiler ahead* (view spoiler) trope. Both of which are kinda golden.

Also LOVED the ending omggggg.

Overall, I really enjoyed this one. I couldn't put it down and loved Poppy and Alex, even if they needed a good talking to. Highly recommend you pick it up when it comes out.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Well, where do I start? You and Me on Vacation or People We Meet on Vacation (which is the US title and - at the end of the book - makes much more sense) is a friends to lovers romance about Poppy and Alex. Poppy and Alex couldn’t be more different. They are almost polar opposites but the are the best of friends. Poppy is hyperactive, funny, outspoken and lively while Alex is much more calm, reasonable and composed. At the beginning of their story, basically the only thing they share is their home tome in Ohio. They meet in college and, after a drive home, they make a promise to each other to go travelling together a week each year. They do so each year for twelve years.

While the story starts in the present, through flashbacks, we follow Poppy and Alex on their adventures every year for twelve years and see their friendship blossom, evolve and see how they grow up and sometimes appart. As the story begins, we learn that Poppy and Alex had a falling out on their annual summer trip two years ago and haven’t spoken since. This year, Poppy wants to rekindle their friendship and maybe more.

I was a little apprehensive before starting this book. Last year, Emily Henry published Beach Read, that was - and still is - on my TBR. A book tuber that I follow was a bit disappointed by it and therefore I kept pushing back reading Beach Read, despite the glowing reviews. I started You and Me On Vacation and could not put it down. It made me travel alongside Poppy and Alex, which was absolutely beautiful as we have all been stuck at home for almost a year.

The friendship and love story between Poppy and Alex was great and their banter was on point. I enjoyed myself so much while reading about their growth and kept rooting for them.

This book was also written so incredibly well. I kept laughing while reading and the chemistry between the two characters was depicted in such an amazing way, that I immediately connected to them. I also enjoyed that this was not a traditional romance in the sense that the story had more substance and more layers than just Poppy and Alex’s story. This book also touches on Poppy’s insecurities and the fact that sometimes you keep searching for something and someone to make you happy until you realise that what you needed was in front of you the whole time.

I really enjoyed this book and will immediately go and put Beach Read on the top of my TBR!

3,5 stars

This book is an hommage to the film When Harry Met Sally, one of my favourite films ever, so the book gets tons of plus points right there. This novel's addictive, I had to know how it would all pan out between Poppy and Alex so I read it in a day, without planning to.
But disappointingly I have to admit that I never really warmed up to Poppy and Alex. I love their banter and friendship, yes, something had to get me hooked, but as individuals they are kind of annoying.
Overall, though, this book still works really well.

Henry's novel is fast-paced and quirky, with relatable characters and gripping storyline; "You and Me on Vacation" is the ideal read for when one wants to take his/her mind off of things.

When we received this book, there was so much excitement! All four of us absolutely LOVED beach read, I cannot stress how obsessed we are with that book. So when we got wind Emily Henry had a new release, aptly titled, You and Me on Vaction , we were overjoyed!

I’m not gonna lie though, I thought I knew which way this book was going when I first started it, but I’m glad I didn’t give up on it. Poppy and Alex are long time best friends hailing from the small town of Linfield, Ohio. The duo are akin to a mix of oil and water, complete parallels of each other, and yet they are the perfect pair of best friends. They spend every summer together, travelling around the world, and we see glimpses of just how they grew as friends through flashbacks from these trips.

One day, when Poppy is asked to think of something that truly makes her happy, she answers with Alex. The only problem is...they haven’t seen or said a word to each other in two years, not since their mysterious Croatia trip. Poppy decides to re-insert herself into Alex’s life, deciding that it’d been too long since they’d reconnected. She’s adamant that they’re going to go on a trip, she’s going to make it work, and make it work well! Unfortunately for Poppy, things just don’t go well and she gets a very rude awakening from Alex in a run down hotel, with a broken air-con in the middle of Palm Springs.

There’s a certain chemistry between Poppy and Alex that makes your heart slow, and your eyes water. You can just see that they’re yearning for each other, yet neither of them knows how to work through it! Friends to lovers is hard to do, especially at this point in time with an oversaturated market! But Henry did it so well, this is a book that makes you want to scream! It’s amazing, she just nails it every time, her storylines are ones you can devour in a day! All in all a great slow burn (maybe a bit too slow), but nonetheless great! Highly recommend and once again kudos to Henry for a wonderful story.