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.

Right, so where to start?

This book was disappointing, especially considering how amazing ‘Beach Read’ was.

I don’t want to spend a lot of time on this but the biggest gripes were the lack of connection?

Our main characters really did not get on… at all. The relationship just felt forced. They didn’t get on or like each other as people. There were too many times, I had to re-read a line because I genuinely couldn’t believe this was the pairing the book was pushing.

Like…. WHY?

It’s not by force, right? WHY?!

The other issue was with the flashbacks. My God. They were so disorientating and were more filler chapters than anything else. I really didn’t understand what purpose they served to really constitute being a whole chapter?!

This book had redeeming parts, the steamy scenes were great. Really good. Then they would end, and so would the connection between the characters…

Just really disappointed overall, but I can understand no book would live up to 'Beach Read'.

3.5 rounded up.

This is a sort of Harry met Sally but substituting when Poppy met Alex. Poppy Wright and Alex Nilsen have been friends for a while and take vacations together. Poppy works for a travel magazine and Alex is a teacher in their home town in Ohio. The story is told in varying holiday timelines from twelve years ago to now.

Having loved Beach Read I eagerly anticipated this one. However, although I like it, it doesn’t resonate as much as the previous book. The characters are very different to each other with Poppy coming across more strongly. She is very likeable, you feel her tipsy turvy emotions throughout the book which feels authentic, real and relatable. Their relationship comes across well with all the accompanying ups and downs of a genuine friendship, they’re flawed as people are. I really like the premise which is heartwarming in that it’s about finding your emotional and actual home. The dialogue is good, I like the banter between them and there is good use of humour. Since we are Covid home bound one of the best aspects is holidaying vicariously with Poppy and Alex and them walking along the Golden Gate Bridge brought back some wonderful holiday memories for which I’m really grateful! I like the ending, it feels right and we get there eventually.

However, this is a slow burner friends to lovers situation and it takes a while to immerse yourself in. Although you can visualise Poppy very easily it’s a less clear picture with Alex who isn’t as well developed. Is it just me, or is he a tiny bit on the dull side? The estrangement between their friendship which is sort of dangled in front of you in a tantalising way is a bit of a let down and doesn’t feel like much of a big deal. The zipping backwards and forwards in time gets a bit wearing and I just wanted to get in with the ‘Now’!

Overall, although I didn’t connect as well as to Beach Read it’s still an enjoyable book which takes you out of yourself and transports you to some lovely places for a while.

With thanks to NetGalley and Penguin General UK for the arc for an honest review.

I'm afraid I was really disappointed by this book. I ADORED Beach Read and for me this fell so short of Henry's debut. It's nice romantic escapism but it's not a great deal more than that - perfect for romance lovers but I felt it lacked the depth that made Beach Read so special. I'm not sure the style, with changing timelines and multiple throwbacks, helped with becoming invested in the characters. I wanted to know so much more about Alex but I feel like we only really skimmed the surface with both characters.

Things I loved:
- The travel inspiration via Poppy and Alex's holidays and Poppy's writing.
- The families of both the main characters are wonderful, richly written and make you want to be part of their crew.
- The author's note at the end of the book.

I'm keen to see whether other people feel the same way, or whether I'm quite possibly the anomaly with this one. The cover is utterly gorgeous though and I would watch the movie/TV edition in a heart beat!

Alex and Poppy met 12 summers ago at college, with little in common, they vow to go their separate ways. A year later, when forced to share a ride home from college together, an unlikely friendship forms and a sworn promise to have a vacation together every year. Their annual vacations are filled with laughter, tender moments and everything in between. There is effortless wit, some laugh-out-loud moments, but also a simmering love and tension between the pair that you find yourself rooting for.

Told through a series of flashbacks to holidays gone by, we see the story through Poppy's perspective in the present day, where whilst working as a travel writer she is thinking about her life and happiness. Each flashback fills in a little piece of the jigsaw and builds the foundation of her and Alex's friendship in a simmering slow burn. There is an excellent dynamic between the pair - Poppy is more adventurous, hyperactive and quick-witted, whereas Alex is more bookish, demure and dedicated. Their interactions are perfection, there's a good mix of tit-for-tat where they're on the same level and can be their true authentic selves with one another.

It has all the best elements from a classic rom-com rolled into one - you've got enemies to friends/maybe lovers, a flickering timeline with an incident that shaped their whole friendship dynamic that you just haven't discovered yet, and some saccharine cute moments (plus a balcony sex scene)- to be frank, it was the best. You've got some iconic tropes including 'there's only one bed', an incredible amount of pining, witty banter, SEXUAL TENSION APLENTY, and some will-they-won't-they moments, all of which just made me tear through it so much quicker.

This is a wonderful story, which Emily Henry relates to When Harry Met Sally (which sadly I've never seen, shock) but it really reminded me of the queen of friends to lovers rom-com aka Love, Rosie. It is a masterpiece of handling a relationship trope of the late 20s-early 30s variety, with enough uncertainty and angst to keep you interested. It is one of those romances that doesn't fall into the futile predictability category when it comes to plot or character dynamics. There are some definitive moments of emotional depth, some beautiful scenic descriptions and two main characters who I could probably read 1000 more books about. A huge chef's kiss to Emily Henry from me, I can't a) believe that the book was this good and b) that I got to read it early.

*HUGE thanks to Netgalley and Penguin for the proof, I am in awe

You and Me on Vacation by Emily Henry is an excellent modern romance that I truly loved and devoured with relish.

I have read several books by Ms. Henry in the past, which I thought were fantastic, so I knew I would enjoy her latest. It did not disappoint.

I absolutely loved the artistic ability that she has to weave together past and present, present and past, and piece together a story of two people and their path to current-day. To slowly peel back layers, weave between what we know now, and how it came to be from the past, and what will happen now...is delicious and addicting. I found myself staying up way past bedtime to find out what was going to happen next.

The journeys of Poppy and Alex and the unfolding of events in their lives, individually and together, was stunning. The characters were well-drawn, complex, likable, relatable, and had total chemistry from day one. Opposites attract, they compliment each other so well, yet also can bring out the worst (and best) in one another. Seeing the push/pull aspect was perfect. It made the final ending so much sweeter.

This book just reaffirms my previously-held belief that I love Ms. Henry, and I will continue being a huge of hers in the future.

5/5 stars

Thank you NG and Penguin General UK for this excellent arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR, Bookbub, and Instagram accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts publication on 7/8/21.

Summary:
When Alex and Poppy met for the first time 12 years ago, they quickly realize that they have nothing in common. But after a shared car ride from college back to their hometown a year later, they become best friends despite their differences. In the following years, Alex and Poppy take trips together every summer. 2 years ago everything went wrong and now might be their last chance to take a trip together and to fix their friendship – or to turn it into something more?

Review:
Friends to lovers is such an amazing trope when it’s well done and Emily Henry definitely did an incredible job. Some early reviews claimed that it’s also enemies to lovers which it very much isn’t and it kinda made me expect something else but I still ended up enjoying it more than expected.
My favorite part was without a doubt Alex and Poppy’s friendship. I loved that they were so different but somehow just really understood each other, I loved their banter and how much they cared about each other. There are also a lot of flashbacks with scenes from their past trips and it was so much fun to see them growing up and their relationship evolving. They also just experienced some very entertaining things on their trips and I definitely laughed out loud a couple of times. Both characters were very fleshed out and I felt like I really knew them and was right there with them. I also liked their chemistry and their romance was just swoon-worthy.
Maybe I remember Beach Read (Emily Henry’s last romance) differently because it’s been a while but I felt like You and Me on Vacation had a bit of a lighter tone. It still deals with some serious topics and the character development was also great as they not only fell in love but also figured out some things for their own lives. I personally prefer light-hearted romances so I was pleasantly surprised by the humor.
My only big criticism is that I think the conflict between them was a bit underwhelming. In the beginning of the book, Poppy described their fallout as this terrible fight and something that isn’t easily forgiven so when I finally found out what happened (without spoiling anything) I just expected more. Since I believed that the cause of their fallout was bigger than it actually was, I was a bit confused that present day Alex and Poppy mostly acted like nothing had happened and there was only some awkwardness between them. I kinda just expected more drama, I guess. As a result, the pacing also sometimes felt a bit off but I still enjoyed it a lot and read it quite quickly.
You and Me on Vacation is an entertaining friends to lovers romance that is perfect for everyone who misses traveling the world during these times or who’s looking to escape reality for a bit.

When I heard that Emily Henry's You and Me on Vacation compared with When Harry Met Sally and One Day, I knew I had to read it straight away, but I was also nervous that it might not live up to the hype of two of my favourite stories of great love and friendship.

I needn't have worried. I fell in love with everything about You and Me on Vacation. The characters and their concerns are so relatable, endearing and easy to understand. The structure takes us back and forth to exotic locations (an added bonus to experience some armchair travel to Nashville, Vancouver and Tuscany!) and is a great way of keeping the plot moving and keeping us guessing. The dialogue is genuinely funny and entertaining. The romantic story made my heart hurt and soar in equal measure.

I'm so glad that You and Me on Vacation found its way to me. It's the feel good book I didn't know I needed to read and it's a rare one that I know I'll return to again.

Thank you to NetGalley and Georgia at Penguin Random House for an advance copy of You and Me on Vacation in exchange for an honest review (it's easy to do when you love a book this much!)

Are you a fan of second chance romance?

For Poppy and Alex, their friendship hasn't exactly been smooth sailing. The book spans 12 summers, reflecting on 6 of them.

Honestly, I wasn't as enamored with this as I was with Emily Henry's last book. I didn't feel this pressing need to continue reading it, despite enjoying what I was reading. I didn't feel some magical chemistry between Alex and Poppy, in fact I wasn't sure there was any. The entire front of the book focused on why they didn't like each other mostly.

In the end, it wasn't enough to keep me reading. To be fair, If a book doesn't grip my attention at first, I'm easily distracted. I'm sure that many are going to love this one.

Actual rating: 3,5-3,75 stars

You know how much I love me a best friends to lovers story, but I kind of have mixed feelings about this book. I really, really enjoyed Alex and Poppy's banter and I just love how much they care for each other. The author added many layers and backgrounds to the characters which made them a lot more relatable. The different vacations including the people they met were really fun to read about as well.

I just didn't particularly like how the story was told, especially in the beginning. I mean I get what the author was trying to do but for me personally, there were just too many different flashbacks in-between that made me feel a bit detached from the actual story. I wish we would've got more present day plot.

However, I definitely like this book more than Beach Read and I feel like it was quite a step up from her first novel. As I've already mentioned in my Beach Read review, and I'm saying it once again, Emily Henry's writing is incredible. Her many descriptions of Poppy and Alex' interactions left me swooning.