Oh man, I really enjoyed this. Partially because they go on holiday and talk about different places and god, don't we all want that at the moment. But mainly because the characters are engaging, fun, and not caricatures of rom com/commercial fiction characters.
Great story, lovely characters, nice depth.

Another gorgeous romantic comedy from Emily Henry. I really shouldn't read her books while I'm struggling to write my own, as it does my confidence no favours - but I just can't help myself. Her characters are so wonderfully textured and funny and she delves into those tricky, complex emotions and hang-ups people have, while keeping the laughs coming. Add in some beautiful trips around the globe and this is perfect escapism.

This book was incredible. Best friends to lovers who work through their issues to be better for each other in a relationship is the healthiest romance book Ive read in a long long time. Poppy was such a joyful qnd silly main character and Alex proved to be the perfect counterbalance for her abundance of energy. Their banter and chemistry had me laughing out loud on nearly every page and awing when they did sometime tender for each other. I loved the travel aspect of the book and the multitude of oddballs they met on their trips. While not prominent characters, they gave this story so much heart. Incredible book!!!

This book was like slipping into your favourite pair of shoes or having the perfect cup of tea after a long day at work. You know that feeling, the one where you feel content and happy and you know for a just a moment in time that everything just feels right. As you might have already guessed I found myself in a lot of like with this story. The characters, the theme and the romance all merged together to provide a wonderful reading experience and I know that this novel will be winning readers hearts all over. ‘You and me on vacation’ is a wonderfully pulled together friends to lovers romance with a healthy mix of real life mixed with a generously hopeful romantic alliance. Emily Henry is an author that seemed to be on everyone’s reading list for 2020 and in my romance reading opinion I think she really deserves the attention that she has gained, I foresee a 2021 with the same kind of following. If you are looking for a slice of lovely in a world that doesn’t currently feel so comforting right now then this book may just provide the perfect remedy.

After loving Beach Read last year, I had high hopes for You and Me on Vacation. This sounds like a setup to say it disappointed me — it’s not, I promise. It would be fair to say Beach Read is still my favourite of the two, but I loved You and Me on Vacation as well.

The story follows parallel timelines: the present, where Alex and Poppy’s relationship has been somewhat broken since some event on a trip to Croatia (you can probably easily guess what event that may be, but in the interests of no spoilers, I’m keeping schtum), and at various times across the preceding 12 years. In the present, Poppy is stuck in a rut in her job writing about vacations for a magazine, so she decides that what she needs to do is go back to the start: on a simple vacation with Alex.

Friends to lovers is one of my favourite tropes and this book did that to perfection. We get to see the build of Alex and Poppy’s friendship in the past, contrasted with their current relationship, a little bit fragile and each of them treading carefully. It’s an excellent way of establishing the bond they have while still growing them towards a romance, so I loved how that was done here.

As with Beach Read, the main two characters are also surrounded by a great cast. And they’re all characters you find yourself easily wanting to root for and read more of, both main and otherwise. Of course, Poppy and Alex are the most fleshed out of them — not a surprise given that most of the book involves scenes between them and only them — but the others do provide an interesting backdrop. Yes, the girlfriends and boyfriends who aren’t Poppy or Alex do sometimes come across a little flat and un-nuanced, but some of that is just because it’s Poppy’s POV.

I think the only issue I did have with this book would be in the third-act break-up. I really really don’t like third-act break-ups, particularly those which aren’t consistent with characterisation, and I do sort of feel like this was one of those. Especially since, to all intents and purposes, both characters had professed their love for one another, so the angst precipitating a break-up seemed to come out of nowhere. I think that’s the reason I’d give this book 4 stars instead of 5. For a bit, it did feel like a 5-star book. Until this.

But if you enjoyed Beach Read or you’re looking for another romance to get your teeth into, this is definitely one to look forward to.

I can tell you right now, January 24th, this will be on my top reads of the year. Mark my words.

Poppy and Alex meet at orientation week in college and don’t think about each other again until the end of freshman year, when they share a car ride back home for summer break and, even though they’re polar opposites, they become inseparable ever since. Right then they establish one of the main pillars of their friendship: The Summer Trip. Every summer, the two of them will go on an adventure somewhere new.

Now fast-forward to present day, 12 years later. Poppy is a travel journalist living in New York (basically getting paid to travel the world and write about it #dreamjob) and Alex is a high school teacher still living in their small Ohio hometown.

We’re told this story through Poppy’s eyes, switching between present time – when she and Alex are in no-speaking terms since their summer trip to Croatia two years ago –, and the past, as she recalls each one of their vacations together leading to that ill-fated trip. Poppy is convinced they can make their friendship work again, all she has to do is take Alex on yet another summer trip, like old times.

This story spoke to me (100% unintentional pun – I’m not crazy, you’ll understand the reference if you read it) on so many levels I can’t even begin to put it into words. Even though Poppy and Alex are like the day and the night, I recognized parts of me in both of them. I’m a let’s-book-this-random-trip-and-see-where-the-wind-takes-us kind of person like Poppy as much as I’m a let’s-stay-home-all-day-with-a-book-and-not-socialize introvert like Alex. They are both relatable, imperfect, insecure and laugh-out-loud funny in their own ways. I could just keep reading about them forever.

The relationship between the two of them and how that friends-to-lovers was inevitable all along was beautifully done. I laughed, I cried and really, really, really enjoyed this book. Like a lot. It’s the perfect opposites-attract, slow-burn, i-want-you-as-my-best-friend-and-also-everything-else-but-it-scares-the-shit-out-of-me we all deserve and all I want to do is forget it so I can read it all over again.

As Emily Henry herself puts it, this is ultimately a book about home. Because it’s less about the places we go than the people we meet along the way. But most of all, it’s about the ones who stay and become home.

Now that’s all said, please excuse me while I go find myself a copy of Beach Read and get book-drunk on that one too, because what else am I supposed to do with my life now?

A massive thank you to NetGalley and Penguin UK for an e-ARC in exchange of an honest and voluntary review.

Such a delight to read and I was fully immersed in the story between Poppy and Alex. Love to see the relationship between the both blossom with their holidays and love for each other. Perfect for a winter afternoon.

I had hears such good things about Beach Read by Emily Henry I knew I had to ask to read her next book You and Me on Vacation and I have found a new auto-buy author for contemporary romance.

You and Me on Vacation is about Poppy and Alex and their friendship over 12 years and is a Best Friends to Lovers book. If you don't like this kind of Trope then I suggest you put that aside and read this book. I found that Emily Henry had written it superbly and found my love for this trope again.

The book jumps back and forth between the present and the past 12 years. I found this delightful as you got to know both Poppy and Alex from the flashbacks and how they come to be where they are now. Poppy is a travel writer for R+R a magazine and she jets off around the world to exotic places on the company dime. The problem is something is missing from her life, and she realises that its her friend Alex. Alex is a super sweet and also from the description given HOT. He is a high school teacher and writer. Poppy and Alex are complete opposites but they have been friends since their college days and can't be without one another.

It's hinted that something went on between the two of them on one of their Summer Vacations and you get to know what this is towards the end of the book. I found the build up subtle but intriguing as I felt that I got to know the characters by travelling on their summer vacations with them in every other chapter.

The book had my heart in my throat though towards the end as I was wondering what the ending would be, but I am pleased with how it played out and felt that it was the right conclusion. Poppy definitely grew throughout the book and I loved being on the journey with her.

Do you know why I rated it as a 4 instead of a 5? This is because I heard that Emily wrote a real hot scene raunchy in Beach Read however in this book I didn't think it was that, sexy. It was more subtle and loving and I loved that and felt that was right for the characters however I wanted a bit more heat between the two.

I did however love the style of writing, the characters the witty comments between the two, the tension between the two as well. Definitely on pre-order now!

This was an intresting read. Very unsure as it went forward and back. . A third of the way I was gripped and I could not put it down. The air conditioning made me laugh. Going down a degree at a time. All the places they travelled. . Alex had loved Poppy for so long. You were not sure how it would end. I liked Poppies boss..Families can mess you up. A great read

After Emily Henry's superb 'Beach Read', I was desperate to read her next novel. When 'You and Me on Vacation' appeared on NetGalley, I almost dislocated my arm speed pressing that request button! Henry has returned with her characteristic blend of hilarious writing and weightier topics in this fulfilling friends to lovers romance in the style of the classic 'When Harry Met Sally'.

Poppy and Alex meet in college, their friendship first forming during an excruciating shared drive home from college. It is the following summer that their annual tradition is born: The Summer Trip. We follow them across 12 years of their friendship around the world, flashing back and forth between Summer Trips gone and the present summer. (Gosh, it made me miss travelling, beaches, sun, bars...) However, we are told that something happened on the trip two years ago which estranged these two friends and the present trip is their last chance to salvage their special relationship (and perhaps find love along the way).

The concept and the structure are well plotted, each holiday taking Poppy and Alex to a distinct location and deepening their (platonic?!) relationship. The sexual tension over the years is simmering throughout as the reader wills these two to stop skirting around their obvious deep love for one another. The journey sees them come of age, find their way in the world of work, enter relationships with other people, but their deep bond seems unbreakable... until the 'incident' of two years ago. The 'details of this are not revealed for most of the book and most of their Summer Trips are just them hitting bars and enjoying each other's company. I almost wish the flashbacks could have been halved and we could have spent more time seeing how Poppy and Alex cope with addressing their feelings in the present and moving on from how they have previously hurt each other.

Overall, this is a witty and thoroughly absorbing read. Henry has a real gift for writing believable yet enjoyable romance and I cannot wait to see what she comes up with next! 4.5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher who provided an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Okay, I didn’t know Emily Henry (I might have been living in a cave), and I doubted if I still liked rom-coms. After finishing this book, I can wholeheartedly say: YES, yes, yes, I still do! This is a perfect example of how a rom-com should be written! A perfect love story and I adored it!

I fell for the cover; it’s fluffy and sweet, just like the story. But this book is so much more. It’s like a blanket that warms you up in the winter when you’re curled up in it and never want to get out, or like a warm summer night on the beach when you’re gazing at stars and feel so incredibly happy. It’s cute and witty and funny and beautiful and romantic and so vibrant. The writing is wonderful, the current timeline so perfectly intertwined with those of the past. And Poppy and Alex, who love each other so much, who are meant to be together, so perfect for each other, waiting for so many years. They always had such a strong connection, and they were so real and likable like they could just jump out of the story. I laughed out loud the first time independent and talkative Poppy called serious and self controlling Alex ‘naked Alex’ when he let his guard down. Did I already say that I adored this book? And Poppy and Alex? Because I do!

Like I said at the beginning, I didn’t know Emily Henry, but I certainly do know her now. I crave for another of her stories, so I guess I will be reading Beach Read soon (I have to admit that I already put it on my e-reader).

"Maybe I could do this at home too. Maybe I could be this person who doesn’t brush her hair, who doesn’t mind being sweaty or having sand in all her crevices."

When I got this ARC I was happy like a kid on a Christmas day. I just loved Beach read and I had High hopes for this book.
So, as soon as I got this I read the first Chapter, and stopped, why You may ask?! Well, I was scared to read it whole. I was scared that this book won't be as good as I hoped. But let me say this it is even better. 💖

... I loved that 5% in this book won. I just love the theme here. I love how Poppy and Alex met, and I love all the references to When Harry met Sally. And dear author, I totally agree with you, that at first Harry so boring and annoying, but you just see how the character grows.

“Isn’t that ridiculous?” I groan -laugh. “My life turned out how I hoped it would, and now I just miss wanting something.”

... But Alex wasn't annoying, he was was sweet from the first scene, and I think he thought that Poppy was little annoying when they first met.
They are soooo different, the have only couple of things in common. But it is soo strange that they became friends, at first place. But when they fall they fall hard and for forever.

"No song,” he says. “I bet you’re fun at parties,” I say. “I’m fine at parties,” he says."

They are just so good together.
I hate that they got scared and that they didn't talk for two years.
I must say I just could not wait to read about that THE summer trip, what happened, how it happened...

I love that they are each other PERSON. I think the spark was always there, they were just so young when they first met. And after all the years, and all the other people, they just got to scared to try, but they also got to scared of growing up and leaving one another behind.

"I’ll be fine without you, Poppy.” This is the last thing I want to hear."

I just can not express how I really love this book.
Poppy and Alex capture my heart. I love how chatty Poppy is, and sooo funny. And Alex... So so closed off, but if you made in his inner circle you are there for life.

This really was soo good... And I stared reading this I just couldn't stop until I finished it.
I just don't have in me to give this book rating less that 5.

“I thought you didn’t like holding hands,” I say. “And you said you did,” he says. “So, what ? I just get whatever I want now?” I tease. His smile flickers back into place, calm and restrained. “Yes, Poppy,” he says. “You get whatever you want now. Is that a problem?”

I just can not to reread it again.

I absolutely adored this book!
To quote Poppy and Alex, "it speaks to me".
Both characters are so well constructed and I was a big fan of the way in which it was written.
You immediately feel yourself in Poppy's shoes and I could relate to a lot of what she was going through and could only wish to have someone like Alex in my life.
You are definitely 100% invested in their lives, which is always the mark of an excellent writer.
I loved seeing their friendship play out over the years and the amount of mutual pining for one another, banter, their lives and relationships meaning that things never quite lined up for them to be together and basically all of the This Summer/Palm Springs chapters were SO GOOD!
But I couldn't get enough when it came to every chapter, so much so that I devoured this book in just a few days.
This was also the perfect recipe for current times, given that we can't travel, as this book took me all over the world from the comfort of my home.
I will be recommending this book to everyone and I cannot wait to see what Emily Henry does next.
I've already downloaded her first book, Beach Read, to read next.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was so excited to receive this arc!

Poppy and Alex are friends since college, they are complete opposites but they also feel comfortable and themselves while in each other's company. Every summer they go to on vacation together in a new place, this lifelong tradition ended two years ago.

This year while Poppy tries to remember when she was last happy, she knows it was when she was with Alex, she reaches out to him in order to organize a new vacation. A trip to remember and save their friendship.

The writing is so so good and with a clever sense of humor.

The story is divided in the past and present, letting us see the changes in their lives through the years. It was interesting to see it, but I was more invested in the present narrative.

Poppy and Alex felt so real in this book, two characters with a lot of history and deep feelings between them. I could see how much they loved each other but I didn't feel the chemistry I expected.

*I received an ARC through the publisher and this is my honest review.

This book was stupid cute. Like, so cute that I was sitting on the bus, grinning like a dork, grateful to be wearing a face mask so people couldn’t see my stupid smile. I loved this and I now officially love Emily Henry and will forever read whatever she publishes.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin UK for inviting me to read this. feel this will firmly be in my top 5 reads of the year.

'You and Me on vacation' is the sort of book that you read in one sitting beneath the summer sun. Its the book that makes you laugh out loud and cry with frustration. It's the type of story where you sit and root for the two protagonists to admit their feelings and finally fall in love.

Its the type of book that will make you smile once you've reached that final page.

This book was a fantastic, lighthearted read that made me smile. Our two protagonists were strong written characters, and their re-kindling friendship was both entertaining and sad. Although this book won't make you cry, it will make you ache for the characters and their stories, and also want them to be happy in the end.

This book is also a 'friends to lovers' book, so the tension about moving into this new territory was incredible and had me on the edge of my seat for a while.

The only disadvantage to this book that I didn't particularly like was the constant change of past and present between chapters. I much prefer books that stick to the story and have the details of the past intertwined, but I understand that to pack in as much detail as Emily Henry has, you may need to separate the past and present with their own chapters.

I overall thought this book was great, and I could see it as a beautiful summer read.

Trigger Warnings*: death, grief, minor injury (sprained ankle, not graphic), parental loss

*This is not an exhaustive list - these are just what I picked up on in the novel, and there may be others that I have missed

Oh my, my, my the yearing. So much yearning, so much angst, so much desire, I love it. (And that's no just between he characters . . . that was also how I felt reading about these holidays!)

This is the first novel by Emily Henry that I have read, and I'm so glad I requested it on Netgalley! I've been on a bit of an adult contemporary novel binge, so when I came across this with it's pretty cover, and read the blurb I was like ugh...yes please! It combines some of my favourite tropes, friends-to-lovers, enemies-to-lovers, and the continuously magnificent, there's-only-one-bed *gasp*.

I enjoyed the structure of this novel. We start off with one random summer holiday, allowing us to be introduced to our main characters, Poppy and Alex, in the midst of their friendship. Then we go to the present, and find Poppy alone, feeling burned out, and discover something mysterious happened between Alex and herself that stopped them from talking for 2 years . . . The novel then interchanges from the present and the past. The analepsis is chronological, taking us back to the beginning of their friendship in college, and working it's way up to that mysterious holiday in Croatia where it all fell apart. I loved that we were able to see the development of their friendship, and their love for each other (God, Poppy was so painfully in love with him) and then that contrast to them in the 'present' were they began to reconnect and relearn about each other.

It was just so cute, and really emotional. I thought both characters were great. I was able to connect with Poppy more since this was in her perspective, and I certainly felt her love for Alex more than I felt his love for her - I do think it would've benefited having chapters from his perspective. It wasn't awful, like there was certainly emotion and chemistry from Alex, but I think it could've been written with a bit more depth.

Well written, funny and escapist. An enjoyable read overall. I immediately downloaded and began to read Beach Read after finishing this, desperate for more of Henry's writing!

Big thank you to Netgalley and Penguin for sending me this e-Arc in exchange for an honest review.

I was really excited for this book as I loved Emily Henry's previous novel, Beach Read. This book was even better than her previous novel. It had my favourite romantic trope, with the best friends who keep missing each other and take years to finally get together. What I loved most about this novel was how relatable both Alex and Poppy were. They were very different to each other but they both made complete sense and you could completely understand both of them.
This book also made me want to travel ASAP! Maybe not the perfect book to read during a national lockdown because now I'm itching to travel to a different country.
Overall, this is one of my new favourite romances and I will definitely be re-reading this in the future.

This book should've been a 5 stars but my dumb brain decided not to connect with the story and the characters even though I related so much! It makes no sense whatsoever but it is what it is and I fault myself entirely and not the book because the books IS AMAZING!!

If you loved Emily Henry's other book I think you will love this one too because I loooooovveeed Beach Read. But instead of enemies to lovers, this is sort of friends that are no longer friends and are kind of estranged to lovers.

THINGS THAT I LIKED :
-this book gave me MAJOR wanderlust and I loved reading about all the places our two characters went to on vacation.
-the friendship between Poppy and Alex feels so realistic and I liked how it is (in my opinion) a non stereotypical friendship.
-I like how the characters were flawed in a human way, which made them feel real.
-I related a lot to the characters, mainly Poppy.
-I appreciate the healthy decisions that the characters made at some point in the story, not gonna say when though.

THINGS I FEEL MEH ABOUT: (these are just personal preferences and to be frank I am nitpicking here)
-the writing did not blow me away but I do think a lot of people will find this book funny.
-even though I related to the characters a lot, for some reason I could not connect with them or the story. I am not entirely sure why...
-the story went from the 'now' to the past, (eg. this summer and then 10 summers a go), until the past caught up with the present. So with this in mind, I didn't feel like there was any character development for Poppy and Alex. You would think that throughout a decade, they would feel a bit different every summer but they didn't. They felt like the same people throughout the entire story. Not sure if this was on purpose or not.



And lastly, I wonder if love like this even exists in real life?

You and Me on Vacation it a heartfelt and funny story of two best friends who go on vacation together every year.
It is told from Poppy's point of view and switches between present day and flashbacks of the yearly holidays she takes with her best friend, Alex.
Each flashback brings you closer to the present day, its twelve years of slow burn and it is fantastic. They whole way through I just wanted them to get together already and admit they loved each other!!

I think my favourite thing about this book was the characters. Both Poppy and Alex are really compelling characters and i fell in love with them instantly. Especially Poppy. She's bubbly and fun but also very insecure. I found her so interesting to read about. Her and Alex also have the BEST banter and it made me laugh out loud a number of times.

To top it all off, this book was FILLED with some of my absolute favourite romance tropes. You have friends to lovers, only one bed, one character looking after the other while they're sick - THE LIST GOES ON. And let me tell you, this book does them all wonderfully. The sexual tension between the two characters is *chefs kiss* and there is sO MUCH PINING.

I think at this point I will read absolutely every book Emily Henry puts out because both this one and Beach Read were absolutely fantastic.
I cannot wait for this book to be out in the world so that everyone can experience what a joy it is!

Overall, I think You and Me on Vacation is everything I look for in a romance. Its funny, heartfelt and has characters that leap of the page. I know i'll be thinking about this book for a long time and encouraging everyone I know to read it!