People We Meet on Vacation

Have you ever come across a book that, the minute you finish reading, you want to go back and read it again? People We Meet On Vacation was that book for me. I have been hearing about this book for a while, and I even got it a couple of years ago on my birthday. One of my best friends and I decided to buddy read this one, and I’m so glad that we did! It’s the perfect book to start my summer reading. People We Meet On Vacation was such a beautifully written book; the characters, the descriptions, the setting, and, of course, the connection between the characters. Every page had me craving more and wishing I didn’t have to study. I fell in love with Alex and Poppy’s story within a few minutes of starting the book. You could tell that what Poppy and Alex had gone beyond friendship; even if they didn’t want to admit. The connection that those shared was so heartwarming and had me smiling. Although, I wish that those would realize and admit their feelings. I loved the way that the story shifted from present summer to the past summers that Alex and Poppy spent together. I loved the way Alex and Poppy joked with each other and the situations they found themselves in. Despite that, they were always there for one another. The last few chapters were my favorites. This story is everything that I love about romance. Friends to Lovers is one of my favorite tropes, and People We Meet On Vacation is on top of that list. Now that I have read the book, I’m even more excited to see the movie. Plus, I’m in the mood to read more summer books. I could keep talking about this book, but I don’t want to give too much away. You’ll have to check out to find out for yourself.

I know some serious literary writers and readers don’t take Emily Henry very seriously since she’s a romance writer, but on a technical level, her writing is damn good. Here’s a few examples. She uses metaphors well. This one is simple, but very fitting for the character’s personality—“Alex’s shoulders life, like he’s a turtle retracting into his shell.” Other times, we get short but deep character observations that could totally be in a literary novel. “I should’ve guessed what a cautious driver he’d be. Then again, sometimes when you guess about people, you end up very wrong.” There are also so many brilliant bits of humor in this book that Henry uses. There’s a running joke between the two main characters about the terrible, old Honda Aspire they borrow, about how it aspires to have working air conditioning, aspires to live long enough to see the end of human suffering, though it probably won’t live long enough to see the of the Star Wars franchise. Henry’s funny characters are actually funny to read about and it makes the novel a very fun journey. I also think Henry is very smart about how she involves side characters in her books. She knows her audience and she doesn’t waste too much time on supporting characters, so she comes up with clever ways to have minor characters that need to exist for plot logic to add to the tension of the story. For example, the two other people they’re sharing an Uber with are honeymooners in bedazzled visors that say WIFEY and HUBBY who are “so tanned already they look something like Alex’s shoes.” It’s simple, but so effective. A silly detail like the cringey visors tells us exactly who these two strangers are and what kind of people they are in a comical way. It’s a romcom with romcom hijinks, but Henry really does a beautiful job of exploring Millennial ennui and the emotional complexities of travel, with all its highs and lows. She also digs into career satisfaction in a very interesting and wise way. Spark notes; I have a soft spot for romcoms and Emily Henry is the real deal with her craft.

I giggled through the first third of People We Meet on Vacation. This “friends to lovers” theme is a perfect summer read that includes relationship substance and romance. The unusual relationship between Poppy and Alex drew me in and kept my attention. Introduced in college, these polar opposite personalities were less than impressed by what they saw during that initial meeting. Fate threw them together later when Poppy needed a ride home from college and Alex (and his car) provided transportation to her small town in Ohio. A friendship developed during the ride, which blossomed into a rich alliance that spans thousands of miles and years of time. As adults, Poppy lives in New York City, and Alex teaches in Poppy’s home town. They initially vacationed together on penny-pinching getaways. When Poppy becomes a writer for a high-end travel magazine, she invites Alex to accompany her on a yearly trip to an exquisite vacation destination. Exploring the mysteries of their relationship was intriguing. People We Meet on Vacation has a non-linear timeline, taking the reader back and forth to various events and locations. Although I felt the flipping a bit overdone, alternating between the present and the past of these characters works well to keep a reader guessing. The characters repeatedly refer to a time “two years ago” that caused the friendship to explode. This hint teases the readers for nearly half the book before divulging the reasons for the split. Both characters have emotional baggage they bring to the relationship. Poppy brims with personality, humor, and a carefree spirit. But that makes her flighty and unpredictable. Alex is the problem solver, the person who can handle any situation. He is also bookish, set in his ways, and sometimes a spoilsport. The emotional tug-of-war between the two characters is realistic. Poppy and Alex have traits the other is lacking, provide needed support for one another, and complement the other in various ways. Their chemistry is interesting but not perfect, like real life. The final third of the book was predictable, but satisfying. The author, Emily Henry, has held the number one position on the New York Times and Sunday Times bestseller list for this work, as well as others. She pens a good romantic story and keeps the storyline realistic. Although I enjoyed it, this book should appeal to young adults more than an older reader, as it contained more expletives and sexual situations than I’d prefer. However, don’t let this diminish your curiosity about this rom-com. People We Meet on Vacation reminds us to take a chance on love.

This was definitely my least favorite of the Emily Henry novels I've read. It felt like her first attempt at writing a story like this. Poppy feels a little too Manic Pixie Girl-ish to relate to. She feels so broadly drawn and all over the place that it's hard to connect to/empathize with her. Alex is loosely drawn but more likable. It's obvious the entire time how the characters feel and what's going to happen but the story from here to there isn't that interesting. There is far less chemistry and tension between the main characters than in her other stories. Usually I can't put her. books down but I had to work on finishing this one. The book is saved by the quality of the writing, if not the quality of the story itself.

The storyline is of Poppy and Alex who meet at orientation week freshman year of college. They slowly become friends and as life goes on with careers and all, they decide to commit to one Summer Vacation together each year to stay connected. However, as years go by the timing is never right to openly discuss their deeper feelings for each other. Honestly, Emily Henry crafted their characters so well that it was very difficult to understand what the other was truly thinking/feeling. This is definitely not your typical romance novel. 🩷 I rate this book ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book after the first few chapters… the story started a bit slow and difficult to get hooked into until about the fourth chapter in. But once hooked, this novel was so difficult to put down.

Absolutely loved! Something different for the rom-com files. Adventurous, frustrating, happy, sad, all of the emotions! A great light read that everyone is sure to adore

Super enjoyable, easy read for me. Alive with color and substance. Making it comforting and uplifting, lovable characters with in a story with continuous movement.

If you’re looking for a great work of fiction, this is not it. If you’re looking for a “beach read”, dive on in! Though you’ll know the ending as soon as you finish the first chapter, it’s an enjoyable and easy read. I have thoughts about the main character- mainly negative- but she’s entertaining and funny at least.

My favorite Emily Henry book! The yearning had me screaming, crying and blushing.

I reread this after a long time because a series is coming out and I wanted to refresh my memory. This was the first book by Henry that I ever read, and the one that convinced me to follow her in all her future publications. I love her writing style, the way she builds her stories, and her characters. She never disappoints!

وصل بحاله جداً جيدة و فقط ضرر خفيف عند الحواف. الغلاف جميل والكتاب مرن اما الروايه نفسها قيمتها ١٠ من ١٠ ، جداً حبيتها بدايتي مع هالكتاب ما كانت من احسن البدايات ، و حتى اني نوعاً ما كرهت أول فصلين بسبب كثرة حديث النفس. مع تقدمي مع احداث الكتاب اكثر شيء جذبني هو الكيمياء و الصداقه بين اليكس و بوبي "حرفياً من افضل الصداقات اللي قرأت عنها! " ارتباطي العميق بالشخصيات هو اللي سبب لي كل الألم و المشاعر اللي حسيت فيها خلال قرائتي للأحداث . و شيء ثاني ساعدني في اني احب هالروايه و هو اني وقعت بالحب مع اليكس و دائماً ما كنت اتسائل عن وجهة نظرة خلال وقوع الأحداث. الروايه مو من النوع اللي تحصل فيها أحداث قوية أو يملأها الحماس و الإثارة لكن اللي يعوض هالجانب هو طريقة كتابة الشخصيات و الديناميكا بينهم و اللي اشوفها من اكبر نقاط قوة الكتاب. فيه أحداث كان مفترض انها تكون "غامضه" و "مثيره للتساؤل" في أي رواية أخرى لكن في هالروايه كانت مكتوبة بطريقة سهله التوقع لكن هالشيء ما يسلب شيء من متعة الكتاب وعشن كذا اشوف هالكاتبه عبقريه في الشيء اللي هي تسويه. مثلاً كان سهل التوقع انه بوبي و اليكس يحبوا بعضهم لكن مستحيل كنت راح اخمن مشاعرهم و افكارهم و كيف انها راح تأثر فيني رغم اني أعرف نتيجة كل هالأحداث ، و مثل اللي صار قبل سنتين كان مفترض يكون اكبر شيء غامض بالكتاب لكني توقعته بسهوله من البداية و مع كذا الحدث أثر فيني بشكل كبير. اكثر شيء كان يخلي العقدة في هالكتاب صعبة الحل هو الطبقات العميقه في علاقتهم ، العبء الكبير للماضي و العواقب اللي ممكن يحملها المستقبل من بعد انهاء صداقة ١٢ سنه. حبيت كيف انه الكتاب يوضح انه العلاقات الحميميه ما تعتمد على الحب و بس و انها تأثر على جوانب اخرى مثل الأحلام و الأهداف المستقبليه ، الزواج و العائلة ، الوظيفة و مكان المعيشة. حبيت كيف انه العقدة كانت صعبة الحل علي كقارئة رغم انها تبان بسيطة سطحياً ، وهالشيء نادراً يصير معي في الكتب من هذا التصنيف. حركة جميلة من الكاتبة انها وضعت سؤال في جزء النقاش نهاية الكتاب كان بمعنى انه " هل بوبي و اليكس ستستمر علاقتهم ؟ " و بالرغم من اني كنت حابه اشوفهم يتزوجوا في النهاية و يعيشوا بسعادة و سبات ونبات زي كل القصص الخيالية الا اني برضو حبيت انها حطت مجال للنقاش عن مصير علاقتهم بدال ما تسوي المعروف والشائع بكل الكتب. جداً حركة عبقرية من كاتب لما يجعل قصته موضوع مثير للأهتمام للنقاش و التأمل. قرأت جزء كبير من الكتاب وانا حاسه بألم في صدري وضيقه من كثر ما اني مرتبطه بالشخصيات عاطفياً و هاذي من العلامات اللي تخلي اي كتاب تقييمه عالي بالنسبه. طريقة السرد مو مثاليه "حسيت بالملل احياناً" لكني استمتعت بأغلب الروايه حرفياً من اكثر الكتب اللي سمعت عليها اراء سلبيه لدرجة انها نفّرتني منها لفترة طويله ، لكن سعيدة بأني اعطيتها فرصه لأني استمتعت فيها كثير و متحمسه اقرأ اعمال اخرى للكاتبة

Muy buen libro, me lo he comprado para practicar inglés y la verdad esque lo ue entendido todo bastante bien (tengo un nivel medio)

Este livro é fenomenal e foi uma delícia lê-lo durante as férias! O Alex e a Poppy são perfeitos um para o outro! O anseio, o desejo e a paixão, as piadas internas e a química incrível entre eles fizeram eu me apaixonar por eles desde o primeiro capítulo. A forma como eles conheciam e entendiam um ao outro foi de tirar o fôlego! Um romance lindo que encheu meu coração de alegria!