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The sun is blazing, and I’m writing this review in jean shorts at noon on a weekday. That can only mean one thing: summer. 

I can’t express how excited I am for a couple of months filled with reading, some camping, and general good times with my people. In celebration of summer, I found it appropriate to read a beach-y romcom because…what else shouts summer? It was either that or a murderous novel set in the woods. 

Don’t worry, that’s coming next!

A couple of months ago I reviewed Beach Read by Emily Henry (which you can find here) and I just about lost it at the end. Ugly tears. Messy, ugly tears because the novel was that good. So when I found out Emily Henry’s new novel would be released just in time for summer, I decided I had to get my hands on a copy. 

I wasn’t sure anything could live up to Beach Read, so I was nervous diving into this. How could anything be as good as perfection? And two perfect novels from the same author? Is that possible? 

Yes. Apparently it is possible because, dare I say, I like People We Meet on Vacation…more? Oops. I said it. I liked People We Meet on Vacation more than Beach Read. I didn’t think it was possible and then Emily Henry went and proved me wrong. 

I’ll be honest, I didn’t messy cry this time. But my face couldn’t stop smiling because it’s just so dang wholesome. And I’m constantly searching for more wholesome media and content in my life. 

Synopsis:

Poppy and Alex meet awkwardly at freshman gathering in college ten years ago. She is bright and loud; he’s practical and wears khakis. They don’t speak to each other again until a fateful car ride back to their unexpectedly shared hometown in Ohio. During the long drive back to the small town, they find out they have nothing in common, and, naturally, leave as best friends. 

They take a trip the next summer to Canada, thus beginning their yearly summer vacation. 

Despite living in different cities and being in relationships, Poppy and Alex always make their summer vacation work. It’s the thing each looks forward to throughout the year. The thing that gets them through the hard days. They stick to it until one night changed everything. 

Suddenly, it’s been two years since Poppy has spoken to Alex. Life is falling apart at her dream travel writing job and the only thing that will make it better is one last vacation with Alex. 

What I Liked: 

The dynamic between Poppy and Alex is nuanced and sweet. The draw between them is palpable even in the first few pages. It aches to watch them sort out their feelings for each other over a ten year period, which is so relatable. It’s an age-old question: can boys and girls really be just friends? And what happens if you tell your best friend you love them and you lose them in the process? Henry explores this question so well between two characters who are completely different people down to their cores but are clearly meant for each other. 

Poppy is a mess and, again, it’s so relatable. She has everything she could ever want as a writer, but it doesn’t seem like enough. The internal struggle she experiences is something I think is human. We all reach a point where the things we have aren’t enough anymore. We need to make changes and pursue different avenues. This crossroads of change and becoming who you’re meant to be. It’s beautiful watching her sort out what she needs and learn what she really wants in life. Sometimes what we actually want is far different from the plans we’ve made up in our dreamy little brains.

This novel is SO witty. I love it. Humor is really risky and challenging to write. What a writer finds funny may not translate as funny to the audience or reader. Henry writes wit with grace and it definitely translates over. 

Just like Beach Read, expect some heat. 

What I Didn’t Like:

Um…I hated that it ended?

Overview:

Poppy and Alex are opposites and best friends. Their yearly vacation is something they both look forward to until that one night two years ago ends the whole thing. Poppy is feeling unsettled in her life and career which drives her to text Alex one lonely night in her NYC apartment to set up one last trip to Palm Springs. A story, at its core, of friendship and falling in love. I loved everything about this book. The palpable connection between the characters, the witty dialogue, and the relatable nature of Poppy as she figures out change. This is another 5/5 read for me. Grab it from Bookshop or Amazon for a great summer read!