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People We Meet on Vacation

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Poppy and Alex, two best friends with contrasting personalities, have been taking annual vacations together for years until a falling out causes a two-year silence in their friendship. When Poppy suggests one final summer trip to mend their relationship, they head to Palm Springs to confront their feelings for each other. The story alternates between past trips and their current vacation, exploring their deep connection and the challenges they face in transitioning from friends to potentially something more. Emily Henry's writing style weaves humor, romance, and realism, creating an engaging narrative that delves into themes of friendship, love, and self-discovery.

Characters:

The main characters, Poppy and Alex, are effectively developed, portraying a dynamic friendship that evolves into a romantic relationship, showcasing both their contrasting traits and shared emotional depth.

Writing/Prose:

The writing style is characterized by humor, witty dialogue, and a relatable tone, effectively blending emotional depth with light-heartedness.

Plot/Storyline:

The plot follows Poppy and Alex, two friends whose relationship evolves over years of shared vacations, highlighting the intricacies of friendship and love, as they confront their past and feelings during a reconciliation trip.

Setting:

The settings are diverse, ranging across several vacation spots over the years, serving as a backdrop for personal growth and relational development.

Pacing:

Pacing is a mix of steady and introspective, with a slow burn due to alternating timelines, which some find engaging while others feel it could drag.
The last time Swapna rested was probably three years ago, when she was eight and a half months pregnant and on doctor-mandated bed rest. Even then, she spent the whole time video-chatting with the off...

Notes:

The main characters, Poppy and Alex, meet during their first year of college.
Poppy is an extroverted travel writer, while Alex is a quiet English teacher.
The story spans over a decade, showcasing the annual vacations they take together.
A pivotal event happens during a trip to Croatia, which causes a rift in their friendship for two years.
The narrative alternates between past vacations and the present, where they attempt to reconnect.
Emily Henry describes the novel as an homage to "When Harry Met Sally."
Characters experience strong emotional growth throughout the story, dealing with family issues and personal insecurities.
Witty banter and electric chemistry are standout elements of their relationship.
Alex has previously cared for his younger brothers after losing his mother, showcasing his nurturing personality.
Poppy and Alex's relationship evolves from friendship to romance, reflecting a common 'friends to lovers' trope.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

The book addresses themes such as miscommunication in relationships and personal insecurities, which could be triggering for some readers.

Has Romance?

The romance is a significant focus of the narrative and is developed throughout the story.

From The Publisher:

THE #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER!

A TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JIMMY FALLON SUMMER READS NOMINEE!

Named a Most Anticipated Book of 2021 by Newsweek ∙ Oprah Magazine ∙ The Skimm ∙ Marie Claire ∙ Parade ∙ The Wall Street Journal ∙ Chicago Tribune ∙ PopSugar ∙ BookPage ∙ BookBub ∙ Betches ∙ SheReads ∙ Good Housekeeping ∙ BuzzFeed ∙ Business Insider ∙ Real Simple ∙ Frolic ∙ and more!

Two best friends. Ten summer trips. One last chance to fall in love.

From the New York Times bestselling author of Beach Read comes a sparkling new novel that will leave you with the warm, hazy afterglow usually reserved for the best vacations.

Poppy and Alex. Alex and Poppy. They have nothing in common. She's a wild child; he wears khakis. She has insatiable wanderlust; he prefers to stay home with a book. And somehow, ever since a fateful car share home from college many years ago, they are the very best of friends. For most of the year they live far apart-she's in New York City, and he's in their small hometown-but every summer, for a decade, they have taken one glorious week of vacation together.

Until two years ago, when they ruined everything. They haven't spoken since.

Poppy has everything she should want, but she's stuck in a rut. When someone asks when she was last truly happy, she knows, without a doubt, it was on that ill-fated, final trip with Alex. And so, she decides to convince her best friend to take one more vacation together-lay everything on the table, make it all right. Miraculously, he agrees.

Now she has a week to fix everything. If only she can get around the one big truth that has always stood quietly in the middle of their seemingly perfect relationship. What could possibly go wrong?

Ratings (302)

Incredible (32)
Loved It (124)
Liked It (92)
It Was OK (31)
Did Not Like (19)
Hated It (4)

Reader Stats (492):

Read It (313)
Currently Reading (3)
Want To Read (130)
Did Not Finish (9)
Not Interested (37)

7 comment(s)

Incredible
3 weeks

Favorite Emily Henry so far. A perfect summer treat

 
It Was OK
1 month

I liked it. The second half was better than the first half. (This is the first book I've read by this author. Beach Read is still sitting on my TBR shelf).

 
It Was OK
2 months

It would not be difficult to believe that Emily Henry’s books are AI generated. The writing style is good but unexceptional; the narrative arc is immaculately banal; the characters are melodramatic and their problems are shallow. Honestly, not bad. Not good either, but hey, sometimes we crave trash, and Emily Henry is the Arby’s of romantic comedy. Nutritious? No. Delicious? Also no.

 
Did Not Like
3 months

Not a real review, just a note that I started this but could tell right away I was not in the right mind-set to enjoy this. I loved Beach Read, so I'm sure I'll pick this up again, but I needed something less....emotional? Less thoughtful? I dunno, but tb continued.

 
5 months

Slow paced and the storyline is kind of basic. i wasn't intrigued by the characters or the plot and it made me feel burdened to pick it up

 
Liked It
7 months

Cute. Kind of a slow-burning “will-they, won’t-they”. By the time they revealed what actually happened in Croatia, I had sort of stopped caring. I was more interested in the “current summer” story line.

 
Liked It
1 year

https://sravikabodapati.wordpress.com/2024/02/03/people-we-meet-on-vacation-by-emily-henry/

 

About the Author:

Emily Henry is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of People We Meet on Vacation and Beach Read. She studied creative writing at Hope College, and now spends most of her time in Cincinnati, Ohio, and the part of Kentucky just beneath it. Find her on Instagram @emilyhenrywrites.

 
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