Review: People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry
Going to go out on a limb and share a potentially unpopular opinion…but I wasn’t a fan of Beach Read last year. I liked the writing but didn’t vibe with the story, so I was excited to try another Emily Henry. I definitely was more of a fan of People We Meet On Vacation, though it hasn’t made its way into my All Time Favorites when it comes to Romance. I’m realizing I’m becoming pickier and pickier after finding my way deeper into the genre.
And yet, I still really liked this book. It kept me reading, I enjoyed the journey Poppy needed to go on and could relate to a lot of her struggles as a creative. I liked the dual timeline of the story and found myself thinking about it when I wasn’t reading, which is always a good sign!
Synopsis: “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?” —From the Publisher
What I Liked:
The Trope—I never think I am a fan but every time I read a Second Chance Romance, especially with a friends to lover storyline, I fall in love with the characters. It’s so familiar to me and my own love story so I can’t help but get a little nostalgic.
The Multiple Settings—After a year of staying home, it was a treat to feel like I was jet setting off to all these different places with Poppy and Alex.
No Miscommunication—HALLELUJAH a romance novel that doesn’t have the miscommunication trope. There is a tiny element of it, a whisper if you will, but for the most part, I found Poppy and Alex weren’t beating around the bush. It was obvious they valued their friendship and there was the right amount of tension that you knew a lot was left unsaid but still didn’t make me knock my head against the wall yelling, “JUST TALK TO EACH OTHER.” Emily Henry, my head thanks you.
What Didn’t Work:
Something Was Missing—I’ve been sitting on this for a while and still can’t quite articulate what was missing from this book to keep it from being an all time fav, but it just lacked a little oomph for me I think. Some parts felt overwritten and other felt underwritten and we were left with some plot holes.
TW/CW: death of a parent; grief
Character Authenticity: 4/5 Steam Rating: 1/5 Overall Rating: 4/5