For What It's Worth


Thursday, May 20, 2021

Review: People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry


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

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 the  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? ~ Goodreads

Source: E-ARC provided by Berkley Books via Netgalley 

The Book Pusher: Amber from DuLivre (her review)


~ People We Meet on Vacation was the easy (slight - but lower - angst) read I didn't know I needed.

~ I loved following Poppy and Alex throughout the years (through present tense and flashbacks) from their first meeting and on each and every (platonic) vacation together since. Drinks and good food were had, hilarity ensued, deep conversations unraveled. Other loves came and went but their friendship endured - until it didn't.

~ THE BIG SECRET plots don't usually work for me. It takes so long to build up to the truth of what happened that the pay off is rarely worth it. The secret is always...seriously?? That's it?

 Something happened on Poppy and Alex's last vacation. Something bad enough to tear them apart after a decade of friendship and vacations and led them not speak for two years. 

Without spoiling, I'll say it might have been a tad anti-climatic in scope but it felt true to their personalities to me and somehow worked. For me. 

~ Poppy and Alex's chemistry is ๐Ÿ”ฅ๐Ÿ”ฅ but they are also quite believable as best friends and I loved how the author allowed them have other meaningful relationships and grow on their own before coming back together and sealing the deal. 

Overall: I was reading another book at the time that was so dark and depressing so this book was like a breath of fresh air. Like having a vacation and new friends for the summer!


24 comments:

  1. YAAAY I'm so happy you enjoyed it! I agree that the big secret was a bit anti-climatic but I was completely sold on Alex and Poppy by that point and didn't care lol.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think it might be anti-climatic to an outsider but to THEM it was big and I bought it. For them anyway.

      And I agree - I just wanted them to be together and happy and I liked that the author added therapy and self improvement first.

      Delete
  2. Ok ok. I'm officially convinced. I read a review which shares your enthusiasm as well, so I'm sold!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yay! I hope you enjoy it. It was lighter but still impactful.

      Delete
  3. This sounds fantastic. I love a little angst and need something light.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It just felt like a beach read kind of book. And after being stuck inside for a year it was fun to (vicariously) go on so many vacations lol

      Delete
  4. I like this premise! Sounds fun. and of course now I want to know what the "event" was that changed things. :) For some reason this reminds me of the Before Sunrise movies.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It *kinda* is?? Honestly, the event wasn't a huge thing but enough to scare them off lol The build up and payoff was worth it to me though.

      Delete
  5. I totally misread The Book Pusher at first and thought it said The Book Publisher... and saw Amber's name. And was, of course, confused. I mean, Amber is awesome and I have no doubt she could do anything, but I really didn't think she published Henry's new release. LOL Anyway, so glad you enjoyed this one! Sounds like the perfect balance to the other book you were reading.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. She climbed the ranks at light speed lol

      And yasssss the other book was good but making me soooo depressed lol

      Delete
  6. That sounds like it would be really good.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Vacay book yay, I do not want dark and depressing. I did read a "sad" book, but it was never actually sad

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There's always some drama lol but it was low key.

      Delete
  8. that last point really hits it for me. I'm absolutely hyped for this book and I'm just waiting for my local bookstore to have it online.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Ooh I do love books in which 'the couple' have nothing in common AND I love the thought of the author allowing the relationship to develop (I really can't be doing with all this 'Instalove'). This sounds like a great read, your it 'was like a breath of fresh air. Like having a vacation and new friends for the summer!' saying it all.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. They truly don't have much in common lol but they were instant friends and I enjoyed how they balanced each other out.

      Delete
  10. Big secret books are usually a bit anti-climatic, but that's good it still worked overall for you. I do want to read this one. I have her book Beach Read to get to soon.

    Lauren
    www.shootingstarsmag.net

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It felt trues to them so it worked in this case - even if it was a bit of a dud as far as secrets go lol

      Delete
  11. I am glad this book could be a good breath of fresh air for you when you needed it to be! I don't like the big secret reveals because I am always expecting something bigger than what it turns out to be... and it never really is something THAT shocking. But it's good to know this one has it in there. I do want to read it ^.^

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm the same with secrets. If it builds too long and it's very anti-climactic for me.

      This wasn't that great of a secret either, to be honest, but I understood why it was big to them. And it was a way to unravel their relationship through the years. Also, they didn't get too caught up about it once they came back together.

      Delete
  12. I keep seeing this book pop up everywhere! I love a breath of fresh air lol. Also it sounds like the perfect summer beach read. Will see if my library has it ๐Ÿ˜Š

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yea, it's a lighter beach read but with a lot of heart.

      Delete