“I’m on vacation. Vacations always end. It’s the very fact that it’s finite that makes traveling special. You could move to any one of those destinations you loved in small doses, and it wouldn’t be the spellbinding, life-altering seven days you spend there as a guest, letting a place into your heart fully, letting it change you.”
People We Meet on Vacation – Emily Henry
My Rating
In Summary of People We Meet on Vacation
Best friends and travel buddies, Alex and Poppy, are complete opposites; she’s a little wild and he’s reserved. However, Poppy’s job as a travel blogger has allowed them to make countless memories together beyond their shared hometown. That is, until two years ago when something goes terribly wrong and their friendship sours. Now, as Poppy finds herself needing to get out of a rut, she convinces Alex to give traveling together – and their friendship – another shot. What could possibly go wrong, and what truths about their relationship will they have to face on this trip?
WARNING: A few steamy scenes!
READ IF YOU LIKE: rom-coms, friends-to-lovers trope, opposites attract stories, vacation & travelling, cheesy relationships
| Positives | Negatives |
|---|---|
| Strong chemistry between main characters; quirky dialogue | Alex seems almost unreal with how perfect he is |
| Moving between past and present works for this book | Plot lags in parts |
| One perspective (Poppy’s) doesn’t give too much away |
“I wish I could bottle this moment and wear it as a perfume. It would always be with me. Everywhere I went, he’d be there too, and so I’d always feel like myself.”
The Review
Okay, everyone. I thought I would start off stating some possible unpopular opinions:
a) Emily’s Henry’s Beach Read was not my favorite.
b) People We Meet on Vacation is way better.
Poppy and Alex’s relationship is charming, and who doesn’t love to watch romantic tension awkwardly build over time? It sure is better than having to experience it firsthand!
Their relationship as friends just feels right to me despite the unnaturally opposite match that they clearly are; they are the true example of “opposites attract.” Somehow, it just works, making the reader root for them all the way until the end.
Let’s addess my feelings on PWMOV vs. Beach Read – Although the writing of PWMOV is similar to Beach Read, the dialogue and chemistry between Alex and Poppy felt more realistic to me. Plus, watching what could be a romantic vacation go wrong is entertaining (sorry, Poppy!) to witness.
Also, anyone else wishing we could travel more without this pandemic? *raises hand* So yes, consider this my method of escapism.
Take a trip on the steamboat (hehe, that is indeed a pun for the steamy scenes… please don’t kill me) with Alex and Poppy because this sweet story is worth the ride!
Beach Read Book Information
- Published: 2021
- Publisher: Berkley
- ISBN: 9781984806758
- Format: Paperback
- Length: 361 pages
Archetypes & Anecdotes 
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