Review: "People We Meet on Vacation" by Emily Henry ★★★★

Review: People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry

I am glad to finally be catching up with books from renowned authors like Emily Henry. When this came out, I was stressing through my university work with a great burnout – much like protagonist the ecstatic, eccentric, unfiltered, and muddled Poppy. You might say that this “speaks to me”! If you know, you know.

“I still have a lot to figure out, but the one thing I know is, wherever you are, that’s where I belong. I’ll never belong anywhere like I belong with you. No matter what I’m feeling, I want you next to me. You’re home to me, Alex. And I think I’m that for you too.”

References aside, People We Meet On Vacation was a sweet read. We have the usual opposites attract, friends-to-lovers trope from extroverted travel blogger Poppy Wright and introverted high school teacher Alex Nilsen. As she herself describes it:
"He is tall, quiet, and eager to see the library.
I’m short, loud, and hoping someone comes by and invites us to a real party."

Since they met 12 years ago, they have always gone on summer vacations – that is, until 2 years ago due to a fallout. Poppy decides to ask Alex to take a trip to Palm Springs with her own funds (due to turning down her boss’ ideas of Santorini and asking for a break). Alex’s brother David is getting married so they will do the trip then go to the wedding. It will be like old times… or will it? Will their feelings for each other spill over the trip… or won’t it? [Insert infamous Sad Puppy Face here]

This is a first-person present-tense rom-com, told from Poppy’s point of view through several timelines, switching between this current summer and other previous summers dating back to 12 summers before (when they were around 18).

OVERALL OPINIONS
This was a quick read, with a lot of funny moments and hilarious banter. I definitely enjoyed myself! Emily Henry has written this in a very lively, witty way with plenty of great descriptions that were so thorough, I knew exactly what she meant and usually got a chuckle out of. For example, the description of her dress style being like “1960s Parisian bread maker’s daughter bicycling through her village at dawn, shouting Bonjour, le monde whilst doling out baguettes.”
Some of my favourite funny moments are: when they discover two beds are actually one queen-sized with a fold-out sofa, when they have AC issues (which is always), the water taxi scene, "When in Rome"s and the hiking trip.

It does also have some more serious moving tones to reflect the mood. Take this example:
“For the first time in my life, the airport strikes me as the loneliest place in the world.
All those people, parting ways, going off in their own directions, crossing paths with hundreds of people but never connecting.”
At the end of a chapter too? Very emotional!

I like that the spice is soft, but feels as warm as Nikolai’s heating haha – and is only ever rising with the chemistry and tension. I look forward to the film whenever it is meant to come out.

I think for me, there was too much switching between times. Of course, that is the whole point and I understand why: mainly, withholding the information as to why they fell out 2 years before but also to draw nice parallels (for example, Alex helping Poppy through her pneumonia in the past vs Poppy helping Alex with his back spasm, and the fallout 2 years ago vs the fallout in the present time) and it was done effectively.

CHARACTERS
-ˋˏ ꒰ Poppy ꒱ ˎˊ-
↳ She is a little too ridiculous for my liking, her personality blowing in like a force of nature. But I relate to her loud and untidy upbringing at home, as well as how emotional she can get especially with people being nice to her “only makes me cry harder” - same, gurl.

It is nice to see her development as the story goes on, realising that the traveling has been her way of running away from situations and ultimately accepting and facing the town she comes from, the school she was bullied in and classmates years later, the love for her best friend Alex, her dissatisfaction with her job. Owning up to her mistakes and finally knowing her own mind – though concerningly taking til the age of 30 to find out – is endearing.
*⁀➷ Favourite quotes
• it should’ve felt embarrassing to air my small grievances after everything he’d just told me, except Alex had a way of *never* making me feel small or petty.
• “Can we take a picture together?” I ask, but what I’m thinking is, 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.
• “I buy a plane ticket and go to the airport and—I don’t know. I don’t feel lonely anymore. Because no matter what makes all those people different, they’re all just trying to get somewhere, waiting to reach someone.”
• “It’s okay,” I whisper to him, and then, as many times as it takes, “It’s okay. You’re okay. We’re okay, Alex.”
• “Alex,” I say, “if I can’t love you at Times Square, then I don’t deserve you in a Used Bookstore.”

-ˋˏ ꒰ Alex ꒱ ˎˊ-
↳ Not my favourite man in the world, but he is cute. I relate to his love of reading, it only makes sense he would be an English teacher – and that his contact name is ALEXANDER THE GREAT, very drôle.
*⁀➷ Favourite quotes
• “I can just tell he doesn’t get it,” Alex said. “Get what?” I asked.
“You,” he said. “He has no idea how lucky he is.”
• “Stop being impatient,” he teases. “I’ve waited twelve years. I want this to last.
• His smile flickers back into place, calm and restrained. “Yes, Poppy,” he says. “You get whatever you want now. Is that a problem?”
• The tears in his eyes make them look like the surface of some river, dangerous and wild and gorgeous.
• He could be starving in a desert, and if the wrong person held out a glass of water to him, he’d nod politely and say no, thanks.

-ˋˏ ꒰ Other characters꒱ ˎˊ-
↳ Rachel, model, influencer and Poppy’s friend, is very relatable to me. I think I am more Rachel than anyone else in this story. She’s observant, practical and gets to the heart of problems.
• "She has no patience for rose-colored glasses and even less for melancholy"
• "Instantly, I know she’s right. She’s seen right through the word vomit to the center of things."
↳ It’s nice that Swapna, her boss, is very strict but kind and understanding when it comes to people's welfare. Rare.