I FINALLY READ PEOPLE WE MEET ON VACATION BY EMILY HENRY

 

This book, People we Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry, only came out last year, but ever since it did, the bookish community has been obsessed with it. And I finally read it a while ago! Funnily enough, I started reading it a little bit after it was announced it was getting a movie. What a coincidence.

This is a Adult Contemporary Romance book. It's about a young woman named Poppy who likes traveling with her best friend, the stoic but kind English teacher Alex. 

Unfortunately, Poppy and Alex had a falling out in their friendship when something happened to the two of them when they went to Croatia several years earlier, and Poppy, feeling unfulfilled with her life working as a journalist for a travel magazine in New York City, decides to rekindle her friendship with Alex through a new trip. She decided that they go to Palm Springs, California. At the same time, it's a business trip for Poppy to write about Palm Springs for the upcoming issue of the magazine she works for, Rest + Relaxation. 

Coincidentally, Alex's younger brother is getting married in Palm Springs, so it also a wedding trip. During their week in Palm Springs, Poppy and Alex reminisce on old times while they discover things about each other that they never knew, some of it being eye opening and emotionally hitting. It deepens their friendship more to the point of romance. (Yes, this is friends to lovers!)

The book also switches each chapter from Poppy and Alex's present day travel to past travels starting from when they met in college. The flashback chapters go up to their Croatia trip, and we find out the reason that they had a falling out. I won't tell you here because it's a spoiler!

This was a really great book! Even though I don't like traveling in real life, it was fun reading about two friends who love to travel. Emily Henry is great at writing atmosphere and place. She also is great at writing well-rounded characters. Poppy at first seems like a free-spirited, type of gal at first, but as the story goes on, you will see her flaws and learn about her worries. Alex also seems like a grounded-in-reality guy at first, but he has his own problems, too. 

However, I did give this book 4 stars. There is some swear words sprinkled throughout the book (it didn't turn me off too much, but I'm not the biggest fan of swearing), and some of Poppy and Alex's make-out scenes were a little too much for me, but that's just a personal nitpick of mine. Your mileage may vary.

I do want to read more from Emily Henry! I will also go see the movie of this book when it comes out.

Do you like armchair travel reads, too?