To say I’m excited for winter break would be an understatement. I miss my family, and I want to travel, even if it’s only one car ride to another city. There’s nothing that gets me more excited about trying new restaurants and finding cute places to shop at! Not to mention, who doesn’t love taking aesthetic photos of the sites you visit and the food you eat?
This past summer while I was on vacation, I got to read the 2021 romance novel, People We Meet on Vacation by New York Times bestselling author, Emily Henry. As the title suggests, the story revolves around the many vacations of two friends. One of these friends is Poppy, a travel magazine writer and a daydreamer who can’t help but make sarcastic comments and impulsive decisions. On the other hand, Alex is a high school teacher who tends to be more reserved and a realist. Regardless of whatever crazy thing Poppy says or plans, Alex goes along with it. The book combines the friends-to-lovers, slow burn, and opposites attract tropes while simultaneously following the story of these two best friends who reunite one summer after not speaking to each other for two years.
Henry frames her story as both a proleptic and retrospective narrative as she tells the story through Poppy’s point of view in the past and present day. Each chapter is labeled to inform us of how many summers ago each vacation was taken. The present-day chapters tell us the story of Poppy and Alex reuniting in Palm Springs for his brother’s wedding while the past chapters tell the stories of their different trips. I love how Henry shares each of their summers to build up their relationship, because, while we’re wondering what’s going to happen next with them in Palm Springs, we’re also wondering what happened in the past that led up to their fateful trip two summers ago. It’s a fun way to learn about each character and see how they interact through the years.
I personally feel that Henry executes this well, as I was so engaged in each of their past adventures while also dying to know how things will work out in the present. What makes this book even more fun is the witty banter between Alex and Poppy. The dialogue is what truly makes this one of my favorites, as their inside jokes always brought a smile to my face.
I could see how this book is criticized for how long Poppy and Alex’s story was dragged out. It’s even hard for me to believe that someone in love could hold back from making a move for that long. To add some context, they’ve known each other for 12 years which means we’re also reading 12 years of a friendship turned into a romantic relationship. I don’t want to spoil anything, but, while it’s hard to believe that feelings were left unsaid for that long, Poppy has this big emotionally vulnerable speech that made it all believable.
My friends and I discussed our favorite tropes whether it’s in a show, a movie, or a book. The friends-to-lovers trope wasn’t a popular choice among them, because everyone said they’d be too scared to lose a friend if the feelings weren’t mutual. However, I like the friends-to-lovers trope, and Henry does it right.
As mentioned earlier, I read this book while vacationing in Canada. I had an amazing time eating well, shopping a lot, and observing the beautiful scenery that Vancouver and Victoria had to offer. This definitely added to my enjoyment of the story as I read this at the airport, on the plane, on a ferry boat ride, and in the hotel room before I went to sleep. Reading at night in a comfy hotel bed after a long day of sightseeing was so relaxing. I love that reading this book in a whole other country made me feel like I was going on adventures (minus the spontaneous decision-making) with Poppy and Alex.
I definitely recommend this read as I believe that even if I wasn’t on a vacation, I would’ve still enjoyed it. This may be a bit generous of me, but I give this book a 10/10 for all the scenes that made me giggle or nearly sob. The time span is a bit unbelievable, but I was always left eager to turn the page and I believe that it makes up for it.
Maybe one day I’ll go on an unforgettable, romantic trip with someone I love (maybe that’s the romance book lover in me), but it’s important to remember the people who I’ve been fortunate enough to travel with — I got to be in Canada with my parents less than a month before moving to Berkeley.
This novel reminded me that, although the endless eating and shopping is fun and exciting, it’s the people you travel with that truly make the experience memorable. I might not go on a huge trip this winter break and who knows where my family and I will go next summer, but all I know is that I love them so much and I love traveling with them so much. I can’t wait for the next chapter in our book of family vacations!