One shared car ride home from college started it all. A friendship that bloomed and then withered. Alex and Poppy met in college but discovered they’re from the same small town. She’s all wild child with a heart full of wonder, he’s reserved and would rather stay home with a good book or three. That trip home for break sparked a friendship that shouldn’t work, but it just does. So they make a pact. Every summer, regardless of work or their current relationship status, they will vacation together. From New Orleans to Tuscany, Alex and Poppy fulfill that promise. Until Croatia. Things go horribly wrong. Their friendship ventured into something more than either one was ready to acknowledge.

Two years later, Poppy is in a serious rut. She hasn’t spoken to Alex much, her job isn’t as fulfilling as it used to be, and her old demons keep popping up. It isn’t until she’s asked when the last time she was truly happy does she stop and realize it was her time with Alex that she’s been blissfully happy. Poppy decides it’s time for another trip. A make it or break it trip with Alex. Either they patch their friendship up and be completely honest with each other or they need to let each other go. What’s the worst that can happen? They’re about to find out.

I can see why THE PEOPLE WE MEET ON VACATION has been named one of the “Most Anticipated Books of 2021” by so many outlets. It is a laugh-out-loud, sometimes cringe-worthy, cry fest. This is the book we all need right now. Two very different people forging a friendship that should never work, but with a lot of humor, a little understanding, and a dash of care, it absolutely does.  

THE PEOPLE WE MEET ON VACATION is brilliantly written by Emily Henry. The chapters switch between past and present. We travel with Poppy and Alex on various vacations over the last ten years and then we’re brought back to the present to their current vacation. I love this angle as we get a full background on what their lives once were, where they are now, and their hopes for the future. There is beautiful imagery, heartfelt conversations, and the inward trauma of dealing with the past. But most importantly it makes us stop and think…what does true happiness look like? The answer may surprise you.