Rating: 3.5

Author: Emily Henry Released Date: May 11, 2021 

People We Meet On Vacation begins with best friends Poppy and Alex, who often go on vacation together. On a vacation to Croatia, things between them take a turn and become the catalyst for no longer speaking to each other. Two years later, Poppy is stuck in a rut. The job she used to love no longer brings her the joy she once had. Poppy and Alex come into contact with each other again, and Poppy comes up with a plan (unknowingly to Alex) for them to vacation together again, using Alex’s brother’s wedding as an excuse.

The story takes you through a tip-toeing romance of friends who are afraid to lose each other as they navigate through the awkwardness of trying to be friends again while still being in love with each other. This was not my favorite read. There was way too much of them going around in circles, and both characters’ inability to confess to each other annoyed me. I wouldn’t have found it so frustrating if the two-year gap of no contact in their relationship didn’t exist.

But I couldn’t help but think the relationship had already been ruined, so why not confess? Just get it over with. If you’re filled with that much longing, you might as well bite the bullet. It felt drawn out, and I couldn’t even justify their fear sometimes because I kept thinking about how they had already lost each other.

I liked Poppy’s character development and seeing how she realized what she wanted to do with her career. It was insightful and helped me truly understand why she hated her hometown. I enjoyed the story more near the end as conflict and solutions started to happen. I also have to say they are a sweet couple.