My Review of 'People We Meet on Vacation' by Emily Henry | Whimsical Soul

Two best friends. Ten summer trips. One last chance to fall in love.

⭐ 4/5 stars

"I don't know how to love someone as much as I love you," he says. "It's terrifying. And I get these bursts of thinking I can handle it, and then I think about what it will do to me if I lose you, and I panic and pull away, and—I've never known if I'll be able to make you happy."

*sigh*

This book spoke to me.

Finishing this book felt like the culmination of a long, arduous journey of friendship, love, yearning, heartbreak, and happiness. My heart swelled bigger and heavier and floated in my chest with love for this book and the characters that it brought to life.

This book was a 'When Harry Met Sally-Esque' romance, with a delectable friends-turned-lovers-turned-soulmates trope thrown in for good measure. So, when I say I'm into romance novels, this exact book is what I'm talking about.

The story revolves around Poppy, a successful New York-based travel writer for a magazine, who's been in a slump for quite some time and seriously lacks some kickass inspiration for her next adventure. She is at that point in life where she has the perfect job, the perfect apartment, and yet has this nagging feeling in the pit of her stomach that something's just not right. She feels she was last happy on the trip she took two years ago with her best friend Alex to Croatia. They've not spoken since. Flashback to 12 summers ago when they meet for the first time at O-week at the U of Chicago. They don't have a great first impression of each other but soon move past their initial differences when they carpool their way to their hometown after freshman year. Then follows their iconic summer trips, complete with budget travel and unforgettable culinary experiences that made my wanderlust all the more fierce.

This book is told in different narratives spread over 12 summers, from the first time Poppy meets Alex to when she's debating whether to contact Alex and revitalize their friendship from not having talked for almost two years. They couldn't be any more different from each other. Poppy is quirky, bubbly, and wild, and Alex is the quiet, reserved, neat freak, book-nerd cum aspiring writer, but they get past their differences to build a friendship of trust over the years.

"Wherever he is, that will be my favorite place."

How could I have been elusive of the existence of this fantastic book for so long? I love, love, loved it. Poppy and Alex might just have gone on top of my list of favorite romance couples. Their chemistry, conversations, travel experiences, how honestly they could talk to each other, moving past their initial prejudice to become best friends, everything appealed to me. It realistically portrayed adult friendships. I understand why they could not work past their misgivings and straight-up tell how they felt about each other because it's difficult to see the person in a new light with whom you've made a safe place, a home for such a long time.

Even after they moved to different cities, took up jobs, and had various romantic partners, they still made time for each other and their summer trips together. It's almost like they were soulmates, tied with an invisible string all along. They have this attraction toward each other that neither of them can deny and there's so much left unsaid between them, even though they started as platonic friends who decided that they were incompatible and would never date.

This book also had an element of mystery surrounding their Croatia trip, and I was giddy with excitement when the chapter finally came around.

I loved this book for the easy friendship between the main characters, their hilarious banter, witty comebacks, and the romance. Although Poppy came off as selfish in some instances, I overlooked it. Highly recommend it to anyone who wants to escape to an exotic location and read about endearing characters and a heartwarming romance.

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