I just love Emily Henry. I loved her with the magic of Beach Read, and now I love her for her latest book (out in May, 2021 in the US and June, 2021 in the UK). In the US it is called People We Meet on Vacation, and in the UK it is called You and Me on Vacation (my thoughts on this name difference later in this post).

This time around we meet Alex and Poppy while they are on vacation. They have been long-distance friends for 10 years, but every summer they make a point to get together for a vacation. But every summer isn’t as carefree and easy as it sounds.

As the chapters transition in a non-linear format (for example, from present day to a vacation from the past, and back to the present, etc.) we learn about Alex and Poppy’s relationship and why they have not spoken for 2 years. In other books, I was not a fan of this style, but in this story I found that it works. I kept turning pages to see what happened in the past that landed them in the situation they were in now, and where they would end up!

WHAT I LOVED

What didn’t I love would be the easier thing to answer. I loved the relationship between Poppy and Alex – how they would banter, how they would support each other, and how they were on vacation. I loved living a life I could never through Poppy. I’m too much of a homebody to travel like she does, so it’s always great to get lost in a story of someone who lives life differently than I do. Then there were Poppy’s parents, who had me cracking up when they gave Poppy a gift before she set off on one of her vacations with Alex (can’t spoil that one!)

The Name Change

As I mentioned earlier, the US title and the UK title are different. I wondered about that while I was reading the book, to see which title I liked better. Both fit the book very well, so I do not dislike any of the names each publishing house chose for the book.

The UK title is very obvious. You and Me on Vacation. Alex and Poppy. They go on vacation. I get that! The US title though. Wow. You won’t discover why it’s really called People We Meet on Vacation until you read the ending. And I loved it. I think me looking into the title differences brought a new perspective to the book that I may not have gotten had I not been looking so closely for the answer. I was not disappointed, and, dare I say, it made me love Poppy all the more.

The blurbs on the back of the book are also different. The US is your standard blurb to get you hooked on wanting to read the book. The UK blurb took a different approach and helped those who do not do well with the non-linear format of the book. They provided a linear timeline of Alex and Poppy’s relationship. I feel like that took away a teeny bit of the magic of having their relationship discovered throughout the book, but for those that struggle to keep the timeline in their heads, it will help!

All in all, if you were a fan of Beach Read, I think you will also be a fan of People You Meet on Vacation/You and Me on Vacation! You can pre-order your copy now.