People We Meet on Vacation

By: Emily Henry

Narrated by: Julia Whelan

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Book Lovers and Beach Read comes a sparkling novel that will leave you with the warm, hazy afterglow usually reserved for the best vacations.

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

Poppy and Alex. Alex and Poppy. They have nothing in common. She’s a wild child; he wears khakis. She has insatiable wanderlust; he prefers to stay home with a book. And somehow, ever since a fateful car share home from college many years ago, they are the very best of friends. For most of the year they live far apart—she’s in New York City, and he’s in their small hometown—but every summer, for a decade, they have taken one glorious week of vacation together.

Until two years ago, when they ruined everything. They haven't spoken since.

Poppy has everything she should want, but she’s stuck in a rut. When someone asks when she was last truly happy, she knows, without a doubt, it was on that ill-fated, final trip with Alex. And so, she decides to convince her best friend to take one more vacation together—lay everything on the table, make it all right. Miraculously, he agrees.

Now she has a week to fix everything. If only she can get around the one big truth that has always stood quietly in the middle of their seemingly perfect relationship. What could possibly go wrong?

Named a Most Anticipated Book of 2021 by Newsweek ∙ Oprah Magazine ∙ The Skimm ∙ Marie Claire ∙ Parade ∙ The Wall Street Journal ∙ Chicago Tribune ∙ PopSugar ∙ BookPage ∙ BookBub ∙ Betches ∙ SheReads ∙ Good Housekeeping ∙ BuzzFeed ∙ Business Insider ∙ Real Simple ∙ Frolic ∙ and more!

©2021 Emily Henry (P)2021 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“What Henry is especially skilled at is writing dialogue. The banter between Poppy and Alex is so natural, quick and witty that it would make Shonda Rhimes do a slow clap.” (The Associated Press)

“The strength of People We Meet on Vacation [is] the clever observations, the dialogue (which is laugh-out-loud funny) and, most particularly, the characters. Funny and fumbling and lovable, they’re most decidedly worth the trip." (The Wall Street Journal)

“Henry’s biggest strength is in the sparkling, often laugh-out-loud-funny dialogue, particularly the banter-filled conversations between Poppy and Alex. The end result is a story that pays homage to classic romantic comedies while having a point of view all its own. A warm and winning When Harry Met Sally update that hits all the perfect notes.” (Kirkus Reviews)

Use your credit!

I was intrigued throughout the whole book! And I love books that give me the anticipation of love, vs it being in the first chapter
Sophia

Perfection

This book is a must read! I wish I could unread/listen to it and start over. All the heart eyes! ❤️

Poor character development

Emily Henry’s writing is very good, and the dialog was snappy. But I never could relate to, or care about, either Poppy or Alex. Julia Whelan was great as usual.

Pass on this book

I am on chapter 10 and I’m struggling. No real plot. Boring beyond measure. Don’t order.

Engaging and fun!

Loved every minute of it and as always, loved Julia Whelan’s narration. As a Cincinnatian, it was fun to catch the Ohio/Cincinnati references, even the thinly veiled ones.

This was an easy listen - with bright, interesting characters. I did get slightly annoyed by their “millennial ennui” but they seemed to pull through it rather than wallowing in it. I can’t wait to read Ms. Henry’s next novel.

Just great!

This was a sweet romantic book! It took just a chapter or two to get the set up but from that moment on I couldn’t get enough! Loved it! 💜💜💜

I loved this book!

It was funny and I was captivated throughout. Very creative way to lay out the chapters. I loved it and will listen to it again someday!!

Forced myself to finish

Slow and predictable. Surprised I made it through the entire story. One of those where your mind wonders off

Great story and heartfelt but painfully slow

I struggled to get through at first but didn't walk away from it thank goodness. The author takes chapters upon chapters just to get to anything poignant in the friendship that clues you in to why or even how they are even best friends. The connection is kind of surface for so long. Thank God for book clubs otherwise wouldn't have stuck it out. The way that you uncover how deeply close close these 2 are and why they are so fiercely loyal is endearing. I like the exploration of fears, trauma, responsibility and finally, the messy emotional entanglements they never acknowledged.

Delightful!

I am now a ride or die for Emily Henry's writing. such a delightful summery book. After a year of not being able to travel, it was a delightful ode to travel, friendship, and love. Her dialogue is delightful!
Narrator was excellent as well.