People We Meet on Vacation - A Review

Miriam Lein

14 Oct 2025 — 2 min read

People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry

Before I dove back into the darkness of the other book I am still trying to make my way through, I took a break to enjoy something light and happy. Romance novels are a favorite of mine, even though I’ve had to reach my middle adulthood to feel like I have the freedom to say that out loud.

This is not the first of Emily Henry’s books that I have read and this one was just as engaging, with a full spectrum of emotions portrayed in both of her main characters. This one is the story of two long time friends who meant the world to each other and what happens when they start to wrestle with the attraction they both feel. While I appreciate a friends to lovers trope as much as anyone, I do have to admit that there was a small part of me that did sort of want this book to end differently. There are always so many messages that surround us telling us that friends and attraction always has to lead to one of two endings - a romantic relationship or the dissolving of the friendship. I want so much to believe in a third way, that sometimes friends can just be friends, even when their feelings for each other get complicated. But I must admit this isn’t this story, and in the end I was just as much invested in their romantic relationship as I was in their friendship. I also just discovered that this book is being made into a movie that releases in January, and I will most definitely be watching it.

Author: Emily Henry

Published: 2021

Awards: Goodreads Choice Award for Romance (2021)

Other Books by Author: The Love that Split the World (2016); A Million Junes (2017); When the Sky Fell on Splendor (2019); Hello Girls (2019); Beach Read (2020); Book Lovers (2022); Happy Place (2023); Funny Story (2024); Great Big Beautiful Life (2025)

Genre: Romance

Setting: Present Day Ohio & New York + Trips all over the world

Themes: Relationships

How I found this book: NPR recommendation by Anjali Sastry Krbechek; but also because I had read Book Lovers and was looking for another one by this author in the Sherman’s Book Store in Bar Harbor, ME.

My Recommendation: Medium - If you enjoy light romance novels, you will probably like this one.

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