People We Meet on Vacation
People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry was probably my favorite read of the summer. The sweetness of Alex and Poppy’s relationship actually made my heart ache throughout the book. This book is about a pair of best friends who met in college and have been kindred spirits ever since. Even when work and life take them across the country and significant others and other events keep them apart, they take a week-long trip together each summer. It carries them through for the whole year of missing each other, knowing they will at least be together on the Summer Trip. I loved, loved, loved following the progression of their friendship and the special moments on each vacation. And not to mention, this book was funny! Often sappy romances make me cringe, but truthfully this one just made me jealous. We all need a goofy friendship like Alex and Poppy's.
Minor spoiler alert below…
Sometimes it was painful waiting and waaaiting for something to happen between the two of them, but I honestly enjoyed all of the moments in-between. This book was the epitome of a slow burn friends-to-lovers arc and I genuinely couldn't get enough!
Alex is probably my ideal boyfriend… too bad he isn’t real. Gotta love a man written by a woman!
Here are a couple of my favorite quotes from the book. I hope they warm your heart too!
“Alex… I’ve never really felt alone until I met you. I don’t think I will ever feel truly alone in this world again as long as you’re in it.”
“You asked me who I was, and it was like the answer came out of nowhere. Sometimes it feels like I didn’t even exist before that. Like you invented me.”
Rating: 5/5 sad puppy dog faces
Beach Read
I loved Beach Read by Henry as well!! I read this one earlier on in the summer while I was still on the Cape. I finally gave into the hype when I found a used copy at Reed Books in Harwichport (if you're reading this, Reed Books, I MISS YOU). And let me tell you, it did not disappoint!!!
This one was steamier than People We Meet on Vacation, and instead of a friends-to-lovers arc, it was enemies-to-lovers (ahhhh). So good!!
It follows January and Augustus, two writers suffering from the same bout of writers block and trying to ride it out in isolation at their respective beach houses. However, their homes are a little too close for comfort. They are neighbors living in tight quarters- privacy is not provided inside (windows) or even on the porch (touching). There are some pretty cute "You Belong With Me" T-Swift moments, though! You know I'm always a fan.
I really liked the development of both January (ex-optimist, grieving daughter) and Augustus (brooding shy guy with a troubled past) as characters. I felt that they had a lot more depth than Poppy and Alex and held up as individuals and as partners. At one point they take a trip to the ruins of a cult (TW) and it is a fascinating addition to the typical "beach read" story.
I honestly didn't fully understand why the book was titled "Beach Read" at all. It was far from the typical standards of that genre. I am not bashing typical "beach reads" at all, for the record! Love em. This one just had a lot more character development and soul than some other cheesy romances I've picked up for vacations in the past. I appreciated Henry's representation of grief and mental health, as well as her portrayal of small coastal town charm (it's always a comfort). Overall, this was a really great read. I'm so glad I didn't tune out the Bookstagram hype this time!
Rating: 5/5 glasses of wine at book club
I hope you enjoyed this joint book review!! Be sure to pick up at least one.
xx, Lauren
Your reviews are so well written and thoughtful! Love them!