When the hype doesn’t quite hit…

Let’s talk about my honest People We Meet on Vacation review—because wow, I really wanted to love this book. After seeing it hyped all over BookTok, Goodreads, and countless romance rec lists—and after loving lighter reads like Housebroke—I was excited to dive in expecting a heartfelt friends-to-lovers rom-com. Sadly, this one just didn’t deliver the charm I was hoping for.

Why I Struggled with People We Meet on Vacation

The setup is classic friends-to-lovers: Poppy and Alex, two opposites who’ve been best friends for years, reunite after a mysterious falling out to take one last summer trip together. The story flips between past vacations and the present, slowly unraveling the tension between them and revealing what went wrong.

Sounds great in theory. In reality? It was a bit of a mess.

Disjointed Timelines Hurt the Flow

The non-linear structure made it really hard to stay engaged. The story jumps back and forth between various summer trips and the present timeline so frequently that I often had to double-check where I was. Writing this People We Meet on Vacation review, I realized the structure really made the pacing drag. While I understand the intention—to show their relationship evolving over time—it ended up making the story feel disjointed and hard to follow.

The Chemistry in This Romance Novel Felt Off

Here’s the thing: I never bought into Poppy and Alex’s relationship. Poppy was fun and quirky (she reminded me of Lorelai Gilmore from Gilmore Girls—which was a plus!), but Alex? Honestly, he was boring. Their energy felt mismatched, and I struggled to understand how they were even close friends, let alone potential lovers.

I live for good banter and palpable tension in romance novels, but this one just didn’t deliver. It wasn’t until they finally got together that I started to feel even a little excited—only for the story to lose steam again almost immediately.

An Underwhelming Conflict in People We Meet on Vacation

One of the most frustrating parts for me was the lack of a clear, compelling reason behind Poppy and Alex’s two-year estrangement. I kept waiting for the “aha” moment—the emotional payoff that would tie everything together—but when that moment finally came, it felt anticlimactic and weirdly vague.

Final Thoughts – My People We Meet on Vacation Review

I ended up giving People We Meet on Vacation 3 stars (and that’s being generous). There were a few sweet moments and flashes of charm, but overall it felt slow, confusing, and lacking the spark I expect in a romance. Maybe the movie adaptation will breathe new life into the story—who knows?

If you love Emily Henry’s other books, you may still enjoy this one. But if you’re looking for a fun, fast-paced friends-to-lovers story with sizzling chemistry? This might not be it.

📝 Have you read People We Meet on Vacation?

Did you love it? Hate it? Somewhere in between? Drop a comment and let me know—I’d love to hear your take! And don’t forget to follow along with Tawni’s Book Nook for more honest reviews, reading recs, and cozy literary chats. ✨📖

👉 You can also track what I’m reading in real-time over on Goodreads—let’s be book buddies!

💡 Next up in Tawni’s Book Nook: My Oxford Year by Julia Whelan!
I’m beyond excited for this one—not only is it set in the dreamy halls of Oxford, but it’s also getting the Netflix treatment! The upcoming adaptation will star Sofia Carson and Corey Mylchreest (aka King George… or as I prefer, Farmer George). I can already feel the academic angst and romantic tension brewing. Stay tuned for the review! 📖✨🎬

tawnijanine