You and Me on Vacation by Emily Henry | Book Review

“On vacation, you can be anyone you want. Like a good book or an incredible outfit, being on vacation transports you into another version of yourself. In your day-to-day life, maybe you can’t even bob your head to the radio without being embarrassed, but on the right twinkly-light-strung patio, with the right steel drum band, you’ll find yourself whirling and twirling with the best of them.”

12 summers ago: Poppy and Alex meet. They hate each other, and are pretty confident they’ll never speak again.

11 summers ago: They’re forced to share a ride home from college by the end of which a friendship is formed. And a pact: every year, one vacation together.

10 summers ago: Alex discovers his fear of flying on the way to Vancouver. Poppy holds his hand the whole way.

7 summers ago: They get far too drunk and narrowly avoid getting matching tattoos in New Orleans.

2 summers ago: It all goes wrong.

This summer: Poppy asks Alex to join her on one last trip. A trip that will determine the rest of their lives.

Two friends. Ten summer trips. Their last chance to fall in love?

36. You and Me on Vacation

Let me begin by saying: I love, love, love this book. It was just the summer romance novel I’d been waiting for. Having dropped right in my lap and surpassing all expectations, this one has already reserved a spot on my 2021 list of favourites.

Poppy and Alex couldn’t be more different if they tried. Poppy loves to travel and meet people. She plans trips on shoe-string budgets that have amassed her a following of some hundred thousand people. Alex, on the other other, more often than not, is found spending his vacation in the pub, scrolling through his phone, reading a book. They are like sunshine and rain. And yet they have the most adorable friendship that reminds you of misty rainbows under cloudy skies with a hint of sunlight peeking through. Sadly, that was till two years ago when they last met.

Now, it’s that time of the year once again and Poppy misses her best friend more than ever. To add to that, she has lost her spirit at work and is unhappy with the way her life is going. As a last resort to fix things, Poppy comes up with a plan to get Alex to accompany her to Palm Springs for one more vacation.

Reading this feels as if you’ve been tagging alongside Poppy and Alex on their holidays. After reliving every summer, the story circles back to the present as Poppy attempts to resurrect their friendship. But if the events in Croatia from two summers ago are anything to go by, she needs to ask herself what she truly wants from Alex.

Emily Henry knows exactly how to rope in her reader with a captivating story, sparkling prose, and sizzling chemistry. The banter between her characters in Beach Read was one of the reasons I loved her debut and she makes it the highpoint of her storytelling yet again. Her characters bring so much energy with their presence. Besides Poppy and Alex, Swapna—Poppy’s boss—and Rachel—her friend—are two people you can’t get enough of.

Packed with crazy summer adventures, uninhibited friendships, and burning angst, this is the most irresistible summer read you’ll find this year. Emily Henry is now a must-read author on my reading list.

You and Me on Vacation by Emily Henry. This edition published in July 2021 by Penguin Random House UK. This ARC courtesy of NetGalley and Penguin Random House UK.

Book 36 of 2021.

Aquamarine Flavours Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟.

Available on Amazon*.

About Photo: In line with Poppy and Alex’s tradition of taking a vacation together every year, I had to go tropical summer for this pairing.

The pineapple is made in 3D Chinese origami using approx. 1,800 pieces.

About the Author: Emily Henry writes stories about love and family for both teens and adults. She studied creative writing at Hope College and the New York Center for Art & Media Studies, and now spends most of her time in Cincinnati, Ohio, and the part of Kentucky just beneath it.

Her books have been featured in Buzzfeed, Oprah Magazine, Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, The Skimm, Shondaland, Betches, Bustle, and more. Emily’s debut adult novel, Beach Read, spent twelve weeks on the New York Times bestseller list.

You can connect with her on Instagram.

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