The People We Meet on Vacation

by Emily Henry

Hey Readers!

Welcome to my second official Tropes & Cheese newsletter! I know I said I was going to do this once a month, but I decided to throw a bonus newsletter in for January. Who knows, maybe it will be bi-weekly before I know it!

Also, apparently I’m only suggesting books with orange covers.

Book: The People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Spice Level: 🔥🔥 (steamy but not graphic)

Content Warning: Some Grief, Loneliness, Bullying

Tropes: Friends to Lovers, Only One Bed, Grumpy-Sunshine.

🎷🦕💬🌴✈️

Apparently, I’ve chosen to read all of Emily Henry’s books completely out of order. But that’s okay because this one was worth the wait!

A very brief and spoiler-free synopsis: Poppy and Alex are unlikely BFFs. Alex likes order and logic and hates the saxophone. Poppy is chaotic and bright and… about as loud as a saxophone. Every summer, they take a trip together, and we, the readers, are taken on a delightful journey as we watch their friendship blossom, and we wonder right alongside with them - could they make it work??

I do enjoy a friends-to-lovers trope. Emily Henry does a nice job of showing you how the evolution from friends to lovers develops from Poppy’s point of view. (Side note - it would be so fun to hear Alex’s side of the story. Emily Henry, if you’re looking to write a cute little novella or extended epilogue, you’d have at least one very enthusiastic reader! 🙋🏻‍♀️)

It was a really cute, sweet story to add to your TBR list!

Content Warning

Luckily, this book doesn’t require toooo heavy of a content warning. However, one of the characters was raised by a single parent as a result of their mother dying shortly after childbirth. It’s not discussed graphically, but, of course, if this is a topic that may cause any discomfort, I want you to be aware! There are also some other mentions of death - death of a grandparent, death of a pet - but they don’t go into much detail, nor does the grief become a major plot point.

Poppy also discusses her disdain for her hometown thanks to the bullies she dealt with in high school. There aren’t graphic descriptions of physical bullying, but she does discuss the psychological effects rumors and name-calling had on her. High school… amirite?

Now, how to make your reading experience a bit more fun?

🥐 Food Pairing: This book had me craving buttery croissants and to-go coffee. Alex is an early riser, so he grabs this breakfast for Poppy on the way back from his morning run, and if that isn’t a love language in and of itself… 🥰

👗 Activity Suggestion: Poppy’s delightfully eccentric style is all thanks to her sweet-but-definitely-hoarder parents, and her knack for thrift shopping. Check out this Thrift Shop Finder, and see if you can find the amazing seventies lime-green halter jumpsuit Poppy wears to the bachelor party!

🛍 Etsy Listing: If you’re an avid traveler like Poppy, what a cute addition to your home this Travel Bucket List Frame would be! Document your trips without having to scroll through social media to see your photos. Plus, filling it up would be such a fun way to track your travel goals!

Happy Reading!

As always, I encourage you to see if The People We Meet on Vacation is available from your local, indie bookstore. Don’t know where one is? Try this Indie Bookstore Finder! You can also purchase it directly from Emily Henry’s website. 

Your local library is also a great place to look for this and other books. And, of course, all the big-name booksellers will certainly have what you’re looking for.

I hope you enjoy The People We Meet on Vacation. It’s a nice, sweet, light read, which is exactly why I loved it. So while you’re vision boarding your next vacation, give this book a read and maybe add a few of Poppy & Alex’s stops to your own list!

I can’t wait to hear your thoughts!

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Happy Reading,

Sarah