A Journey of Friendship and Love
Author: Emily Henry
Publication Date: May, 11th 2021
Genre: Romance
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice Level: 1.5
Official Description:
Also known as People We Meet On Vacation
12 YEARS AGO: Poppy and Alex meet. They hate each other, and are pretty confident they'll never speak again.
11 YEARS AGO: They're forced to share a ride home from college and by the end of it a friendship is formed. And a pact: every year, one vacation together.
10 YEARS AGO: Alex discovers his fear of flying on the way to Vancouver.
Poppy holds his hand the whole way.
7 YEARS AGO: They get far too drunk and narrowly avoid getting matching tattoos in New Orleans.
2 YEARS AGO: It all goes wrong.
THIS YEAR: Poppy asks Alex to join her on one last trip. A trip that will determine the rest of their lives.
You and Me on Vacation Emily Henry
My Thoughts
I have been on a Emily Henry reading spree lately but putting this one off for a while. I have realized that I’m not a big fan of the second chance trope and unfortunately this book confirmed it for me.
Don’t get me wrong, the plot idea is beautiful, the writing fluid and elegant as always BUT the book has too much heartache in it. It’s not for me.
The execution is 99% sad pining for each other and just a few pages of real happiness.
I need more from a romcom / romance novel. I don’t deal well with drama or tragic stories, especially tragic love stories and so i felt let-down. After I read a romance novel I want to feel elated, hopeful, happy, giddy. Instead I felt exhausted and kind of sad.
Yes, there was a happy end but the journey was painful. and that’s what I’m left with.
It might have been helpful if we would have been able to get a glimpse of Alex' perspective and state of mind. Instead we were left with the narrative from the perspective of Poppy. While it became clear that she was harbouring secret feelings for Alex or at the minimum was questioning their relationship, it took her too long to "pursue" it. And even that is the wrong word, because she never really pursued a potential relationship. Quite the contrary, any time when the dynamic of their relationship might have shifted, she was the one to pull the brakes.
So yes, this is supposed to be a friends-to-lover story. And it is in the sense that they are the bestest of friends. But we never really see them as anything different. If the book would have just been classified as Women's Fiction, I might have been more forgiving. Because their friendship is beautiful. And that in itself could have been enough.
By the end, Emily Henry throws in a few "romantic" moments and ultimately gives Alex and Poppy their happy end - but it felt lacklustre. There was no real flirtation, no tension, just heartache and miscommunication.
Also: (not that it’s necessary) but I noticed that this book had the least sexual tension between the characters. Again, I’m not saying there has to be steam but having read her other books, I kind of expected it a bit. By the end of the book there were „some“ mentions - but it wasn’t palpable.
You and Me on Vacation Emily Henry
Disclaimer: I have added an affiliate link for your convenience so you can directly purchase the book if you are intrigued. This also means that I will receive small commission. This does not affect inclusion in my reviews or the overall rating of the book.
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