Review: Is The ‘People We Meet On Vacation’ Movie Better than the Book?

Calling all BookTok girlies: the People We Meet on Vacation movie is finally here. Anyone who knows me knows that I always have my nose in a romance novel, but when it comes to my favorite authors, Emily Henry always takes the top spot. Her books have everything I could ever want in a rom-com: they’re the perfect mix of sweet and spicy, with characters that feel so real, and they usually can make me both laugh and cry within the span of a few hundred pages. That’s why I wasn’t at all surprised to learn that nearly all of her stories were being adapted for the screen.

We may be only a few days into 2026, but I’m not being dramatic when I say People We Meet on Vacation is my most anticipated movie of the year. Based on my social media feed, I’m not alone. I’ve seen post after post about how excited everyone is for this release, from readers revisiting the book to fan edits made out of trailer clips to fun moments from the movie’s press tour. Knowing how much I (and many others) adore Emily Henry’s literary universe, I’ve been counting down the days until Poppy and Alex graced our screens. But with this hype comes extremely high expectations from those who fell in love with the story long before it hit Netflix. I’m happy to say People We Meet on Vacation was well worth the wait. But is it better as a book or a movie? Read on for my review.

What is People We Meet on Vacation about?

Poppy (Emily Bader) and Alex (Tom Blyth) couldn’t be more different, and yet they’re the best of friends. For the past decade, they’ve spent one week together every summer on a fabulous vacation, from camping in Canada to lounging in the Tuscan countryside. But things have changed—Poppy hasn’t spoken to Alex in two years, and not even travel makes her happy anymore. When these two are in the same city for a wedding, Poppy has one week to fix their friendship. But will either of them be willing to admit that their connection runs deeper?

My review of People We Meet on Vacation

Poppy & Alex’s chemistry is off the charts

When it comes to romantic tropes, I’m an absolute sucker for friends-to-lovers and a good second-chance storyline. Thankfully, People We Meet on Vacation gives us both. Tom Blyth and Emily Bader are so entertaining as Alex and Poppy, and they capture their individual characters so well. But their performances truly shine as a unit. Despite having totally opposite personalities, they feed off of each other in a way that’s electrifying to watch. And of course, the yearning between these two is top-tier. It’s so obvious that they’re destined to be more than friends, even if they don’t (or won’t) see it, and the way the actors embody that willful ignorance only makes audiences root for them more.

Many beloved book scenes made it into the movie

It’s always a touchy subject when a book is turned into a show or a movie—and rightly so! Too often, having to condense an expansive story into a specific runtime means that moments loved most by readers end up changed, or worse, cut completely. Well, I’m happy to report that several of my favorite parts from the book are also present onscreen. Whether it’s early vacation hijinks, quirky side characters, or sweet exchanges between our two leads, a lot of scenes play out almost beat for beat in the movie (Norway, anyone?) I won’t reveal too much, but just know that if you enjoyed the book, you’ll be very happy with what you see onscreen.

“If the rest of her books’ adaptations are handled with the same care as this one, I know that millions more will fall in love with her worlds just as I have.”

The vacation destinations will cure your travel bug (or maybe make it worse)

Beyond making you swoon, the film will also have you pulling up Google Flights as you watch. In the book, Poppy and Alex’s love story alternates between the present timeline and older vacations they took together. The movie does the same, which means we get to see all kinds of beautiful cities as a backdrop. New Orleans. Tuscany. Barcelona. Watching the adventures unfold onscreen was special not just because I no longer had to imagine them in my head, but also because they were just as magical as I had pictured. I’m the type of person who always says she wants to travel even though I never get around to it, but you can bet my bucket list of destinations grew exponentially as the credits rolled.

So, is People We Meet on Vacation better than the book?

As Emily Henry’s (self-proclaimed) biggest fan, this was an amazing adaptation. The cast and crew translated the magic of the original source material so beautifully, and any changes only made the story better. I honestly think the book and the movie are equal in quality—that may be a cop out answer, but I stand by it! The people have been begging for more quality rom-coms, and there’s no one better to usher in a new era than Emily Henry. If the rest of her books’ adaptations are handled with the same care as this one, I know that millions more will fall in love with her worlds just as I have.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Hannah Carapellotti, Contributing Writer

Hannah is an Ann Arbor-based writer with a bachelor’s in English and writing from the University of Michigan. Outside of The Everygirl, Hannah has written for The Michigan Daily, where she also served as an editor. She currently works at an independent bookstore and is interning for a literary agency.

READ HANNAH’S FULL BIO

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