The first movie of the year that I KNEW I had to watch. People We Meet on Vacation was the second book I’ve ever read by Emily Henry. It’s so unique and fun, and, let’s be honest, the characters are just magnetic. I actually found Poppy and Alex’s chemistry to be more palpable on the screen than it was in the book, and I truly enjoyed this adaptation. So, let’s start with the acting because I really enjoyed watching our MCs on screen.

Tom Blyth is such an uptight cutie in this movie. As Alex, he does a great job of making it look like he has to come out of his comfort zone for every little thing that he and Poppy (Emily Bader) do together. He is Poppy’s opposite in every way and he did a tremendous job of showing that onscreen. His scenes made me feel uncomfortable sometimes because of how uncomfortable his character was. Acting = top tier. Emily Bader is no different. I absolutely adored her in My Lady Jane (which apparently Amazon canceled and I’ll never forgive them for it).  She really embodied Poppy as this fiery, cute, misunderstood woman who still isn’t sure what she wants in life. Emily Bader brought Poppy’s quirk and charm right to the forefront while still giving viewers her flaws in a way that doesn’t shy away from them. Obviously, these are the two characters you get to see front and center and there’s not a lot of focus on anyone else (which is honestly fine by me because they were just so fun to see together). 

With the story, and as far as the adaptation itself goes, there’s a LOT of changes from the book. I, though, felt like it was still a good movie overall, and a very cute romance. Everything flowed for me with the past-present flips, but I do wish we would have gotten to see more vacation time in the past between Alex and Poppy before the romantic buildup of the present. I feel like I would have connected to them even more had they had more time in the “before” together. The ending? It will definitely satisfy romance lovers and give you that lovey dovey feeling that we all search for in a movie like this. 

Spoilers ahead.

As far as spoilers go, it’s a romance movie. There’s not really a lot that really surprises you. One of my favorite scenes, though? When Poppy literally has to chase after Alex while he’s running. This scene was so cute to me and such a fun way to make her go after what she’s always wanted. I really loved it. All of the declarations and emotional turmoil were on point to and you could feel the confusion of our characters, the letdowns, and the triumphs as they finally find love and their “home” together. 

Overall, while the book vs. movie aspect of this adaptation left a good bit to be desired, the movie as its own entity was really good in my opinion. I loved Tom Blyth and Emily Bader and I really think a lot of my enjoyment from this movie came from both of them. A solid romance to make your heart race as you let out little sighs of relief when love finally finds a way. 

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