If People We Meet on Vacation wrecked you in the best way if you’re still thinking about Poppy and Alex, the almosts, the missed timing, the way friendship slowly tipped into love then you’re probably chasing that same feeling again.
You know the one: witty banter, emotional intimacy, travel or time passing, and a romance that feels earned rather than rushed.
Here are the best books to pick up next if you loved People We Meet on Vacation.
📖 Beach Read by Emily Henry
Why you’ll love it:
If you loved Emily Henry’s emotional honesty, start here. Beach Read delivers opposites-attract tension, layered grief, and two writers circling each other with sharp dialogue and surprising vulnerability.
Perfect for readers who loved:
Slow emotional reveals Banter with depth Romance that acknowledges real life
📖 Book Lovers by Emily Henry
Why you’ll love it:
This one swaps travel for small-town tension but keeps the intellectual connection and slow-burn chemistry. The relationship unfolds through conversations, shared ambition, and mutual respect – very similar to the emotional rhythm of Poppy and Alex.
Perfect for readers who loved:
Character-driven romance Witty, self-aware leads Falling in love through connection, not spectacle
📖 Love & Other Words by Christina Lauren
Why you’ll love it:
If it was the years-long friendship + second chance that got you, this one will hit hard. Told across timelines, it explores how love changes and survives over time.
Perfect for readers who loved:
Childhood friends to lovers Deep emotional payoff Stories that make you feel nostalgic and hopeful
📖 One Day by David Nicholls
Why you’ll love it:
This is for readers who appreciated the realism of timing and missed moments. It follows two people across decades, checking in on the same day every year. It’s funny, painful, and achingly human.
Perfect for readers who loved:
Long-term emotional arcs “Will they or won’t they” tension Romance rooted in friendship
📖 The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary
Why you’ll love it:
The emotional intimacy here builds before physical closeness—just like in People We Meet on Vacation. The characters connect through notes, humor, and kindness long before romance enters the room.
Perfect for readers who loved:
Emotional slow burns Unique relationship structures Gentle, hopeful love stories
📖 Every Summer After by Carley Fortune
Why you’ll love it:
Summer nostalgia, a past love, and years of emotional distance make this a natural next read. It captures that bittersweet feeling of loving someone at the wrong time—and wondering if it’s too late.
Perfect for readers who loved:
Time jumps Second chances Love stories steeped in memory
Final Thoughts
If People We Meet on Vacation stayed with you, it’s probably because it understood something important: love isn’t always loud. Sometimes it’s built quietly – over years, conversations, shared experiences, and the courage to finally say what’s been unsaid. These books all capture that same magic.
The Bookish Ashley 
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