Since college, Poppy and Alex have had nothing in common—she’s a chaotic wanderlust and he’s a khaki-wearing introvert—but even as life has taken them in various directions, they’ve remained best friends, planning an annual summer vacation for ten years straight. That is until they’re no longer talking. We see each character handle their own growing pains, and When Harry Met Sally fans will certainly find the witty banter and slow-burn relationship similarly refreshing—the Nora Ephron nods not a coincidence. “I think with every romance I write, I set out to pay tribute to the queen, and every time that comparison is drawn, it really makes my day,” Henry says. “But with this book, yes, I knew I wanted When Harry Met Sally vibes between these two—I wanted a really close friendship that develops over years and arches through all of these other romantic relationships.” People We Meet on Vacation is a smart, hilarious and tender read. And while it most certainly will have you pining for travel, “it’s about finding your home in a person,” Henry says. “No matter where you go with that person, it’s like you’re taking this piece of home with you.” Pick it up for a reminder that no matter where you are in the world, it’s the people you’re with who bring the most joy, and check out more from Henry (including her most recommended books!) below: While we get to escape to various locales and beaches and watering holes around the world in People We Meet on Vacation, the book is really less about place and more about who you’re there with. How did that come into focus? I started looking back at my favorite vacations, and I realized that the best memories were always the things that went wrong, and sometimes they led to something fun or sometimes they were so bad that it was just hilarious because the people you were with could laugh and enjoy it. It’s finding the meaning in everything that’s thrown at you, and yeah, it’s totally a book about finding your home in a person. Were any of Poppy and Alex’s vacations based on your own travels? Yes, actually, every vacation in the book other than the Palm Springs present day vacation was very closely modeled on a real trip. It’s usually setting that inspires me and acts as the starting point for all of my books. But I just realized that all of these memories I was pulling from were really contingent on the idea that these experiences happen in this temporary liminal space. A vacation makes a setting a different kind of place, like it’s full of possibility. There aren’t as many rules. And you’re seeing this high definition, high-intensity version of a setting. I was really excited to see how the characters reacted to all of these different places and how it changed them. We get this really witty, hilarious back-and-forth dialog between the two. What was that like developing? In the best friendships and the funniest friendships, you have that natural repartee, where it really feels like this game of ping pong, they’re just constantly setting you up for your next shot, and it’s so fun and electrifying. When I was writing, it really just felt like I was having that ongoing conversation with myself and setting myself up to win over and over again, which is really silly. But it’s really fun to create this world of inside jokes between these two characters who have so much history and time to develop it. This is a love story between two people who don’t make sense, until you recognize them as puzzle pieces that fit far more complete when they’re together. But did anything else inspire you to write that sort of love story about Poppy and Alex? I’ve never really been drawn to the friends-to-lovers trope, but When Harry Met Sally might be my favorite Ephron movie, and I’m really fascinated by how she got me on board. It was just a fun challenge to me. I wanted to know if I could write the kind of story where this chemistry builds really gradually, where you don’t initially think these characters can possibly fit, but you’re able to get readers on board and really believe that they have to be together. I also have friends who are polar opposites and very happily married to each other—it’s really interesting looking around at real-life love stories, you do see every example of every trope out there. Can you tell me more about how When Harry Met Sally (and its friend-to-lovers story) really inspired you? One of the things that was really interesting to me about writing this book and about that movie is the idea that every time I start watching When Harry Met Sally, I’m surprised how obnoxious I find Harry. I just think, “Do I really love this movie as much as I remember? Maybe this is everyone’s weak spot.” But as you keep watching, you fall in love with him every single time. I wanted it to feel a bit gender swapped, with Poppy being the one who’s a bit more intense and in your face. She can be grating at times. And when you first meet someone, all you’re getting is this small impression of them. But over time, you know, everything can change. And your understanding of them deepens and will change how you feel about them. How would you describe a beach read? It’s something that is so compelling to you that it’s going to distract you from all the other stuff going on. When I’m lying on a beach reading a book, there are a million things competing for my attention. And I do think that’s why thrillers and romance tend to be top beach and vacation reads, because there’s just compulsively readable. People like to say guilty pleasure, but I don’t thin beach reads are something you have to feel guilty about. If I can only read one book, what is it? It’s something I actually desperately want to read, not what I think I should read or that people have been pestering me to read.
Favorite destination novel
“Lizzy Dent’s The Summer Job(May 18, G.P. Putnam’s Sons). “Millennial-in-crisis Birdy Finch flees to a sleepy resort on a Scottish loch for the summer job her best friend gave up. It’s as idyllic as it sounds, but there’s a big problem: After a makeover, the resort isn’t so sleepy anymore, and Birdy’s far from the star sommelier she’s posing as. Funny, romantic, hilariously chaotic and full to the brim with Scottish charm.”
On her summer reading list
“One Last Stop (June 1, St. Martin’s Griffin) by Casey McQuiston is a time-bending love story.” “Second First Impressions (William Morrow) by Sally Thorne is a rom-com that feels like being wrapped up in a cozy blanket while sipping tea.” “So We Meet Again (August 3, Avon) by Suzanne Park is a deeply charming book about family, food, finding yourself and love.”
Laugh-out-loud book
“Dial A for Aunties (Berkley) by Jesse Q. Sutanto had me giggling within five pages. Weekend at Bernie’s meets Crazy Rich Asians: Need I say more?”
Favorite beach read ever
“Taylor Jenkins Reid’s The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo (Washington Square Press) has to be one of the most compulsively readable books of all time, and to me that’s what makes an ideal beach read—one that refuses to be put down until the last page is turned.”
Most recommended book
“Mhairi McFarlane’s Don’t You Forget About Me (William Morrow) is an absolute perfect balance between laugh-out-loud funny and deeply emotional.”
Characters You Couldn’t Stop Thinking About
“Sherry Thomas’s Luckiest Lady in London(Berkley) is the angsty, sexy historical romance of my dreams, and Louisa and Felix are so superbly complex. They lived in my mind for weeks after reading.” Next, 25 New Books Written By Women of Color We Can’t Wait to Read This Year
