Books Like People We Meet on Vacation
In this list of books like People We Meet on Vacation, I have put all the best books about going on vacation just in time for summer. I included romances, thrillers, contemporary fiction, and Historical fiction.
Kisten and I read many genres of books. We love reading books about vacations. Reading about a vacation while on a vacation is ironic, but so much fun. Don’t have plans to go anywhere? Take an escape through books like People We Meet on Vacation although, fair warning, some of these vacations are not ideal for relaxation. You can also check out our list of Terrific Hotel Novels to Indulge in on Vacation.
So whether you are looking for romance, beach reads, holiday books, or contemporary fiction, I put them all on one list for you. Let me know what book from this list you want to read.
The Best Books Like People We Meet on Vacation
Each colorful block below represents the best book in a subgenre. Click on the arrow to reveal my “best” pick in any category. You’ll also be able to use a page jump to see more books in that section.
Best Fiction Book
One Italian Summer – Click here to read the review and see more books in this category
Best Historical Fiction Book
Haven Point – Click here to read the review and see more books in this category
Best Romance Book
Every Summer After – Click here to read the review and see more books in this category
Best Thriller Book
The Sanatorium – Click here to read the review and see more books in this category
*Post contains affiliate links. Purchases made through links result in a small commission to us at no cost to you. Some books have been gifted. All opinions are our own.
Contemporary Fiction Books Like People We Meet on Vacation
One Italian Summer
Author: Rebecca Serle
Year: 2022
Genre: Magical Realism
Spice Rating:💋💋
Age Range: 16+
Plot
Rebecca Serle has done it again with this book set in Italy. Katy’s mother, Carol, has died and left Katy to take their trip to Positano alone. When Katy leaves, she is uncertain about everything and whether she will return to her marriage.
Then, the impossible happens, and Carol appears at Katy’s hotel. She is in perfect health and thirty years old. She is not the woman Katy thought she knew. As she gets to know her mother, she realizes more about herself.
Why Jackie loves it
This is a beautiful, well-written book with a touch of magic. I loved how Katy and Carol are able to develop a relationship in Italy after Carol died. It is unique and wonderful.
Find this book in: Contemporary Fiction / Book Set in Italy / Book About Grief / Best Magical Realism Books / Books About Mothers/ Books Set on a Beach / Books with Summer in the Title
Plot
When Sophie and Barry find themselves on an Island as the sole survivors of a plane crash, they learn to depend on each other. The book moves seamlessly from the past to the present, weaving an intricate tale.
Trigger Warnings
Plane Crash
Why Kirsten loves it
This is a wonderful contemporary fiction book about love and survival. It is so much more than it appears on the surface. I cried during the ending and have been singing it’s praises ever since. Everyone I’ve ever recommended this one too has had the same response.
Why Jackie loves it
I loved how the characters developed in this book. It was surprising and moving.
Find this book in: Kirsten’s Favorite Books / Feel-Good Books / Plane Crash Novels / Books Like People We Meet on Vacation / Books Set at the Beach
Plot
Well, this book was such a treat! It takes place at a seaside resort over one fateful weekend. We get a glimpse into the lives of the various guests and what brought them to the resort.
Oh and did I mention it opens with a woman falling to her death by the resort pool? Was it a murder? Was it a suicide? Was it an accident? And which of the guests is the victim?
Why Kirsten loves it
It’s a light read perfect for the beach. Check out more beach reads at our beach read hub!
Find this book in: Books Like People We Meet on Vacation / Poolside Reads / Hotel Novels / Books with Summer in the Title
Plot
This book starts off with a family headed on a vacation to the Balearic Island of Mallorca. All seems well as Franny and Jim are celebrating their 35th anniversary and their daughter is headed to Brown University in the fall. But, not all is what it appears, and the secrets everyone is keeping come pouring out over the course of the two-week vacation.
Extended family and friends are all gathered in the house where rivalries are rekindled and old wounds are opened.
Why Kirsten loves it
This is one pick from the list of books like people we meet on vacation that is perfect for anyone looking for some serious family drama.
Find this book in: Books Like People We Meet on Vacation / Poolside Reads
Historical Fiction Books Like People We Meet on Vacation
Haven Point
Author: Virginia Hume
Year: 2021
Genre: Historical Fiction
Spice Rating:💋
Age Range: 16+
Plot
This book is about four generations of the Demarest family. It focuses on the great-grandmother, grandmother (Maren, 1944), mother (Annie, 1970, and daughter (Skye, 2008) as they spend their summers in the waspy coastal town. Secrets unfold, loves bloom and fade, and the ties that bond are explored.
Why Kirsten loves it
This is a wonderful beach read with heart, I hope you take a chance and get swept away too. It’s one of the best family saga books I’ve ever read.
Why Jackie loves it
What a wonderful read. I truly can’t explain how much this book swept me away to Haven Point. This is a family saga with a heart that you will not want to miss.
Find this book in: Family Saga Books / Best Beach Reads
Beautiful Ruins
Author: Jess Walter
Year: 2012
Genre: Historical Fiction
More info: New York Times Bestseller
Spice Rating:💋
Age Range: 16+
Plot
I adored this second-chance love story that wasn’t too girly. There was intrigue and insight into Hollywood today versus 60 years ago. It’s about a secret love affair revolving around the movie Cleopatra and the small, seaside hotel at the center of the story.
It features family secrets, Richard Burton, modern and old Hollywood, and so many other plot lines in a novel that isn’t very long for all it contains within it’s pages.
Why Kirsten loves it
I guessed the big reveal pretty early on, but it was still a wonderful book set in Italy about how love found, lost, and then found again can impact our lives.
Find this book in: Books Set in Italy / Seaside Books / Hotel Novels / Old Hollywood Books / Books Set in the 1960s
Plot
I anticipated a lighthearted read, but this book had more soul than I was expecting! Set in 1938 in Montauk among the glamorous world of Manhattan’s summering elite, it was full of secrets and romance.
It’s like a historical fiction version of an Elin Hildebrand book with romance and personal growth as our heroine discovers true love in a sleepy beach town.
Trigger Warnings
Domestic Abuse
Why Kirsten loves it
I shed a few tears at the ending, which surprised me! There is a short, not-so-graphic rape scene – so if that’s a trigger for you, steer clear. Otherwise, I applaud this debut and recommend it for your beach bag!
Find this book in: Seaside Books / Hurricane Novels / Books Like People We Meet on Vacation / Books Set in New York
Romance Books Like People We Meet on Vacation
Every Summer After
Author: Carley Fortune
Year: 2022
Genre: Romance
More info: Debut Novel from New York Times Bestselling author
Named One of the Hottest Reads of Summer 2022 by Today, Parade, Popsugar, USA Today, Buzzfeed, and more
Spice Rating:💋
Age Range: 18+
Plot
I adored this charming second-chance romance set at a lake house. It was one of the most popular books on Instagram this summer and for good reason. Sam and Percy spent every summer together. They were best friends which turned into something more.
After Percy makes the biggest mistake of her life, she stops going to her beloved house at the lake until she learns that Sam’s mom died. Now she has to return and confront her past.
Why Kirsten loves it
Sam is the teenage boy we all needed in our lives growing up, and he gets better with age! Meanwhile, I was rooting for Percy to get her happily ever after with Sam the whole time. I was swept away by their summer love story and you will be too! This is a must-read if you are looking for the best summer reads. This is my favorite of Carley Fortune’s books
Why Jackie loves it
I love a second-chance romances and this one has a magical quality to it. Fortune does an amazing job of bringing the reader back in time so that the book feels nostalgic. I was rooting for Sam and Percy to get their HEA.
Find this book in: Carley Fortune Books In Order / Lake Books / Best Summer Reads 2023 / Second Chance Romance Books / Books with Summer in the Title
Royal Holiday
Author: Jasmine Guillory
Year: 2019
Genre: Romance
More info: The Wedding Date #4
Spice Rating:💋💋💋
Age Range: 18+
Plot
When Maddie gets Kirsten’s dream gig (styling a Royal or let’s face it, hanging out with a Royal), she brings her mom, Vivian, with her to England. Vivian meets a very handsome gentleman who happens to be the Queen’s private secretary. Sparks fly but will this be more than just a holiday romance?
Why Jackie loves it
Looking for a last-minute Christmas Read, New Year’s book, or the perfect holiday book? Royal Holiday was the perfect first read for winter break, especially for those who love a royal romance.
Find this book in: Best Christmas Books Of All Time / Best Holiday Books / Jasmine Guillory Books in Order / Books Like People We Meet on Vacation / Royal Romance Books / New Year’s Eve Books
In a Holidaze
Author: Christina Lauren
Year: 2020
Genre: Holiday Romance
Spice Rating:💋
Age Range: 18+
Plot
Do you love Christmas movies? Are you obsessed with Christmas Romance books? Do you need to swoon? If you answered yes to any of those questions, stop everything and order In a Holidaze. This is possibly my favorite Christmas novel of all time and was a must for best holiday books.
I adored Mae and Andrew’s love story. It’s set up like Groundhog’s Day with Mae repeating the same Christmas vacation until she gets it right.
Why Kirsten loves it
This is a time-travel romance at its best. And man… does she get it right. Peppermint kisses, sexy sledding, snowball fights, Christmas Tree trimming… this book oozes cheer-filled holiday goodness with a few scenes that are steamier than a cup of cocoa.
Why Jackie loves it
I thought a time loop book would become repetitive and this book was definitely not repetitive! I could not get enough of the Christmas cheer and the sweet moments in this book. I was rooting for the characters!
Find this book in: Time Travel Books / Best Books of 2020 / Magical Realism / Time Loop Books / Fantasy Christmas Books / Best Holiday Books / Best Christmas Books of All Time / Christmas Romance Books
The Summer I Turned Pretty
Author: Jenny Han
Year: 2009
Genre: YA Romance
More info: The Summer I Turned Pretty #1,
Spice Rating:💋
Age Range: 12+
Plot
The series starts when Belly turns 15, at the beach house she visits every summer with her mom, her brother, and her mother’s best friend’s family, this coming-of-age is geared towards 15-year-olds. Throughout the summer, she learns about her dear friend’s illness and finds herself in a love triangle with the Fisher boys.
Trigger Warnings
Cancer
Why Kirsten loves it
Ok, so I adored To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before, but this YA romance felt like it was geared toward a younger crowd. This is a perfect friends-to-lovers romance for teens. It is filled with a love triangle teenage antics. I read it for the reading challenge, and while I didn’t love it as I read, I really loved the Amazon adaptation!
Adaptation Information
Amazon Prime Video has adapted this book series for TV. They are preparing to release the third season in the summer of 2026. It stars Lola Tung as Belly, Christopher Briney as Conrad, and Gavin Caslegno as Jeremiah.
Find this book in: Books Becoming TV Series / Friends-to-Lovers Romance Books / Book Adaptations on Amazon Prime / Best YA Romance Books / Books with Summer in the Title
The Unhoneymooners
Author: Christina Lauren
Year: 2019
Genre: Romance
More info: Instant New York Times Bestseller
Spice Rating:💋💋💋
Age Range: 18+
Plot
Olive and Ami are twins. While Ami seems to be lucky in everything, Olive knows that if it can happen, it will happen to her. So when everyone gets food poisoning at Ami’s wedding except Olive and her nemesis Ethan, she can’t decide if her luck has changed. This is the fake dating trope to the extreme- fake marriage.
As the two head out on the free, all-inclusive honeymoon that was supposed to be Ami and her new husband, Olive hopes they can call a truce long enough to enjoy the trip.
Trigger Warnings
Sexual content, infidelity, vomit
Why Jackie loves it
I loved this hilarious romance as soon as I read it. It is the perfect romantic comedy book.
Find this book in: Romance Tropes / Rom-Com Books / Fake Dating Books / Grumpy Sunshine Books / Books Like People We Meet on Vacation / Seaside Books
It Happened One Summer
Author: Tessa Bailey
Year: 2021
Genre: Romance
More info: Bellinger Sisters #1
Spice Rating:💋💋💋💋
Age Range: 18+
Plot
After getting in trouble one too many times for her party-girl lifestyle, Piper and her sister are banished back to their late father’s hometown in Washington. While she’s learning to be responsible and money-conscious for the first time in her life, she needs to try not to fall for a local fisherman, Brendan.
Why Kirsten loves it
When I learned that Tessa Bailey used Schitt’s Creek’s Alexis as her inspiration for Piper, I knew I had to read this grumpy sunshine romance. It was my first Tessa Bailey, but it won’t be my last! She brings the heat!
Find this book in: Enemies-to-Lovers Books / Books similar to The Love Hypothesis / Books Like People We Meet On Vacation / Books with Summer in the Title
Thriller Books Like People We Meet on Vacation
Thrillers may seem like a strange genre choice for a list of books like People We Meet on Vacation; However, these thrillers all take place on vacation- even if it is a vacation I would NOT want to go on!
The Sanatorium
Author: Sarah Pearse
Year: 2021
Genre: Mystery
More info: Detective Elin Warner #1 , February 2021 Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick
Plot
Oh boy, was this a creepy haunted house book! I wish I had chosen to read it during the wintertime instead of the summer because seeing snow while reading it would have made it that much creepier.
With dead bodies piling up, and a blizzard keeping the guests of the fancy sanatorium-turned-hotel stuck inside, will Elin be able to solve the mystery before she becomes a victim herself?
Why Kirsten loves it
This is such a great blizzard book for mystery book lovers. It is creepy and everything else you want in a thriller and it’s an iconic book to read during a snowstorm!
Find this book in: Fiction Serial Killer Books / Locked Room Mystery / Isolation Book
The Guest List
Author: Lucy Foley
Year: 2020
Genre: Mystery
More info: New York Times Bestseller, June 2020 Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick
Spice Rating:💋
Age Range: 16+
Plot
I’ve just read THE thriller
Why Kirsten loves it
I’ve become very picky about thrillers recently and this one is hands down my favorite of the year so far. It also made our Best of 2020 list!
Adaptation Information
This story is soon to be a TV series on Hulu. Liz Tigelaar is set to write and produce the show.
Find this book in: Locked Room Mysteries / Books Like People We Meet on Vacation / Best British Mysteries / Books Becoming Movies in 2024 / Best Beach Reads / British Books /Best Psychological Thriller Books / Popular Thriller Books / Best Reese Witherspoon Books
We Were Never Here
Author: Andrea Bartz
Year: 2021
Genre: Thriller
More info: August 2021 Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick
Spice Rating:💋
Age Range: 16+
Plot
A thriller that had me on the edge of my seat! Two best friends, Emily and Kristen, commit an accidental murder on vacation in Cambodia when they try to stop Emily from being sexually assaulted.
But the following year in Chile, it happens again. As Emily begins to suspect something is off with her best friend, she starts trying to distance herself from Kristen. But Kristen wants to keep Emily close.
With a narrator that is unreliable, because she can’t seem to trust her own instincts or memory, the twists and turns keep coming with this thriller.
Trigger Warnings
Sexual assault
Why Kirsten loves it
If vacation books are your thing, this thriller from books like People We Meet on Vacation is such a great pick. And, it is perfect for books with unreliable narrators.
Find this book in: Books Like People We Meet on Vacation / Complete List of Reese Witherspoon Books
Saint X
Author: Alexis Schaitkin
Year: 2020
Genre: Thriller
More info: A New York Times Notable Book of 2020
Spice Rating:💋
Age Range: 16+
Plot
I wasn’t sure what to expect from Saint X. I think I was suspecting a thriller or a mystery because the story opens with an 18-year-old girl who dies on her tropical vacation with her family. Her then-7-year-old sister, Claire, is our narrator. Now in her 20s, after a chance meeting with someone connected to the case, Claire is trying to figure out exactly what happened all those years ago.
The story is also peppered with accounts from a few other key people in the case. Each one of these players is a different narrator which just made the entire production feel real. But it doesn’t quite fit into one genre. It’s also a book about the relationship between sisters, even those separated for years.
Why Kirsten loves it
Don’t you feel that some books are just meant to be listened to and not read? That’s how I felt about Daisy Jones & The Six, The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto, Echo, and now Saint X. Each of these full-cast audiobooks brings the novel to life. The other thing I love about this story is the subtle commentary on race and class woven throughout.
Why Jackie loves it
This is a well-written book that is as much a mystery as it is a thriller. I did not anticipate what would happen in this book and I love that in a story. The audiobook is a fantastic listen!
Find this book in: Books Like People We Meet on Vacation / About Sisters and Bonds of Sisterhood / Full Cast Audiobooks
Plot
This is the Ultimate Beach Read Thriller! It’s all about 2 girls who hire a couple to charter them a boat to a deserted island. But the island isn’t so deserted after all. As their relaxing trip turns deadly, we learn about the backstory that brought each person to their destination.
Why Kirsten loves it
It’s a wonderfully addicting novel that is great in audiobook format as well. I found the setting to be so unique and integral to the party.
Find this book in: Books like People We Meet on Vacation / Books set at the Beach / Isolation Novels / Ultimate Beach Reads 2023 / Boat Books
The House on Fripp Island
Author: Rebecca Kauffman
Year: 2020
Genre: Thriller
Spice Rating:💋
Age Range: 16+
Plot
It was a dynamic family drama with secrets, lies, and tension…and the whole time I was trying to figure out who had committed the murder and why. I loved it!
Why Kirsten loves it
Well, that wasn’t what I was expecting. I thought I was going into a family drama like The Vacationers by Emma Straub, but it opened with a murder. I literally sat up at that point and thought “well, well, what have we here?” Truly a perfect summer read and a perfect pick for poolside reads or for anyone who lives Emily Henry books.
Find this book in: Books Like People We Meet on Vacation / Poolside Reads
Expert Tip
Are you looking for a book to take on your next vacation? This list is filled with the perfect books about people on vacation. What could be more fun?
- Think about what genre you are in the mood for – historical fiction vs. romance, for example.
- Still too many choices? Look at the reviews of the books. Kirsten and I have read every book on this list to help you pick a book that speaks to you
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best books like People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry?
People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry is a contemporary romance that takes place- you guessed it- on vacation. The books that are most like this book are:
1. Every Summer After by Carley Fortune
2. The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren
3. It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey
What are the best books to read while on vacation?
I think the best books to read while on vacation are books about being on vacation. The Guest List by Lucy Foley is a great thriller choice. One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle is a unique magical realism/ fiction pick and In a Holidaze is such a fun holiday pick. Christmas is the summer is a thing here at Beyond the Bookends.
Epilogue
Which of these is your favorite from our list of books like People We Meet on Vacation?
Complete List of Beach Read Books
If you are looking for more beach-read books, check out our beach-read book lists. There is something for everyone on this list!
