Romance readers are officially swapping paperbacks for popcorn. People We Meet on Vacation, starring Tom Blyth as Alex and Emily Bader as Poppy, is now streaming on Netflix. The film marks the first on-screen adaptation of a novel by bestselling author Emily Henry, whose work has become a staple of BookTok culture. While the movie preserves the core premise—two longtime friends navigating unresolved feelings over years of shared travel—it makes several notable changes to the plot, timeline, and character dynamics.
Spoiler alert: The following contains spoilers for both the book and the movie.
The “Only One Bed” Trope Comes Much Earlier
One of the most talked-about shifts is the placement of the classic romance trope. In the book, Poppy and Alex’s “only one bed” moment happens years into their friendship during a Palm Springs trip. The movie, however, introduces the trope almost immediately. Alex and Poppy embark on a road trip from Boston College to Ohio, get stranded after locking their keys in the car, and are forced to share a motel room. The change accelerates their romantic tension and establishes physical closeness far earlier than in the novel.
A Very Different Reunion Trip
Another major deviation comes with their reunion after a long estrangement. In the book, Poppy reconnects with Alex and convinces him to take a nostalgic trip to Palm Springs for his brother’s wedding, secretly disguising it as a work assignment. The movie swaps Palm Springs for Barcelona and reframes the reunion entirely. Poppy attends the wedding at the request of Alex’s brother rather than planning the trip with Alex. Their time together feels more accidental than intentional, even though fans will be relieved to know the iconic rainy balcony hookup makes it into the film largely intact.
Less Travel, Fewer Side Characters
With a limited runtime, the film trims much of the novel’s globe-trotting charm. While viewers still see trips to Squamish, New Orleans, and Tuscany, several colorful side characters and memorable encounters from the book are removed. Gone are many of the eccentric travelers who helped define the novel’s episodic structure, giving the movie a tighter—but less textured—narrative.
Alex and Poppy’s Fallout Is Rewritten
Perhaps the biggest emotional change is how Alex and Poppy drift apart. The book centers their rift around a drunken hookup in Croatia that neither knows how to address. In the movie, Croatia is cut entirely. Instead, their breaking point occurs in Tuscany during a couples’ trip, where Alex ultimately proposes to Sarah. This decision reframes the conflict, shifting it from miscommunication to a clearer romantic choice.
Alex’s Character Is Softened
Book readers may notice that Alex loses some of his distinctive complexity. In the novel, his anxiety, family trauma, and creative ambition play a central role in his decisions. The movie presents a more conventional version of Alex, driven largely by fear of change and a desire for stability.
A Classic Rom-Com Ending
The movie retains the emotional payoff but delivers it with a traditional rom-com flourish. Instead of a quiet realization, Poppy chases Alex through Ohio in a cinematic running scene, culminating in a kiss in the middle of an intersection. The ending trades introspection for spectacle—an approach likely designed to appeal to a broader streaming audience.
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