Podcast Summary: Bookmarked by Reese’s Book Club

Episode: “People We Meet on Vacation”: Emily Henry, Cast & Director Reveal All
Release Date: January 13, 2026
Host: Danielle Robay

Overview

This episode of Bookmarked by Reese’s Book Club centers on the journey of Emily Henry’s beloved novel, People We Meet on Vacation, from page to screen. Host Danielle Robay welcomes author Emily Henry, director Brett Haley, and film leads Emily Bader (Poppy) and Tom Blyth (Alex) for a joyful, in-depth discussion about adaptation, casting, rom-com chemistry, fan expectations, memorable moments from set, and personal reflections on friendship, love, and self-discovery.

Main Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Premise: Adapting People We Meet on Vacation

• Danielle introduces the central theme—who do we let ourselves become on vacation?—and how it’s explored in Henry’s novel and its Netflix adaptation.
  • “Who do you become when you go on vacation? ...That’s the premise of Emily Henry’s incredible, really fun, well-known rom com type of novel, and it’s now been adapted into a movie.” (03:01)
• The story follows free-spirited Poppy and reserved Alex, lifelong friends whose yearly vacations together are interrupted by a falling out—and a fresh chance to rekindle both their friendship and romance.

2. Full Circle: Author Involvement in Adaptation

• Emily Henry reflects on her return to the podcast and how her early conversations with Brett Haley set the stage for a respectful, reader-focused adaptation:
  • “Brett called me ...and he was like, I just want you to give me the full list of what the readers need to see ...and also asked me to do the same thing for myself.” (07:45)
• The “balcony scene” and the “funny condom scene” were declared non-negotiable for Emily and her fans:
  • “The balcony scene was at the top of that list. ...The only thing I really desperately wanted personally was I wanted the condom scene in the book.” (08:37)

3. Vacation Personas—Getting to Know the Cast

• The group shares their "vacation personas" via emoji, showcasing chemistry and camaraderie:
  • Emily Henry: seashell emoji – always looking for things.
  • Tom Blyth: wave/merman emoji – happiest by or in the sea.
  • Emily Bader: red dancing girl – the life of the party.
  • Brett Haley: sparkle emoji – “Just feeling a little lighter, you know, just sparkly.” (06:56)

4. Director’s Perspective on Friends-to-Lovers Trope

• Brett Haley discusses the unique challenge of adapting the friends-to-lovers trope:
  • “The friends-to-lovers trope, if you will, is, in my opinion, the hardest one. It’s why I wanted to do this story … There’s not built-in tension. You have to find different tension.” (10:50)
• The importance of authentic character connection and making sure the audience “understands why these two aren’t getting together.”

5. Casting Magic: Chemistry Reads

• Brett recalls the instant connection with Tom Blyth (“he was the guy”) and how Emily Bader’s audition tape “felt like discovering a diamond” (18:54).
• Emily Henry on witnessing the first chemistry read:
  • “It was the Julia Roberts hand-in-the-box laugh in Pretty Woman ...It was so Alex and Poppy, and that was like the—I don’t even know if I saw the rest of the chemistry read because I was just like, oh my god.” (21:35)
• Both Emily Bader and Tom Blyth describe chemistry as immediate and instinctive—a “connection” where “you’re not trying to make stuff happen, but letting it happen.” (23:38, 24:22)

6. Building Friendship On and Off-Screen

• The cast and director attribute their believable camaraderie to hours of rehearsal, improv, and spending time together:
  • “There’s an element of filmmaking … it’s sort of like a summer camp, you know?” (26:53, 26:53)
  • Brett encouraged Emily and Tom to bond off-set: “Go hang out in Barcelona together … That will come through on screen.” (27:26)
• Improv and actor-developed bits, like the secret handshake, became part of Poppy and Alex’s on-screen relationship.

7. Author’s Perspective: Letting Go

• Emily Henry describes her gradual process of “letting go” during adaptation—balancing fan expectations, personal pride in her work, and trust in the filmmaking team:
  • “I had the book; I wrote the book I meant to write … But I wanted the movie to be something that worked as a movie … and really made [fans] feel respected.” (28:40)

8. Rom-Com Legacy & Inspirations

• Emily Bader channels “perfectly imperfect,” honestly quirky rom-com heroines (notably Goldie Hawn in Overboard and icons like Meg Ryan, Julia Roberts, Sandra Bullock). (32:12)
• Tom Blyth’s touchstone was When Harry Met Sally, particularly Billy Crystal’s dry, sardonic wit:
  • “I tried to bring a bit of the dryness and the kind of sardonic humor … I wouldn’t claim to be Billy Crystal, but I hope that we’re somewhere in the ballpark.” (34:44)

9. Adaptation Decisions: Filming Locations and Happy Surprises

• Practical production concerns led to changing some story locations (e.g., the Palm Springs trip became Barcelona):
  • “Once the rubber hits the road and you start looking at a budget ... Spain came up as a place that we could get multiple locations. And I said, well, could we do Barcelona for Palm Springs?” (40:32)
• Both novelists and filmmakers found joy in the new scenes and details unique to the film:
  • “My favorite parts of this movie are the things that I did not write … it’s a delight to have more of this thing you already love.” (42:53)

10. Making the Movie for Readers

• Unusually, Emily Henry was actively included in the entire production process, which both she and Brett believe improved the film:
  • “I kept Emily probably more involved than you know, certainly than I was supposed to ... I stand by it. And I think it made for a better film.” (45:12, 45:21)

11. Favorite Scenes & Easter Eggs

• Everyone shares the scenes they most anticipated:
  • Tom: The road trip car scenes—"the clincher for me that made me want to do it.” (46:16)
  • Emily Bader: The lavish wedding—jaw-dropping set and design (47:01).
  • Emily Henry: The “funny condom scene,” especially with Molly Shannon's improv (47:51).
  • Brett Haley: Wild New Orleans sequences, including improv on Bourbon Street, and weaving in the book’s iconic cover (48:37, 49:46).
• The team teases Easter eggs for diehard fans—props, character outfits, and set details like Gus’s book, Poppy’s unique wardrobe, and references for eagle-eyed viewers (50:32).

12. Deep Themes: Love, Friendship, and Limiting Beliefs

• Danielle frames the story’s core as:
  • “It’s kind of about this aching tension between deep friendship and romantic love. But it’s about the fear of losing one if you risk the other.” (60:07)
• Brett Haley:
  • "It takes a LOT of courage to love and be loved and be fully seen ... That’s what this movie’s about for me. And it makes you laugh, and it’s really pretty to watch. But yes, it’s about all of that.” (60:55)
• Tom, Emily Bader, and Emily Henry all discuss how the story encourages viewers to challenge self-imposed limitations and embrace being truly known and loved:
  • Emily Bader: “To not fully express yourself, you are probably going to be doing maybe more damage in the long run, even if that means that you have safe people around you ... Every person, if they have like a nice heart and they’re kind and however you are, there are people out there that will appreciate you.” (63:47)
  • Emily Henry: “You can’t be truly loved if you’re not truly known.” (65:04)

13. Lighthearted Finale: Collaborative Rom-Com Pitch

• The group co-creates a (hilariously unhinged) rom-com plot in sixty seconds:
  • Trope: Marriage of convenience
  • Era/Setting: Paris, 1960s
  • Leads: A baker and a gluten-free cheese shop owner who feuds over a shared wall, concluding with a tearful, Ratatouille-style acceptance of pastry
  • Emily Henry, grinning: “Is it brutal to say marriage of convenience?” (66:51)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Emily Henry, on adaptation priorities:
  • “The balcony scene was at the top of that list. I knew that, like, you can change a lot of things, but that moment is so important to the readers.” (08:37)
• Brett Haley, on directing:
  • “The friends to lovers trope ... is, in my opinion, the hardest one ... You have to find different tension.” (10:50)
• Emily Henry, on chemistry reads:
  • “It was so Alex and Poppy, and that was like the—I don’t even know if I saw the rest of the chemistry read because I was just like, oh my god.” (21:35)
• Emily Bader, on being an honest heroine:
  • “It’s so fun to watch a woman just be her honest self.” (31:19)
• Brett Haley, on courage in love:
  • “It takes a LOT of courage to love and be loved and be fully seen ... and that also requires seeing yourself ... That’s what this movie’s about for me.” (60:55)
• Emily Henry, on self-expression:
  • “You can’t be truly loved if you’re not truly known ... By holding back you’re not actually protecting yourself, because you can’t be truly loved if you don’t let someone see all of you.” (65:04)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 03:01: Introduction to People We Meet on Vacation and adaptation news
• 07:45: Emily Henry and Brett Haley recall their initial adaptation conversation
• 10:50: Brett Haley on the challenges of friends-to-lovers in adaptation
• 17:36: Brett and Emily Bader discuss casting and chemistry
• 23:38: Tom Blyth and Emily Bader explain on-screen chemistry
• 28:40: Emily Henry’s process of “letting go” during the adaptation
• 34:44: Rom-com inspirations—Billy Crystal, Goldie Hawn, Nora Ephron
• 40:32: Discussion about adapting settings from novel to film (Spain/Barcelona)
• 47:51: Favorite scenes to film (car scene, wedding, condom scene, Bourbon Street)
• 50:30: Easter eggs and on-set details for fans
• 60:07: Deep dive into the story’s underlying messages about love and vulnerability
• 66:51: Rom-com 60-second collaborative story creation

New Segment: Book Trends with Morgan Book

• Morgan Book, BookTok influencer, shares her TBR, anticipated 2026 releases, and trends:
  • “Historical fiction with a modern resonance” and “hockey romance” as forecasted BookTok waves (76:03)
  • Emotional reading—“I’m looking for a book that’s going to make me feel inspired … or destroy my soul … or make me believe in love again” (77:51)

Tone & Style

The episode is warm, playful, and deeply affectionate toward the genre, the fandom, and the process of creative collaboration. There’s an easy camaraderie and mutual respect among the guests. The panel frequently moves from heartwarming confessions to laugh-out-loud moments, especially in their rapid-fire creative brainstorming of a new rom-com.

Final Thoughts

This episode is a delightful, wide-ranging conversation for fans of the book, the film, and the rom-com genre at large. It’s a testament to thoughtful adaptation, collaborative creativity, and the enduring appeal of love stories that dare us to be both known and brave.

(All advertisements, intros, and outros have been omitted for clarity; timestamps may reference the main content only.)