Emily Henry’s second novel, “People We Meet on Vacation,” is just as delightful as its predecessor. The book swaps “Beach Read’s” enemies-to-lovers trope for friends-to-lovers.

No one expected Alex and Poppy to be friends, let alone best friends. Alex is a homebody who has a codependent relationship with his cat, while Poppy is a free spirit who writes a travel blog.

Despite all odds, Alex and Poppy have clicked since college, managing to keep their friendship alive after Poppy moved to New York City through an annual weeklong vacation. Then, after a decade of trips, they make a mistake they can’t take back, leaving their friendship in pieces. 

Two years later, they still haven’t spoken, and Poppy feels lost even as everything in her life falls into place. Fixing things with Alex feels like the key to it all, so she breaks their stand-off to see if he’ll go on a last vacation with her. 

When Alex says yes, Poppy knows it’s her last chance to make their relationship right. A reunion means they’ll both have to confront feelings for each other they don’t want to have, putting their friendship on the line once again. 

Christina Lauren’s New York Times bestseller stars Olive Torres, the unlucky twin who feels like she’s always living in her sister’s shadow.

Things change at her sister’s wedding, though. The entire wedding party gets sick, aside from Olive and Ethan Thomas, a groomsman she happens to loathe. The pair is given the chance to take the newlyweds’ 10-day honeymoon in Hawaii, and Olive agrees to go for the free trip despite her hatred of Ethan.

As the unlikely pair enjoy their surprise vacation, Olive finds herself feeling things for Ethan she never expected. Has her luck finally changed?

Every installment of Jasmine Guillory’s “The Wedding Date” series offers a steamy love affair, and the third book, “The Wedding Party,” is no exception. 

Theo and Maddie have never liked each other — though they share a mutual attraction that’s hard to ignore. Most of the time, they do their best to avoid each other, only hanging out when their best friend Alexa forces them to. 

When Alexa gets engaged and Theo and Maddie are both made members of the bridal party, they’re forced to spend time together, making it harder and harder to ignore the spark between them as the wedding looms closer.

Eventually, they give in to their temptation, swearing that they’ll end their secret affair the second Alexa says “I do.” What will Theo and Maddie do when they realize they’re falling for each other?

Lucy Hutton and Joshua Templeman might both be assistants to co-CEOs of a publishing house, but that’s where their similarities end. Josh is as type A as they come, while Lucy approaches her life with excitement and colorful clothes.

It’s no secret that they hate each other, and their loathing only increases when they realize they’re up for the same promotion.

Lucy decides she’s not going to let Josh intimidate her anymore, and soon, their fiery hate is turning into something else entirely. After years of fighting, how can either of them trust that this change of heart is real?

Sally Thorne’s debut is the enthralling workplace rom-com you’ve been waiting for, and you can stream the movie adaptation after you finish the book.

Fans of Talia Hibbert will love “Act Your Age, Eve Brown,” the third installment of the Brown sisters series.

The novel follows Eve, who has always been more comfortable with chaos than order, as her purple hair makes clear.

It’s no surprise that constantly controlled Jacob Wayne doesn’t hire her to be the chef at his bed and breakfast — but it is a shock when Eve accidentally hits his car and breaks his arm.

To make amends, Eve lingers around the B&B, becoming a nuisance that Jacob is prepared to hate. His loathing soon turns to something else, warming a place inside him he didn’t know existed.

The enemies-to-lovers trope gets a fresh twist in this delightful debut by Casey McQuiston, which has since been adapted into an Amazon film. “Red, White, & Royal Blue” follows Alex Claremont-Diaz, the son of the first female president of the United States.

As his mother begins her reelection campaign, Alex causes an international crisis when he gets into a public fight with his sworn nemesis, Henry, who happens to be the Prince of England. The two begin a fake friendship to appease their families, but they soon find themselves drawn to each other in ways they never expected.

As Alex and Henry grow closer, they’ll have to decide if they’re willing to put their families and political careers on the line for love.

In Angie Hockman’s “Shipped,” Henley Evans and Graeme Crawford-Collins have been enemies from the day they started working together at a cruise line — though they’ve never met in person since Graeme works remotely. 

Their first IRL meeting comes in the form of a company trip to the Galápagos Islands, where they’ll both be competing for their dream promotion. Henley is prepared to do whatever it takes to crush Graeme, but her plan falls apart when she meets Graeme and discovers he’s nothing like she thought he was.

Her feelings for him threaten to ruin everything she’s been working toward — which might be the best thing that ever happened to her.

Julia Quinn’s second “Bridgerton” book, “The Viscount Who Loved Me,” is a great fit for “Beach Read” fans. Plus, when you’re done, you can stream the Netflix series and check out Dynevor’s acting chops ahead of the film’s premiere.

When Anthony Bridgerton decides he’s finally ready to marry, he doesn’t anticipate any obstacles. After all, as Viscount Bridgerton, any lady of the ton should be thrilled to marry him.

To his surprise, there is one lady who doesn’t think Anthony is marriage material: Kate, the sister of the lady he hoped to marry.

Anthony is determined to win Kate’s approval, but Kate is focused on protecting her sister from a rake. As they continue to vex each other, Anthony and Kate find the tension between them turning into a different kind of heat.

If you somehow missed the “Heated Rivalry” craze after the show dropped on Crave in 2025, reading the book is a great entry point to Rachel Reid’s series.

As two of the best professional hockey players, Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov have been pitted against each other for years. Shane, captain of the Montreal Voyageurs, is steadfast and reserved, while Ilya is cocky and unafraid to make enemies on the ice as captain of the Boston Bears.

The world expects them to hate each other, and on the ice, they do. Little does the world know, though, that Ilya and Shane have been finding ways to steal moments alone together since their rookie season. Their connection is addictive — and terrifying, as getting outed could cost them their careers.

As their feelings for each other grow and the stakes of getting caught rise, Ilya and Shane will have to decide whether what they have is worth the risk.

If you loved the second-chance element of “Beach Read,” you’ll love “Every Summer After” by Carley Fortune.

Sam Florek was the center of Persephone (Percy) Fraser’s summers for six years. After her family bought a lake house on Barry’s Bay, Sam and Percy became inseparable, and their friendship blossomed into something all-consuming as they went from tweens to teens. At 17, when she pictures her life, all Percy sees is Sam.

Then, one mistake ruins it all, and Percy doesn’t return to Barry’s Bay — or see Sam — for a decade. When she’s finally accepted that there will always be a Sam-shaped hole in her life, his mother’s funeral brings her back to her beloved lake for one weekend — and face to face with the man she’s loved for nearly all her life.

Percy and Sam’s bond is as strong as ever when they reconnect, but all that’s unsaid between them is keeping them at a distance. With the story spanning the weekend and the summers of their youth, Percy and Sam will have to decide if it’s worth digging up their past for a shot at their future.

Rue Siebert feels like she owes everything to her career as a biotech engineer at Kline. She loves her work, the financial stability it brings, and the close friends she’s made at the company.

Everything she loves feels at risk when The Harkness Group walks into Kline, intent on taking over the company. Rue is ready to hate every member of the group — until she lays eyes on Eli Killgore, Harkness’ money man and the guy she had an almost-one-night stand with the night before.

Rue wasn’t part of Eli’s plans, but now that he knows she’s at Kline, he’s struggling to let her “no repeats” rule or his company’s objectives stand in the way of pursuing her. Soon, Rue and Eli give in to their attraction, agreeing to a no-strings-attached relationship that won’t compromise their loyalty to their respective companies.

The more time they spend together, the harder it is for either to remember why staying unattached was the best plan.

The sequel to her debut novel, “Honey and Spice,” Bolu Babalola’s “Sweet Heat” asks whether true love really deserves a second chance.

At 28, Kiki Banjo already feels like she’s on the precipice of more change than she can handle when her ex-boyfriend Malakai walks back into her life. Three years after their breakup, which Kiki feels she barely walked away from, she and Malakai have to reunite to serve as the maid of honor and best man at their best friends’ wedding.

Kiki hopes she can get through the wedding season by avoiding Malakai, whom she’s disappointed to discover is as gorgeous, funny, frustrating, and talented as ever. When their career ambitions lead them to work on a joint project, she’ll have no choice but to reenter his orbit.

Kiki tells herself she can handle a few months of dealing with Malakai, but her heart might not be as ready to shut him out as her brain.

Jacob Maddox joining the staff at her hospital is the last thing Briana Ortiz needs in “Yours Truly” by Abby Jimenez.

Fresh off a divorce and caring for her sick brother, Briana has no time for the new doctor who is her competition for the Chief of Emergency Medicine job she deserves after 10 years of service. It doesn’t help that he makes the worst first impression, confirming all her suspicions about the supposed hotshot doctor.

Briana is sure she’ll loathe Jacob for the rest of their time working together, until he is shockingly kind to her when he finds her crying and sends her a letter that shows her he’s not the menace she thought. Briana and Jacob become pen pals and work friends, and then she finds herself rethinking everything about him when he gives her brother a kidney.

When Jacob asks her to pretend to be his girlfriend for a family wedding, Briana is more than happy to oblige. However, what will Briana and Jacob do when they realize there’s nothing fake about their feelings for each other?

Like “Beach Read,” Katie Naymon’s “You Between the Lines” also tells the love story of two writers with a complicated history.

Leigh has a serious case of imposter syndrome when she is accepted into an MFA program. She’s always loved writing, and she doesn’t think her sorority girl life has to be at odds with that. However, Leigh took it to heart when Will, her high school crush, told her that a poem she wrote was superficial.

So when Leigh arrives at her grad program and discovers that Will, who now goes by William, is in her cohort, she feels 16 and unsure of herself all over again. Beating William out for the program’s fellowship seems like the best way to get past her insecurities once and for all, and the competitive spark between them burns back to life instantly.

Yet there’s more to her history with William than Leigh wants to face — until he writes a poem that makes her realize she might not be the only one haunted by what they could have been.

Aiden Valentine is a love skeptic, which is a bit inconvenient considering he hosts the most popular romance hotline show in Baltimore, “Heartstrings.”

He needs something to make him believe in love again. The answer to his problems comes in the form of a call from a kid looking to help her mom find a boyfriend.

Lucie Stone is mortified when her daughter calls into “Heartstrings” on her behalf, but as she speaks to Aiden, she finds herself opening up about loneliness and her fears about dating. Her plight strikes a chord, and soon, Aiden’s network wants to help Lucie find love.

Aiden is tasked with helping Lucie date as Baltimore listens in. But as they share the radio booth several times a week, Aiden and Lucie find themselves drawn to each other when they’re supposed to be searching for her soulmate.

In 1974, the company was refounded as Ground Air Transport Inc. by Michigan-native Ned Homfeld.

Homfeld eventually founded the first passenger version of Spirit in 1980: Detroit-based Charter One Airlines. The charter tour company officially launched operations in 1983 using turboprop aircraft.

It focused on gambling trips, offering routes to Atlantic City, New Jersey, from Chicago, Detroit, Boston, and Providence, Rhode Island.

As gambling soon became popular in other states, Charter One began ferrying northerners to warmer destinations, including Florida, the Bahamas, Las Vegas, and San Juan.

A decade after its founding, Charter One launched scheduled air service from Boston, Detroit, and Providence to Atlantic City, marking the start of the company’s commercial operations.

Charter One leased two Convair 580 twin-engine turboprops for the service. It would operate the planes for only a couple of years before rebranding to Spirit Airlines.

Spirit rebranded and added four DC-9 jets to its fleet. The company was able to secure the planes at a low price after the demise of low-cost competitor Midway Airlines brought down used-aircraft prices.

In June, the company launched its first flight from Detroit to Atlantic City, which operated twice daily. The airline’s code is NK for “Ned’s Kids.”

Spirit’s early fleet also included McDonnell Douglas MD-80 aircraft. According to Plane Spotters, 44 DC-9 and MD80 planes were delivered through the 1990s and early 2000s, with the last MD80 leaving the company in July 2010.

Spirit flew more than a quarter-million passengers in 1993 and generated $21 million in revenue. The company’s background as a tour operator helped it fill planes.

The carrier won over customers with cheap fares, powered by its low-cost business model in which everything beyond an unassigned seat — even water — cost extra. This secured lucrative ancillary revenue.

Legacy airlines with higher operational costs were often forced to slash fares to stay competitive when Spirit entered the market. This exacerbated the financial strains of the 1990s.

The 1990-1991 US recession opened the door for startups to acquire cheap planes and nonunion staff who had been employed by collapsed Pan Am, Trans World Airways, Eastern Air Lines, and Midway.

From 1993 to 1999, Spirit expanded its route network, offering flights to Philadelphia, Orlando, St. Petersburg, Myrtle Beach, Los Angeles, and New York City.

Delta’s defunct regional carrier, Comair, wanted to buy Spirit for $20 million in the mid-1990s. The deal was part of Spirit’s attempt to find a home in a bigger organization to help it expand amid growing competition.

The deal never materialized. Comair pulled out after a budget carrier, ValuJet, crashed into the Everglades in 1996, which created a stigma about the safety of low-cost airlines.

To address customer concerns, Spirit sent thousands of postcards to reassure customers about the safety of its planes.

It also launched a “Catch the Spirit” media campaign that included TV, radio, and billboard ads to sell Spirit’s perfect safety record and involved adding a new logo to its aircraft.

Spirit recorded a loss in 1996, mostly due to a 25% rise in fuel prices, consumer hesitation to fly low-cost carriers, and some legacy carriers matching Spirit’s fares and pushing it out of key markets.

However, Spirit’s planes began filling again in 1997. In June of that year, Spirit took over defunct carrier Sun Jet’s routes from New Jersey to Florida. It also acquired more planes to take advantage of Northwest’s 1998 pilot strike that grounded the rival for weeks.

That year, Spirit reported revenue of $121 million, had 20 aircraft in its fleet, posted the industry’s highest load factor at 76.4%, and carried 1.4 million passengers, an increase of 80% from 1997.

The airline had been courted by several other cities, including Detroit and Atlantic City, before making its move from Eastpointe, Michigan to Miramar, Florida.

Miramar made sense because it was in the Fort Lauderdale area where Spirit’s tour company was already based, and the airline had been serving Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport since 1993.

It still has a stronghold in the city, though it has trimmed capacity in recent years to optimize its network and better manage costs.

It’s still the only aircraft family in its fleet today, and it’s relatively young at an average of eight years. The planes are no-frills with only economy seats and a few rows of premium loungers.

Spirit continued to expand throughout the 2000s. It added San Juan, Puerto Rico in 2001. Boston, Grand Cayman, and San Francisco were added in 2006.

In 2007, the airline rebranded its “first class” as the Big Front Seat, which passengers can secure for an extra fee.

Spirit has since further revamped its most expensive seats, adding legroom, wider seating, and bundled perks to lure more premium flyers.

It’s part of a wide industry focus on premium revenue as flyers remain willing to pay up for comfort.

The strike occurred amid poor wages and benefits, leading to thousands of flight disruptions.

At the time, Spirit crews were among the lowest-paid pilots in the US despite flying the same planes as their higher-paid counterparts at other airlines.

The move reduced its operating costs because the resulting fewer overall bags lowered the aircraft’s fuel consumption. It also sped up the boarding process and freed up overhead bin space.

The à la carte model became its bread and butter.

In 2011, the carrier began charging for boarding passes printed at the airport ticket counter and reduced its maximum checked baggage weight from 50 to 40 pounds.

In 2008, Spirit was the number one airline for customer complaints. It still managed to fly five million passengers and achieve a net profit during the recession, making it one of the few carriers to do so.

In 2011, the Department of Transportation fined the airline $50,000 for what it described as deceptive advertising, claiming it did not disclose hidden fees, like baggage.

In 2014, Spirit was the top airline pick for growth among investors, and in 2016, Spirit was the first US carrier to add the A320neo to its fleet.

It had become a budget leader and consistently turned a profit as people sought cheap vacations and didn’t mind a bare-bones experience.

By 2019, the airline was operating 600 daily flights to 72 destinations across the US, Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean.

The pandemic changed everything.

Spirit recorded a 2020 net loss of $428 million. Nevertheless, Spirit expanded operations with new city pairs and airports in 2021.

It ended the year with what it described as a “better than expected” operating revenue, despite the mix of poorly timed weather, system outages, and staff shortages that left thousands of customers stranded.

The customer outrage led to a warning from regulators. Still, Spirit continued to improve in 2022, reporting strong ancillary revenue in the first quarter. Things appeared to be moving back toward how they were in 2019.

Airlines have been doubling down on premium revenue as flyers remain willing to pay extra for better comfort across all cabins. This prompted Spirit to rethink its all-economy strategy.

It started bundling its fares and offering premium seating to lure more customers, but its “first class” seat still pales in comparison to the amenity-stuffed loungers on rivals like Delta and United.

In its latest update, it said it would continue to focus on high-demand routes, reduce its debt, and have just 80 aircraft by late 2026 — down from over 200 at its peak.

Because most cruise ship staterooms are meant to hold at least two people, booking a room by yourself often means you still have to pay higher prices. Some cruise ships have solo cabins for just one person, but mine didn’t. 

When I booked my cruise, the listed rates for my ship were per person, not per room. But when switching between one and two guests in my search, the cost per person doubled when I had just one person selected. This is known as paying a “single supplement,” as it helps the cruise line make up for the revenue it would have generated from having a second person on board.

For $2,000, I got an ocean-view stateroom to myself. It would have cost about half the price per person if I had brought someone with me.

As someone who is typically shy around new people, I was surprised by how easy it was to talk to other travelers on the ship.

Couples, families, and other solo cruisers seemed open to chatting and sharing their experiences with me around the pool decks and at various eateries and common spaces. After all, we had at least one thing in common — being on this epic vacation. 

At each cruise port, passengers may disembark to spend their time as they wish. They might sightsee independently, take a taxi to a beach, link up with a local tour guide, or join an official cruise-line excursion.

I joined a cruise-line excursion at every port and was nervous about finding my group amid the large crowds. However, I was given clear directions on where to meet my group each time, and there were so many posted signs that it was easy. 

I found that excursions were the easiest way to meet people on the ship. With group activities like hiking and plenty of downtime on bus rides to and from the tour locations, I spent most of my time socializing. On a guided hike in Roatán, Honduras, I met couples, families, and one other solo traveler.

“Where are your parents?” was a question I had to answer nearly every day of my cruise.

Cruise-line workers were quick to assume that I was a lost child rather than a solo cruiser each time I entered and exited the ship. This could be because I look young (in my opinion), but it also made me think that solo cruising might be less common at 26, my age at the time.

Wonder of the Seas is one of the largest cruise ships in the world, so I thought that it would be pretty easy to find a single pool chair on the ship at any time.

But by midday, most of the chairs were occupied or covered with towels. While saving chairs with towels wasn’t allowed on my ship, I didn’t see the rule enforced, so I had to arrive early to secure a good spot. 

Despite the social activities and friendly cruisers who loved to chat with random strangers like me, I still found myself feeling lonely on the ship. I longed to have a conversation with someone who knew me or to share my experiences in new places with a loved one. Being surrounded by so many families and groups of friends made me wish I could be with mine.

If I cruise again, I’ll definitely bring my own crew.