Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsWarning: spoilers for the novel and Netflix film, including their endings. The film keeps Emily Henry’s friends-to-lovers story about Poppy Wright and Alex Nilsen, but it streamlines the novel’s ten-summer, Poppy-narrated structure and changes several key events. Their first meeting, the wedding destination and the route to Poppy’s final confession all differ; the emotional core and a few signature scenes remain.
How the book and movie are structured differently
The novel looks back across ten summers
Emily Henry’s 2021 novel is told from Poppy’s point of view, looking back over ten summers of trips with Alex. That retrospective structure lets the book move between their vacations and the friendship’s turning points, with Poppy’s narration supplying context the film has to convey through scenes.
The film compresses the travel story
The movie combines plot points and removes some vacation locations to fit a shorter screen story. TIME’s January 9, 2026 comparison names Nashville and Vail, Colorado, among the places left out. The result is a more streamlined chronology with less space for Poppy’s interior perspective.
TIME’s comparison of the film and novel details the omitted trips and other adaptation changes.
#1 Best Overall
How Poppy and Alex first meet
In the novel, Poppy and Alex meet at a freshman orientation mixer. They reconnect later, at the end of the school year, when they share a drive home. The film merges those events: the drive home becomes their first meeting.
That change gets the characters into the car together sooner, establishing the road-trip dynamic that will define their friendship. The film preserves the spirit of the ride, but Emily Henry has said it changes details, including the song Poppy plays.
Why the wedding moves from Palm Springs to Barcelona
Alex’s brother David gets married in Palm Springs in the book and Barcelona in the film. The change reflects production considerations rather than a new story requirement. Director Brett Haley told Netflix the move was made with Henry’s blessing and for production logistics. TheWrap reports that Henry also cited Barcelona as cheaper to shoot and mentioned practical challenges in Palm Springs, including temperature. Those explanations point to several considerations, not one exclusive reason.
Netflix Tudum’s adaptation feature includes Haley’s account; TheWrap’s report on the destination change includes Henry’s comments.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
Which wedding-trip scene the movie keeps
Despite the new destination, one of the story’s central sequences remains recognizable in both versions: the hot hotel, balcony, rain and confession during the wedding trip. The film reshapes the surrounding story, but preserves this emotional turning point, where years of unresolved feelings come to the surface.
How Poppy’s final confession changes
In the novel: a school visit and staff gathering
Poppy returns to Linfield and encounters Sarah at Alex’s school. She later tells Alex how she feels at a staff gathering, before they fly home.
Rank #4
In the film: an airport encounter and morning run
The film makes Sarah a flight attendant, so Poppy runs into her at the airport. Poppy then follows Alex on a morning run in Linfield and tells him she wants a life with him. It replaces the book’s workplace and social setting with a direct, visual gesture focused on Poppy pursuing Alex.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the closing image means
Both versions include a fictional novel by Augustus Everett, a character associated with Henry’s Beach Read. In the book, Alex reads one of Augustus’s novels poolside in Palm Springs. The movie places the book in an epilogue during a later summer trip and recreates the cover image of Henry’s novel. It is a visual nod to the source material rather than a scene-for-scene reproduction of its ending.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Netflix Tudum’s feature on the adaptation discusses the filmmakers’ approach to bringing Henry’s story to the screen.
What the adaptation preserves—and what fidelity means here
The movie’s biggest changes are structural and visual: fewer vacation episodes, a merged first meeting, a different wedding city and a re-staged final confession. Its core remains Poppy and Alex’s relationship, their return to Linfield and the emotional payoff of finally confronting what has kept them apart.
By the measure of plot details and locations, the film is compressed and substantially reshaped. By the measure of the central romance and its key emotional turns, it stays close to the novel. Whether that feels faithful depends on what a reader values: the book’s long, narrated accumulation of summers or the film’s more concentrated set of scenes.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
