A hugely enjoyable book centring on the reunion of Lizzie and Ciaran, twelve years after an abrupt parting of the ways during a university year abroad in Bordeaux. They are back in France, this time at the Cannes Film Festival.

I devoured the book within a few sittings and will look for future works by this author with relish.

This was a great book to read! It was funny, well written and down to earth in a way that is often hard to come by. Niamh Hargan knows how to write real characters and give voice to so many of the conflicting emotions and experiences we encounter in early adulthood. She did a wonderful job switching between then and now, and was able to do so without taking away from the story.

Both Lizzy and Ciaran were well developed characters. We got to see them grow and learn more about themselves and each other through their relationship as young adults and as they grew older. Each of the side characters also had depth and played a purposeful role within the larger narrative.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more by Niamh Hargan.

The publisher kindly provided ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Remember what its like to be young and tempestuousness where you easily cut off loved ones without communication because you're angry with them?

Niamh Hargan's explores second changes set in the sunny backdrop of Cannes Film Festival, in her debut 'Twelve Days in May'.

Twelve years previously, Lizzy Munro and Ciaran Flynn met in France while on the Erasmus university exchange program. They become besties through a shared love of film. Then nothing.

Imagine their mutual shock when they run into each other at Cannes Film Festival, where Lizzie is working with the Scottish Film Board to entice filmmakers to Scotland, and Ciaran is debuting his second film to great fanfare after winning a BAFTA with his first.

Worst still, Ciaran needs Lizzie's help after he's being sued for plagarism as his film is about young people on exchange - which bears story similarities to a woman's screenplayer submitted to the same studio who produced his film.

Through time jumps, we slowly see the burgeoning relationship between young Lizzie and Ciaran. Hargan captures the youthful dreams and possibilites ahead, along with young love and the tenuous nature of early love. Hargan really captures teenage Lizzie's push/pull with Ciaran where its clear she's falling for him, but denying it to everyone because she's shitscared. Which then leads her to make rash decisions that ultimate cut her nose to spite her face.

Lizzie's outward appearances vs her inward insecurities is something very relatable.

One of my favourite bits is how Hargan gives a taste of the festival. I felt like I really was at Cannes, experiencing the frenetic pace on my feet all day trying to shmooze people as a worker bee to Ciaran's more red carpet glam experience.

However the book does have some issues, mostly with the pacing when the time jumps. Some of the Bordeaux chapters could've been cut IMO with the action condensed to why Lizzie and Ciaran's burgeoning relationship died.

Overall 'Twelve Days in May' is a sweet and charming second chance romance which sparkles like the sun hitting the Mediterranean Sea at Pointe Croisette.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for the ARC. I've pre-ordered my copy.

Read and reviewed in exchange for a free copy from NetGalley. Unfortunately this book just wasn't for me. Despite enjoying the genre, I struggled to get into the book and although I persisted, I couldn't connect with the characters or be at all invested in their story. The setting was lovely and Hargan created imagery well, however.

I really enjoyed the setting of the story in Cannes! It just shows what misses opportunities happens, and if they could be rectified. Lovely holiday read .

A quick, fun and easy read. It was well written with an engaging storyline and well developed charcaters that were both relatable and likeable. I really enjoyed it.

I really enjoyed this debut novel by Niamh Hargan.
Lizzy hasn't seen Ciaran in twelve years when they first met on an exchange in Bordeaux. Lizzy, now working for the Scottish Film Board runs into Ciaran, who is an award-winning director at the Cannes Film Festival where he is promoting his new film. Ciaran needs Lizzy's help when he is accused of copying someone else’s screenplay for his new film. A lovely romantic read that I recommend.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK, HarperFiction for the ARC.

Twelve Days in May by Niamh Hargan is a wonderful debut. It’s a lovely second chance, friends to enemies to lovers romance set amongst the back drop of the Cannes Film Festival. I am a huge fan of rom com novels and love movies and so this was just a brilliant read for me.

Twelve Days in May centres around Lizzy and Ciaran. They haven’t spoken in 12 years, since they were both in Bordeaux for their year out. They now each find themselves at the Cannes Film Festival. Lizzy is there on behalf of the Scottish Film Board and Ciaran is set to premiere his new film. When Ciaran’s film runs into trouble will Lizzy be able to help him? And what will happen to these once best friends when forced to confront their past and their present feelings?

I enjoyed the duel timelines within Hargan’s story and the way that the past unfolded through memories during the present. We begin the story with Lizzy and Ciaran bumping into each other in the present and through recollections we learn how they met, what they were to each other and how it all fell apart in 12 years prior. This is done so really well and you always have a clear sense of when and where you are.

I enjoyed the romance between Lizzy and Ciaran. It’s a second chance romance and sees them going from friends, to hating each other (at-least in Lizzie’s case) to friends and finally lovers. It’s a great slow burn and the tension build up was brilliant. I was almost cross at their younger selves for how badly they failed to communicate with one another, but felt that Hargan used this as a brilliant way to explain both Lizzy and Ciaran’s own issues and insecurities.

Lizzy was a really interesting female lead. She is accomplished, knows her stuff and seems confident. Yet under the surface still remains her younger self who felt that no one could like her in the way she hoped. She was/is very self conscious and self critical of elements of her appearance which was really sad to read. The unwanted spotlight cast upon Lizzy during her time in Cannes also sent a strong message on the intrusion of peoples’ privacy and the cruelty of people online - something that remains a significant issue.

I absolutely loved the use of Cannes as the backdrop and setting for Hargan’s story. I liked how we were able to see two very different sides of Cannes merge, from Lizzy’s work with the Scottish Film Board scouting new talent and trying to lure film makers to Scotland, to the glamour and complications of Ciaran’s film premiering. Hargan created such a wonderful sense of place that you really felt as though you were there with Lizzy and Ciaran.

Overall this was a really great read and one I’d happily recommend.

In this book we meet Lizzy and Ciaran they used to be and item when they met in their early 20s when they were both studying in France. However they both left France on extremely bad terms and they haven't spoken to each other in over 12 years.

Now Lizzie is working for the Scottish film board and is asked to cover the Cannes film festival as part of her job. It is up to her to try and speak to as many people as possible and to try and entice them to use the gorgeous sprawling background of the Scottish Highlands as the backdrops of their movies.

Ciaran is now a BAFTA award winning director. Who is attending Cannes to promote his new film Wish you were here which is debuting the festival this year.

While at the festival a woman called Penny Ainsley claims that Ciaran has ripped her off and that the film Ciaran has written was stolen from a script that she actually wrote. But Ciaran knows that the film is actually about him and Lizzy and the time that they spent together. You guessed it while at Cannes Lizzy and Ciarans life entwine once again. As it is up to Lizzy to prove that it is Ciarans original story, to be able to make it a success for him. Are they able to forgive and forget? To let love in and have a second chance at love?

I really enjoyed this book and it is a great book for those gorgeous sunny summer days that are yet to to.

This book is set in beautiful Cannes and features two characters Lizzy and Ciaran. The book takes you on a journey through the timelines of how they both got to know each other and how they came to be apart. I felt for me the story sometimes felt like it wasn’t going anywhere but overall I did enjoy spending time with these two characters. If you enjoy Lindsey Kelk, Mhairi McFarlane you would enjoy this book.

Thanks to Harper Collins and Netgalley for an early review copy in return for an honest review.

This is a fun, well written debut that I found an entertaining read. I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for what the author produces next.

Twelve Days in May by Niamh Hargan 4.5⭐️


Lizzy and Ciaran haven’t seen or spoken to each other in twelve years. They spent a year in France together with a group of students in their early 20’s studying. They each left Bordeaux on bad terms. Was it a simple case of miscommunication?

Lizzy Munro is attending the Cannes Film Festival on behalf of the Scottish film board. It’s her job to entice filmmakers to use the Scottish countryside as the backdrop to their movies. Having moved to Scotland from California with her parents at the age of 15. Now aged 32 and still no one special in her life. Will she ever find love?

Irish born Ciaran Flynn is a BAFTA award winning director. He is attending the Festival debuting his new film ‘Wish You Were Here’. He bumps in to Lizzy at a cafe that causes him to be instantly transported back twelve years.
Are there such things as second chances?

When Penny Ainsley makes claims that Wish You Were Here was primarily based on a script that she wrote. It’s up to Ciaran to prove that this is his original idea. As the film is loosely based around the year he spent in Bordeaux, could Lizzy be the one to help him? Can they put aside their differences to make Ciaran’s movie a success?

This story centres around second chances and the power of mis-communication that can change the course of someone’s life. Could they have avoided the last twelve years without each other? This story is told from Lizzy’s point of view and jumps between present day and the twelve years previous in Bordeaux. I enjoyed Lizzy she is a well developed character and had a no nonsense approach which I loved. My only bug bear is that I wasn’t a fan of her body image issues. This could be related to my own post-partum body, it may have resonated more than I realised. Ciaran to me was the usual Irish cheeky chappy whom of course I loved. I took delight in seeing how their romance story played out. This is a lovely feel good read perfect for holidays, sitting by the pool or sitting on the beach (even in Irish weather).

A tale of lost love, or perhaps - more to the point - never admitted love.

I love the setting of this film - it is set during the Cannes Film Festival and you really get a sense of the atmosphere in the descriptions throughout this book.

That being said... for me, there was far too much talk about films during this book. I spent more time reading about how the film industry worked than actually reading about the characters and feeling invested in them.

I loved the characters that were in this book and I was truly rooting for Lizzy and Ciaran - I just feel that their love story was secondary to the setting of Cannes Film Festival...

A lovely read, and I am very interested to see what the author does next.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
I loved this one, set mostly in Cannes for the film festival, a story about miscommunication and how life could have been so different if the two main characters had opened up and spoken their truth. It’s a recommendation from me for sure!

Thank you for the free ARC of this book in exchange for a review.

I devoured this book. I couldn’t get enough of it and raced through it whilst not wanting it to end, I even got up early one morning to squeeze in a few more chapters into my day. I found the characters really genuine and I liked the way it flipped between the past and present. The style of writing flowed easily and had enough detail about the characters and setting.

The cover of this book drew me in straight away. I’d not heard of the author before, but the synopsis sounded good and I was excited to get started on this book.

Twelve days in May is a story focused on second chances. Lizzy and Ciaran met in France several years ago and after some miscommunication they went their separate ways. They reconnect during the Cannes film festival where Ciaran is a director and Lizzy works for the Scottish Film Board. A cute idea that added a good dynamic to the story.

Unfortunately, I struggled to really connect with the story. The flashbacks were good, but the current day storyline fell short for me. I really wanted to love this story, but I just couldn’t stay engaged with it.

The idea for the story is great and I may try reading this again at some point.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for my advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review 📚

Brilliant contemporary fiction, perfect escapism.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This is a wonderful novel. The character of Lizzy is great. She is beautifully drawn and multi faceted. She is also highly relatable. Even though the novel is set in the glamorous atmosphere of Cannes film festival, Lizzy is down to earth and has the same kind of neuroses as many other women. Her relationship with Ciaran is beautifully explored as is their time in Bordeaux. I thought the writing was outstanding, and the plot extremely original. I would highly recommend this novel. Thank you to Harper Collins UK, Harper Fiction and Netgalley for an ARC of this novel.

real rating 3.5*

Thank you to the publishers and netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

I enjoyed this book and I thought the main couple were sweet. There is a lot of misscommunication and the idea of second chances so if you like that then you'll enjoy this book! It was slightly less light hearted that I thought it would be however I still had a great time reading this and I liked the main couple together!

Twelve Days in May was a cute, easy read about a second chance love in Cannes, at the film festival. It was a light read, and fairly predictable, yet I enjoyed it nevertheless.

Lizzy, a member of the Scottish Film Board, and Ciaran, a producer with a film debuting at the festival itself, reunite 12 years after they first meet on an exchange in Bourdeaux. There are various flashbacks between the past and present, which could potentially could have been made clearer, however add a rich backstory to the plot, which was clearly well thought out and Hargan clearly devoted much time into researching the event. Moreover, Ciaran's passion for his film was a lovely addition to the plot, and one could imagine parallels between Ciaran and the author herself.

The romance was sweet and easy, however, as with (almost) all romcoms, there was miscommunication, and Lizzy's lack of self worth was tiring, as it could've easily been explained and situations resolved with a simple conversation.