This charming Friends -to -lovers story takes you to the French countryside, a chateau, where close proximity had me smiling throughout. I just loved Noah and Merry. I loved the banter, the enemies to lovers trope is one of my all time favorites! And add a cute little lobster in the mix it will have you giggling. This is such an easy escape read where you want to curl up on our favorite couch or chair with a fuzzy blanket and a cup of hot tea/coffee.
French Holiday has a great cast of characters, and laugh out loud moments. Read this book. Merry and Noah will steal your hearts.

French Holiday was exactly what I needed, right when I needed it. I love escaping to other places through books, and the French countryside was a delight. I’m not usually an enemies to lovers fan, but these characters quickly make up for their irritating bickering in the beginning. I also love a close proximity romance! Merry and Noah both find themselves staying in this old, rundown, isolated castle together and I had so much fun reading about all the adventures they had while living in what are essentially ruins. With an escape artist of a lobster (this lobster added so much fun to the story!). I loved watching Merry and Noah go from hating each other, to becoming friends, to falling in love. They are a super, super cute couple with great chemistry. I loved the descriptions of the food and the scenery. There’s some deeper issues in both characters’ backstories that created depth. There’s also a lot of humor, especially in Merry’s inner monologues and thoughts that were both melodramatic and endearing. I listened to the audio, which was very well done!

I’m going to keep my eye out for more Sarah Ready books! She has some very cute covers, and if the stories are all like this one than I’ve got some fun reading ahead of me!

French Holiday was such a fun, feel-good read. The romance was sweet, the setting was dreamy, and the characters had me laughing more than once. If you’re looking for something light and charming that’ll make you smile, this one’s worth picking up.

French Holiday* by Sarah Ready is a delightful enemies-to-lovers romance set against the charming and picturesque backdrop of the French countryside. With its blend of humor, heartfelt moments, and a touch of wanderlust, this novel offers an engaging escape into a story of healing, unexpected connections, and self-discovery.

Merry DeLuca is at rock bottom after watching the man she secretly loved marry her sister. Seeking solace, she escapes to a dreamy (though crumbling) French castle, expecting a romantic holiday filled with pastries, flirtations, and serenity. What she doesn’t anticipate is the infuriating presence of Noah Wright—the man she views as her nemesis—who’s also occupying the castle.

The dynamic between Merry and Noah is the highlight of the story. Their initial animosity leads to sharp, witty banter and laugh-out-loud moments, but as they spend more time together, their truce evolves into something much deeper. Ready skillfully peels back the layers of both characters, revealing vulnerabilities and desires that make their growing connection feel authentic and satisfying.

The lush French setting is practically a character in itself, with vivid descriptions of pastries, vineyards, and castle life that transport readers. The charm of the location perfectly complements the romantic and emotional journey of the protagonists.

However, the book does rely on familiar tropes, and while they’re executed well, some moments feel predictable. Additionally, Merry’s initial heartbreak over her sister’s wedding could have been explored in greater depth, as it’s an important catalyst for her journey.

Despite these minor shortcomings, *French Holiday* is a warm, escapist romance that delivers plenty of laughs, heartfelt moments, and swoon-worthy chemistry. Merry and Noah’s journey from antagonism to love is both entertaining and emotional, leaving readers rooting for their happy ending.

This novel is a perfect choice for fans of romantic comedies with stunning settings and dynamic characters. Whether you’re craving an enemies-to-lovers tale or dreaming of a French getaway, *French Holiday* is sure to satisfy.

This book has been on my Netgalley for a bit and I haven’t picked it up. I haven’t been into romance in a minute, so I’m not the right person to review it anymore.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC! This book was actually so fun and such a funny romcom! I know that’s the point but very few have I read that I actually found funny! The cucumber scene killed me! It was beautiful, mysterious and adventurous and an enemies to lovers vibe that I enjoyed! I hope to read more by Sarah Ready!

This book was a quick and easy read, but it didn’t quite hit the mark for me. The characters were frustrating at times, and I found myself wishing for more development to make them feel more relatable. As for the “enemies to lovers” trope, it wasn’t the best execution—I wanted more chemistry and tension to really sell the romance. That said, if you’re looking for something light and fast, it might still be worth a try.

3.5 stars rounded up.

Thank you Sarah Ready for the eARC of this one via NetGalley, and to my local library for access via Hoopla! These are my honest thoughts.

I had previously DNF a Sarah Ready book (it had... time travel? and I had a hard time getting into it?)... I didn't have that problem here! I was instantly hooked on the my best friend is marrying my sister and his guy best friend thinks the worst of me vibes that make up Merry and Noah's relationship.

Then the whole castle in France that's in absolute disrepair and Noah also being there and the forced proximity and the only one bed?

The story, from there, gets a little convoluted in my opinion. It needed a little bit of editing in the middle so we finally get to the good stuff before the 350ish page mark. But if you leave out that bit of criticism, there were a lot of things I liked about it!

Things I liked:
- Merry learning to stand on her own, and not falling for the first guy who looks at her right
- Both Merry and Noah have their own parental baggage that they work through together
- French dates with French people
- Cheese and bread
- Crazy sisters who can't help but meddle but also love the attention and drama to be about them
- Meddling from free-spirited fairy godmothers
- The theme of having someone choose you

Great Romance with a smidge of mystery. The characters are fun, the dialogue is sweet and the HEA isn’t overly cheesy. If I had one thing to criticize, it would be that lobster scene felt a bit out of place. The comedy in this scene felt kind of forced and completely different from the rest of the story.

Thank you to NetGalley, Publishers, and Sarah Moore for sending me a French Holiday in exchange for my honest review.

3.5/5 stars

Merry is in love with her best friend Leo, unfortunately, he is in love with her sister and they are getting married. After their wedding, Merry is in a rough place. When she is offered a three-month stay at a French castle she jumped at the chance. Her vision of French pastries and romance is quickly destroyed when the arrogant best man from the wedding is also staying there. Not to mention the castle is practically falling apart and a mystery to solve. Will she be able to change her luck or is she destined to crumble like the castle she is staying in.

This was a very cute read, I will say that the beginning of the book and the end of the book felt like two different books but it wasnt a bad thing. I loved reading about Merry's growth through out the book. She starts off as someone who isn't self-aware and I enjoyed listening to how she matured through-out. I loved the narrator, Kelsey Navarro, she did an amazing job bring the story to life, and I enjoyed listening to it more then I did reading it.

I wasn't the biggest fan of Noah I felt he was more mean and rude than grumpy. I also felt like it dragged a little in places and I found myself wishing the plot would speed up in places.

This was a very enjoyable read, that I would recommend to any romance lover!

Enemies to lovers and forced proximity? Sold. I hated seeing her best friend/crush marry her sister but for her to fall in love instead with his best friend? Loved it

Oh I love it! What a good story. It is entertaining and fun to read. She wants an escape romance. He wants to finish his book. What are the chances they both end up at the same location. They had never really connected when they met before taking the trip. All the food references made me drool. Sounds soo good! A good ending.

Friends to lovers. One bed. Close proximity. French Holiday had it all! This was a cute, and sometimes cheesy, romance. The characters had so much chemistry and there were a few very funny scenes that had me smiling. French Holiday was the first Sarah Ready book for me and it won't be my last. Thank you to NetGalley, Sarah Ready, and Swift & Lewis Publishing for the opportunity to read this one in exchange for a review.

Unfortunately, I couldn't like this story. I found the characters so boring, the story is quite boring and it took me a long time to finish reading it. It's a shame because I liked the premise.

I thought this book was really cute. It didn't stick out as anything special to me. I liked the banter between the two main characters and the tension they had. I also really liked how awkward Merry was. It was very entertaining. I do recommend this if you want a quick romcom that can act as a breath of fresh air.

This book was so cute! I enjoyed the setting and the characters. Their relationship arc was so fun to read. I look forward to reading more from this author.

It's cute! Light and sweet and fun characters. Glad I get to read these ARCs early and enjoy them!

Thank you NetGalley and Sarah Ready!

Thank you to Net-Galley for an advance read of this book.

This book is a light hearted rom-com that takes place in a chateau in France. The characters were ok. Louis made me laugh out loud. :)

If you are looking for an lighthearted romance, this is your answer. If you are looking for something that is steeped in french culture, this is not it.

Great book, I really enjoyed it! Beautiful descriptive writing and a great concept. Definitely more of a summer read in my opinion but excellent for a holiday book.

Noah and Mary have to spend 3 months together in a house, not just the house but they also have to share the bed. When they first get to France they can't stand each other. But you know when you are forced to spend time with someone you really get to know them. That is the case with Noah and Mary. After sometime they start to actually get along.

This was a cute book. I didn't like all of the characters, but that's normal.
This book will definitely be recommended to some of my friends.

Thank you to NetGalley and Swift & Lewis Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book.