This was a well-written, entertaining book. It was cute, fun, charming, steamy and kept me reading. I wanted to find out what was going to happen. I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to others.

J'adore French Holiday. It was an original enemies to lovers storyline that flowed nicely.

When Merry DeLuca finds herself stuck sharing a French castle with her nemesis, Noah Wright for three months, she's sure they may kill one another. Yet, they find a way to make it work. Then gradually they seem to become friends.

Merry's sister just married her good friend and long-time crush. Noah is his best friend who picked up on Merry's unrequited love. Instantly, Noah treated Merry with disdain and borderline hostility. They survived the wedding and had made some questionable decisions after the reception. Then Merry thought she was free of him until she shows up in France and finds him at the small castle that her godmother owns. Apparently her godmother, Jupiter was confused and told them both they could use it. When neither of them agrees to leave, they have to find a way to stick it out together.

Since they are "only friends who aren't really friends," they feel comfortable telling each other things they normally wouldn't tell someone else. Through this sharing, they both find out secrets about each other that are pivotal to how they've become the people they are.

There were some points in the book that felt unnecessary and drug a little bit but for the most part I truly enjoyed this story. I really like both Merry and Noah's characters.

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: I thought the narration was very well done and made the listening experience an enjoyable one. 4 stars

Thank you to NetGalley for early copies of both the e-book and audiobook. I voluntarily chose to review them both and the opinions contained within are my own.

although I def-ed it at 50% I feel like that's definitely on me. This book is well written and funny, the main character is sassy and the guy is a nice person, I just wasn't in the right headspace for this one, if you are looking for a fun time tho, I would totally recommend, it's not too deep, it's shiny and pretty.

Thank you NetGalley, Sarah Ready and Swift & Lewis Publishing LLC for the ARC,
Also, if you love audiobooks, the one for this book is AWESOME. Highly recommend.

French Holiday by Sarah Ready. #FrenchHoliday #NetGalley

French Holiday by Sarah Ready would be the perfect summer beach read. This was so much fun. Unrequited love, enemies to lovers, one bed, a mystery, France, a chateaux (reminiscent of the one in The Decoy Bride with David Tennant), and a godmother.

This was my first book by Sarah Ready. I will definitely be reading more by her. I loved Merry. Her growth was wonderful. I wasn’t sure about Noah but he definitely grew on me.

I recommend. I received this ARC from @netgalley and this is my honest review.

French Holiday is the new standalone from Sarah Ready. This is an amusing romantic comedy about Merry DeLuca and Noah Wright. It is a charming enemies to friends, due to forced proximity
and then to lovers, even though they both try to deny their feelings. An entertaining story about
unrequited love, with some mystery and intrigue, all set in the beautiful french countryside.

“I knew you’d love me back sooner or later.”

The story starts with Merry putting on a brave face as her best friend Leo, marries her little sister. She loves Angela and has always given her anything she wanted, but didn’t expect it to be Leo, the only man she has ever loved. Things don’t improve when one of the groomsmen notice she is struggling with the situation. Noah is best friends with Leo and is a famous travel writer and film maker. She had an awful run in with him when they first met and hasn’t liked him since.

When her job gets too much and she just wants to forget all about what is going on in her life, she
jumps at a chance to have an adventure thanks to her quirky godmother who owns an old chateau in France. However, her dreams are blown apart when she arrives and it’s not what she expected. Then things go down hill fast when she finds Noah is also staying there.

Noah portrays a charming and cheerful persona to his fans but to her he is arrogant and cold. He is there to work on his next project and teases her about her romantic ideas about being in France. There are so many funny scenes as things constantly happen to her and Louis absolutely cracked me up. The author gives us conspiracy theories, revelations and other love stories as it turns out our couple aren’t the only victims of unrequited love.

I felt so sorry for Merry at the start and was pleased when she took the opportunity to be herself and forget about everyone else for once in her life. I enjoyed all the funny incidents as she settled into life in France, her interactions with Noah and meeting her sexy frenchman. However, in the middle there was so much going on that the story lost its way a little. But it picked up again as her relationship with Noah changed and we learnt about the couple’s past. I laughed at her antics as she played matchmaker and how she dealt with Leo and Angela. The ending pulls on the heartstrings as the author cleverly brings everyone’s stories to a conclusion. I was glad Merry didn’t end up with Leo because Noah was perfect for her, thanks to her fairy godmother!!

"Si tu pouvais lire dans mon coeur, tu verrais la place où je t'ai mise."

Heartfelt and emotional, Merry and Noah's story really knows how to hit all your feelings, and balance it all with laugh-out-loud humor—you'll have tears streaming down your face from laughing so hard at the mayhem one rouge lobster can inflict!—and slow-burn romance. The enemies-to-friends-to-lovers vibes kindle the best anticipation with lots of steamy kisses and a little heat.

A crumbling chateau, gorgeous country side, delicious food (I'm so hungry!) and a beautiful love story, French Holiday is a romantic escape that will happily sweep you away. Don't miss the bonus epilogue filled with life, love, lobsters, and happily ever afters in Sarah Ready's newsletter!

"If you could read my heart, you will see the place I have given you there."

4.5 stars

Merry has been in love with her best friend for years—until he marries her sister. Needing a break, she summers in her godmother's romantic but dilapidated French castle. Her dreams of a perfect holiday are shattered when she finds that Noah—her new brother-in-law's condescending best man—is also staying there. They agree to a truce for the duration of their stay. But as secrets come to light, will their relationship turn to love?

This charming novel is clever, heart-warming, and funny. It includes quirky, unexpected characters and some over-the-top physical humor. The plot is multilayered and fast-paced, with some poignant moments.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

I very much enjoyed this book. This was my first ever book by Sarah Ready. I’ve been wanting to read a book from her for a while now.

Merry’s life is spiraling. Her sister, Angela, just got married to her best friend who she has a crush on, Leo. Merry does not know what to do. She needs an escape plan and she gets one when she is offered to stay at a castle in the French countryside for three months. She thinks this is the perfect getaway to relax and get her life together. That’s until she arrives and realizes that someone else is staying at the castle as well. Noah Wright. The best man at the wedding and someone who she particularly doesn’t like.

Since this was my first book by Sarah, I was not privy to her writing style. This was the reason why it took me a later while to get into the story, since I’m not used to this type of writing style. In the end, I think it added to the overall vibe of the story. It was entertaining and made me laugh.

I loved the banter between Merry and Noah and how their friendship and eventual romance developed. I loved seeing Merry’s character development and her struggles unrequited love and how she got over it. Despite their initial tension between them, Noah and Merry’s friendship grew to something beautiful and it allowed how sweet and funny Noah actually is.

The plot was nice as well. At first I wasn’t really interested but as the story progressed and information was revealed, I was intrigued.

Now, I didn’t really like Angela. I just didn’t vibe with her at all. Camilla, at first, irritated me, but I grew to like her at the end.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read and would definitely read more from this author. I will like to re-read this book in the French countryside to fully absorb myself in the setting of the story. I think I would enjoy the story more if I do.

Thank you to Swift & Lewis Publishing LLC and NetGalley for this ARC copy.

French holiday was a really cute story and I had so much fun while reading it. There were a lot of hilarious scenes (like the lobster Louis). Also the setting in the french castle with only one bed that Merry has to share with Noah (the guy Merry accidentally slept with when she was drunk on her sister's wedding) was enjoyable. For me the last 50 % of the book was very sloow and didn't quite live up to the expectations. The romance between Merry and Noah felt also too rushed though they had a great chemistry.

Read if you like enemies-to-lovers, one-bed-trope, forced proximity, grumpy/sunshine.

Unfortunately this story didn't quite live up to my expectations. It was cute and light, with some more serious topics thrown in, but it was no where near as funny as I had expected.

After Merry's best friend has married her sister Merry needs a fresh start and a break from it all, so goes to France, but it seems she was not the only one meant to be staying at the castle at this time.

This forced proximity with someone Merry really dislikes led to some funny moments, but others were a little OTT. Both Merry and Noah were likeable characters, but I didn't love either, nor was I super moved by what they were going through. It was, however, still a cute story.

I have never physically visited France, but I am pretty sure I was mentally on vacation in France for about a week. French Holiday was the perfect spring/summer/beach/pool read! This was my first audiobook and definitely will not be my last. I read the ebook as well. Out of the two options I would highly recommend the audiobook.

This was a super cute frenemies to lovers story. I love these kinds of romance novels because I am able to escape reality. The characters were well developed. I loved Jupiter! That crazy funny godmother that lives the artistic life! The twist in the second half of the book is really what kept this story going for me. Although I figured it out it was a great part of the story. The angst between Merry and Noah was everything. The little gestures throughout the book were just enough to keep any reader wanting more and making this story extremely readable.

If you’re looking for an audiobook/book that transports you to a very desirable location with delicious food & wine, amazing art, and a chateau in the countryside then definitely pick this one up! This was my first time reading a novel by Sarah Ready. Thank you NetGalley & Swift & Lewis Publishing, LLC for this advanced copy of French Holiday in exchange for my honest review.

This was my first book by Sarah Ready, and I’m looking forward to checking out more of her work. This was a cute, easy read with A+ banter and laugh out loud moments (my favorite). I didn’t expect the little bit of mystery that was thrown in, and that was a fun twist.

Angela and Leo were not my favorite and definitely deserved each other, and Camille could be overbearing, but the unfolding of her and Pierre’s relationship was fun to read about. It created a cute subplot. Jupiter was hilarious, and I want to be her when I grow up. This will make a great summer/by the pool read, especially if you love enemies to lovers, forced proximity, or grumpy/sunshine.

Noah and Merry's story is cute, interesting and entertaining. I really enjoyed the storyline so much. I think I was more intrigued by it than the two MCs. I just had so much fun reading their story. I loved everything about it.

⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌶️

🇫🇷 "Unrequited love is probably the worst thing you could do to yourself.”

🇫🇷 Merry and Noah got off the wrong foot when they met and cannot stand each other ever since. By some twisted turn of events, they end up at the same castle in France for 3 months. Will they be able to see past their differences or will they end up k!lling each other?

🇫🇷 You guys, this was such a sweet and cute romcom! It's a perfect read when you need to chill, relax and laugh a little, or when you need a cute romance in between heavier books!
The characters were quirky and fun and surprisingly deep. It was great to see how their each resolved their own issues before coming together.
I loved that there was an actual plot with some twists besides the romance, it added a little something to the book!
Plus the scenery, my god 😍 The book is set in Annecy, in France and I absolutely love this town and the region surrounding it!! So of course that made me appreciate the book even more!

Read if you like :
📖 Small town vibes
📖 Forced proximity
📖 French vibes (the characters basically survive on baguette, bread and wine for months)
📖 Sort of enemies to lovers

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

When Merry DeLuca's sister marries Leo, Merry's best friend - and the man she's secretly in love with, she needs to get away. Offered a three-month holiday in a crumbling French chateau by her eccentric godmother, she jumps at the opportunity. The last person she expects to be there is Noah Wright, Leo's best man and Merry's sworn enemy. But as they get to really know each other, she begins to see him in a new light.

Enemies-to-lovers is hands-down my favourite trope, and with a side of forced proximity (there's literally only one bed) plus written by Sarah Ready? Yes, please!

I was immediately invested in this story. The themes of unrequited love and pining are woven throughout, and there's a mystery to be solved along the way. Though I guessed that pretty early on, it was still a thoroughly satisfying story and perfectly executed.

Noah was such a complex character, and I really loved his development. I loved Merry from the first page. Her vulnerability, but also her optimistic attitude, were both beautifully balanced, and I really loved her sense of humour. The comedy is brilliantly executed: a special mention has to go to Louis the lobster (IYKYK) - I could see those scenes playing out like the best French farce. There's also some mischief from their neighbours, and I particularly loved Camille's brazenness.
But the real star is Noah and Merry's relationship. I really loved Noah's journey. I promise no spoilers, but the development of his and Merry's friendship was perfectly executed, with the slowest of slow burn and plenty of sweet yet vulnerable moments. All of the little glances, slight touches, and the teasing... ah! Swoon-worthy perfection.
Sarah Ready is quickly becoming one of my favourite authors.

Overall Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Heat Rating: 🔥
Emotional Rating: 💔😬💓😯😢🥒🙈😂😱💓😢💔🐀🙈🥰🦞🙈🥰💔🔥😢😍😮💓😍🥰

*Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to leave an honest review. French Holiday is published on 26th April*

Sarah Ready has done it again. I say that with each of her new releases, but it’s true. Her writing, the characters, the plot…it all comes together so perfectly to bring a beautiful and heartwarming story that you didn’t know you needed. FRENCH HOLIDAY was an absolute delight that kept me hanging on after every chapter. I truly couldn’t put it down and I loved every second of Merry and Noah’s story and their stay in a crumbling castle in France. Throw in some charming neighbors, a godmother named Jupiter, and a missing artist, and you’re sure to love this book as much as I did.

Merry was such a fun character to read. Through her banter with Noah, her internal dialogue, and all-around loveable quirkiness, I found myself loving her more and more. Even though her life was not in going in the direction she wanted, taking a vacation to France was exactly what she needed. What she didn’t need, though, was Noah Wright, her sworn enemy, staying with her at her godmother’s castle. But what started out as a misunderstanding slowly becomes acceptance, and that hatred slowly becomes friendship. Merry finds that there is so much more to Noah than his persona on his travel documentaries, and he’s growing on her more and more as they spend time together.

And Noah—our sweet Noah. I knew that he would have a great story to tell, and I was not disappointed! I was riveted as more of his backstory was revealed, and was rooting for him the entire time. It took some time for him and Merry to come to a truce, but it was such a joy to see him open up and let her in. It was worth all the twists and turns along the way! There is also a wonderful cast of side characters who you’ll grow to love, as well as a little French magic sprinkled in.

Reading this story will make you feel as though you’re in France with everyone, eating a buttery croissant, drinking wine in the countryside, and falling in love, bit by bit, with the last person you thought you ever would.

Huge thanks to the author and NetGalley for the early copy of FRENCH HOLIDAY. You’ll definitely want to pick it up. It’s the perfect escape!

Rating 4.25/5 stars

French Holiday was an absolute delight to read! This was my first Sarah Ready book and I've got to say, I'm hooked! I wasn't sure what to expect based on the title and I went in a little blind, but I wasn't disappointed. I finished this book in less than 24 hours!

It's enemies to lovers with the one bed trope and even though the main characters are in the same chateau for a majority of the book, it feels like we went on a journey. Not only was the chemistry between Merry and Noah fantastic, but all of Merry's relationships are interesting. I particularly enjoyed how Ready wrote the relationship between Pierre and Merry. It seems like every character had a little growth arc and it was so refreshing to read.

Overall, this was a fun read and I would definitely recommend French Holiday. I can't wait to read more of Sarah's books!

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and Sarah Ready for providing an ARC. All thoughts and opinions are wholly my own.

I think a trip to Annecy, France is in my future after reading about it in this book! This is a fun enemies-to-lovers story featuring Merry and Noah and a cast of characters in France. Lots of familiar romance tropes and a little bit of a mystery to solve. Time to go book a flight to find a crumbling chateau!

Thank you Sarah Ready and Swift & Lewis Publishing LLC for the advanced reader copy of French Holiday.

Wow, wow, wow! This was an absolute dream of a novel and I fell in love with this story. Sarah Ready created a novel where it felt like I was watching a romantic movie. The writing felt romantic and cinematic, painting a picture of a beautiful, yet crumbling castle in the French countryside. I was incapsulated by the love that came in many different forms throughout the novel - from friendship, family, home and romance.

Our two main characters Merry and Noah were well developed. Both characters showed growth in all aspects of their life, which gave them depth and a sense of reality. From beginning to end, I felt like I was in this love story. I was in their love story. It was absolutely beautiful.

I cannot wait to purchase my own final printing of this incredible novel.

This book was such a delightful surprise! I wasn’t sure what to expect when I decided to request an arc of this book but I knew I wanted to read something light and fun after all my recent reads and I knew that I would enjoy this since I’ve enjoyed reading Josh and Gemma Make a Baby and the Soul Mates in Romeo series. And sure enough Sarah Ready didn’t disappoint.

The premise of French Holiday revolves around Meredith (Merry as everyone else calls her) being in unrequited love with her best friend, Leo. On the night Merry decides to confess her feelings to Leo, Merry’s sister Angela calls her to help change a flat tire and Leo comes with. From upon meeting Angela and becoming smitten with each other, Leo calls Merry and informs her that the two were getting engaged the very next day. It was from this point onwards Merry’s life quickly changes. She meets Leo’s best friend Noah who doesn’t make a good first impression after overhearing a conversation he and Leo were having about him getting married so soon and Noah makes an unsavory remark about Merry. It was there that Merry decided Noah was her nemesis and haven’t gotten along with him since despite giving him multiple chances to change her mind. After learning some life changing news and experiencing problems at work, Merry’s godmother Jupiter informs her that she have purchased a chateau in France and would like her to stay there for three months since she would be too busy with her lover. Merry agrees and when she arrives in France she discovers that Noah paid Jupiter five thousand dollars to stay at the chateau too for work purposes. But Noah has another secret reason why for he’s staying at the chateau.

French Holiday has humor, mystery, spice and sweet swoon worthy and heart warming moments. It’s about finding love in unexpected places with unexpected people, rediscovering yourself, and realizing what true love is supposed to feel and look like but ultimately it’s about family and the extent that one will go for them.

I pleasantly enjoyed reading this book. It was such a heartwarming and fun experience. I’m looking forward to reading more of her future rom-coms.

Thank you NetGallery for allowing me to read an arc in exchange for an honest review.