This was not a bad book overall but it was too long and about halfway through it started to drag and I begin to lose interest. I found I did not care much at all for the "mystery" in this or any of the secondary characters. It took away from the development of the romance to the point where that just felt tacked on at the end. I did love the setting of Annecy, France and the deteriorating castle but I wanted more forced proximity, enemies to lovers situations in this stunning setting. Sadly, that was never really the case because of course Noah never 'hated' Merry to begin with. I would try Sarah Ready's books again, though. This book will definitely have an audience, even if it wasn't for me, and I would recommend it to those who enjoy romance books set in the French countryside. Thank you to Swift and Lewis Publishing for the DRC in exchange for an honest review.

Magical & Breathtaking 🤍
My favorite book this month and it will definitely be on my top 10 for 2023.

This novel has it all:
Enemies to Lovers 🔥🤫
Forced Proximity 💃🏻
Only one bed 🙈
Banter 🤤
Slow Burn Romance
Grumpy X Sunshine
Second Chance at love
French sweets
Amazing Settings and so much more 😍.

Our lovely Merry seems like she has it all a job, family, and friends and her sister is getting married soon but she is marrying Merry's best friend and unrequited love Leo and to make matters worse Leo's best man is Merry's soul enemy Noah Wright ( these 2 are polar opposites).
However, when Merry plan to get drunk and forget her misery leads to her one night stand with Noah everything gets bad her job and everything else falls apart that's when Merry decides to go on a flight plan to France, Annecy to live in a castle called Chateau De Montlake .

On the other hand, fate had other plans for her cuz when she arrives she finds the one and only Noah Wright has rented the same castle and they will be forced to live together for 3 months.

3 months together under the same roof in the french country side away from the world, will everything change for them and find their happily ever after?
Get ready for an amazing journey throughout this book coz it's absolutely perfect 💖💖💖.

Loved loved loved it
Make sure to read it once its out.
Thanks to @Netgalley and the publisher for granting me an ARC of #FrenchHoliday in exchange for my honest review.
Xoxo💋

This is the third book that I’ve read by Sarah Ready and I think she’s pretty talented and does a good job with her stories and writing. Over all I had a pretty fun time with this book and I look forward to picking up more book by the author in the future.

This was a cute read - I will be honest... it reminded me of a "twist" on the Netflix show, "Emily in Paris" (imagine a season where Emily ends up in the countryside living in a Chateau...).

Merry (Meredith) is fed up with being a secondary character in her own life - her sister just married Leo, the guys she's been in love with for the last 4 years. When she's offered a three month vacation in the French countryside; Merry quits her job, sublets her apartment and bids her family "au revoir".

When Merry arrives in France she is greeted not only by a gothic chateau, she finds that there is already another occupant - Leo's best friend Noah. The Noah who very clearly doesn't like her. When he refuses to leave, they form a truce. Which leads to more (this is a romance after all).

Merry reminded me a LOT of Emily from the show - she has a "clear" idea of what living in France should mean (life in soft focus - everything a little blurry with a HEA) , including how one dresses - and at first refuses to let that idea go.

But then she evolves.

*Merry decides to change her approach towards life and living. She doesn't hide behind pleasantries, she decides that while in France she will be "direct and honest" - and she stands by that.

*Merry and Noah really do become friends - they talk, they share their feelings, their fears, their hopes. They build a connection - it's not just about a physical attraction.

*France makes a brilliant "secondary" character - the vineyards, the small medieval villages, the FOOD (cheese, baguette, wine). It wasn't only a location in the book, it felt like it's own character that was necessary to move the story forward.

*This wasn't only a romance - there was a little mystery (and art) thrown in for good measure. Which worked really well because it helped bring Noah and Merry closer, and built the trust between them.

I laughed (especially the scenes that involved Louis the lobster, rats, and cockroaches), I teared up a bit and I cheered Merry in her self growth. She was a character that grew on me, because she grew.

I recommend this read - I'd give it 3.75 stars (it's between a "I liked it" and "I really liked it".

Thank you Netgalley and Swift & Lewis Publishing for providing me with an advanced copy in return for an honest review.

I will read more Sarah Ready books (and will sign up to her website to get the bonus chapter about Merry and Noah).

Sarah Ready is turning into an author I can definitely rely on for a romance book I can't put down and French Holiday was no exception. Though parts of this book were utterly ridiculous and a suspension of belief was absolutely necessary to enjoy this, I really liked the characters and the setting and the slight mystery component of this story. The love story was cute and I felt a bit like I wouldn't mind doing some travelling but I have no desire to stay in a centuries-old castle that is falling apart LOL. A cute light beach read with a lot of fluff and low on the steam :)

This book was an amazing read. I really enjoyed that there was so much more to it than just a flight plan and that I could just feel all the emotions! I was hooked from the first chapter and just could not put it down. Given, at times I felt Noah had so many personalities to him because he just didn't feel like the same person. Every few chapters, he had a different behaviour and that hot and cold personality just made me a bit wary towards him. I loved Merry and her character development in the book. I was so glad to see a proper arc for her character and that slap!! it was 3:30 am for me when I read it, and you bet it made me wide awake because I was PROUD of her. Truthfully this book is a 3.75 ⭐️ but I rounded it up as it did have more good moments than bad ones.

It's a hilarious read with a mysterious twist to it and honestly a great spring read and it sets you in the mood for summer.

A rom-com. An easy read though maybe overly wordy at times. Predictable in many ways but with likeable characters. I really liked the angle on Noah's background story.
Some funny moments but they were sometimes a bit too slapstick.
Overall an enjoyable read.

This was such an easy read for me and I enjoyed almost every bit of it!

So Merry, in love with her best friend who also just happens to marry her little sister, decides to take her godmother's advice and action an escape plan. She quits her job in HR and boosts it to her godmother's castle in France for three months. There she is met by Noah, someone she doesn't like and who doesn't like her - they decide to call a truce and both stay there for the three months. Merry is living out her romantic french dreams while Noah, a famous travel documentarian, works. They share secrets and both sides of experiences whilst also forming a sort of friendship.

Look, this was supposed to be enemies to lovers and I enjoyed both MCs but I did not for a second believe that they hated one another lol they did have some pretty good banter though! Angela irked me and her husband just seemed so clueless. The introduction to the mystery was very interesting for me and it kinda really did change the way I saw the character and their development - I think it added more depth.

This was super charming, fun and a nice, easy read!

*thank you to netgalley for providing me an e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

This was a fun rom-com! I loved the French setting, the interesting career issues of the main characters, and the overall plot. I did find some of the minor characters and some of the humorous parts to be a little over the top, though. I also liked that the two main characters didn’t make annoying and overly dramatic decisions. Overall, I really enjoyed this one and look forward to reading more by the author.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a complimentary digital copy!

Thank you so much NetGalley for letting me read French Holiday by Sarah Ready! I will be adding more Sarah Ready books to my TBR! I loved her writing style. It was fun, hilarious and lovable! I loved all the characters in the story. I could picture myself in all of them. I loved that I could paint an amazing picture and actually felt like I was on a holiday with Marry. The connection between Noah and Marry ... oh my goodness I could feel it in my bones! Its a fabulous holiday read! Thank you again :)

What a FUN book! This is the quintessential romantic comedy that played out like a movie while reading.

What I loved about this book:
- Really great banter between the two main characters
-The setting! An old chateau in the french countyside. Mentions of wine, cheese and bread!
-Many humorous moments throughout the story that made me laugh out loud. (The lobster)
-Plenty of sweet romantic moments that build throughout the story
- I enjoyed the side characters and thought they added to the overall story
-Overall theme of unrequired love

Tropes: Enemies to Lovers, One Bed, Unrequired Love

There is nothing I did not enjoy about this book. I immediately started looking into her other books and plan to read them asap. If you are a lover of Rom-Com’s this one is not to be missed.

Firstly, I read most of this novel in one sitting alone. Now, I understand when readers say they flew through a book because that’s what happened to me. I’m a slow reader so that says a lot. I can’t put this book down because I want to know what happens next, where the story will go, or how the characters will react in the next chapter.

Moreover, Annecy, France is now part of my travel destinations (if I ever get to them in the future, hopefully). As I was reading, it felt like I was there with them feeling the breeze of the wind through my hair and walking the uneven cobblestone paths. Also, every time they introduce food in the chapters, it makes my mouth water. I have a list of food I want to try if I’m going to have a chance to visit France.

But, Merry and Noah melted my heart. I truly enjoyed how they started as kind-of-enemies, then became friends. Plus, their banter and antics had me laughing. It was peak romcom! Also, the novel is shrouded with mystery, too. When I got to the plot twist it was really satisfying. I’ll surely look forward to more of Sarah Ready’s novel because this one left an impression.

Furthermore, this novel is about different kinds of love. It’s about finding one’s self and what you truly treasure in life. It makes you ask yourself if what you have right now is what you have always wanted or maybe there’s so much more in life. And, believe me, there’s so much more. Maybe, we’re still afraid to take that leap and start living. But, at some point, I’m hoping we can be Merry who took the leap and started living the life she wanted, a happy one.

This novel made me feel like I was traveling without leaving the comfort of my home. I was in France in no time. Also, I want to thank NetGalley and Swift & Lewis Publishing LLC for the eARC of the French Holiday in exchange for an honest review.

So I listened to the audio and had to get the ebook just so I could annotate it. French Holiday is a sweet & swoony read and it has the perfect enemies to lovers relationship. I quite enjoyed all the banter and the storyline kept me hooked throughout. The cute relation between the MCs had me rooting for them right from the start.

Overall it’s a sweet romance with fun, likeable characters and any lol moments. I certainly recommend this book to all romance lovers.

Loved this one!! I read the Josh and Gemma books and adored them so I had high expectations for this one. Same wacky scenarios, hilarious writing and feel good moments. Highly recommend!!

I really loved this! I loved the French setting, the characters, everything. Merry and Noah were terrific, both separately and together, and I liked Camille and Perry and the evolution of their relationship as well. The French setting was truly another character in the novel and I wanted to go have a glass of wine and some cheese at my own French chateau. The author did an amazing job of bringing the setting to life. This is a perfect beach read!

This is my first first time reading this author work and it won’t be the last. I loved this novel and it was an absolute pleasure to read from start to finish. The story is heartwarming and romantic and although we know how all romance novels generally end it’s the wonderful in between parts to get to the finish. The location is stunning, with beautiful French countryside, vineyards, picnics, delicious food and all set against a charming run down French mansion, with only one bed! The writing is very good and some of the scenes are hilarious and I liked the mystery sub plot which added extra depth to the story. The main characters, Merry and Noah, are good together and have great chemistry. It was lovely following their enemies to lovers relationship, their interactions and the pair gradually getting to know and fall for each other.

Thank you to the publisher for the eARC via Netgalley

After four years of friendship, Merry will finally be telling Leo, her best friend, that she is in love with him. Or she would if her sister Angela didn’t call her to ask for help. Leo goes along and meets Angela. The next day Merry is given the news that Leo and Angela will get married. Fast? Definitely.

After suffering through the wedding, having to fire more than fifty colleagues, resigning from work, and learning that she will be an aunt, Merry decides to fly away to France, to her godmother’s castle.

All seemed dreamy until she arrived. The castle is old and needs a lot of work, Noah - Leo’s best friend and someone Merry doesn’t get along with - is also staying there, and there is only one bed in the castle!

This book is funny and mysterious - I loved it! We have all the romance and steam we would like and more depth with a mystery about Noah’s work. I can’t tell you how many times I laughed with these two!

The writing is fluid and easy to read, the characters are interesting and likable, and the plot is captivating.

4.5*

Merry watched her sister marry the man she loves. She then decides she is going to travel to France for 3 months. 1 small Chateau and 1 travel filmmaker and some sparks. Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read this book in exchange for my honest feedback!

Sarah Ready is rapidly becoming a favorite author for me. I love how she writes characters in a romantic comedy, yet also manages to bring so much depth to their stories. This book is another example of her fantastic writing style and ability to weave real life complications into romance and make it enjoyable, fun, and memorable. I was feeling a lot of unexpected emotions in this story and loved every moment. The audiobook is so well done and I can't wait to listen to it again.

Frenemies? check

Family secrets? check

French countryside? check

I adored everything about this and truly wish there was more!

If you're a fan of 27 Dresses and Under the Tuscan Sun, you're gonna love this!

Sarah took the best of both and gave us romance, intrigue, self-discovery, and forgiveness while making us laugh and fall in love with all the characters.